Begrebet 'ghetto' misbruges og anvendes i absurd grad i den danske debat om boligområder med store sociale problemer. Bulldozere, udgangsforbud og massive politistyrker er det politiske 'svar' på de sociale problemer, skønt både ledende politifolk og andre med stor erfaring i netop de relevante problemer advarer imod populismen og stigmatiseringen. Her en musikalsk kommentar fra Elvis Presley (tekst: Scott Davis):
As the snow flies
On a cold and gray Chicago mornin'
A poor little baby child is born
In the ghetto
And his mama cries
'Cause if there's one thing that she don't need
It's another hungry mouth to feed
In the ghetto
People, don't you understand
The child needs a helping hand
Or he'll grow to be an angry young man some day
Take a look at you and me,
Are we too blind to see,
Do we simply turn our heads
And look the other way
Well the world turns
And a hungry little boy with a runny nose
Plays in the street as the cold wind blows
In the ghetto
And his hunger burns
So he starts to roam the streets at night
and he learns how to steal
And he learns how to fight
In the ghetto
Then one night in desperation
A young man breaks away
He buys a gun, steals a car,
Tries to run, but he don't get far
And his mama cries
As a crowd gathers 'round an angry young man
Face down on the street with a gun in his hand
In the ghetto
As her young man dies,
On a cold and gray Chicago mornin',
Another little baby child is born
In the ghetto
Også i den hårdkogte del af verden såvel som den hårdkogte del af den politiske retorik kan det måske engang imellem betale sig at standse op, tage en dyb indånding og tænke lidt længere end med jernhånden.
APROPOS: Jacob Holdt og ghettoen i vore hjerter
Rune Engelbreth Larsen, 15.10.2010