Posted on 07/23/2013 12:30:22 PM PDT by rhema
How can we demand respect from others when we show so little of it for ourselves?
Everyone agrees that Trayvon Martin's death was a senseless loss of life. While we'll never know all the facts, it seems likely that George Zimmerman did "profile" Martin when he first saw him. What happened after that will forever be unknown, and, in my mind, the facts were insufficient to convict Zimmerman.
The establishment view of this tragedy is that it is primarily about racial profiling, "stand your ground" laws and the relative value our society places on the lives of young black males. Many black leaders argue that if Martin had killed Zimmerman, the verdict might have been different.
What often gets lost in this narrative is how we in the black community often contribute to our own destruction. The Martin case, tragic as it is, pales in comparison to the epidemic of black-on-black murders, which is the leading cause of death for young black men in this country. In Chicago, the murder rate is so high that it is affecting the city's credit rating. It is broadly accepted that crime in Detroit is a major reason the city is bankrupt.
Where is the outrage, the indignation, the marches for victims of black-on-black crime? The simple fact is that black thugs pose a much greater threat to me and my family than racial profiling ever will.
More important, where is the honest self-examination in the black community of how we tragically devalue our own lives? How can we build a culture of self-respect, honor and dignity when the most visible expression of black culture today is hip-hop and rap music? This malignant new form of black culture plays a dominant role in defining what it means to be an authentic young black male.
(Excerpt) Read more at startribune.com ...
To HiTech RedNeck@25 and rhema@32
Yes, Bell does make some correct statements later in his article, specifically in noting the reality of black-on-black crime, and the malignant hip-hop form of black culture.
But sadly, he continues to refer to racist profiling, which he associates with Zimmerman. What is valid is, in fact, criminal and drug behavior profiling and what Bell demonstrates is his own racist profiling.
In the U.S. we have cultures associated with German, Irish, French, Italian, Hispanic, Japanese, Vietnamese, Chinese, and other ethnic groups. Some of these have become associated in various parts of our country or at various times in the past, with criminal (or enemy) activity, deservedly or otherwise.
Whether black culture can shake off its congruence with criminal profiling remains to be seen. But, even with Bell, there is a tendency to shift the blame to others or other things, like poverty, gun control, “stop and frisk” laws. This attempt continues the policy of victimization. Such reliance on “victimization” provides those in that culture with the entitlement of “innocence” in whatever one does, since the blame for what one does then belongs to someone else.
Better would be to find men like Michelle Obama's father to lead the black community instead of the race hucksters that lead it now.
Veddy interesting!
I’m sure before the day was out, she had found a way to rationalise her bigotry towards Southerners. One thing that really chaps my behind, is the way leftists or even not-so-leftist people from other regions (after telling us Southerners all about ourselves) will gloat over some media factoid, ie, the South having the most obese people. You can hardly explain that when the population of MS is almost half black, and blacks have the highest rates of obesity, that will most likely make a difference in the statewide total. Same with literacy rates, bastardy rates, etc. Not to say that enough poor whites don’t figure in there, but I’d like to see our comparative rates adjusted for race with some New England state.
I agree.
Bless her heart, she never taught another diversity class after that one. I don't know who could've said something to her boss.
Anyhow, I'm back in the south these days. That hateful ignoramus Bill Mahr really, really hates the south. He's been turning my stomach for at least a decade now.
An awful lot of Blacks can’t even put 2+2 together, and furthermore, they don’t give a good GD.
Guess she was just in the wrong line of work ;)
I used to jump at the ready to defend my poor beloved state of MS against all the slander we endure, but I finally got wise to myself, and now when I hear it, I just let it pass right on. The reason being, the worse people think of my state, the less likely they are to ever move here and mess with things which I like, for the most part, just fine the way they are. I like when we get no attention at all, I wish the rest of the Union would just forget this state exists. The only thing outside attention has ever brought us is trouble. Look at what happened to states like Colorado when leftists got the idea that they wanted to play at living Pioneer Days, except without the guns.
Yes, just let everyone think the worst of us so they’ll keep away, or better yet just forget us altogether.
While I appreciate our author having the nerve to say things that will no doubt cause lefties to call him a self-hating black man, I think he is missing the larger point.
He puts way, way, too much emphasis on “hip-hop”. Hip-hop may be a symptom or a reaction or a portrayal, but it is NOT a cause.
The cause of the dysfunction in the black community is the almost total break down of the black family. Now, I’m sure there are many underlying causes for that, sexual “liberation”; welfare policies of at least several decades; loss of good paying jobs for working class men; etc. But that’s what’s going on, as Marvin Gaye sang.
And why, at the end, does he seem to think it is Michele Obama who should be tasked with dealing with this? Does he see her as a black Tipper Gore who’s going to campaign for warning labels on hip-hop albums? (I have no idea what music Mrs. Obama likes, but she don’t really strike me as a hip-hop type of gal.) Does he think of her as more “authentically black” than her husband, which I would agree that she is, btw? Or is he just sick of hearing her go on and on about arugala?
In any event, this IS a subject the Obamas, as a couple, might have been able to do some good about. But they squandered that opportunity.
“Sometimes things get hectic and I can’t think; maybe a tank would help.”
Maybe GETTING tanked would help! Just kidding, probably not, although it might depend on what you want to think about.
It’s a shame to have to realize that “black culture” is
different than American culture. This is the heart of the problem: many blacks seem to hate individualism, capitalism
civil discource, etc.
Peter, you ain’t keepin’ it real.
You’re actually saying more about yourself than anything else if you refuse to read the entire article.
You were right Joe. Thanks for sharing - I caught my mistake minutes before you did, but I just as easily could have moved on to the next thread and missed an interesting read - and looked like a total fool in the process... Again, thanks :) ....
My reply #57:
I should have read further... looks like Peter Bell has a sense of the horror that’s happening... and the delusions that prop it up. We might have a new Republican here in a few more years... That would be great...
Really there is reason to continue. The guy has interesting stuff to say. Our best chance of working out some of the racial mess is to have honest people come together and speak as much truth to each other as possible. Peter Bell has something to say... Read the rest of it.
This guy speaks truth dispassionately. Hope he keeps it up. He is sure to get slimed by the grievance mongers; but he has a message that needs to be heard.
First three sentences; first three lies. There's really no need to continue further with this trash.
You really ought to read the rest without jumping to conclusion; he actually defends the inevitability of profiling, and challenges his fellow blacks to take responsibility for the behaviors that contribute to negative profiles. It's an excellent piece of writing.
Good strategy. Couldn't agree more.
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