“Black on black” crime has made it easy for some mainstream media organizations, many Fox News-loving Republicans and sometimes even members of law enforcement, to look at it as a “them” problem.
As long as “they” are killing “themselves”, it’s something Black America needs to figure out.
As gang violence continues to escalate in many of our major cities, some people are made to feel like prisoners in their own neighborhoods and communities.
Let’s be honest, no matter where we live, most of us will gladly patronize businesses in the ‘hood to get haircuts, soul food and, um, independently duplicated (bootlegged) videos. But we also have no problems going miles outside of our communities, if not to live, but to shop at a nicer mall or to watch movies where we’re least likely to get the same kind of ambience (talking) we might get at “our” theaters.
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But lately we’re seeing a frightening shift that may cause us to reassess where we go, what we do and even what we say.
More and more, we’re seeing angry, (mostly) white men use the “Stand Your Ground” law as an excuse to shoot people they feel “threatened” by.
Even though people tried their best to make us believe electing President Obama would be the end of racism in this country, it may have had the opposite effect.
Electing a black man president caused some to realize their biggest fears. Add to that the president’s support for gun control and more radicals than ever are arming themselves with weapons and they’re ready and willing to use them.
The number of guns confiscated by TSA from January 1st to December 16th, 2013 jumped 20 percent.
Almost every day there’s a bizarre story proving that people’s fuses are getting shorter, and I’m telling anyone who will listen that this isn’t the time to demonstrate your toughness.
George Zimmerman‘s acquittal has set a scary precedent in this country where people can use fear and their own anger as a defense for killing another person.
Not only can it be a used in black on white crimes, but it’s being used in
crimes between people of the same race.
If you’re in a movie theater and somebody is upset with you for texting, proving you’re not scared isn’t worth your life.
If an irate shopper is upset because you have too many groceries n the 20 items or less line, either gather your groceries and leave or, as J. Anthony Brown says, start eating until you’ve reduced the right number.
If someone curses you out, you start cursing and they shoot you claiming they felt threatened, even if they lose the case using the “Stand Your Ground” defense, you’re still dead.
There was a time when black people had to back down, avert their eyes, and move to the other side of the sidewalk when a white man was passing. I’m not suggesting any of that.
But I am saying a similar kind of fear and hatred is alive and well among a lot of white people today. They are stirred up by the Tea Party, ultra conservative Republicans and, yes, announcers on “Christian” radio stations.
These people who would never have the guts to make a move themselves make their audiences believe that it’s their duty to stop whatever they claim the president is doing to our country.
They’re made to believe that their “American” values and democracy itself is being threatened.
We can’t stop the tide of fear-based hatred, but history teaches us that at some point, the battle must be fought.
But let’s just not be baited into an altercation that ends in nothing but tragedy.
“Stand Your Ground” is no joke, whether you’re white or black. But if you do happen to be a brotha or sista in a bad situation, get out of it because if you’re keeping score, and I am, the law is not on our side.
