Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Justice for Just Us

The "justice" system is a joke.

It should be called the "Rules are rules for niggers to suffer by" system. Well, I guess that's too long a name, but "justice" shouldn't be any part of the system's name.  Nothing about the way the courts work in this country is just. Nothing.

Take this story for example.

I haven't been reading the news that much so I missed it earlier. But, apparently an Ohio mother who used a relative's address to send her kids to a better school was convicted of two felonies, got jail time and probation, along with possibly losing her job prospects. For trying to find a better school for her kids because their neighborhood school is terrible..

The story notes that there was no violence in the crime, nor does the woman have a long criminal record. Yet prosecutors refused to reduce her charges, refused to except a plea to lesser charges and the judge felt compelled to hand down at least some jail time because otherwise it would have undermined the crimes the woman was convicted of committing.

Really.

That's what passes for justice in America. A hard working mother who makes a bad decision while trying to create a better opportunity for her children must spend time in jail, while millionaires and billionaires who defraud and hurt hundreds are allowed to skate. A woman seeking what all parents seek for their children, is punished and afforded no second chance, while these same people lament the fact that most black parents just don't care.

I can't even work up the proper amount of outrage for this story because it doesn't seem real. How could so many people conspire to punish such a decent woman for so petty a crime? How can anyone believe that this would happen to a woman who didn't share her skin color? How can these people sleep at night.

How does this happen?




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We Came From You


Sometimes I wonder if older black people hate me.

Well, not me personally. Older black people love me. I'm personable, respectful, employed and a Christian. I'm a model Negro.

When I said "me" I meant my generation. The people in and around my age range that I grew up with and who share my life experiences. I also meant some of these young knuckleheads that I still identify with, and understand to a degree.

The bigger "me."

Every day I hear a lament from an older black person about "us."

Whether it's complaining about the dreadlocks, the baby mamas, the criminal tendencies or the ugly tattoos, the litany of things older black people don't like about younger black people is quite extensive. They don't like our walk or our talk. They just don't like us.

Some people might chalk it up to the classic battle between the old and young that is a part of every generation. Oldsters are required to hate youngsters, it might actually be hardwired into their DNA. The ragtime generation hated the blues generation, the blues generation hated the jazz generation, the jazzers hated the R&B crowd, and you know that crowd hates hip-hop heads. The hatred doesn't just involve music, it includes every aspect of the culture that differs from the culture that preceded it.

But, for some reason, what's happening now feels different.

I could be overly sensitive, but I'm frequently confronted by a level of animosity and disgust for my generation that is actually frightening. Some of them seem to view us as failures, as a waste of the blood and tears shed in the past. Even if many of these angry older people weren't active in the Civil Rights movement, they still lay claim to its pain, and they seem deeply offended that my generation has not done more with that legacy.

Yet, I wonder about the metric being used. More black people are graduating from college than ever before. More of them are receiving advanced degrees. Teen pregnancy has dropped substantially The overall crime rate is near its lowest point in 30 years. Black people are becoming the heads of industry, and multi-millionaires. Yet, for many older people, this generation has failed.

True, the black prison population has skyrocketed, but that trend began long ago. Births out of wedlock are ridiculously high, but what can you expect of the grandchildren of "Free Love." Yes, the gap between black youths and the their counterparts of other races when it comes to academics and jobs is large, but it's always been that way. Honestly, it seems like many of the ills of my generation can be directly tied to the decisions and failures of the generations that proceeded it.

And, maybe that's the problem.

Most people hate mirrors that show us in an unflattering light. While older people lament the failings of the youth, maybe in their hearts they recognize that those failings are a reflection of their own shortcomings. Maybe, like those of us who thought the year 2000 would feature flying cars and robotic helpers, older people just expected more. Maybe the successes of this generation pale in comparison to what our forefathers dreamed would exist.

I really don't know. But somebody needs to remind older black people where their descendants came from.


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Friday, January 21, 2011

Been Sick, But Still Alive

I haven't died, and I will post something soon. Been sick, and the kiddies have been sick as well.


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Monday, January 10, 2011

Cowardly Rock Throwers


The old cliche is that the biggest lie Satan ever told involved convincing mankind that he didn't exist.

Along those lines, the biggest lie that bigots tell is that their bigotry has no serious impact on the world.

We all know about the shooter in Tucson. While I've been pissed that he hasn't been called a terrorist by every media group reporting on the incident, I am also upset at the reaction to his actions by Tea Party members. Given the Tea Party's rhetoric about violence, blood and liberty, people automatically thought of them when a man shot a congresswoman at a campaign event.

It seems logical to think the shooting and rhetoric are connected. In fact, it's quite similar to the way many people, particularly white people, believe rap music is connected to violence in the black neighborhoods. Rappers don't pull many triggers, but they sure prime the minds of those people who do pull those triggers.

Yet Tea Party members are outraged that anyone would make the connection between their movement and this armed crazy. Could they have really believed that calls for armed revolution, and the watering of the tree of liberty would be taken figuratively and not literally? Did they think showing up at presidential rallies with assault rifles would be taken as purely a symbolic gesture? Could they really have been that naive?

Is Paris Hilton a virgin?

These people knew what they were doing and they just don't want to deal with the backlash for their decision. I've said for years that many racists are cowards who only have the courage to express their beliefs when there is no possibility of retribution. They want to spout hatred and evilness, yet avoid the cost for that choice.

I ain't having it.

These same people have tried to connect President Obama with radical fringe organizations of all kinds despite the most nebulous or non-existent connections and they have the nerve to get upset when they face the same scrutiny. Tough luck, you irresponsible bastards. As Malcolm X once said "the chickens have come home to roost."

Clean up the crap.

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Sigh

I don't feel like discussing the current definition of terrorism, which appears to be "violence or attempted violence by brown people." All violence committed by crazed and idealistic white folks is not up for consideration at this time.

I can't do it again.

Just imagine I made all the same points about double standards and media coverage and shake your head at how effed up the world is.

That's all I can offer you at this time.



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Thursday, January 6, 2011

What's in a "Nigger"?

Some of y'all may have heard about the brewing controversy about one scholar's plans to publish an edition of Mark Twain's classic "Huckleberry Finn" without certain "inflammatory" words. The new publication is an effort to circumvent the practice of banning the book from certain school libraries. If you haven't heard about it, check out this story.

 I've read Huck Finn a few times. It's a cool book. I'll admit that the use of "Nigger Jim" and just "nigger" in general surprised me initially. And I wasn't too thrilled with some of the stereotypes and characterizations for black folks in the book. But, I also realized, even as a child, this was a book written by a white man of a certain time, who was a product of his time no matter how enlightened he has been hailed as being. Viewed through that prism, I could take the good with the not so good and enjoy the book.

Apparently, this scholar doesn't think most kids need to have that experience.  I disagree.

I understand the need to expose kids to good books. But, I believe that if you neuter those books to make them more palatable to certain audiences, it becomes questionable whether they remain "good books." I don't remember any black parents at my school complaining about the use of the word nigger in Huck Finn and I doubt it's black school officials pushing for the books banning across the country.

Instead, this feels like another example of white Americans being uncomfortable with the amount of racism and discrimination in this country's past, and not wanting their children to be exposed to the truth about the good ol' days. There has been a systematic attempt in recent years to whitewash this country's past, and I don't like it at all.

After all, black people know that we used to be called niggers everywhere we went. Hell, our grandparents and great grandparents can tell us the stories from their own lives if we've ever wondered about what it was like to be black 50 years ago. We know about widespread discrimination and casual bigotry. It's not a secret, at least not from many of us.

Twain was an artist. He created an artwork that has value and importance the way it is. Changing it would be a shame. A damn shame. Children need to be exposed to reality and they need the chance to understand that people can be wrong about some things and right about others. They need to think about the words we use and why those words have power. And they need to confront the stereotypes that have been applied to black life for centuries so they can understand why so many black people remain angry.

It's not just about a nigger.





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Monday, January 3, 2011

Eff You and Your Little Dog Too

I'm late to the party, but let a lunatic vent a little bit.

I'm sure most of y'all heard what Tucker Carlson said about Mike Vick, right? Basically, he said that Vick deserved to die for the dogfighting ring he served time for bankrolling. Apparently, two years in the federal pen wasn't enough for Carlson, only death will do.

Fuck him.

Yeah, I don't curse in real life anymore, but the digital me says fuck Tucker Carlson and every thing he stands for. Fuck him if he just said it for ratings, fuck him if he really meant it. Fuck him for his life view, fuck him for mentioning Christianity. Fuck him with the 10-inch dick he spends his nights dreaming about.

Whew.

Sorry about that, but it was bubbling in the pit of my gut and I had to let it spew. Every time I think of Carlson advocating for Vick's death, I want to go on a profanity filled rampage that ends with a reenactment of the curb scene from "American History X" with me as the skinhead and Carlson as the random black victim. Violence begets violence and when you openly say you would have preferred to see a man killed for the pain and death he caused dogs, then I think of violence. Lots and lots of violence.

Michelle Clark-Perry tried to hip folks to the mixed feelings black folks have about dogs in a truncated televison appearance and extended essay, but I think it was a waste of words. The majority of white folks (sorry white folks) don't really want to hear any explanation that involves the words slavery, racism or discrimination. When black folks use any of those three words, all white folks hear is the voice of the teacher from Charlie Brown.

Carlson's comments drew fire, predictably, but in my opinion there wasn't nearly enough outrage. He called for a man's death because he hurt and killed animals. Motherfucker, have you heard of hunting and poultry farms? It doesn't matter if the animals are killed for food and sport, they are still killed. And if you want to see true cruelty against dogs, how about you visit your local dog racing track.

Carlson's comments were distasteful, disrespectful and degrading. He equated Vick's life with the life of a dog, and we all know that wasn't a coincidence. Apparently, the going rate for a black man's life is a few pit bulls, and honestly that shouldn't be much of a surprise.

The more things change, the more they stay the same



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I Got Something Coming

Sorry about the blog going dark for so long but y'all know how the holidays can be. Anyway, I've been thinking about lots of stuff so I should have some new posts up shortly.

Thanks for you patience.



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Raving Black Lunatic