Excuse Me As I Justify

As the attempts to discredit Trayvon Martin have grown in intensity and frequency since his death something has become obvious. It is not that George Zimmerman had no reason to fear for his life during his brief encounter with Trayvon because he might have truly been in danger. It is not that Al Sharpton's name is still an epithet to many white folks. That is beyond obvious.

What has become clear as pundits and amateur sleuths have tried to fine some way to slander Trayvon is that white people believe deeply that their fears are justified. They believe that their mistreatment of minorities is beyond reproach. They believe, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that they and their ancestors have mostly made the right decisions.

That is why Trayvon's memory has been attacked. Though the rationale offered is about balancing sympathetic media coverage, or discovering the truth, that's a smokescreen. Martin's history wasn't known to Zimmerman as he walked through that neighborhood. There is no evidence that he was "high" or stealing. He was just walking. And that action, combined with all the "truths" known about black men, is what led him to be deemed suspicious.

Trayvon may have enjoyed marijuana. He may have postured like a gangsta with friends. He may have even stolen things on occasion. But George Zimmerman did not know that as he approached him on that rainy street. Besides his "gut" feeling that Trayvon was trouble and he had no other reason to deem the teen suspicious and initiate contact.. But, the truth is that many white people think that gut feeling was perfectly reasonable.

This was evident in the blatantly racist column written by John Derbyshire that outlined exactly how white children should handle black folks. It was obvious in the comments made by conservative pundits railing against the unfairness of the whole situation for George Zimmerman.

Behind the calls for truth and transparency is the belief that Trayvon deserved to be questioned and feared. Geraldo basically made that point when he ranted about hoodies. Despite statistics that show that most white people are victimized by other white people, certain folks believe that they know the face of crime, they've always known the face of crime and that face doesn't look like them.

That belief justifies certain "precautions". It justifies certain laws and practices. Racial profiling isn't racism, it's good police work. Discrimination isn't immoral, it's just nipping problems in the bud before they can truly blossom. Trayvon Martin's death may have been a tragedy, but you can't make an omelet without hurting Humpty Dumpty.

This mindset inflames and poisons racial discussions. It causes people to defend positions that are illogical and immoral. Ultimately, it just makes things worse. But the blame for that rarely falls on white folks, instead it gets placed on the backs of black people. White people are behaving sensibly, black people are behaving emotionally.

And that's how evil gets justified.


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Just Say It

If a man treats women like second class citizens simply because they have a vagina, it's easy to call him a sexist. When someone fondles little boys or little girls, no one hesitates to use the word pedophile. Someone who practices domestic violence is an abuser. Someone who tells lies is a liar. And someone who steals is a thief.

But, a person who practices racism can't be labeled a racist unless you know exactly what's in their head the moment they do their dastardly deed. Without that knowledge of their "hearts" it's impossible to label them a racist.

Am I the only one confused?

There are few things I hate more in this world than the belief that it's unfair to call someone a racist simply because they behave like one. Few other activities receive this sort of blanket protection. In fact, I'm hardpressed to think of any. Everyone understands that the surest way to gain insight into someone's character is to assess their actions, except when you're trying to determine whether or not they racist. That's when you have to break out the telepathy.

The common practice of requiring mind reading to levy a claim of racism is asinine. It sets an impossible standard for discussing a serious and prevalent problem, and pretty much insures that racism will be allowed to flourish and grow. There is no way to confront racism because no one is a racist.

As I've said before in this space, this is a byproduct of our society's inability to apply critical thinking to discussions involving race. Moreover, it's more proof that when white people are uncomfortable, the world has to change. White people don't like the word racist, and now everybody in the world is skittish about using it because they want white people to pay attention. It's one of the most incredible examples of white privilege you'll ever run across.

The truth is, I don't care about what's in people's hearts. I'll never know what's in their hearts. I can only judge them based on the way they behave. And if they behave like racists, we need to be willing and able to call them racists. Otherwise, what's the point?





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Things White People Say...

This is a list made in response to how some folks have handled Trayvon Martin's death. I present:


 Fifteen things white people say when they would rather say "Fuck Whining Niggers".


1. You know Arabs owned slaves right?

2. Black people did too.

3. If he wasn't guilty, why did he run?

4. Why not just let the police search you and your car if you're innocent?

5. Why don't black people march for black-on-black crimes?

6.  My ancestors didn't own slaves, I don't see why I can't get a job or go to school because of Affirmative Action.

7. Maybe if you didn't look so dangerous you wouldn't have so many problems

8. Of course racism is still kind of a problem, sort of.

9. I can't be racist, I have black friends.

10. Black people are more racist than any other race.

11. You don't hear the Asians and Mexicans whining about racism, they just go to work.

12. Why can't black people try to be colorblind like me and my friends?

13. Stereotypes are based on facts.

14. I don't have all the facts and I think it's unfair to make a decision without all the facts.

15. Look like a thug, die like a thug.

 


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It Is All About Y'all

"Where are all the black leaders and marches when a black person kills another black person in the street?"

Human beings have a favorite response to information they dislike, distrust or that discomfits. It's called deflection. Visit any website where a mixed crowd of conservatives and liberals gathers, and you'll see tons of deflection in the largely anonymous comments posted at the end of stories.

Trayvon Martin's death has not changed that fact. While many black people believe the circumstances surrounding his death provide a perfect example of  how little value some people still attach to a black life, for other folks that's not even a consideration. As millions express outrage and disgust at the child's death and the police handling of the case, others quietly and loudly seethe at what they see as black America's myopic focus on race, and its impact on black lives. They just see us complaining again.

These complaints do not provoke introspection, but instead encourage avoidance. People want to avoid examining why they find it plausible that an unarmed black youth posed a life-threatening danger to an armed white man. They don't want to consider why the police have made the strange choices they've made.
Instead, many of them want to figure out exactly how this little black boy was responsible for his own death because that dovetails perfectly with their belief that this is true for most black men who die. More importantly, they are distraught that this single death has galvanized the black community and dominated the airwaves and Internet, and they grasp at straws to explain why this response is completely unjustified.

"If black people got this upset when these little thugs shot each other in the street, crime would disappear."  

There is persistent belief that black people like crime. We supposedly encourage and protect criminals and are always openly hostile to the kindly police just trying to do their jobs. We bring our misery upon ourselves, mainly because that's our natural state.

That belief is a part of most conversations about crime among white folks, particularly when they don't have to worry about being identified by black folks. Many of them loathe Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson only slightly more than they dislike the NAACP, so whenever Ministers INC descends upon an issue it is a clear sign that something shady is afoot. It's a clear sign that it's time to remove the benefit of the doubt.

 White people, and I use that term to refer to the group as a whole not to everyone within the group, believe that if black people really wanted things to change, they would. If we didn't want drug dealers spreading their poison, it would cease. They calmly ignore the fact that their children and peers are just as likely to be addicts as ours, more likely in fact according to several reports. They ignore this fact because those addictions do not create violence, which seems to be confined largely to the neighborhoods inhabited by black folks. Clearly, it's the black folks who are the problem, not the drugs and the poverty.

This persistent certainty that we encourage, foster and cherish violence is why so many people feel the irresistible urge to bring up black-on-black crime in a discussion about the violent shooting death of an unarmed child by a man violating police commands. It's why so many people cannot help but note that if black folks didn't do so many bad things they wouldn't get treated so poorly. It's why certain folks in certain places have tried their hardest to find reasons to impune Trayvon Martin's character.

This latest tragedy cannot be the fault of American racism and discrimination because black folks bring their problems upon themselves. White folks do not need to consider the larger ramifications of this death or what it says about American culture. They do not need to consider exactly how stereotypes and assumptions can be fatal. Black people are to blame. Period.

We always have been, and we always will be.

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