generalspeaking

Combating Institutionalized Racism

"Mike Brown means to change the world and help other people, with the body cameras for the police. But at the end of the day, I still lost my boy."
"I feel like that's something I needed to do, something that Mike Mike would want me to do. I brought all families in to share this day with us."
"I'm angry, actually, very angry. Got to re-live this whole moment again."
"One thing I can say is he told me he's OK, [in a dream-conversation]."
"Y'all my world [to his newfound supporters]. Y'all made this happen for us."
Michael Brown, Sr., Ferguson, Missouri

Michael Brown's death brought thousands of protesters to Ferguson, Missouri

Blacks in American certainly have their legitimate grievances -- historically, right to the present time. There have been, and continue to be, more than ample instances of black Americans discriminated against, oppressed by a systemic, if illegal racism that continues to prevail. That distrust between whites and blacks in the United States speaks of a fundamental dysfunction is obvious. There is little reason for complacency on the part of the black population that their freedom marches gained them equality under the law.

That lawful equality may be in place, but social attitudes long ingrained as a tradition of white supremacy and black subservience to the white majority represents an underground, and sometimes not-so-covertly underground shame in a civilized society. Yet the black population has done itself few favours in cultivating an underclass of unmarried mothers raising children on their own because black men shun their parental responsibilities.

These images provided by the Ferguson Police Department show security camera footage from a convenience store in Ferguson, Mo., on Aug. 9, 2014, the day that Michael Brown was fatally shot by a police officer. A report released Friday, Aug. 15, 2014, by Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson says the footage shows a confrontation between Brown and an employee at the store. The report says that Brown and his friend, Dorian Johnson, stole a box of cigars from the store shortly before Brown’s death. (AP Photo/Ferguson Police Department)

An undercurrent of unlawful and criminal activities by young black men seethes within American society, where gangs and guns and drug-dealing is all too common and celebrated in now-mainstream rap. And nor is Michael Brown who was shot to death in an altercation with a white policeman, a poster child for black innocence in the face of white supremacy. The young man was a thug and evidence points to his having given the policeman reason to fear for his own life in their face-off.

The black community mourns, as is their right and with good reason, the deaths of too many young black men. But that mourning must also take note of the irrefutable reality that young black men are over-represented in criminal activities, bringing the outcome of violent interactions with police to their behavioural doorstep. The Ferguson protests have resulted in yet another shooting of yet another young black man.

Tyrone Harris Jr., critically wounded by police returning gunfire when he fired at them, represents yet another of those fateful moments of cultural hatred and criminal deviance. The young man's father disputes the account of police, but security camera footage supports the police version of the event, showing the young man pulling a handgun from his waistband. He has been charged with ten felonies.

And nor is this the first time that this young man has been charged with criminal activities. The black community in seeking justice has fought a long, hard battle, and it is nowhere near finished. Discrimination and hardships imposed upon black Americans seem never-ending. But the disproportionate  position among the criminal classes of young black men is an indisputable reality. Reflecting the heightened vigilance of police.

There are responsibilities that must be met by both principal groups. Both of which deserve far, far better than is being dispensed at the present time. Social justice is long overdue, but so is the acknowledgement of personal responsibilities.

Labels: Crime, Discrimination, Racism, United States, Violence

posted by Pieface @ Thursday, August 13, 2015