Don Imus, Michael Richards and who ever else. I don’t understand a lot of the commotion surrounding the insensitive/racist remarks that they made. Is this the first time that we heard those words? I have many points to make.
Since slavery, black people have been called names that are inappropriate. Yet why do we as a people get so angered at a name? I do realize that back then these words were usually associated with violence andt more often than not, ended in murder.
They are disparaging words to people of color, but why do you allow what somebody calls you to define you. Parents usually teach their kids to not get upset when somebody calls them out their name. The classic argument that they use is, “Well are you a…?” The child says no and the parent says well don’t let it bother you. Yet we grow old and forget that lesson. Now the funniest part of the whole thing is that ok, they didn’t call you a name to your face, but do you know what they calling you when your not around? If you don’t get it now you never will.
So who says it matters now? I know that there are some people who are not famous celebrities/entertainers/sports stars, who have said some pretty nasty things to people of color. Do we hear about them, no because they are not celebrities/entertainers/sports stars. So if your going to get mad and protest do it across the board. Which takes me to my next point.
Why in the hell when disparaging remarks are made that people feel that they need to go apologize to Rev. Jessie Jackson or Rev. Al Sharpton? When did black people say that Revs. Jackson and Sharpton represent us? If the memo went out, I did not receive it and more importantly I don’t agree with it. See the media has picked those two to be our leaders. Yet we can’t see that because we are mad at what somebody called us. By the way, when the media picks your leaders, they control you. Jessie Jackson such a great man, one who was so great that he felt he could go out an have an extramarital affair. See the same media that kept the story going about Imus, Richards and whoever else, is the same media that kept the stories going regarding Rev. Jackson’s extramarital affair.
I do not know what kind of music that the Rutgers Women’s basketball team listens to, but I know that black people listen to hip–hip/rap music. Now some hip–hip/rap lyrics, wait a minute. Do I really have to explain where I’m going here?
Black people, wake up. We have bigger problems in our community. We need to:
- Stop treating our women like trash
- Teach ourselves, and especially or kids that it’s cool to go to school and do well
- Stop fighting each other
- Stop blaming the “man”(white people) for you problems
- Learn that not all white people are your enemy and that all black people are not your friends
- Become color blind and judge a man on his heart and not his skin color
- Become blind to a persons status, there are a lot of smart people who didn’t have the opportunity to go to school
- Take advantage of an opportunity
- Help somebody
- Stop being so damn proud, let someone help you
- Learn how to give criticism
- Learn how to take criticism from each other
- Organize to do good works, instead of promoting the negative
If we work on the list above we will be to occupied to care about what somebody is calling us. If we do hear what they call us, we will feel so good about ourselves that it won’t bother us. When the words have no power, they will fade away. Yeah that’s a lot to hope for, but one of our media appointed leaders says, “Keep Hope Alive!”
Check out the commentary by Jason Whitlock of the Kansas City Star: Imus isn’t the real bad guy
I have more to say, I’m sure. Maybe you comments can help me continue my rant.
I’m going to work on the web site for my church, later!
