By now you have all seen this video on Fox News or YouTube (h/t to Arlene Army who told me about it late last night) so I am not going to replay the gruesome scene again.
When I first saw the video, all of the obvious things ran through my head. The senseless gang violence, the destruction of our youth, our over violent culture and so forth. However the thing that angered me was that once again here were black youths savaging one another. Have we no respect for ourselves?
I cannot tell you how sick and tired I am of seeing, hearing or reading about black on black violence. Look up the statistics of black on black crime and your eyes will pop out of your head. Despite these alarming numbers, black leaders of today seem to have the most tepid response to the issue.
If this gang fight did not happen to throw a disparaging shadow on Chicago’s bid for the Olympics, would Darrion’s senseless death ever have made national news? From what I have heard, this is the third such gang fight to happen in that area since school started.
Now if Darrion were killed at the hands of white teens, the entire world would have come to a sudden stop. The so called leaders of the black community would have flown out of the woodwork to protest, demand justice and scream to the high holy heavens. But let a bunch of black kids tear themselves apart and destroy their lives and you hardly hear a peep out of anyone. Paging Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, where are you?
Glorification of the “gangsta life” is everywhere in black culture. It is in the music, the videos and almost everything else our youth consume. Where are the black parents, teachers and leaders to say; “enough of this shit”! Where is the Congressional Black Caucus or the NAACP to speak out on the destruction of our people from within? Again, all they offer are tepid responses.
As you are all well aware, I have no love for Obama’s whacked out Socialist polices. However, I do have great respect for Obama as a role model for the black community. He is educated, he clearly loves and respects his wife and he is a good and providing father to his children. He has spoken to blacks about the importance of education, the need to strive and fatherhood. As President of the United States, Obama is in a unique and possibly once in a lifetime position to finally bring attention to black on black violence.
Others have tried to raise the awareness of this subject, but none have had the soapbox Obama has. With such overwhelming support of blacks, I hope Obama takes advantage of this opportunity to speak out on this dire issue.
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31 comments:
I'm tempted to discuss this murder with my students and how the glorification of the gansta life contributed to his death. I tell at least 20 kids a day to pull their flipping pants up in between periods and I miss just as many.
I too hope Obama starts to talk about the self inflicted genocide in the inner cities. But I don't think he will because the democratic party needs those areas to remain war zones so that they can continue to use the populations that live there to further their own political ends.
Great post. I was on the same subject yesterday. From a Latino perspective, I know what you mean when you wonder how kids that grew up a mile apart could act so callously to each other.
I've been following this story and just caught the video on Fox tonight - it is disgusting. I don't get it. Darrion sounds like he was a good kid - trying to make things better for himself. He was killed by a bunch of low-life scum who we now get to feed and care for for the next 60 or so years. AAAGGHH!!
Nick
www.wastedcarbon.com
Great site here-
You tell it like it is...
Carol-CS
Senseless but because of our "anti-snitch" mentality no one will come forward without a huge reward.
Black on black crime has continued to rise and you are right no one in the Black political leadership really wants to discuss or attack the problem.
I also agree that B-Rock could be a role model for fatherhood and education and he should take time to speak out against this heinous act. This young man did not have to die. He just did not have to die this way.
Great post as always, Clifton. I agree that BO is a great role model in terms of his clear devotion to his wife and family and the seriousness with which he takes his role as a father (would that he took his role as leader of the free world half as seriously!).
I wasn't crazy about BO getting involved in the Skippy Gates "case," but I agree that this is an issue that demands his attention. He did the right thing in stating that the opposition to his policies is not race-based (I'm not sure he believes that, but he did say it), and he can do much good in the area of black on black crime. If only he would train his sights on doing good with his power and position, he could make an enormous difference in this country (for the good, I mean).
See? Another reason to consider running yourself, Clifton! ;)
The Vegas Art Guy:
Discussing the killing in class maybe a rather revealing subject for both you and the students. Tread carefully though, race is bound to enter the conversation.
Obama would be the perfect person to speak out on this. However, as a liberal he must resist offering government solutions to the problem. This problem is strictly a social issue that needs individual attention within the black community.
GS:
I am hopping over to your blog to check out your take on this.
Nick:
Sadly many young lives are loss because of this senseless violence within the black community.
CS:
Thank you very much and welcome to ABC!
Fuzzy Slippers:
On race, Obama is NOT a good role model. I suspect he carries a lot of that radical 60's baggage and would only stir the pot.
While he has spoken out against the flippant use of the race card on his behalf, he did so slowly and only after being prodded in an interview.
You are correct, Obama has a huge opportunity to do good, but he has to relinquish that stale leftist ideology first.
I hope you know, if you ever talk me into running for office, you are going to have to work on my campaign no matter where you live. So be careful what you wish for.
I think he could be, though, don't you? I mean, yes, he has a lot of the "old school" Skippy Gates, Jesse Jackson, Reverend White grudges going on and that this is likely at the root of his socialist ideology and radical agenda regarding "social justice," but some part of him knows that times have changed a great deal and that he is where he is because we have come so far as a society. Or am I living in a fantasy world? Ugh.
And yes, I do know that I'd be working on your campaign. New Jersey's not that far from Massachusetts, you know. ;)
Fuzzy Slippers:
I have to disagree with you on that one. If Obama knew that times have changed, there is no way in hell the brother could have sat in Rev. Wrights church for 20 years. All the Rev. did was spew hate. Nope sadly, I believe Obama carries all that bitterness from the past. Remember during the campaign, HE was the one bringing up race all over the place, not McCain and not Hillary [herself].
Oh you are from Mass? Well then you cannot work on my campaign, you will be way to busy trying to get old Barney Franks on the unemployment line.
You're probably right. *sigh*
I'm not in Barney Frank's district, alas. But I am doing my small part to unseat my congressman. Not that it'll do much good, it's a liberal cesspool up here. Listening to Martha Coakley makes me want to vomit. And shower often.
Clifton B.: "This problem is strictly a social issue that needs individual attention within the black community."
The crux of the problem, in a nutshell.
But for the black community to say the above, is to admit too much. Yes? So, they stay silent.
Thank you, for not staying silent.
Unfortunately the black youth of today have adopted a false culture that they believe is theirs but really is not.
Think about it. What people in this country have a "culture" and history of busting the brains out of blacks and leaving them to die?
What people have a "culture" of killing blacks trying to get an education?
What people have a "culture" of blacks not being able to read, write, learn or anything other than wild animals?
What people have a "culture" of blacks being thugs, dirty, dumb, oversexed and lazy?
What people have a "culture" of enjoying blacks being killed, hung, raped, stoned, bricked, hit with railroad ties, pipes, bats and everything else?
But black youth today believe these things as if it is THEIR culture, worshipping white gangsta heroes they see on T.V. not knowing anything about the REAL history of these gangsters and their treatment of blacks.
Anyone who does not see the similarities in the mob violence of this video and the mob violence against blacks is missing the point.
Black youth are lost, have no sense of self, no sense of history or culture and therefore have adopted "the culture" of this country, which historically has been one of mob violence AGAINST blacks. Now these youth are simply subconsciously reenacting THEIR OWN beat down on a daily basis that has been perpetuated against blacks as a whole in America.
It is a social and psychological issue that affects teens the most as they are more susceptible to the impact of the historical propaganda of this country which says that black lives are worth less than nothing and that blacks are supposed to be beat down and killed for TRYING to be anything other than dogs and heathens or sambo and sambette. It is no less a psychological issue than the attacks at Columbine H.S.
We need to teach our children and our people in general who they are and stop expecting the system to do it for us. The system is producing 1 million black men in jail and more and more blacks celebrating a so-called "culture" of violence and under achievement which is NOT their culture, because they don't know what culture is.
Fuzzy Slippers:
You are a gas! I too am looking to give my two Democrat house reps the heave ho!
Aunt Amelia:
Yes is is a matter of taking personal responsibility. Parents need to take responsibility for their children's behavior. Let's not forget, those gang banger were not hatched from eggs, they have parents and those parents need to do a better job teaching their kids to respect themselves and others. No government program can do that.
Anonymous:
I break it down to responsibility. Black parents need to do a better job. Those gang bangers were not hatch from eggs. Why did their parents allow such attitudes to develop in their children?
That nonsense about social and economic status is bunk. I grew up poor, in a bad neighborhood and all that jazz. However, my parents would have beat my black ass from here to Christmas if I ever attempted to do half of what these kids do today.
Responsibility makes the difference.
madmath1:
As I stated in some of the replies above, it is personal responsibility that is key. These notions take root in young black minds because, parents allow it to a degree and there is not enough "counter message" being given to them.
As I stated before, I grew up in the inner city with all that jazz, but the difference is I simply was not allowed to go down any of those paths.
Man...I live in Chicago and yeas, the violence in the inner city is rediculous. Thwe police play a big role ion keeping our communities safe and they simply aren't doing it. Daley is trying to spend a rediculous amount of time, money, and effort to bring the olympics here but the prick doesn't pay attention to the real issues at hand. And for that Vegas art guy and a hanful of you other pricks, you'll just look for a way to try bash Obama. 1 president can't chang a country all the way down to the smallest grain. Each city is responsible for itself!!! Blame the mayors. -mIcRo-
Well said Clifton! I cannot even wrap my brain around the double standards and hypocrisy that occur in politicians today, whether at the local, state, or federal level and their seeming disinterest in taking real, meaningful action to help people. I don't know what it is going to take to turn around these neighborhoods that have such horrible problems, but I agree that President Obama has an amazing opportunity to show himself as an excellent role model in terms of education and family. Now how do we get the kids to pay attention?
I agree with all of you. This really needs to stop. Parents need to quit defending their children when they know they done something has gruesome as that. It was really sad to see those teen's mother up there hooping and hollering like that. I was raised by a single mother and we didnt turn out to be no gangbangers. It is what you are teaching your child and the environment you put them in. I just pray for the family of the sons that were beaten and the child who lost his life.
Clifton, talking about race does not scare me. My students already know that I'll talk current events and that I'm not afraid to talk race, despite being white. My job is to teach them, not to coddle them, they're in big boy school now, time for them to grow up and start thinking for a change.
Anonymous on 9/30 @ 10:33 PM
A huge chunk of the problem is parenting. You have to give these kids something to value otherwise they will find their own values and other they are wrong ones.
I guess we just have to start preaching the lesson ourselves.
Anonymous (micRo)
And for that Vegas art guy and a hanful of you other pricks, you'll just look for a way to try bash Obama. 1 president can't chang a country all the way down to the smallest grain. Each city is responsible for itself!!! Blame the mayors
Since you are new here, I am going to let you slide on the insult to my commenters, don't do it again.
That said, Obama does have a certain amount of responsibility to this issue. First it is his home town, second as the highest ranking black man in America, he has an obligation to speak out against black on black crime. So yeah you can blame him. I think Obama speaking out against black on black crime is far more important than the Olympics. The Olympics is local business not presidential business.
Lisa:
Many of the problems facing the inner cities can be resolved by the people themselves. All that teen gang banging is a direct result of parent abdicating their role. Perhaps the key is to start charging parents along with the kids until they get the point, stop raising hoodlums!
TVAG:
My job is to teach them, not to coddle them, they're in big boy school now, time for them to grow up and start thinking for a change.
Where were teachers like you when I was a kid. All I had were spoon feeders, thank God my parents pushed me.
Anonymous on 10/1 @ 8:22 am
I am sorry Anonymous, but I still disagree. In order for your premise to be true, black people would have to be without free will to choose right over wrong. This simply isn't true.
Just because there are bad messages out there does not mean that one must accept them. This gets back to what I originally said about personal responsibility.
If black parents were instilling strong moral values in these children, then the children would be able to have the tools needed to reject the bad messages, regardless of what culture is pushing them.
It does not matter what culture you have, it is the value and principles you follow that determine your actions. People with high values and principles simply don't end up gang banging.
Personal request: if you want to continue this discussion, could you please sign a name at the end of your reply. I don't want to loose the discussion in a sea of Anonymous'
I saw Darrion Albert take a punch at a kid right before another kid saw it and hit him in the head with a railroad tie. Some video edited that part out but I was certainly not the only one to have witnessed this. Respectfully, I don't think he is as innocent as one would have us believe.
Anonymous, you can't be suggesting that Darrion deserved to be beaten to death in the street by a mob because he "took a punch" at a kid?
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