Drop the Race Card - Washington Post
Joe R. Hicks is a smart man, America should listen.
Distilled down, what I heard, related to the Don Imus and Duke University cases goes like this:
1. Apologies as strategy do not work, forget them.
2. Racial opportunism abounds in our society on all sides, and tricks us.
3. Black people are programmed victims, unable to exploit their hard-won progress.
4. Reverends Jesse and Al are not leaders, but rather distracting self-promoters.
5. Blacks continue looking for government protection, painting themselves as incapable.
6. Double standards abound where, ‘do as I say’ ignores the persuasive ‘do as I do’.
7. Pursuits in the name of ‘racial justice’ deserve scrutiny, for all sides.
8. ‘Innocent until proven guilty’ applies to all, and blacks should not cut corners on this, even when invited by zealous white prosecutors, looking for votes.
9. The outcome of Imus or the Duke players has little or no effect on what is thwarting black progress, and we should stop pretending that it does.
10. It is time that Blacks yank the reigns of their destiny from those exploiters, black and white, who misguide the group’s precious energy to advance.
Words to progress by.
James C. Collier
READ MORE ACTING WHITE...
Technorati Tags: Drop the Race Card, Nappy-headed hoe, Gangsta Rap, Civil Rights, Responsibility, Acting White
7 comments:
2 things I dont understand . . . why is rap being pulled into the argument and when did black america anoint jesse and al . . . both of those guys were actually anointed by the "media" . . . they were easy soundbites and a bankable quote for a rushing journalist on deadline . . .
hip hop is an artistic expression created by teens and twentysomething . . . when did this expression speak for all of black america . . . thats like Morton Downey Jr. being called out for using misogynistic terms coined by Black Sabbath or Def Leopard (two heavy metal bands) . . .
for the past week or so, many people have expressed their take on the Imus situation. Many have lashed out at Sharpton and Jackson and I am still not sure what my take is on them. I do believe that we have to stop allowing ourselves to be victims. But is there a balance? I guess I am wondering if the views expressed in the op-ed piece gives the pereption to America, that racism does not exist at all. I am not saying that I don't disagree with his views. But maybe you can help me understand the opinions many people black and white have Al Sharpton and Jessie Jackson? Are they as bad as some say they are? Your insight would be appreciated
Jackson and Sharpton focus their attention on external factors when the balance of what ails blacks has long since tipped from racism and whites, to victim pathologies. They use their collars and the moral side of the civil rights argument to prop up their guilt-leveraging agendas. This is akin to driving a bus forward by looking in the rear view mirror. Blacks can ill-afford such placeholder leaders who siphon off problem solving energy, like vampires .
Points 6 & 10 really resonate with me for the following reasons (as they relate to the whole Don Imus/Duke Lacrosse Team incidents):
6. Double standards abound where...
you tend to lose credibility when you do not have the integrity or force of your own conviction to call "wrong" when it's wrong every time. it doesn't matter from whose mouth it is uttered... wrong still remains wrong! what don imus said was wrong, it would've been wrong had i said it. what happened to those young men at Duke was wrong, it would've been wrong whether they were Black or white.
10. It is time that Blacks yank the reigns of their destiny...
don imus's first visit should've been to apologize to the basketball team, not al sharpton. al sharpton and his ilk continue to suckle on the teat of Black Victimology and just will NOT LET GO!!! i guess it would've assuaged my feelings a bit if he had chauferred don imus to new brunswick, nj to meet with the team!
BY THE WAY... this is a cool blog. i will add it to my BlogRoll so that i will remember to visit on a regular basis. please add plezWorld to yours... thanks!
Yo James excellent post, I am going to add your blog to my blog roll. Mark
All great points!!!
James-
I applaud your voice as you are a vocal minority and your courage to lash out at serial victimhood is inspiring. Outside of your blog, what else can be done? I am serious. I am sick and tired of hearing how someone is out to get me and how I have two strikes against me and if, God forbid, I exceed the speed limit by 5 freakin miles per hour in my Hyundai on the interstate, Darryl Gates' hooligans are coming after me with a bat. Fear as a motivational tactic does not work for me anymore and I am tired of being a victim. Furthermore, I am in the 33% tax bracket so there an egregious case of cognitive dissonance occuring.
So.. I ask, what can be done/what is going to be done to rid our people of self-loathing, self-sabotage that is pretty much in our heads? You show me an example of a racist event occuring and I can tell you about the MILLIONS of negative thoughts that prevent us from reaching our potential. We are trapped in a mental prison of self inflicted negativity that has to be cleansed. Yes, I said it. We receive what we believe and the negativity is in our heads.
Look around. We have our own network, our own papers, our own everything but yet we are still clamoring for acceptance from whites. Why?
The answer is so simple, yet so complex. The answer lies in us truly accepting ourselves (blacks) as legitimate equals. Furthermore, we must have honest dialogue about our need for acceptance and own self hatred in peaceful, rational settings all across the nation and not invite the demogogues.
Black America really needs to look inside and take a painful look at what ails itself, make painful admissions, and wash itself of generations of self loathing.
Keep up the good work on this blog and I will be a frequent contributor because I believe in what you are doing.
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