Where are They Now?

That’s the question I have for the purported leaders of the Black community. Where are they now? In the past week two innocent white people have been slaughtered at the hands of black teens. These crimes were heinous and senseless (See link to stories at the end). The disgust and disdain that should be oozing from every pore of the black community is noticeably absent – at least in my interpretation.

I have been and continue to be a staunch advocate for fair and equal treatment of all. Obviously I have an affinity for injustices suffered by blacks and other minorities, yet I refuse to be a hypocrite and diminish an act because of the skin color of the perpetrator or that of the victim as that would make me a bigot, and I refuse to be that which I abhor.

What bothers me the most about these two slayings is the palpable absence of the likes of Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, and the peanut gallery. If you purport yourself to be a leader it is incumbent upon you to be present for the bad just as you are in the good. It is disingenuous to come out and protest a decision or act you believe is unfair when the “victim” is black but choose to stand idly by and watch when those you claim to defend are the perpetrators. As a member of the community you supposedly defend, I find these actions despicable and unacceptable of anyone who claims to stand as a representative of me or my family.

LZ Granderson, a contributing journalist for CNN, said it best in his blog regarding the parents of such degenerates [http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/22/opinion/granderson-criminal-kids-responsibility/index.html?iref=allsearch]. No more words need to be said, Mr. Granderson did a masterful job here. However, I think it important that those self-aggrandizing men who speak with such indignation when a perceivable injustice befalls a member of the black community stand up and denounce the miscreants who executed these senseless acts of violence for reasons as simple as being bored. Clearly the parents don’t care. They have released their children on society like a vile plague, willingly allowing their progeny to terrorize their communities and society as a whole. Shame on them and shame on the faux leaders who jockey to get a political edge at every sign of injustice for not admonishing these parents for gross negligence, egregious incompetence, and criminal endangerment.

I will not apologize for saying that I believe that parents should be held accountable for their kids until the child is societally deemed to be an adult. To paraphrase Granderson, if my child breaks a neighbors window I have to pay for it, so why is not the same rule applied to acts in the community that are equal to or greater than the broken window? If the parent being the responsible party decides they no longer can or want to provide guidance, discipline, and tough-love for the offspring they should not be exonerated from these duties simply by turning their back and throwing up their hands. They should and must be held accountable.

The leaders of the community must abide by the same rules they expect others to acknowledge and obey. If you ask society to acknowledge that failings in the past directly contribute to the conditions of today and, therefore, those folks who nurtured those failings are to be held accountable if not to repair at least to provide restitution in the form of assistance and guidance now. The same is true at the individual level as it is at the larger level.  It is unconscionable to think that those who have nominated themselves to be leaders of the black community only use acts of injustice towards blacks as a platform for their political gain, yet it is not inconceivable and, to that point, implausible.

I am appalled that on the 50^th anniversary of the March on Washington more was not done to condemn the acts of these black teenagers. Their actions tear at the very fabric of trust and understanding that we need to be an America of one. I am ashamed that so many in my community stand silent in the shadows and avert their gaze when such malicious acts are perpetrated by their own, especially those who call themselves leaders. And for those parents and community leaders who relish the opportunity to grab the mic and cry foul and play the victim when it is convenient or advantageous, I openly and vehemently voice my condemnation for your apathy, insolence, and self-righteous pity. But most of all I abhor you for your lack of courage to stand up and be counted as one who speaks out against injustice no matter the color, media coverage, time of day, or locale it occurs. Your actions speak volumes of your character and affirm who and what you stand for. So please, in the future do me and those in the black community who share my sentiment a favor, stop the charade and save your buffoonery for those gullible enough to fall for your empty rhetoric and high-stepping chicanery.

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2013/08/23/wwii-vet-88-beaten-to-death-by-teens/?iref=allsearch

http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/21/justice/australia-student-killed-oklahoma/index.html?iref=allsearch

S. McGill

One of the most powerful things in the world can be obtained and used liberally by anyone who chooses to use it.  "If" can be the beginning of something great or the acquiescence to defeat. How will you use your "if"?