I once saw a funny picture on a blog of a man standing over a dead horse hitting it with a stick. The meaning was simple; he was beating the metaphorical dead horse. It was tied to a debate that was going on over a pro athlete. I hate to be the one standing over these horses with whips but the situation is dire. We have to get some more rides out of Silver. “Violence once again rears its head in the African American community…” How many times have you heard similar words lead off a news story over the last decade?
If it’s not domestic violence, it’s gang or gun related. Violence has plagued the inner city for decades. The inner city translates to the African American community around the USA. Violence is a manifestation of a sickness. African Americans need to acknowledge the causes and one is self-hate. I can hear African Americans yelling about how they love themselves and yawn. Talk about a dead horse. African Americans do not like themselves and because of this they can’t like one another.
How so you say? If African Americans loved themselves why would they strive so hard to be something they’re not? African Americans have longed for hundreds of years to be apart of an ideal that never was for them. The American Dream was, and is, vanilla not chocolate. If you look at the Caucasian people who have it they aren’t happy. A person who doesn’t love themselves cannot love or care for another. Let’s look at the ease with which one African American kills another. You have heard about the murders over people stepping on or stealing shoes from the past. One of the craziest reasons for murder in the 2015 African American community involved a pick up basketball game.
People who love themselves would care about their future before performing such an act. African American self hate has transformed into a music genre that glorifies murder. Since 1988 violent lyrics have become so prevalent the African American conscious mind doesn’t even think about them. I find myself singing Mind of a Lunatic occasionally. No way, no how could a race of people who loved themselves create a billion dollar industry talking about their extinction. Many will blame society.
Society has had a major role to play in the planting and development of African American self hate. But it is time for African Americans to admit their problem is self-generated. It is true the scheme was laid out by the founding fathers but African Americans are continuing it. African Americans keep the gun to their own heads. African American actions allow others to come into their community to kill and exploit them. The problem and solution is you, African American. Of all races you were given more than any other and look what you’ve done with it.
Even in Africa the people have squandered their gifts in pursuit of goals that have driven the people insane. Until African Americans can look at the image in the mirror and truly love it gun violence will be the least of their worries.
Frank James IV © 2015 beingfrankwithfrank@ gmail.com The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the writer and not of the Milwaukee Times Weekly Newspaper or NCON Communication, its staff or management. Being Frank is a bi-weekly column exclusive to the Milwaukee Times Weekly Newspaper.