Max Bickley – General Assignment Reporter
In recent years, race has always been a serious issue within the country. From Trayvon Martin to Mike Brown, the call for social equality and the heavy avocation for justice for the tragedies of the past years has led to what has been known as the Black Lives Matter campaign. This is a campaign which cries out against what it sees as the serious police brutality in the United States against its African-American citizens. In this past year alone there has been a rise in the movement as it has grown heavily especially with the media attention it has received.
As college students, we collectively have grown in the media age, and are able to get all sources of information regarding a matter, and through learning, hearing, and sometimes even experience something such as this we grow to have our own thoughts and opinions on the matter. This issue also hits close to home, as many students who were here last year might remember the mark and protest held on the school grounds following the verdict of the Ferguson trial.
That being said, a few Southern students were asked: what is your opinion of the Black lives matter campaign, and do you believe it is effective in its cause? The first student spoken with, Julia Zeidler, a senior and Art major had this to say. “I do not believe you should ask me my thoughts. Firstly, I am white and the issue itself does not affect me the way it does the black people in this country. Is there serious racism in this country? Absolutely, and it is something which needs to be dealt with, but I am not the person to ask because I have no experience with it.”
The next student I spoke to, Tory Davidson, a junior, had definitely strong feelings regarding the matter at hand. “Black lives matter. They truly do, and the people across the nation advocating for the brutality to end are doing good work. I will admit there are times when they go too far like at the Bernie rally, but all in all there is a serious racism issue. Eric Ganrer, Mike Brown, Trayvon Martin, all of their deaths were the result of police brutality, and look what’s happened to the men who shot them.”
The last student spoken to was Ivan Meyerovich, a senior and computer science major, who a very powerful message regarding the campaign. “The campaign is certainly necessary. As for going too far, generally, no they do not. As with any movement the vocal and counterproductive minority has arisen within BLM and they do take things too far as to be expected. And therein I feel is the problem, if the movement fails, it won’t be because those organizing BLM do something wrong, it will be because the media would rather listen to the vocal moron and cover the riot, instead of listening to the many reasonable voices and observing the many peaceful protests.”
The last question asked to both Tory Davidson and Ivan Meyerovich was about the counter-campaign: All Lives Matter. The premise of that campaign is that not only black lives matter, but all do and focusing on one alone won’t solve the problem.
Ivan Meyerovich stated that, “Yes all lives matter, though I find that argument tastes a bit too similar to “If there is a gay pride, why isn’t there a straight pride!” Also, the statistics do show that the Black community is disproportionately affected by police misconduct.”
And to close it out, Tory said, “Of course all lives matter, but if you look historically, not just within the past five years, black people in this country have been demonized by police. A white man robs a store it’s a minor event, a black man robs a store and there is a full story on CNN and shots fired.”
Photo Credit: Staff Photo
Black Lives Matter; Take Pride In Parenting; End Our National Epidemic of Child Abuse and Neglect; End Community Violence & Police Fear
Speaking At The Eulogy For The Honorable Reverend Clementa Pinckney, President Barack Obama said:
“Perhaps it causes us to examine what we’re doing to cause some of our children to hate.” (Applause.)
Video Excerpt from Obama Remarks Search YouTube: /watch?v=2T_GwYI7MnQ
With all due respect to my American neighbors supporting the Black Lives Matter movement, I believe your cause would better serve all Americans if your organization were to honestly, openly and compassionately address the National Epidemic of Child Abuse and Neglect that for decades has deprived untold numbers of depressed children from experiencing and enjoying a safe, fairly happy American kid childhood.
I strongly suggest members of the Black Lives Matter target communities that have embraced The Street Culture Baltimore Mom of The Year Toya Graham desperately struggles to keep her son from embracing.
In his 2015 Grammy award winning Rap Performance titled “I”, Kendrick Lamar writes, “I’ve been dealing with depression ever since an adolescent.”
During a January 20, 2011 LAWeekly interview (Google search) Kendrick, born in 1987, the same year songwriter Suzanne Vega wrote a song about child abuse and *VICTIM DENIAL* that was nominated for a Grammy award, he told the interviewer:
“Lamar’s parents moved from Chicago to Compton in 1984 with all of $500 in their pockets. “My mom’s one of 13 [THIRTEEN] siblings, and they all got SIX kids, and till I was 13 everybody was in Compton,” he says.”
“I’m 6 years old, seein’ my uncles playing with shotguns, sellin’ dope in front of the apartment. My moms and pops never said nothing, ’cause they were young and living wild, too. I got about 15 stories like ‘Average Joe.'”
It seems evident to me Kendrick identified the source of his depression, the roots of poverty, the child abuse/maltreatment that prevented him, his brothers, sisters, cousins, neighborhood friends, elementary and JHS classmates from enjoying a fairly happy, safe Average Joe and Josie American kid childhood.
Seems the adults responsible for raising the children in Kendrick’s immediate and extended family placed obstacles in their children’s way, causing their kids to deal with challenges and stresses young minds are not prepared to deal with….nor should they or any other children be exposed to and have to deal with.
It seems evident to me these PARENTAL INTRODUCED obstacles and challenges cause some developing children’s minds to become tormented and go haywire, not knowing OR NOT CARING ABOUT right from wrong…because as they mature, young victims of child abuse realize their parents introduced them to a life of pain and struggle, totally unlike the mostly safe, happy life the media showed them many American kids were enjoying. RESENTMENT
I cannot speak for anyone else, but if I was raised in Kendrick’s family I would most likely be silently peeved at my parents for being immature irresponsible “living wild” adults who deprived me of a safe, happy childhood.
Though like many victims of child abuse, most likely I would deny my parents harmed me, seeking to blame others for the pain my parents caused to me.
I wonder how little Kendrick and his classmates reacted when their elementary school teacher introduced the DARE presenter and they learned about the real dangers of drugs and how they harm people, including their parents?
In a Oct 25, 2012, LAWeekly interview (Google search) Kendrick talks about being a SIX-YEAR-OLD child who was not able to trust and rely on his mom…essentially he speaks about being emotionally abandon by his own mom.
Growing up during the 60-70s I listened to virtually ALL American music artists of African descent writing songs admiring, praising, respecting and loving the maternal half of our population.
I am curious to know if members and supporters of the Black Lives Matter movement have wondered why for the past three decades, many popular American music performers of African descent have been characterizing the maternal half of our population as *itches and *hores…essentially less than human creatures or people not worthy of respect?
Honestly, I have a feeling most BLM supporters don’t have the strength or will to face the truth about who is responsible for filling our prisons with depressed, angry, frustrated teens and young men who were victims of early childhood abuse and neglect at the hands of immature teen girls and women who irresponsibly begin building families before acquiring the skills, PATIENCE and means to properly raise a fairly happy American kid who enjoys a Safe Fun Street to play in.
This video depicts horrific examples of men who were victims of childhood abuse and neglect, conditioning a young teen to embrace ‘The Street’ culture Baltimore Mom of The Year failed to protect her teen son from…not to mention representing the fear peaceful people living and WORKING in the community experience knowing depressed, angry, unpredictable teens and young adults need to vent their angers and frustrations for being introduced to a life of pain and struggle by irresponsible, “living wild” single moms and/or dads.
Search youtube; /watch?v=C3ChOLiJa8k
With all due respect to my American neighbors of African descent, the oppression of humans that led to racism and slavery has been replaced with a new form of human oppression that impedes and deprives many American children from experiencing a safe, fairly happy American kid childhood.
#RestorePrideInParenting
#EndChildAbuseNeglect
#ProtectKidsFromIrresponsibleCaregivers
To the “All Lives Matter Constituents” Yes, all lives matter but are all lives being attacked? Accosted for being black and male? Or for just being black?
Have all lives suffered the degradation of slavery? Have all lives suffered through the attacks on Black Wall Street? Have all lives been through the race riots that took place in Chicago in the year of 1919? You may ask me, Hanan, “Did you suffer through the attacks on Black Wall Street?” I will personally say I have not. What I will say is that I have bared witness to the Watts Riots that took place in 1992. I was 8 years old then. My 8 year old mind knew, “This can’t be happening, this is not right…” His life, Rodney’s…mattered. You will continue to ask, “But Hanan you were not even a twinkle in someone’s eye in 1919 nor are you from Chicago.” “True” is what I will say, however I watched the news reports on the murder of Sean Bell in New York City. Yes 50 hot ones from yours truly in Blue…that’s murder. I was 21 by then, a college undergrad at the time. Or what about Treyvon Martin? I have a younger brother, Ahmad. Same swagger and his life matter’s to us, his family and his friends as Trayvon’s did to his family, his friends. I could not, cannot imagine Ahmad lying on the ground as Treyvon did…lifeless…did Travon’s life not matter? Trayvon’s murder played out time and time again. My 29th birthday was just a memory at the time of his death. “Hanan, all lives matter.” “Yes, I can agree but so did the life of Sandra Bland.” Is my response. No I have not been in a riot of any kind but I watched Ferguson burn with anguish…I’m 31 one now. There are many more lives taken, not mentioned, swept away by local news but not to be forgotten…those lives mattered to their loved ones…and to me too.
Look at my timeline. From the time I was 8 years old up until now at the age of 31. These lives that I speak of have been: Billy-clubbed out, smoked-out, tear-gassed out, shut-out, counted-out, red-lined out, shot-in-the-back out, taken-out back out, choked out in a jail cell but out…noosed…out.
When will this end?
Yes all lives matter, but ask yourself should one group of lives prevail at the expense of the other group? All lives matter…don’t they? My point is since the times of Moses equal and fair treatment have been many a good reason to battle, to fight. All that is wanted is a justice system that stops criminalizing minorities, the impoverished, immigrants, those deemed lowly for being put here, in America via transport on the Mayflower, bought and sold…I digress. The justice system was not created with the protection of post emancipation blacks in mind. “Black Codes” were put in place as a “Collective Slave master” to protect “them” from “us”…what has changed?
The goal of the Black Codes was:
to control the labor supply, to protect the freedman from his own “vices,” and to ensure the superior position of whites in southern life…The Black Codes listed specific crimes for the “free negro” alone: “mischief,” “insulting gestures,” “cruel treatment to animals,” and the “vending of spiritous or intoxicating liquors.” Free blacks were also prohibited from keeping firearms and from cohabitating with whites…At the heart of these codes were the vagrancy and enticement laws, designed to drive ex-slaves back to their home plantations. The Vagrancy Act provides that “all free negroes and mulattoes over the age of eighteen” must have written proof of a job at the beginning of every year. Those found “with no lawful employment…shall be deemed vagrants, and on conviction…fined a sum not exceeding…fifty dollars.” The Enticement Act made it illegal to lure a worker away from his employer by offering him inducements of any kind.
From: https://prisonbooks.info/2012/05/10/the-state-as-collective-slavemaster-criminalizing-black-people-after-emancipation/
The Jim Crow Era has passed and long gone are the talks that our great grandparents would have with their children on what to do if approached by a member of the Ku Klux Klan. These long ago conversations have been replaced with conversations in black homes on what to do should a child be approached by the police. My 32 year old mind reasons, “We should feel safe…why don’t we?” By any means am I bashing the many men and women that serve in our police forces around the Nation. As a former civil servant I have had the chance to be around some good people who were and still are officers of the law. However let’s not negate the fact that there bad cops, maybe racist cops and that I am only lighting the cops who are bad and racist. Those police who feel it is their sworn duty to continue to uphold the “Black Code.” Hanan, you argue, “Don’t the lives of police matter as well?” “Yes, I would say but at the expense of an unarmed people?” “I’m not feeling that.”
So I ask again, “When will this end?” Let me pose a new question…or is this just the beginning?
Hanan,