In what he hopes will keep his son out from behind prison bars, a Kansas City father routinely takes his son to municipal court proceedings.
The idea is to graphically illustrate the consequences of bad decisions. And if the court sessions scare the young lad into the straight and narrow, so much the better.
The deeper, and more tragic, reason, however, is that as an African American, the father knows of the increased likelihood his son will be targeted by law enforcement officials and the necessity that his behavior and actions be beyond reproach.
The story in Sunday’s Kansas City Star illustrates the difference in existence between minorities and whites in the United States and the jaundiced expectations of whites.
A white man or woman can drive down a street without any expectation of being pulled over by a police officer simply because of their skin color.
For blacks? It’s a routine activity to see flashing lights in the rearview mirror after which follows the standard protocol: Keep your hands on the steering wheel, don’t make any sudden movements such as leaning down to find your wallet or purse and do not protest the officer’s accusations. Any deviation from the above could get you hauled into jail, or worse.
In the workplace, blacks and other minorities must perform above their white peers in order to receive promotions, pay raises, etc.
In society, our president ran, and won, in part because of his platform to debase his predecessor, a black man.
SUNDAY, St. Louis experienced its third day of demonstrations in reaction to a white officer being acquitted of shooting and killing a black suspect driving a car back in 2011.
Blacks there said they expected the verdict because of the history of heavy-handedness by law enforcement officials against minorities.
FOR OUR PART it’s not enough to say we are “blind” to a difference in skin colors and ethnicities. That’s an excuse to duck the issue that we indeed are different, especially in regards to our history of slavery.
To make strides, we must recognize and own up to our differences and determine how we can go forward, together, in a respectful manner.
Boy, that’s a challenge.
For starters, let’s look at how we refer to undocumented immigrants here in the United States.
To cast them as “illegals,” lumps them in with drug addicts, thieves and murderers.
Not having proper documentation does not make them criminals.
Their only “crime” is to want a better life for them and their families.
So right now, stop maligning these individuals by using such terminology.
What we say about others, speaks volumes about ourselves.
— Susan Lynn
