Deborah Mathis - Deaths of Young Black Men...
Commentary: The Deaths of Young Black Men is an Ongoing National Crisis, Yet is Met with a Giant ShrugDate: Sunday, December 02, 2007By: Deborah Mathis, BlackAmericaWeb.com [/b]
On day in the early 1960s, a patch of interstate highway was opened in my hometown of Little Rock, Arkansas. Reporters described the first car to touch the new pavement and quoted state officials about what the multi-lane stretch would mean for commerce and commuters’ convenience.
That day, a teenage black boy took to the interstate on his bicycle. He was struck and killed -- a horror at any time, but especially in those days when you seldom heard about young black boys dying. So shocking was the accident that people talked about it for months.
The death of black boys and young black men is so common now that the news doesn’t even bother to keep up. It takes the death of a superstar, like pro footballer Sean Taylor, to get communities talking.
If only Taylor had been the only young black man cut down by senseless violence last week. But he was just the most famous one of many.
It’s been that way for two decades now. Twenty years of self-destruction that, for the most part, the country has met with a giant shrug. What we have here is an ongoing national emergency, albeit undeclared.
To read more, paste or click on link: http://www.blackamericaweb.com/site.aspx/sayitloud/mathis1203
Article quote(s) of interest:
"Our sons and brothers are not born to kill nor are they destined to be killed. External forces turn the sweet baby in the cradle into a menace in the ‘hood. Could we track them down with the same determination that we employ in writing off their prey?" Deborah Mathis
Response: This one quote stood out slightly more than others, cause she said, "external forces turn the sweet baby in the cradle into a menace in the hood." External? I thought the correct word should've been "internal" forces turned the sweet baby now thug into menaces in da hood. Next, she wants to track down these "external" forces, which obviously by virtue of her closing, "we employ in writing off their prey." Hmmmm, their, who could "their" be, lets see, lets see...Oh! white people!!
Look there are a lot of things in this commentary from Deborah Mathis that will have us writing for years. However, she does have the right to express this, just like I have the right to say her expression was irresponsible.
On day in the early 1960s, a patch of interstate highway was opened in my hometown of Little Rock, Arkansas. Reporters described the first car to touch the new pavement and quoted state officials about what the multi-lane stretch would mean for commerce and commuters’ convenience.
That day, a teenage black boy took to the interstate on his bicycle. He was struck and killed -- a horror at any time, but especially in those days when you seldom heard about young black boys dying. So shocking was the accident that people talked about it for months.
The death of black boys and young black men is so common now that the news doesn’t even bother to keep up. It takes the death of a superstar, like pro footballer Sean Taylor, to get communities talking.
If only Taylor had been the only young black man cut down by senseless violence last week. But he was just the most famous one of many.
It’s been that way for two decades now. Twenty years of self-destruction that, for the most part, the country has met with a giant shrug. What we have here is an ongoing national emergency, albeit undeclared.
To read more, paste or click on link: http://www.blackamericaweb.com/site.aspx/sayitloud/mathis1203
Article quote(s) of interest:
"Our sons and brothers are not born to kill nor are they destined to be killed. External forces turn the sweet baby in the cradle into a menace in the ‘hood. Could we track them down with the same determination that we employ in writing off their prey?" Deborah Mathis
Response: This one quote stood out slightly more than others, cause she said, "external forces turn the sweet baby in the cradle into a menace in the hood." External? I thought the correct word should've been "internal" forces turned the sweet baby now thug into menaces in da hood. Next, she wants to track down these "external" forces, which obviously by virtue of her closing, "we employ in writing off their prey." Hmmmm, their, who could "their" be, lets see, lets see...Oh! white people!!
Look there are a lot of things in this commentary from Deborah Mathis that will have us writing for years. However, she does have the right to express this, just like I have the right to say her expression was irresponsible.
posted by J.C. "Fanz23" Lewis, Jr | 4:33 PM
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