Urban Ghettos

Most Endangered Species In America: Young Black Males!

Ronald 1 Comment

No matter what the result of the George Zimmerman trial for the death of Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida, it is clear that the most endangered species in America are young black males between the ages of 14 and 35.

Hate crimes of whites against blacks are, according to one study, 28 times that of blacks against whites. According to FBI statistics, one out of five hate crimes are against whites, with the vast majority of the remaining 80 percent being against blacks, and to a lesser extent, Hispanics and Latinos.

When one realizes that the majority of crime is black on black crime in the city ghettos, and then add the fact that white crime against blacks is the above stated 28 times as much as blacks against whites, it is clear that any African American mother or father must live in fear that his son of high school or college age or the ten years beyond, is threatened with violence, often leading to death, whether in his own neighborhood, or out in society, because his presence and appearance makes many men and women nervous, and suspicious of his intentions, much like Trayvon Martin was profiled by George Zimmerman.

Add to that the reality that many businesses in shopping malls and elsewhere tend to profile young black men as potential criminals, who will steal if given the opportunity to do so.

So therefore, fear and insecurity is clearly the reality of life in America for people, who because of their darker appearance and the continued presence of stereotyping and profiling, makes their lives very difficult to live in a relaxed. confident manner. Even with the election of Barack Obama to the Presidency, there is still too much distrust and suspicion regarding the issue of race in America!

Bob Costas A Man Of Courage For Speaking Out For Gun Regulation After Jovan Belcher Tragedy

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NBC Football Sportscaster Bob Costas courageously spoke out after the Jovan Belcher tragedy, a Kansas City Chiefs football player who murdered his girlfriend, the mother of his three month old daughter, in front of her mother, and then committed suicide at the stadium in front of his general manager and coach on Saturday morning.

This insanity could not have occurred in the same manner had Belcher not had possession of a handgun, and it is clear that he was an unstable person, who should not have had that weapon.

Yes, it is true he could have strangled or knifed his girlfriend, but it is clear that having such wide availability of guns makes murder so much easier, whether by mentally unstable people, or criminals in the urban ghettos.

The reaction of right wing gun nuts, including National Rifle Association advocates, was outrageous, calling for the firing of Bob Costas, when he should be praised for bringing up the issue.

The carnage from gun violence goes on, and yet there is no move to do anything about it, and that is a great tragedy of massive proportions!

Martin Luther King Assassination Anniversary, And Trayvon Martin As A Symbol

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Today marks 44 years since the tragic assassination of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Memphis, Tennessee.

As we mourn that event yet again, and as more Americans visit the MLK Memorial in Washington, DC, we have to ask how far have we come from that day in 1968.

Certainly, the conditions for African Americans are far better today than they were in 1968, but that does not mean we can sit on our laurels.

Having a President who is African American; having other political leaders in Congress and the states and cities who are African American; seeing the growth of a large black middle class; witnessing more African Americans in the professions; witnessing more interracial marriages–all these signs of progress are wonderful!

But they are not enough, when we still have a large crime rate in the inner city ghettos; when black males are an endangered species when they end up in white neighborhoods and are seen as intruders; when one third of young black males are in prison; when the educational attainment of many African Americans still trails that of other racial groups; and when the illegitimacy rate is still much too high in African American households.

And the case of Trayvon Martin, a young black male who was no threat to anyone except for his skin color, being murdered by a man who had no right to utilize his gun; was over 100 pounds heavier; and who was told by 911 operators to leave tracking of Martin to the police, so as to ascertain if he was looking for trouble, is just the tip of the iceberg!

As long as we have tragedies such as Trayvon Martin, we are far from judging people by the content of their character, rather than the color of their skin. Prejudice and discrimination still run rampant, sadly, two generations after King’s death!