The President and Trayvon Martin

2013

There are very few African American men in this country who haven’t had the experience of being followed when they were shopping in a department store. That includes me. There are very few African American men who haven’t had the experience of walking across the street and hearing the locks click on the doors of cars. That happens to me — at least before I was a senator. There are very few African Americans who haven’t had the experience of getting on an elevator and a woman clutching her purse nervously and holding her breath until she had a chance to get off. That happens often.

Guess what, the President is right, this is no doubt embarrassing and frustrating for many African-American men.

I do some of these things myself. I especially lock the car doors in an area where I am uncomfortable and what makes me uncomfortable? Well, two or three black men walking down the street with their pants around their ankle, with a stocking on their head or hoodies covering much of their face and covered with tattoos doesn’t help. Neither does my life experience growing up in a highly integrated town and working in a city where the vast majority of citizens are African American.

On my way home from work one day, the women in the car in front of me had her arm laying on the door, a black youth ran by and grabbed her watch off her wrist. You bet I’m going to keep my windows rolled up and the car locked. Another time, a coworker was driving down a main road in the same town and a black man threw a brick through her windshield. When I was younger, the candy store by my high school closed each day when school ended because groups of black youths would wander in and help themselves to whatever they wanted.

This and more creates the concern, fear or whatever you want to call it among many Americans. The news each night is filled with pictures of criminals, sometimes in the act, who in all too many cases are African-Americans. 35.4% of the US prison population is African-American men versus less than 10% of the population. While some argue that is only because the system is more aggressive in arresting and prosecuting these men, does that really matter in making my point? You would also have to assume these men are not guilty, as opposed to it being simply unfair they were caught and convicted in larger percentages.

I listen to rap music and I hear disgusting lyrics espousing violence and degrading women, what am I supposed to think about the people who write and delight in that junk?

Given all this is it surprising a women in an elevator would hold her purse closer or a shopkeeper would be suspicious? What Mr. Obama did not say is that all these reaction are unlikely to happen when the man is well dressed and presentable as defined by most of society. Sadly, all African – Americans are stereotyped with that portion of their society that makes the greatest, most negative and most visible impression.

Is all this stereotyping right? No, in a perfect world, we should not evaluate a person based only on his or her appearance, but this is not a perfect world, this is reality and it takes two parties to develop attitudes and perceptions accurate or not. Logic tells me that the majority of African-Americans are law abiding, upright citizens, but logic is less powerful than experiences.

I recently had a short conversation with an African-American man and women. Until I looked at them after they asked me a question, I didn’t know they were black. When I did see them, I noticed the man was dressed as I was in a golf shirt and shorts. They were with their two children, a typical family on vacation. This is far different than what we see on TV or walking the streets and frankly I admit that in many cases, I cannot understand a black person when they talk to me. I am embarrassed for them and for me when I have to ask repeatedly what a person said, but I cannot understand them. How is this possible? How can people born and raised in this country for generations still be isolated in language? Right or wrong, mostly wrong, you can only be different to a point while expecting to be accepted by the majority and not to be the object of suspicion. In addition, you will also be subject to guilt by association.

Trayvon Martin should not have died and if Zimmerman was not allowed to carry a gun, he probably would not have been killed. But based on the published reports and testimony, it is likely without that shot Zimmerman would have been killed or seriously injured by Martin. Both individuals acted irresponsibly; in this case to a tragic end. However, the President’s words are one-sided and shortsighted.

I don’t know if we will ever solve the race issue in this country (or the world for that matter), after 400 years our chances do not appear good. Clearly much of America did horrible things to minorities of all types over the years. But the President of the United States implying an unjust verdict and laying a guilt trip on all of America does not help matters.

In the 21st century this is a two way street and in all too many cases the minority society acts in a self destructive way. I acknowledge that African – Americans have a lot to be mad about, but in today’s world their sub culture and victim mentality is doing as much harm as outright discrimination did in the past.