Friday, August 10, 2007

Bloggers Turn Attention To The Dunbar Village Rape

Bloggers at Why Black Women Are Angry and What About Our Daughters (1) (2) have recently focused on the brutal rape and beating of a woman and her son in Florida. This is a case that I mentioned on this blog about a month ago.

I am glad that these bloggers are now focusing on this story...

Of course the story did not garner wall to wall media coverage... nor did the case of the students killed in Newark New Jersey. We know why the media doesn't care about these stories. Because the victims do not look like those who own the media. It's much more sensational when wealthy Americans see reflections of their own image as the victims of serious & brutal crime, because it's just not supposed to happen to them. On the other hand, learning about Black and Hispanic victims of serious crime just doesn't strike the same nerve across the board, because people of color are perceived (either consciously or unconsciously) to be used to it.... people think that it is just a normal thing for "them". There is also this notion that low income Black and Hispanic Americans don't want the same safe neighborhoods, the same good Police service, and the same clean & safe schools that the rest of America wants. These notions are behind a lot of the media indifference to these stories...

Another example- most Americans know of Pat Tillman and Jessica Lynch, but the story of Lavena Johnson (much more disturbing than the Tillman case) has yet to be introduced to the American public via the major TV media. Is it because she was a Black female??? I would hate to think so... but I don't know of any other explanation at this point. I have been following Lavena Johnson's case for over a year. No major media has picked up the story. Yet paparazzi videos and photos of White women (famous for being white, rich, and famous) can get you several thousand dollars in the news market and they are up on the screen within 24 hours. Yet the most important stories, get no attention at all. And people overseas wonder why Americans are boneheaded, uninformed about the real issues, and are so easily brainwashed by their government? It should be no surprise to anyone who has been paying attention.

But I have a harder time understanding the indifference of so-called "Black leaders" on these issues.... other than to remind myself that these so-called "leaders" aren't really leaders at all. At least they don't represent me. I'm for abolishing the whole concept of "Black leader". I think that ran it's course after the 1970's and 80's... when remnants of old racism were much more pronounced.

Why has the Black elite leadership establishment ignored so many important stories over the past few years? Just recently, you had the NAACP defending Michael Vick, while several other more important stories have gone unnoticed. This is why groups like the NAACP are an embarrassment. This is the same group that honored child rapist R. Kelly.

This is one of the reasons why I have always been detached from "The Black Community"... and I can't stand Black pop culture...and have never associated myself with it. The hypocrisy is unbelievable.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

You are on point with your commentary. Congrats!

peace, Villager