Prometheus 6

Judgemental Judges and The Art of Fear: Come On People, Let’s Stop Being So Damn Scared
April 6th, 2008 by Boyce Watkins

I have never been one to say that either Bill Cosby or Judge Marvin Arrington hate the black community.  I feel they both love African-Americans very much, and that is what distinguishes them from professional black bashers like Juan Williams at Fox News.  But one thing Cosby might want to learn is this: given that all human beings are fundamentally equal and equally rational, individuals engaging in behavior that makes no sense to you are probably responding to factors that you have not taken the time to fully understand.

The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Inequality released a report citing that the United States has a horrific habit of incarcerating black men, giving them longer sentences for the same crimes, pushing them out of society and leaving them uneducated.  It is hard to earn my respect when you accept rewards for attacking those who respond to the disparities, but you do not have the courage to address the disparities themselves.  

If a husband is beating his wife because she talks too much, any man can come into the house and tell his wife to stop talking so the beatings will stop.  Many men will not have the courage to confront the husband responsible for the abuse.  America, according to the United Nations, has abused black families for the past 400 years and continues to do so until this day.  Anyone can tell black people to stop misbehaving so the abuse will stop.  But it is fear of losing stature with the oppressive majority that leads us to avoid taking further steps to actually deal with the abuse itself.  Black people have survived this long by being AFRAID.  There is the added opportunity to gain favor with the majority by allowing oneself to be used as an additional distributor of racial tyranny, hypocrisy and condemnation.  That’s how you get invited to Fox News and Meet the Press, Cosby knows this.

Bill Cosby and Judge Marvin Arrington should learn that it’s time to stop being scared.  If you are tough enough to yell at a poor single mother about how she raises her kids, then please be strong enough to yell at a court system that incarcerates black men 7 times more than it incarcerates white men.  Be strong enough to address a public education system that puts black boys in special education 5 times more than white boys.  Be complete with your boldness, and don’t feel that you are strong just because you can continue to pile onto the weakest members of our society.   The same is true for any black man who is strong in “the hood” but afraid to go to the other side of town.