It has been said that, George Zimmerman, Trayvon Martins killer, might be a racist. I understand that no less than the head of the NACP, Benjamin Jealous, has apparently so alluded in a speech lately in which he referred to “Racial Profiling”.
Certainly, for me, the images of The Rev. Al Sharpton’s, forceful & repeatedly gesticulating arm movement as shown on TV, with its accusingly pointing finger, do serve to try to burn a racist contention into my mind.
Well, I am NOT a Racist but I find that I, by virtue of past experiences am a “Cultural Discriminator”. A concept, that has been unknowingly residual in my subliminal thought but which has now been brought to my consciousness, via the use of the term “ Racial Profiling”. I venture here, that not unlikely, many of you who will read this Diary may be “Cultural Discriminators” as well.
See why I offer this contention below.
A “Cultural Discriminator” concept was vocalized to me by my adult son during a conversation about the recent Zimmerman/Martin unfortunate occurrence. My son’s contention was that there is an over emphasis on behavior related to cultural differences which maybe being called “Racial Profiling” rather than what it easily can be for many, namely “Cultural Discrimination” which, in turn, well may be being mislabeled as “ Racism”.
My son referenced a blog article to me to read which is accessible to DK readers at: http://www.saysuncle.com/...
Now to try to explain the “Cultural Discriminator” concept: My personal thoughts regarding my anticipated reaction to some blacks in certain situations has been pretty well detailed by a commenter to the text of a Blog article at http://www.wnd.com/... which was also authored by the author of the above “Say Uncle” referenced Blog article. This commenter, going by his “Handle”, ”Joe Mama Says” wrote”: I’m “ a statistician…. ..So to keep me and my family safe I’m going to play the odds by planning my activities accordingly.”()
Further, I know that in Charlotte, NC. , there is a neighborhood, near where I live, where the crime rate is reported as being 1 in 172 ( Ref: http://www.neighborhoodscout.com/... )
I also feel that what “Joe Mama Says” above () would be my personal reaction in the hypothetical situation that I outline below.
But first, some of my personal history that I consider pertinent here: I grew up mostly in the South Bronx in New York. My neighborhood was predominately white, but we were close on to where the racial population mix began to change & quickly went on to became predominately black.
On radio news, in my early childhood, I had heard about crime in a predominately black school there. That radio news report was about a female student being raped in the school stairwell. I recall that I was sufficiently concerned on hearing this so as to be afraid that school districting lines (also a topic in the radio news) would be changed such as to cause me to have to attend that school.
Also, I recall a close male next door neighbor friend of mine being beaten & robbed in a park, in our predominately white neighborhood, by four black youths.
Further, I’ve read that according to Bureau of Justice statistics, between 1976 and 2005, blacks, while 13 percent of the population, committed over 52 percent of the nation’s homicides.
So READERS, at this point in my Diary, with my personal experiences as outlined above in mind, I ask you readers to please place your selves in the following hypothetical situation: Imagine that I and a female companion are walking back to my Charlotte, NC home at 10:00PM on a well lighted major Charlotte street. However, vehicular traffic is typically quite light at that time of night & the only other persons I see are four black teenagers approaching us on the same sidewalk. Their dress is with baggy very low slung trousers, tee shirts with cut off sleeves & peaked caps worn backwards. Heavy “bling” hangs from their necks. They all seemingly have ear bud wires dangling listening to something from supposedly electronic apparatus which I can barely see as objects held in their hands.
Before leaving the restaurant ,I and my companion had been discussing a robbery that had just occurred in this very neighborhood recently.
So, given my history above as well as the hypothetical setup that I postulated, what would be a reasonable choice for me and my partner to make at this point in your readers opinion? 1. Continue walking toward the four approaching Black youths; 2. Cross to the other side of the street & continue on to my home,3. turn about and quickly walk back to the restaurant or 4. A choice of action for me & my companion of your own devising, if any? (comment below).
I must admit that I would take action based on my ability to “Culturally Discriminate”, NOT “Racially Profile” & I and my companion would return to the restaurant to either try the walk again later or call a cab. Now, I do not believe that this hypothetical action makes me a racist & neither did the author of the “Say What” blog article referred to above.
Yes, I am aware of the phrase that, “A rose by any other name is still a rose” but do you readers have other possible interpretations to make below given what I have had to say?