Friday (03-23-07), I’m at the gym doing my “cardio thing” and watching the news, when I see a story concerning a polar bear cub by the name of “KNUT” in Berlin Germany. Apparently this cub, which was born about 4 months ago, was rejected by it’s mother, a circus bear. The Berlin Zoo decided to raise it and a national furor was caused when an animal rights activist stated that the cub should be put to death rather than be raised in captivity. According to a variety of news reports (see one here), school children took to the streets chanting “Knut must live”; news headlines read “ The Polar Bear of our Hearts”; t-shirts were printed; websites were launched, including his own personal one (see here); soccer fans chanted for him instead of their teams and a CD of songs about him was produced. He has been adopted by the German Environment Minister and is now a symbol of the effects of global climate change. The cub had made it’s public debut on Friday amid hundreds of reporters from around the world as well as thousands of supporters.
Friday, I also read a story on the blog page of Francis L. Holland on the case of Shaquanda Cotton in Paris, Texas (see here). This 14 year-old African-American girl was sentenced in March 2006, to 7 years in a Texas juvenile correctional center for pushing a 58 year old teacher’s aid. As I read the story, I thought there was no way this could be true! This must be some sort of internet hoax. I did a little internet research myself and read some news accounts of this situation. The more I read, the more I became stupefied and enraged as the truth of this injustice crystallized in my psyche (see here). The accounts of the blatant separate and unequal treatment of the Black community to the obvious targeting and retaliation against Shaquanda because her mother frequently accused school officials of racism.
BUT what enraged me the most was that I had not heard of this before. Had I really missed this? AND if I had: Where is the national furor? Where are the other school children taking to the streets for her cause? Where are the news reports and headlines? Where are the t-shirts? She does have a blog page (see here) but where are the other blog posts heating up the Afrosphere for her cause? Where are the sport fans chanting her name? Where is the national political and/or government official, regardless of party affiliation, who has adopted her cause as a symbol of the fight against the continual racial discrimination and judicial injustice faced by those of African descent in America? AND when I ask all these questions of “where?”, I am not asking society at large! I am asking the Black/African community itself!
Or am I asking the wrong questions. Maybe I should be asking: are we so caught up in who will be dismissed from this week’s episode of American Idol and Survivor to care? Has our desire for justice and equality been replaced by a craving for the new Three 6 Mafia “joint”, the latest dance craze and the next McDeath “Happy Meal”? Have we become so bamboozled by the media, that our attention has been captivated by who is the “baby daddy” of a dead, white, fat, drug and alcohol addicted slut, to even see the injustices that are visited upon our young? Are we so entranced by the circus performances of Obama, Hillary and John that real life wrongs pass under our radar? Have we completely sold out the birthright of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” for our children, to feast on the pottage provided at the back door of the white women empowerment movement (feminism), gay marriage and other gay rights issues? Have we become so mis-educated as a community that our time and energy is focused on rallying against the plight of illegal immigrants, the atrocities perpetrated by the Iraqis against themselves and the empowerment of Afghani women while our own young are dehumanized?
There is a call for the Black community to write and/or telephone the Judge and Governor of Texas to “voice” our displeasure and disappointment at the treatment of Shaquanda Cotton. Hmmmm. ‘nuff said.
My sister Aulelia recently pondered: “Perhaps celluloid exposure is needed for more people to care about Africa?” Along with the numerous movies featuring Africa, Africans and African-Americans that we have been recently exposed to, there has also been a deluge of cartoon or digital animated films featuring animals. The animals are portrayed more like humans. The Blacks/Africans are represented as less than animals. Ironically, I think we now have an answer to her question.
Asabagna
March 26, 2007 at 10:10 am
I’m with you – the girl doesn’t need to be incarcerated. But, moving to two deeper issues.
1. Where’s the church now? Is our focus of building mega ministries and subcultures too much to take time out for justice.
2. What else can we do, but pray. The world is in the same state as the children of Israel. What can you really do? Where’s Moses? Where’s Joshua? Where’s David? Where are the judges? What do we do?
-DTW
March 26, 2007 at 4:56 pm
This is so true. We don’t even respect/love ourselves enough to care. And I’m talking about myself.
March 26, 2007 at 6:46 pm
DTW… frist “WE” are the church. Why do we need another Moses, Joshua or david? What about “US”! You and me… and Lubangakene for that matter.
Lubangakene, like you I’m also talking about myself. Gives me cause to pause.
March 26, 2007 at 11:42 pm
This story is messed up on so many levels. I hope that more attention is given to this case & I also hope that she has a magical whitey step int her life to right this wrong. The judge in this case seriously need sot be disbarred & possible castrated.
Bygbaby
March 27, 2007 at 5:49 pm
This kind of story makes me really mad. Though I have to question myself why it doesn’t make me mad enough to do anything about it.
This kind of thing is at least partially related to my thoughts on capital punishment that you responded to–I simply don’t trust that there is enough equity for minorities, those who don’t have the money to properly defend themselves in court, or as in this case, who are black.
You were right to point out that my thoughts have some weak spots, because people need to be held accountable for actions. But when life is on the line, it concerns me all the more.
Anyhow, back to this situation. It’s very hard for me not to believe that there is a level of racism here, and I appreciate you raising this situation. It’s too easy to let injustices like this pass us by.
March 28, 2007 at 3:58 am
Asa, you just summed up the complete problem with this sentence ”Has our desire for justice and equality been replaced by a craving for the new Three 6 Mafia “joint”” – I couldn’t agree with you more here. That is where our problem lies. We love to celebrate music more than people, I believe. Of course we have some innovators and strong public figures yet the artists who could truly shout this poor girl’s cause would rather rap about cars – should we be rallying them? I think so. They have a moral responsibility just like the way we do.
Animals are seen as above black people, that is no doubt. I remember hearing a few years ago about the gorillas in the Congo and how hungry people were forced to kill them food. Animal rights people feared Gorillas were going to be extinct. I highly doubt Congolese people wanted to eat these beautiful animals but you cannot scream at people who are victims of their own government’s folly. It drives me insane when some people try and put the pain and suffering of a human below an animal’s.
March 29, 2007 at 1:29 pm
Thanks for calling attention to this travesty of justice. Just as I start to think (me and my rose-colored glasses!) that racism is dead or, at least, mortally wounded and on life-support, I find something like this. Racism is a vampire. It cannot be killed. It can be confronted and one can be a victim/perpetrator of it – but it cannot be killed.
Regards,
Ron Albright