The Fine Art of Missing The Point

Professor Tracey, WAOD Contributor

I have been extremely distressed and concerned at the comments directed at today's postings on Genarolw Wilson and the Hovey St. Murders. Once again, the discussion has regressed into blaming the black female victim. There is something so frightening about the black community that we have become apologists for anything and everything. There seems to be nothing that can occur in our communities that we are not willing to deflect or discount the responsibility or culpability of the main perpetrator(s).

First, the Hovey St. Murders. If the focus of your attention is on the "choices" the female murder victims may have made with romantic partners, maybe you need a humanity check. I don't care if a woman is dating the biggest and baddest drug dealer in town, NO ONE should murdered for that reason. All women in the world have made bad choices with romantic partners and will contiue to do so until the end of time. That is not new.

What about the "choices" of black men who are willing to target black women and black children for robbery and murder? What about the "choices" of black men who are willing to murder children over a paltry amount of marijuana and cash? What about the "choices" of black men who murder black women and black children even when they do not get the tiny amount of drugs and cash they were after?

And let's be completely honest here. Does anyone actually believe that these murderers would have hesitated to kill anyone that was in the house that day, regardless of their connection to drugs or not? If an innocent 4-month old child can be shot, than anyone could be shot. The "choices" of their mothers has absolutely no bearing. And for the record, the police have made no connection of any of the victims to drugs or cash in the house. No connection has been made as to who's drugs and cash, these murderers were after.

Second, Genarlow Wilson being rewarded with a college scholarship is like when Reverend Al Sharpton wanted to throw a parade in Brooklyn for convicted rapist Mike Tyson when he left prison. Mr. Wilson was convicted of a crime and he served a more than fair sentence for that crime. Anyone is welcome to argue about whether what he did should have been considered a crime or not at all, is welcome to debate that point all day, by themselves. That argument is besides the point at this time.

The only point that counts is what exactly did Mr. Wilson do to earn a college scholarship? What exactly did Mr. Wilson do to earn all the flattering media attention he has received? What young brother that has not engaged in the immature and amoral behaviors of Mr. Wilson, did not receive a college scholarship? The Tom Joyner Foundation screwed up. They should have given scholarship to all involved in this case or none at all. The very act of giving the scholarship to Mr. Wilson is clearly stating that the victims didn't count and that they don't need a fresh start in their lives.

The very fact that we don't know what has happened to the young women involved in this case, proves how the entire black community continues to reward black male sexual predators for bad behavior and continues to punish and diminish black female victims. How many of you have ever given two thoughts to what happened to Mike Tyson's rape victim, Desiree Washington? The answer for the majority of you is NEVER! She never finished college. Her parents divorced from the stress of her case. The family was devastated financially because of the case. And Mike Tyson has done nothing over that last few years, but solidly prove that the black community was extremely misguided in it's support of him during that rape trial.

We need to stop figuring out ways to deflect blame in these cases. I have come to the conclusion these discussions have become fruitless and pointless. Clearly some black men in some communities do not feel empowered or blessed with opportunities and this is a shame. Yet, this does not give them the right to abuse and murder black women and children. Yes, some black men are in deep trouble, but there are many black women in these same communities that are being victimized twice, once by the same system repressing black men and twice, by black men that feel empowered by repressing black women. Black men may not have the power to change the first, but they damn sure have the power to change the second.

There is nothing wrong with this blog or others that push the concerns and issues of black women and girls. I am sick of reading that false charge by posters, I never write that one anyone's blog. This blog and others like it are trying to make you think differently, more broadly, than the black community and the outside world has thought about black women and girls in the past.