Those Who Are Least Considered

First of all, if the Kardashian family were arrested in the American system, they would not share the same cell or treatment as you.  That is a bias.  If I am of the people and he or she is a celebrity, I would get lesser treatment; that is prejudice.  If there is police brutality which involves race, and you find out—above all things you could know about the person, that he is Black—causing you to immediately think, “He must have done something to get the cops acting that way,”  then that is bias, prejudice and racism, based upon stereotypes. . . And these things happen far too many times.  

The general assumption is that Blacks are the frustrated underprivileged menial social class, and in their desperation is bound to have its people act out of that frustration.  But the opinion is just that; an assumption based upon a stereotypical view that Blacks are angry, Blacks are frustrated, or many Black people are criminals; people of low moral standing.  And this assumption, doesn’t disappear just because you put a robe or uniform on.  You may swear to uphold the law or carry out justice to the best of your ability; but you live in American society—you are brought up in an ethnic community which has its own stereotypical view or prejudice towards Blacks and other ethnicities.  Observe the Klu Klux Klan mission statement.  This view is called ethnocentricity.

Ethnocentricity is an act where one evaluates or judges other peoples and cultures according to the standards of their own culture; that is, based on the ideas and beliefs of one particular culture you judge other cultures.  I think most countries act this way when observing other countries.  Not that it’s right, but many people feel their people are the best.  However, this practice becomes most dangerous when it is applied to Blacks and Whites in America.

Just as in Irish Catholic/Italian neighborhoods (like the Southeast corridor of South Philly), Jewish, or Slavic neighborhoods—it would be highly irregular to place a large Black presence of Black police in that area; it would be equally ludicrous to place a White controlling presence in a community to which they do not live, regardless of the same or different ethnicities or  far away or adjacent neighborhoods.  Neighborhoods have attitudes concerning other neighborhoods; evident in the formation of gangs.  Neighboring suburban towns show great animosity and jealousy towards Philadelphia in the state capital hall in Harrisburg. Customs, traditions, sentimentality, and behavior patterns work their way into local politics all the time; especially where strong political campaigning is properly received and supported by the community where that person comes from.  Those ambitious people who use their office for advancement or corruption is a whole other subject: I’m talking about those who care about their community and want to see certain things happen.  Those people who understand the ideology of the people and want to protect their interests; not those who want to use their own people as stepping stones!  When you have solidarity like that, it is hard to place other ethnicities within those communities without problems.  These officers, representatives, and committeemen, must be familiar with the vibration of that community: These people must be intimately involved with community customs, traditions, sentimentalities, beliefs and behavior patterns—otherwise known as politics. 

 But when the esteem is low within communities, exploitation, disassociation and distancing becomes par for the course.  City services often become sparse within areas where self esteem is low and solidarity is lacking, because there’s not enough solid warriors to fight for the rights of the people.  Its just like the plague or any other bacterial invasion: colds cannot put a healthy system down, it can only be useful when defenses are weak.  We will always have things like the current incidents happening in Ferguson, New York, and other places where injustices and genocide occur, until our attitude changes about each other.  These people are not doing anything to us, that we—in some way—do not allow.  We allow others to abuse us and lie to us about the facts, because we do not think globally and act locally.  American individualism is killing us, because we believe we're equal and we think we’ve made it; we’ve come into our own—it must be that person's fault!  Don’t think for a minute because you’re not feeling hostility from your local oppressor personally, that oppression does not exist where you live; or that what affects Ferguson does not impact on you at all.  When things like Ferguson occurs, this usually encourages the local bigots to become more brazen and active; and when that occurs—none of us are safe.

There has to be more connective sentiments in our lives for us, and between us—AS US, the people.  There must be a sense of belonging or being a part of, for us as a people—otherwise, other people and cultures will swoop in like a vulture, and steal our valuable resources; and this is exactly what is happening to Black people in America today.  We must come together as a people.  We must invest in each other as a people.  When we start giving a damn about what happens to the next Black person, and stand up for ourselves as a group, that’s when these things are going to change.  That's when we'll get ours.  We have to fight for our rights.  And when we decide to take care of our own interest and politics within our own communities; then we will develop into national consideration, and force others to consider us more.

Peace.

Thank you for your consideration,

C. Be'er la Hai-roi Myers