A Response to "When hate whispers, let justice shout!"
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Dear Mr. Hale,
I had to write and let you know how disappointing it was to read your essay, "When hate whispers, let justice shout!" which appeared in the Democrat and Chronicle on October 6, 2017. I'm sure you meant well, but the editorial clearly smacks of the most chronic form of seemingly, calculated reductionism, avoidance, distortion, contortion, and gross-conflation of the real, old, historic issue and problem underlying the false premise contained in your treatise.
For starters, even though you probably had nothing to do with choosing it --- the headline is utterly ridiculous and thoroughly insulting, i.e., "when hate whispers..." --- WHAT??? How in the world could we ever interpret, and/or accept anyone else's interpretation of the idea that openly displaying the "second flag of the Confederate States of America" (more commonly known as the so-called "confederate flag") in an academic environment composed of people representing most, if not every nationality in the world, including substantial numbers of Black and brown African peoples --- could possibly represent "hate whispering." No, it's definitely not a matter of so-called "whispering." On the contrary, it is clearly likened to screaming (loud as hell). We will examine the other part of the headline momentarily, i.e., "let [so-called] justice shout" --- WHAT???
Secondly, as it relates to the old, old deeply embedded, totally entrenched, thoroughly pervasive, systemic, tripartite beast and illness ( http://minorityreporter.net/the-tripartite-beast-and-illness-of-individual-institutional-and-structural-racism/ ), and the silly, shallow idea of not being able to "look to our leadership to find solace, because most of the time we find him to be the cause of our strife" --- is just that, i.e., shallow and silly (to say the least). It's way past time for Black people, as well as thinking people in general, to abandon the foolish idea that Donald Trump is somehow (single-handily) "the cause of [so-called racial] strife." Stop it! The tripartite beast and illness of individual, institutional and structural racism, which are thoroughly bound up together, completely intertwined, and totally inseparable from one another, certainly did not begin with Donald Trump. In fact, it is as old as the decrepit, thoroughly racist, white-supremacist-based nation-state itself, and is necessarily reflected in each and every major institution of the society, including and especially educational institutions like Monroe Community College (M.C.C.), which are among the most effective institutions within the society relative to propping up, perpetuating and maintaining racism. The truth of the matter is --- institutional and structural racism could not possibly continue to exists without the existence of millions upon millions of individual racists ( http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/26/us/ferguson-racism-or-racial-bias/index.html ). It is very important to acknowledge that what happened at M.C.C. is not necessarily, or even likely, representative of so-called "local ramifications of [Trump's] behavior." Instead, more than likely, it is reflective of the behavior of one (among millions) hard-core, white-supremacist, bigoted-racist, whose attitude and belief system was implanted, cultivated, and nurtured way before he arrived at M.C.C. (more than likely --- from the crib up), and would not have been different regardless of who occupies the white-supremacist-based nation's White House --- period.
Speaking of calculated reductionism, avoidance, distortion, contortion, and gross-conflation of the real issue, what exactly does your being "an M.C.C. alumnus [have to do with] a [so-called] fellow student of [your] alma mater using such abhorrent and deplorable language, and secondly subscribing to such an oppressive and hateful ideology?" What is the connection, and what (exactly) were you "embarrassed" about??? Surely you're not implying that you believe this is some sort of historical-anomaly --- are you? It does NOT require for me, like yourself, to be an M.C.C. alumnus --- to understand the fact that countless such, similar incidents have occurred at M.C.C. through the years, including the years when I attended (1979 -81). So, let's NOT feign surprise and/or astonishment, and if you're not feigning --- then, please study the history of your alma mater.
You say that you were "inspired to lift [your] voice and join in solidarity as a fellow soldier engaged in the battle to conserve the conscience of our country, at a time when the very core of who we are is being threatened." WHAT??? "...the battle to conserve the conscience of our country???" Which so-called "conscience" is that??? What (exactly and specifically) are you "talking"/writing about??? The latter quote is clearly indicative of super-hyper, abstract, potentially dangerous, liberal rhetoric. The "United" States of America have NEVER had a recognizable, agreed upon, monolithic "conscience," especially and particularly as it relates to race-based-morality. ethics, and certainly NOT justice. So again I ask what (exactly and specifically) are you "talking"/writing about??? "...the very core of who we are is being threatened???" WHAT??? ".. the very core of who we [WHO] are is being threatened??? What (exactly and specifically) are you "talking"/writing about??? Stop it. This sort of gross rhetoric is potentially dangerous because it obscures, distorts, and conflates objective reality vis-a-vis wild falsehood (in the worst of manners). This is NOT a time for such obfuscation, especially where our developing-youth are concerned.
For you to suggest that it is solely because of "the administration of this president [that] many of us are constantly being plagued by thoughts like, what will happen if I’m pulled over by [a] law enforcement official with bias and things go wrong?” --- is absolutely ridiculous --- thoroughly ludicrous. Black folks and other people of color in this thoroughly racist, white-supremacist-based nation-state have been "constantly plagued by thoughts," such as the one quoted above --- for as long as there have been police departments. You should NOT engage in pushing the fallacy of this old, old, crystal-clear, historic pattern and pervasive reality representing something new. Doing so is a disservices, especially to the thousands-upon-thousands who have died unjustifiably, and with complete impunity --- at the hands of vicious, no-good, murderous cops: Stop it! https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10159333120840035&set=a.148038025034.238881.611700034&type=3&theater
The way that you mangle objective, historical reality is also very bothersome and problematic. For example, you mentioned "those of us [presumably, and erroneously people of African descent] whose lineages in this country originate with slavery and oppression," I think I know what you're trying to say, but again it is a grossly-distorted, historical-fallacy that our "lineages originate in this country." Of course a people can only have one source of origins, and ours definitely is NOT in this God-forsaken, 21st-century-racist-wilderness --- nor do our lineages begin "with slavery and oppression." On the contrary, we originated on the second largest, most minerally-rich continent on earth, which gave to the world --- architecture, farming, medicine, writing, and many other fundamental elements of civilization --- as opposed to originating with [and/or in] slavery and oppression." So again, I think I know what you meant to articulate. However, it is very important to be clear regarding your thoughts, ideas, and articulation concerning the objectively-accurate history of our people. So, I assume what you meant to say is that "those of us whose lineages [are traceable directly back to the African Continent --- were savagely enslaved] and [were subjected to a brutal system] of slavery and oppression in this country" via the greatest forced-migration and human-dislocation in the history of the modern world, and therefore, "historically, we haven’t been heard." Isn't that what you meant to "say"/write???
Also, I don't think you really meant to write that people are "defending the very fabric of who we are as a country." The "very fabric" of this country is racist to the bone --- period. The country is founded on, and still rests on a socioeconomic, sociopolitical and sociocultural FOUNDATION of white supremacy --- period. Also, again I ask, who (specifically) are the "we as a country" that you keep referring to??? WE KNOW THAT THERE DEFINITELY IS NOT A COHERENT MONOLITH --- NEVER HAS BEEN, AND MORE THAN LIKELY --- NEVER WILL BE. We also know --- with regard to the tripartite beast and illness --- in many ways the thoroughly racist, white-supremacist-based U.S. nation-state is as divided as it was FIFTY (50) years ago --- when Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. made the statement (exactly one year to the DAY that he was savagely assassinated), which you referenced in your misguided article: http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article2564.htm .
"Yes our community has [MUCH ANTI-RACIST] work to do… and [you're] glad to see that we are doing it" --- who, when, where, how (specifically)??? stop it --- this is NOT a time for super-hyper, abstract, liberal rhetoric, and please don't let others use you to advance shallow, know-nothing; do-nothing, but TALK, agendas.
The Struggle Continues, and 2017 IS the year of reckoning.
