BeaversDen

As a young man, coming of age

A socioeconomic take on racism in my perspective. Every summer for nearly 6 years, I went down to the basketball court in my neighborhood at the bottom of the hill. There were always at least a few people down there shooting some hoops. It was a universal game to play 21. Twenty one points to win the game, with options of playing tip out or win by two. In tip out, a player could play your rebounded missed shot while off the ground and reset your score back to zero. And three tipouts in a game meant you were out. You lost. You were afforded free throws until you missed for single points. You were given two points for regular shots and three pointers from three point line.

My neighborhood, at the time, was culturally diverse. And honestly, racism wasn’t a thing. Until it was.

I was walking down my street, a rather steep hill, with a basketball under my arm and my jug of water in my other hand. As I turned the corner, I could see my friend, Chris, who was a young but older than me black kid shooting some hoops. He was just a couple years older than me, but he was almost a foot taller than me. We gave a few shots to warm up and started playing 21. We played a long game.

As we were finishing up the game, we saw two young white teens whom were older than us walking down the hill. Neither one had a ball. They got to the bench and just started watching us play.
I distinctively remember Chris asking if they wanted to play right after the game was over. To which one of them replied that they didn’t want (the N word) sweat get on them. Chris didn’t really know how to address that. But his reply was “what did you just say”?
He repeated what he said in a more intimidating voice and uprightness. I just stood there thinking wtf. I asked that guy if he knew Chris. And then I looked at Chris. I could see his eyes tear up in anger. Then the guy looked to his buddy and back to Chris. I was maybe 12 or 13 years old. The only thing I could think of was to go get Chris’s mom. But as I ran off, a dad of a different black friend decided he wanted to squash it right then and there. Michael was my friend’s name, and his dad was Big Mike. I quickly turned back around and went back to the court, because an adult was there. Big Mike made his presence known and those other white teenagers left… for a little bit. After they left, I left for a little bit as well.

When I came back, the same two white teenagers were taunting Chris, while Chris was sitting on the backrest of the park bench. By the time I reached the court, one of those white teenagers pushed Chris backwards, causing his glasses to fall off his face. And as soon he pushed Chris, I yelled “Hey!” and rushed over there. And apparently, both Big Mike and Michael heard the noise and came to check it out. Right after that, Chris started swinging fists as he was hopping around the guys. He knocked one guy down before Big Mike and Michael reached the court. It was about 20 seconds later, Michael and Chris started fighting these guys. Fighting over being called the N-word. Or rather, fighting because those guys were hateful and Chris and Michael were on the defense. Meanwhile, Big Mike was on his cordless phone with the authorities. Took just a couple minutes, but what went down in those couple of minutes were some really swift and many contacting swings of hands on the faces of those white teens. Chris and Michael held their ground. I really did not know what to do. From what I remember, I just grabbed Chris’s glasses off the ground and held onto them as they were going punch for punch. It took law enforcement a while to show up. And by the time they did, those white teenagers were walking back up the hill, all jacked up.

When the cops did show up, I thought surely they would arrest those white teenagers for being violent. But they just questioned us at the court. As a witness, I explained to the cops everything that went down. I went on to say that those guys started messing with Chris for no reason other than for their personal hate for black people. But the cops acted like they didn’t believe any of us. Those guys started up the hill they came down and stopped at a small boulder to sit.

I pointed the guys out to the cops, but the cops didn’t seem to care at the time. And after about 15-20 minutes of asking us a hundred questions, they finally decided to go up the hill where those white teenagers were and “ask them questions”. We stood there and watched for what the police were gonna do. Two maybe three minutes tops and the cops went on about their day and left the scene with zero justice. Maybe the cops saw the butt whooping they got and decided not to do anything about it. Be that is it may have been, all I could think about was why were these white teenagers acting this way. They didn’t even know Chris or Michael.

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All grown up now

Years have passed from that distant memory. Those friends haved moved away. I have moved away. But the racism has not. Ever so often, there’s a story in the news. Police excessive use of force. Rather, watered down murder for the sake of saving face in the Unionized police department. And we see it as nothing more than a gang that’s above the law somehow. Repeatedly held by a different standard or separate laws that allows them to murder people. Otherwise known as police immunity or “qualified immunity” according to statutes and how they are represented in a court of law.

No longer on the fence as other white people?

Years of -ppresion. Why? Honestly. What is the end game and why does 15% of Americans have to fear for not only their livelihoods but also lives. You can choose to see it for what it is or continue to turn a blind eye or not, that doesn’t matter. But why do you turn a blind eye? Please ask yourself and answer with all of your soul. Why are you like this? At what point are we no longer on the fence as other white people?

We have our own lives to worry about.

I’m not trying to be a douche canoe paddling upstream on Shits Creek. It’s like, I want to care, but I can’t. I’m desensitized by our American culture. Freedom: It’s institutionalizing. But on the otherwise, it is a dog eat dog world. The strong survive. It’s competitive, even at home between family members; siblings. As well as significant others reciprocated. That’s primitive nature that makes us not only human, but makes us animals of the Earth. Or whatever Earthling label you’d like to put on your license and registration. Real talk, you’re born alone, most of your life you’ll be alone, and quite frankly, you’re more likely to die alone. Truthfully, that’s darker than you being black.

Interracial on perpetual cycles of breeding, likely to recreate the Jewish or wash out all races.

One method of doing away with racism altogether would be interracial breeding. According to the science there are three master races: the Mongoloid, the Caucazoid, the Negroid. This is dated and deemed offensive but still recognized division of race amongst scholars. The term mongoloids now refers to people with Down syndrome in dated terminology and offensive. I don’t find Caucazoid or Negroid offensive. However, I understand the offense to people with Down syndrome. But what about Jews? They’re said to have their own race. But is it it’s own race or is it the blend of all three master races? Doesn’t matter. If it does matter, then you may be promoting racism, like it or not. I realize the contradictions implied here and they are no different. It’s all the same. It will always be a line in the sand with division of races. Like the many types of parrots or shrimp. And because of these classifications, racism will continue.

It’s time for racism to stop being about oppression and hate, and get back to healthy competition. It’s a race…

I’m not a capitalist, so I don’t really do competitions. I hope we all succeed. But if we are a capitalist society, the market should be a free market and everyone who wants in should be able to compete. And they should be able to compete without fearing for their lives. It’s time for racism to stop being about oppression and hate, and get back to healthy competition. It’s a race, a fair race and equal opportunity. The playing field should be played on without stipulations or setbacks. We must address and correct this issue on a global scale.

Mental health issues are off the charts, recognize the impact of current events

As a white man, I watched George Floyd die too many times. The last few times, I was actually looking Derek Chauvin dead in the eyes the whole time. I felt the evil coming from this man’s energy. But that’s not what made my gut drop. The comments. The thousands of comments that were justifying Derek’s knee on George’s neck, rocking it back and forth like there was enjoyment of this act. It felt as though Derek’s eyes were saying “I am superior and I will walk free.”. That mentality is all too common, and the fact that our legal system is even entertaining an investigation and displaying such divide in their actions, says so much about how corrupt our government is. The Constitution reads loud and clear about Due Process in the 5th and 6th Amendments. Why is this case taking so long? The facts are clear.

I can’t speak for black people at home or from wherever, watching that. I can’t even fathom the mental strain on them on top of possibly being the next target of American media sensationalism. Next up in the news of the Black America… Oh wait, let me put away my white privilege. I know it was showing. I can’t stand with BLM though. Nope. I got a life to live. I’ve got my own responsibilities. And as I try to care, all I see is my own personal life escaping me. My families are without me. As a man with toxic masculinity traits, I’m trying to work on myself and try to be better. And these antidepressants I’m on just sits with my fatigue. Struggling to make ends meet, I survive by the Grace of God. We should recognize the mental health of Black Americans and right these wrongs.

And now we bestow our racism onto Asians

And now we bestow our racism onto Asians. Especially when we reference COVID 19 as the Chinese Virus or the Wuhan Virus. There have been thousands of reports with violence and hostility towards Asians in America. When will it end.

Diversity and Tranquility

It is easier said than done when we talk about dropping our weapons and come together for a cause without labels that bind us. In a way, it is almost biblical according to the Book of Revelations. It talks about everyone turning against everyone. Not knowing who your enemies are or not being able to trust one another. But that’s not as Christ would be. And here we are not loving our neighbors as the Ten Commandments would hold. The same people claiming to be Christian, also justifying excessive use of force by the thin blue line. That’s the biggest issue. It’s not the police brutality, excessive use of force or racial profiling. No. The biggest problem is in the comment section justifying these measures and tactics and supporting the blue lives crowd. The amount of people supporting it is terrifying. We need to know why.

Let it be known

Let it be known that police lives do matter. And black lives do matter. But nothing matters more than what the Preamble of the US Constitution stands for.