By David J. Hudson
The system must change!
No more can we sit quietly by while we allow our black men to waste away in a system designed to destroy them. In a system designed to relegate them to second class citizens for the remainder of their human existence. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out congress passed laws that targeted black men specifically. If you believe different, then I encourage you to research the previous disparity of crack cocaine vs. powder cocaine laws for solid evidence of this charge. There are many examples of black men being targeted which have prolonged their suffering and inability to contribute constructively to their family and society. Black women have suffered even greater, by having a diminished population of black men to date, and eventually marry and lead their families. And because of this systematic assault on black men, black women has become the leader of single-parent homes which is a major reason for the breakdown of “The Family.” This is not by happenstance but more deliberate.
Did you know that FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) will allow someone who has committed murder to apply and receive a student loan for education but someone who has been arrested and received a felony charge for drug possession is denied any chance of getting a higher education? Who do you think this target mostly? Should a mistake that gets you a felony cause you to be denied bettering your life?
In most states, if you have a felony, you can’t vote. Is this fair? Who does this target mostly?
Just recently a senior U.S. District Judge by the name of Jack Camp was arrested on charges of buying drugs and having a relationship with a stripper. It is also alleged that former Judge Camp told the prostitute of his bias in sentencing black men to a harsher penalty than white men. I’m sure there are many examples I can find to demonstrate the bias of a system specifically designed to target black men but I’d like to challenge you to do the work for yourselves. My point is to bring light to an issue that is as critical as a terrorist attack on our country.
Why would our government have laws that put people in jail for using drugs instead of providing drug treatment and rehabilitation? The answer is, to generate money and kickbacks to those with the connections. Also, to create arrests records, and felony charges for black men that will permanently brand them as second class citizens. And this in turn, denies them a chance to get decent jobs, a college education, and be the family leader one should be.
Another example of targeting black men is the child support system. I believe that every father wants to provide for their children regardless of their race. Unfortunately, this system was created to target black men and penalize them for not taking care of their obligations. You can lose your driver license, be denied an insurance license etc., for being behind in paying child support and the list goes on. This is not to say that only black men are punished for not paying child support but its intent was to cast a big net and in that net, the majority would be black men. Don’t get me wrong, I strongly support taking care of your responsibilities if you have children but if the system prevents one from getting a decent job, education and other opportunities, how can one be the provider he needs to be? And those who created and passed these systemic and unjust laws were very much aware of the targeted outcomes.
This is not about blaming someone else for the problems of black men but more so about highlighting an injustice that has gone unchecked, unmentioned in the media and still plaguing the black community and society as a whole. Without a man in the household, generations of our children will suffer from their absence.
We are living in historical times and it is incumbent upon us all to understand the importance of family for each and every race and the critical role that men play in it. It is important to understand, that there is a problem with black men being targeted and denied opportunities and recognizing that the system needs changing. These issues affect us all as a society and addressing them can only bring forth good.
