The Real War in America

The real war in America is happening right in front of our eyes in Chicago. In just one weekend there were 8 killed and 40-plus wounded. This was here on American soil. While most of the media was covering the return of Zombies supposedly connected to bath-salts, the black community in Chicago was engaged in war.

When the temperatures start to rise, there is an increase in violence in most black communities. It would suggest that someone has spiked the Kool-Aid packages sold in the corner markets. Or that there was some type of government experiment to thin the heard.

The usual excuses always seem to be the ones that are discussed by experts- the same experts that return to their suburban homes and enjoy their fresh squeezed lemonades and glasses of wine on their patios. Then there are the constant chants of “there is nothing to do” and that a larger police presents would somehow decrease the violence.

These excuses hold some truth, but they fail to address the issue. Violence is a natural behavior and once this behavior is accepted by a community and not channeled properly there is only destruction on said community.

The relationship between the black community and police, no matter what race or creed, is one that lacks trust and respect. Neither the police nor the black community seems to respect or understand one another and this division is fatal. The police represent the system. A system that has denied the black community the opportunity to gain liberty and live in happiness, all due to political and social economic barriers.

But the black community brings their own ammunition to this war as well. Shotgun shells are lyrics that blast from the speaker and penetrate the listener. The uniform of pants sagging to the ground showing of their latest underoo purchase, and the need for father-figures often creates youth that do not stand a chance.

This alone should be a case for an increase in Gay Adoptions, to support our own country instead of forcing individuals to depend on adoption agencies overseas. The lack of parental direction, financial opportunities, and failing education, has created a hell-storm that is impossible to escape.

I often equate the action of hunters in the wild killing a deer and placing it above the fireplace as the same activities that are happening in Chicago. Some may say that this is a stretch, but the action of wanting and needing to kill anything has to be connected to the same part of the brain. And for those trapped in the black community the only thing they can kill is each other.  There is no outlet for this human behavior that is reinforced by the music, the loss of an identity, and the need for acceptance.

Many communities have escaped some of these social ills, but the truth is also that not too many cultures have been put under the same strain as the African American community. Many communities still hold on to their cultural beliefs. These beliefs are handing down for generations. And often the only cultural beliefs that African Americans can pass consist of poverty, a white religion, and violence.

Responsibility is and should remain in the hands of the individual. But one must understand that responsibility is a trait that must be learned, and often passed down or taught. As Americans we have a responsibility as well, a responsibility to demand that our educational system in the inner-city gives our youth a proper education that will allow for them to be able to decipher the difference between entertainment and reality which has become so easily blurred.

The individuals in power such as government, education, and entertainment need to take a stand. As these individuals often contribute to the systematic and economic abuse that harms and punishes the black community. This war in Chicago can easily spread to any town in America, and when it does do not say that there were no warnings. Soon there will be nowhere for any of us to escape this war, and we may all be victims taken away from a crime scene as a snippet of the 10’oclock news.