There used to be a time amongst African Americans that if a horrendous crime was committed, everybody crossed their fingers and prayed that the perp was not black. It was universally felt that if the criminal was black, then a stain would be cast upon the entire race. I remember that general sentiment when I was growing up and it hasn't changed much.
In 2001, during the hunt for the "Beltway Sniper", most African Americans assured themselves that whoever did this just had to be a white man because... "Everybody knows that black people rarely, if ever, commit that type of crime." Then came John Muhammad and Lee Malvo... the two self-confessed "Beltway Snipers" who were, in fact, African Americans. Everybody I know kinda hung their heads as though the fact that these two were black had set race relations back 20 years.
The week before last, I was having a conversation about racial profiling with my wife and I told her that Arab Americans now know that all of the things we African Americans have been saying about racial profiling is true, because now it is them (and anybody who openly practices the religion of Islam) that is the new target of racial profiling.
In 2002, my Air Force unit was on a base in Texas, of all places. Some idiot there called an Arab a "Sand Nigger" with me standing just three feet from him. He didn't understand why I gripped him up in his collar either... he kept saying that he was talking about "A-Rabs and not Black people."
After September 11th, it was Arabs and Muslims in general who began getting profiled. I've been in airports and seen how people react when someone gets on the plane either in Islamic religious garb or who speaks with an Arabic accent. People get very nervous... whites and blacks alike. It's kinda understandable but it's still not right... it's still not fair.
Last week, when Army Major Nidal Malik Hassan lost his mind and went on a shooting rampage at Fort Hood Army Base in Texas, all of the Muslim and Arab Americans must have cringed the same way Black folks cringed when John Muhammad and Lee Malvo were arrested and charged with the mass murders in the Beltway area.
Timothy McVeigh, a nice white crew-cut individual, blew up the Federal Building in Oklahoma City a some years back and I didn't see white people hanging their heads in shame or cringing in disbelief. You know what they said? "He's crazy!" and they were right. They didn't identify with him... they just put him in the separate category of "crazy" and left it at that.
Long story short... John Muhammad and Nidal Malik Hassan are equally crazy. African Americans and Muslim Americans should not be cringing and they ought not be profiled and put into a box on account of the actions of two crazy people. Timothy McVeigh, John Muhammad, and Nidal Malik Hassan all have one thing in common (besides the fact that they are crazy). They are all American born citizens and if anybody ought to cringe and feel ashamed, it ought to be all Americans... not one race of people, not one separate religion.
You see, crazy is it's own category!
23 comments:
I absolutely loved and agreed with this post. It's the same thing i've been saying. Crazy is as crazy does. I still have to admit that I do cringe when I find out a black person has committed certain crimes. The black serial killer that had all those bodies buried on his property made me cringe ten times.
Great post, Keith (as usual)
Minorities (whether religion, sexuality, race, or whatev...) cringe because we know what the majority will think. They will happily lump that crazy guy in with the rest of us.
The majority rarely has to worry about that happening to them (though, to be fair, Christians experience that as well -- and to hear most people tell it, that's the majority religion in this country). The majority can simply cast the crazy off to the side because, well... in some sick way... majority always rules.
Say that, Keith!
You are right about that... crazy has it's own category. Great post.
I'm definitely in agreement. . . good post
Dare I say that white folks make the rules, so of course they create a loophole for themselves.
Crazy really does have it's own category doesn't it. And it never quits amazing me the level of craziness that I see out here some times.
Crazy is what crazy does! Love that one.
Great story Kieth!
Excellent Post once again!
You aint never lied Keith!
Points well taken...
Oh the Gay community suffers from the same thing,profiling.
It's so wrong to put anybody in a box..just like you said, but after 9/11..You can't blame the average citizen if he or she is a little jumpy around certain people of a certain religion.
I get what you are saying...But John Muhammad made me cringe and hang my head in shame.
Loved This...and loved that photo too!
You do know how to get people's attention Keith...Great post!
Brother you aint never lied!
Great Post...I agreed with everything you said about profiling,but it will always be with us..as long as there is racism.
Good Post Family!
Glad You Brought Up Timothy McVeigh. Nobody was walking around afraid of white boys with crew cuts after he did what he did.
That Photo of the Joker was blood curdling.
Oh, The post was good. -:)
Crazy Is it's Own category.What more can I say that you didn't say in that one sentence? Good Insightful writing as always.
Talk That Talk Brother...
If the majority could walk in the shoes of a minority person for just one day ,they'd understand how we feel about racial profiling.
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