Rules of the game
African American are ignorant of the laws that govern them
Imagine yourself entering a competition or tournament that is completely foreign to you.
Now, picture your opponents, who are all well-versed in the rules and regulations pertaining to the particular contest. What would be the most likely outcome? Which contestant would mostly likely have the upper hand?
Undoubtedly, it would be the individual with an understanding of how the game is to be played.
Now, equate the competition to laws. As with all things in life, there are rules and laws that govern our every movement. It is the obligation of every participant in the circle of life to know, abide, and enforce these natural laws. When one is out of tune with or ignorant of the rules of the game, chaos ensues.
We, as a society, have the power to create and enforce laws that are hopefully in harmony with nature’s laws.
Within human society, we have drawn up constitutions, laws, statutes, and codes all in the name of civilization. I believe it is every civilized society’s hope to create peace and prosperity within their kingdom, nation, or tribe. Problems tend to arise within the masses, when a section or sections of that society are ignorant to the rules and laws that govern them.
This, I feel, is a major problem facing African American communities across the nation. We simply fail to learn the rules of the game. This is especially important, when it pertains to the youth of our community. We all suffer from countless setbacks and failures that stem from not knowing the laws that govern us as citizens.
However, our children suffer the greatest. With the overwhelming number of Black and Brown youth filling the prison system, one doesn’t have to look far to see the effects of not knowing your rights. I am sure that anytime we purchase a new game or learn a new sport, we most certainly make sure that we have a clear understanding of the rules. I mean after all, who likes to lose?
There should be no difference in the way we approach living within a society. If there are laws governing that society, and consequences for breaking those laws, wouldn’t it be most intelligent to have a perfect understanding of them. The laws of society are intended to keep peace and harmony amongst its citizen, and we all know ignorance of these laws are no excuse for breaking them. It is the duty of every player in the game of life to get acquainted with the rules. It is on the elders to teach youth the rules to this game. Knowing is half the battle. I urge all citizens to learn the laws that govern them, and get more familiar with the rules of the game.
DISCLAIMER: The beliefs and viewpoints expressed in opinion pieces, letters to the editor, by columnists and/or contributing writers are not necessarily those of Our Weekly.
Dear Ms. Norwood:
I recently read your article entitled “A Black Woman’s Dating Dilemma.” When I first read it, I said ‘here we go again. Another bashing of the Black male.’ Then I said forgive them (referring to LaShaun Williams) they know not what they are saying.
Every since the White man came to America and took all the land from the Indians and enslaved Blacks, he has put himself on a pedestal and declared himself superior. Here we are centuries later still putting him on pedestal and making him superior.
Dear Readers,
I recently received a letter accusing me of being a “Black male basher” because of an article I wrote last week entitled the “Black Woman’s Dating Dilemma,” and after recently seeing the documentary “Diary of a Tired Black Man,” I felt I was being unfairly grouped into the “angry Black woman” category that the film shed light on.
In the letter I received, a very passionate Vincent Baker made a few comments that I would like to highlight.
LOS ANGELES, Calif.—The Board of Supervisors have agreed to back mandatory hiring of local workers to help build the new Martin Luther King Jr. Medical Center.
The deal approved by the board requires at least 30 percent of the project's construction labor hours be worked by local residents.
First preference will be given to qualified workers who live within five miles of the Willowbrook-area hospital. Next in line will be county residents who live in any Zip code with unemployment more than 1.5 times the county rate.
LOS ANGELES, Calif.—In July, a Los Angeles jury made up of ruled that former BART officer Johannes Mehserle, who was caught on several camera phones and facility cameras shooting unarmed 22-year-old Oscar Grant on an Oakland BART platform, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter.
When the news hit the public, Oscar Grant supporters were outraged. On Oct. 23 at the Frank Ogawa Plaza in Oakland, protesters will gather at noon in Oakland to demand justice and jail time for criminal officers.
In November 2008 in New Orleans at one of the first major African American oriented conferences after the Obama election, Ron Daniels, Ph.D., the relatively new executive director of the Institute of the Black World, issued a call for the partnering of all progressive Black think tanks in the U.S.A.
