As Sen. Barack Obama surges to the front of the Democratic race for president, I recall the books and documentaries that detailed Robert F. Kennedy’s final year, 1968. With one prominent Kennedy already assassinated five years earlier, there were uproarious outcries against RFK’s run for office. The younger brother of John Kennedy, who was the U.S. Attorney General under JFK’s presidency, Robert decimated the ranks of the Italian Mafia and Southern segregationists with such sheer ruthlessness and single-minded ferocity that “Bobby” inspired almost unfathomable hatred from a host of quarters in America. For Obama, there are different reasons why some, or many, may hate him. Many believed that RFK’s adversaries, which were arguably as numerous as his supporters, would exact the ultimate revenge against him. The fears for Bobby’s life were palpable and incessant.
I recalled this instance in American history after reading a New York Times article about widespread fears for Sen. Obama’s life in the black community, particularly from the religious sect. Some said they would vote for Sen. Hillary Clinton only because they don’t want Obama to become martyred (as was the fate that befell Martin L. King Jr., Malcolm X and Medgar Evers) by some raging lunatic outfit. This mind-set is particularly disturbing because it shows a lack of faith in the very God they claim to worship and devote their lives to. If they believe in God, then they know the future has already been planned out, and that Obama has to fulfill his divinely inspired destiny, whatever that may be. It’s actually quite ludicrous to refuse to support someone over what may or may not happen. That’s as backwards as it gets. That’s why the black community is in the condition it is in now. Never deny success to someone because of what someone else may do. When you live in fear of unseen forces, you deny yourself the blessings that may catapult you above that which may harm you or someone you love. The religious citizens featured in that article should know better. –terry shropshire
a tale of two killers
Joe Horn and John White are killers. However, they aren’t notorious criminals with illicit rap sheets. Both men are law-abiding citizens who felt bound to protect themselves from perceived dangers they encountered in their homes.
Horn, a 61-year-old white male from Houston, called a 911 operator on Nov. 14, 2007, after witnessing two men burglarizing his next-door neighbor’s home. During the intense conversation, Horn told the 911 operator that he had a 12-gauge shot gun and was contemplating shooting the two suspects whom he described as black. The operator pleaded with him to wait for a police officer to arrive, but Horn took it upon himself to stop the criminals by shooting them both in the back as they ran away.
White, a 53-year-old black male from Long Island, New York, was awakened at 11:30 p.m. on the night of Aug. 9, 2006. Five bat-wielding white teenagers came to his home to confront his son, Aaron, over a MySpace prank. According to police reports, the teens were belligerent and shouted racial slurs at John and Aaron. The elder White eventually killed 17-year-old Daniel Cicciaro after he reached for White’s gun.
But while White faces incarceration of 12 to 20 years after being convicted of second-degree manslaughter, Horn remains a free man and is currently receiving praise for his vigilance.
These similar incidents prove that the nation’s laws and those who interpret them remain racially biased. There aren’t any lawful repercussions for an old white man who feels obligated to shoot two individuals in their backs. But a black parent, who chooses to defend himself and his son from five rambunctious white teenagers, will serve time in prison for doing what any responsible father would do. We can’t allow this miscarriage of justice to occur. If we don’t educate ourselves on the laws of this land, the legal system will continue to treat blacks as powerless individuals who lack value. -amir shaw – forrest green III
