Recently, it was brought to my attention that a noted celebrity comedian went all in, as they say, on Mel Gibson for his use of the N-word. I was unaware of the video but just had a chance to watch it today. Now the way I see it, ain’t that the pot calling the kettle black. Of all folks, Epps should keep his mouth shut.
In this case the definition of a hypocrite is a person who is mad at Gibson for using a word that he uses every day — if the shoe fits, wear it. I cannot recount Epps having any history or concern with civil rights or racism issues in the past. I may be wrong but I don’t. He even went so far as to invoke the name of God, asserting to Mel Gibson that God knows what he did.
It is strange to me that Epps could be mad for Gibson using a word that I have seen him use in his comedy acts. Not to mention that he, through the use of the word, continues to encourage others to maintain the history that created the term historically. I have it easy, because instead of the N-word, I use Mel Gibson. Example: That Mel Gibson is crazy.
Our conditioning as a people is overtly evident, for we will jump on a white man before we jump on ourselves and our associates. True, what Gibson said was derogatory and vile, but I don’t feel right picking on him, a man I don’t know who doesn’t know the experiences of African Americans. However, I do feel it’s appropriate to dress down my own people and acknowledge the duplicity in holding others more accountable than we do ourselves. Epps, I suspect your intentions are good, but Mel Gibson, please!!! That’s what is wrong with us today. We want to deal with nonsense while avoiding issues of content and substance. You should have used it to address young black men who use the N-word like a pronoun. –torrance stephens, ph.d.
For more with Dr. Stephens, visit twitter.com/rawdawgbuffalo and rawdawgb.blogspot.com.
