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Eloquent and powerfull essay by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

grizzlyjournal

Well-known member
I acknowledge up front that the only clear link to basketball in this below attached LA Times Op-ed is the name of the author. But this is such a powerful statement by a man who's had a huge impact upon basketball and American society as well... far beyond the fact that so many of my personal heroes... over the years are (have been) Griz hoopers often identified as "minorities," (a word I hope some day soon we'll never feel the need to use as a description of personhood).
[media]https://twitter.com/quartzglen/status/1266974492254863360[/media]
 
I enjoyed reading this. Thx.

Here's a quasi-similar post I made in the Taboo thread on the football side:

"Without intending to be political, to start a discussion, or change the topic, I thought I'd post a very well-written email sent by one of my Dartmouth football teammates yesterday. Ben Wilson went to Harvard law school and has been on the Dartmouth board of trustees. He's Russell Wilson's uncle. Russell's dad, Harry, played football (and baseball) for Dartmouth too, and two other uncles went to Dartmouth (and one played football).

"Subject: Today’s events

“The past is not dead. In fact, the past is not even past.” —-William Faulkner

I send this message today with a very heavy heart. Like many of you, I have been horrified and angered by the recent killing of a black man by a white police officer in Minneapolis earlier this week. Sadly, this is but the most recent reprehensible act of violence committed against a black person. Trayvon Martin, Freddie Gray, Sam DuBose, Philandro Castile, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, Eric Garner, Breonna Taylor, and now George Floyd.

In some sense, these victims are like Emmett Till, Jimmie Lee Jackson, and countless others of a bygone era who suffered brutal deaths.

But unlike the deaths of Till and Jackson, the current wave of killings is not being carried out through the extralegal efforts of a mob or Klansmen, but by those sworn to uphold and enforce the law.

To be sure, we are all troubled by the current Covid-19 crisis which like all pandemics strikes disproportionately against the poor and minorities. But the weight we all feel from our current circumstance is extraordinarily burdensome for people of color when we can once again hear the echoes of the words of Chief Justice Taney uttered so long ago that black people “ha[ve] no rights which the white man [is] bound to respect.”

Now the anger is being seen in cities across the country as riots reflect an outrage that refuses to wait for a justice that is long overdue. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a man of peace, noted that a riot “is the language of the unheard.”

Our country must address now the inequities it has fostered. We can no longer ignore disparate health care treatment, inadequate educational opportunity, or biased, criminal justice policing.

The world is watching—literally.

And we must address and no longer ignore our past. We must prove Faulkner wrong.

Sincerely,

Ben"
 
Thanks journal. Thanks Player Rep.

Here's another take from a local sportswriter, Ann Killion:

https://www.sfchronicle.com/49ers/annkillion/article/Colin-Kaepernick-and-George-Floyd-Two-knees-two-15305568.php
 
All very well written and valid.

Still doesn't help with other cultural issues " 90+ percent of black homicide victims are killed by other blacks."
We still need less violence in American culture. It has improved but not enough.
 
Another exceptional article:

https://406mtsports.com/406mtsports/jeff-welsch-yes-speak-out-on-racism-but-nothing-will-change-unless-we-also-listen/article_5e4b5bc2-1f3a-58d3-b9fd-8cb2e4bb4ad2.html
 
grizzlyjournal said:
I acknowledge up front that the only clear link to basketball in this below attached LA Times Op-ed is the name of the author. But this is such a powerful statement by a man who's had a huge impact upon basketball and American society as well... far beyond the fact that so many of my personal heroes... over the years are (have been) Griz hoopers often identified as "minorities," (a word I hope some day soon we'll never feel the need to use as a description of personhood).
[media]https://twitter.com/quartzglen/status/1266974492254863360[/media]
Excellent. Thank you
 
PlayerRep said:
I enjoyed reading this. Thx.

Here's a quasi-similar post I made in the Taboo thread on the football side:

"Without intending to be political, to start a discussion, or change the topic, I thought I'd post a very well-written email sent by one of my Dartmouth football teammates yesterday. Ben Wilson went to Harvard law school and has been on the Dartmouth board of trustees. He's Russell Wilson's uncle. Russell's dad, Harry, played football (and baseball) for Dartmouth too, and two other uncles went to Dartmouth (and one played football).

"Subject: Today’s events

“The past is not dead. In fact, the past is not even past.” —-William Faulkner

I send this message today with a very heavy heart. Like many of you, I have been horrified and angered by the recent killing of a black man by a white police officer in Minneapolis earlier this week. Sadly, this is but the most recent reprehensible act of violence committed against a black person. Trayvon Martin, Freddie Gray, Sam DuBose, Philandro Castile, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, Eric Garner, Breonna Taylor, and now George Floyd.

In some sense, these victims are like Emmett Till, Jimmie Lee Jackson, and countless others of a bygone era who suffered brutal deaths.

But unlike the deaths of Till and Jackson, the current wave of killings is not being carried out through the extralegal efforts of a mob or Klansmen, but by those sworn to uphold and enforce the law.

To be sure, we are all troubled by the current Covid-19 crisis which like all pandemics strikes disproportionately against the poor and minorities. But the weight we all feel from our current circumstance is extraordinarily burdensome for people of color when we can once again hear the echoes of the words of Chief Justice Taney uttered so long ago that black people “ha[ve] no rights which the white man [is] bound to respect.”

Now the anger is being seen in cities across the country as riots reflect an outrage that refuses to wait for a justice that is long overdue. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a man of peace, noted that a riot “is the language of the unheard.”

Our country must address now the inequities it has fostered. We can no longer ignore disparate health care treatment, inadequate educational opportunity, or biased, criminal justice policing.

The world is watching—literally.

And we must address and no longer ignore our past. We must prove Faulkner wrong.

Sincerely,

Ben"

This is also really good.
 
Proud Griz Man said:
All very well written and valid.

Still doesn't help with other cultural issues " 90+ percent of black homicide victims are killed by other blacks."
We still need less violence in American culture. It has improved but not enough.

Yep. And until the AA community addresses the cultural issues that enable and encourage black on black crime, focusing on the <1% of deaths at the hands of law enforcement is akin to rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.
 
AZGrizFan said:
Proud Griz Man said:
All very well written and valid.

Still doesn't help with other cultural issues " 90+ percent of black homicide victims are killed by other blacks."
We still need less violence in American culture. It has improved but not enough.

Yep. And until the AA community addresses the cultural issues that enable and encourage black on black crime, focusing on the <1% of deaths at the hands of law enforcement is akin to rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.

Interesting and predictable "hot-take" from the white guy in Texas. Saying this is both, at once, obvious and the definition of white privilege.

I'd say you can't tackle black-on-black crime period without first addressing the culture of historical systemic racism that tells an entire people they don't matter.

Where do you think black-on-black crime has its origins? Some would say that black on black crime has its foundations in an Anglo-American culture that devalues black lives as less-than. If your entire cultural history has been informed by systemic bigotry and poverty that says your skin color means you are of less value, it's likely that subconsciously you are going to feel the same way.
 
Can't we say " that both need improvement" ? :?


gotgame75 said:
I'd say you can't tackle black-on-black crime period without first addressing the culture of historical systemic racism that tells an entire people they don't matter.
 
AZGrizFan said:
Proud Griz Man said:
All very well written and valid.

Still doesn't help with other cultural issues " 90+ percent of black homicide victims are killed by other blacks."
We still need less violence in American culture. It has improved but not enough.

Yep. And until the AA community addresses the cultural issues that enable and encourage black on black crime, focusing on the <1% of deaths at the hands of law enforcement is akin to rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.

https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2017/10/23/white-supremacists-favorite-myths-about-black-crime-rates-take-another-hit-bjs-study
 
Proud Griz Man said:
Thanks for the Info teejay. Confirms that we need less violence in our world.

Yes, confirms that we need less violence in the world.

But also distracts why we're in this situation.

Not "black on black" violence. Or even looting, which saddens and depresses us all, and is carried out by a microcosm of the peaceful protesters in this country.

No, we're here because of an 8 minute, 46 second video of a white police office killing a black man who lay defenseless in the street, handcuffed, face down, while three other officers provided whatever "security" was needed in the situation to protect the safety of that officer.

We're here because that horrific video touched off deep-seeded feelings in other major cities in the country of police brutality against so many other black men--Eric Garner in New York, Oscar Grant in Oakland, Ahmaud Arbery in Atlanta, Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Freddy Gray in Baltimore.

The list goes on. And on. And on.

This is the cause of these protests.

Ya got other issues?

We'll address them later.
 
Proud Griz Man said:
Thanks for the Info teejay. Confirms that we need less violence in our world.

Yes, and it also confirms that the concept of “black on black” crime as a “cultural” issue in the AA community is complete BS. The majority of crimes against whites are also perpetrated by whites. Does that speak to white cultural issues, or is it only a black thing?

This is a meaningless construct trotted out by people who want to change the subject and avoid dealing with the issue at hand.
 
Interesting - you soley determine the topics of discussion and decide that other factors do not warrant discussion. :roll: :?: :shock: :?: :roll:

citay said:
Ya got other issues?

We'll address them later.
 
teejay406 said:
people who want to change the subject and avoid dealing with the issue at hand.

Again, thank you teejay.
I did not change the subject. I am not avoiding anything.
Violence is a problem.
Police culture and resulting incidents are only part of the equation, and not the sole cause.
 
Proud Griz Man said:
Interesting - you soley determine the topics of discussion and decide that other factors do not warrant discussion. :roll: :?: :shock: :?: :roll:

citay said:
Ya got other issues?

We'll address them later.

No, I don't set the agenda. The country does.

There are thousands of people in the streets as we speak, not because of "black on black" crime.

That may we be your issue, or teejay's.

But that is not America's issue.

Not right now.

America's issue right now is what we all saw on that video.
 
The quote below comes from Letter From a Region in My Mind, by American novelist, playwright & essayist...James Baldwin in 1962.

"It demands great force and great cunning continually to assault the mighty and indifferent fortress of white supremacy, as Negroes in this country have done for so long. It demands great spiritual resilience not to hate the hater whose foot is on your neck, and an even greater miracle of perception and charity not to teach your child to hate." -- James Baldwin
 
gotgame75 said:
AZGrizFan said:
Yep. And until the AA community addresses the cultural issues that enable and encourage black on black crime, focusing on the <1% of deaths at the hands of law enforcement is akin to rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.

Interesting and predictable "hot-take" from the white guy in Texas. Saying this is both, at once, obvious and the definition of white privilege.

I'd say you can't tackle black-on-black crime period without first addressing the culture of historical systemic racism that tells an entire people they don't matter.

Where do you think black-on-black crime has its origins? Some would say that black on black crime has its foundations in an Anglo-American culture that devalues black lives as less-than. If your entire cultural history has been informed by systemic bigotry and poverty that says your skin color means you are of less value, it's likely that subconsciously you are going to feel the same way.

OK, doctor. :lol: :lol:
 
AZGrizFan said:
gotgame75 said:
Interesting and predictable "hot-take" from the white guy in Texas. Saying this is both, at once, obvious and the definition of white privilege.

I'd say you can't tackle black-on-black crime period without first addressing the culture of historical systemic racism that tells an entire people they don't matter.

Where do you think black-on-black crime has its origins? Some would say that black on black crime has its foundations in an Anglo-American culture that devalues black lives as less-than. If your entire cultural history has been informed by systemic bigotry and poverty that says your skin color means you are of less value, it's likely that subconsciously you are going to feel the same way.

OK, doctor. :lol: :lol:
OK, gotGAME : :thumb:
 
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