The following commentary will be among the saddest, most gut-wrenching, but alas, truest, articles I’ve ever felt compelled to pen. It’s concerning a number of the most troubling aspects of American race relations.
Every black male in this country, as they hit puberty and began to leave the nest — the safe haven of home — had to be given the “talk,” usually by their mother who was worried (not without reason) about their safety. In my family the “talk” was reduced to shorthand: “Take low.”
When the inevitable encounter with the police happened I, along with my brother, had been instructed to “take low” — to not look a white cop in the eyes since they might consider that a sign of disrespect or defiance. To lower my head, perhaps even shuffle my feet, shrink inside myself — to the point where I approached nothingness. The absolute last thing any black mother wanted their son to be perceived as — in any form — was threatening; that could get a black boy killed. The logic taught was, better a live coward than a dead nigger some mother had to grieve over while burying. This is among America’s greatest shames — how it has allowed police to terrify its black citizens.
We now are once again confronted with this troublesome — and some would say debasing — choice: To once again “take low” so as to avoid making whites aggravated, and more importantly, fearful. Allow me to explain.
Between now and Election Day the Republicans are going to constantly play the strongest card they have in order to try to win: fear. They’ve got to convince suburban white soccer moms that if Biden is elected the country will become engulfed in lawless chaos, wild pandemonium and total destruction.
In order to place that fear firmly in the hearts of those white voters who might still be on the fence in terms of who they’ll vote for, tRump’s minions are going to be attempting to provoke Black Lives Matter protesters in any way they can, and then they’ll send in agent provocateurs to fan the flames once peaceful protests begin. They are convinced this will win votes for their side, and I’m afraid they are right.
So what I’m suggesting — knowing that this is a bitter pill to swallow — is that between now and Election Day there should be a complete moratorium on protests, no matter the provocation; no matter how many young black men are gunned down. Yes, I’m suggesting that we once again “take low”. Stand down. No matter what, don’t take the bait.
The main thing at this point is to win the election, no matter what it takes; and if it takes placating the fears of suburban white women in order to win then that’s what we have to possess the strength, courage, and wisdom to do.
And then, once victory is secured on November 3, we swiftly move to mount protests all over the country and we don’t stop — or even slow down — until police departments are forced to rid their ranks of racist cops or suffer the serious consequences.
As I said in the beginning, this is gut-wrenching stuff, but sometimes the best way to win is to not do anything at all.
From CoolCleveland correspondent Mansfield B. Frazier mansfieldfATgmail.com. Frazier’s From Behind The Wall: Commentary on Crime, Punishment, Race and the Underclass by a Prison Inmate is available in hardback. Snag your copy and have it signed by the author at http://NeighborhoodSolutionsIn