Fear Is A Weapon Without A Trigger

In watching the recent verdicts on police shootings and shootings of each other within my people, I can’t stop from wondering why does it seem black men seem to be targeted in a concerted effort to eliminate us.

Then a recent comment made by Ice Cube when he corrected Bill Maher for using “Nigger” during one of Maher’s television shows, leaves me wondering why is that word still around in 2017. I’m telling you it seems black men are targeted from within our people as well as outside attacks by whoever sees us as a threat.

When was the last time you saw anything in the media that reflected a favorable image on black men and women?

Let me ask this question. When was the last time you saw anything in the media that reflected a favorable image on black men and women? Have you seen a black man portrayed as a strong and wise father to his family? Have you seen a black woman who wasn’t steeped in hair, nails and half-nakedness? When was the last time you saw a favorable image in the media of my people?

Maybe it’s because I don’t watch television a lot. Maybe its because I don’t go to the movies a lot. But I just haven’t seen a black person portrayed in a positive image. I have seen us portrayed as killers, smoking weed, robbing stores, unwed mothers and fathers, incarcerated, in hand cuffs, in prison, on dope and on wanted posters and television segments. Somebody please correct me if I’m wrong. Lord I hope I’m wrong!

These negative images are broadcast in our country and all over the world. The same things we see on television here in our country is shown to people in other parts of the world. Unfortunately these images give people an idea, be it right or wrong, about how we are. And when they come in contact with us, they already have a preconceived notion about us and a fear of us is present in all types of situations.

When fear sets in, ant hills become mountains, kittens become lions and misunderstandings become tragedies.

When fear sets in, ant hills become mountains, kittens become lions and misunderstandings become tragedies.

I remember when I was a boy growing up, Panda bears were portrayed as cuddly stuffed animals. It wasn’t until I was an adult did I realize that Pandas are actually quite vicious. What about the Polar bear in the Coca Cola commercials a few years ago. Polar bears are more vicious than Grizzly bears.

So you see cute and cuddly images of these animals distorted our perception of them and when the media showed attacks on humans by these animals, we finally saw them for how they really are.

Always seeing black people doing negative things has distorted the image of us, causing fear to spread amongst everyone, including our own. Yes. There see some black people involved in some negative things. But there are more involved in positive actions than there are involved in negative actions. It seems the positive images are screened so that they never get through except on rare occasions.

We were created as intelligent and resourceful people. We are created to love everybody, but lately it seems we can’t even love ourselves. We have been portrayed as sex-crazed and unlawful people and because of that, fear has set up shop in the minds of nearly every stranger we come in contact with. Fear is a weapon that’s used against us and one doesn’t even have to pull a trigger.