Another Episode of Black Moral Chaos, Part 2

(BCN editor’s note: See Part 1 of this post.)

Leftism in all its forms has done a tremendous disservice to blacks, having poisoned their minds and hearts, leaving them perpetually angry and racially paranoid. Though I still lay the blame on Obama, Holder and company — all leftists, by the way — all of this anti-social behavior is the culmination of what the left has done to blacks since the 1960’s. White progressives have made perpetual children of blacks, whose temper tantrums continue to be the only way blacks are able to articulate their frustrations, must be endured as proof of a still racist county absolving itself of its past racial sins and other injustices.

And the resentment this creates and nourishes among mainstream America might be too large to overcome.

That black people continue to humiliate themselves like this is disgusting, and I’m sick of it. White people are too frightened to tell the truth about bad black behavior for fear of verbal and physical reprisals. Blacks are too afraid to speak out against criminal behavior that lends itself to black stereotypes because of racial empathy and racial solidarity.

But, those blacks who choose not to condemn these lawless actions — largely a product of the black underclass, but increasingly adopted and justified by blacks in the middle class — who sit silently on the sidelines out of fear and/or racial solidarity and empathy are, in my opinion, traitors to their race and their country. Their silence condones this behavior. Their lack of justifiable outrage for unjustifiable black lawlessness in cities across America sends a clear message that the jungle behavior that destroys our nation’s cities is an appropriate way to air one’s grievances, real or imagined.

Black silence in the face of vandalism and continuing anarchic riots betrays everything their cultural ancestors achieved. Silent blacks are guilty of undermining the achievements of abolitionists and freed slaves, of undermining blacks who fought against insurmountable odds to prove to former slave owners and other whites who were suspect of black humanity that blacks were every bit as dignified as they were; of damaging the legacy of blacks who successfully fought their way into the American mainstream though legalized discrimination fought back. America isn’t perfect, but black silence is complicit in unnecessarily betraying a country that has given blacks every material benefit and social opportunity their forebears could only dream of.

Blacks will never — never — get ahead, or be taken seriously, as long as we endorse this kind of behavior, our silent complicity telling beleaguered onlookers that this kind of conduct is acceptable and must be endured.

This behavior shouldn’t be endured. The behavior we saw in Sanford, Florida, was inexcusable.

The behavior we saw in Ferguson, Missouri, was inexcusable.

The behavior we saw in New York City, where marchers chanted anti-police slogans including, “What do we want? Dead cops. When do we want it? Now,” was inexcusable.

The behavior of the so-called “black lives matter” campaign characterized by stopping traffic on city streets and freeways, screaming at restaurant patrons or taking over department stores in multiple cities while annoying and inconveniencing people…this kind of petulance, aside from not endearing people to their message, was and is, inexcusable.

And, of course, the behavior in Baltimore is inexcusable.

Rev. King once said that, “Non-violence is the most potent weapon available to the Negro in his struggle for freedom and justice. I think for the Negro to turn to violence would be both impractical and immoral.” King added, “I would hope that we can avoid riots because riots are self-defeating and socially destructive.”

Having forgotten King’s message of civility and non-violence, the nation is once again witness to the reasons why more and more people increasingly have such a low opinion of blacks in general, and why moral expectations of blacks are so low. With behavior like this, we’ve earned every bit of the condemnation and ridicule we get. Racist, out-of-control cops, emblematic of a racist country aren’t to blame.

We are.

To say black priorities are out of order is a tremendous understatement. The overwhelming majority of these black suspects killed by police were attacking the cops or resisting arrest (Freddie Gray ran from police after he made eye contact with them), or had criminal histories. These men aren’t martyrs, and black reverence for them reveals our broken moral compass. In addition to making saints of slain black suspects — and completely ignoring any and all facts relevant to every situation in which this occurs — blacks set out to destroy their own neighborhoods while calling for “justice.” No wonder the ghetto is the ghetto — an economic and social wasteland. This is why property values, which are already low, continue to decrease in value. It’s why people with any sense don’t invest in black neighborhoods. Too much risk, too little reward. It’s why those who can, leave the ghetto the moment the opportunity arises.

More so, our skewed moral compass is even more recognizable for this very reason. Regardless of how many black suspects are killed by police, it still pales in comparison to the numbers of blacks killed by other blacks through abortion and black-on-black criminality every year. Shockingly, blacks can’t find the time to riot over that. Blacks aren’t burning businesses over it, either. Blacks aren’t holding vigils and demonstrations over the injustice of black genocide. This reality goes completely ignored when compared to what happens when a black suspect with a rap sheet is shot and killed by police. Like I said before, when you’re a victim, it’s always someone else’s fault. When you’re a victim — or in the case of blacks, the victim — the notion of personal responsibility doesn’t exist. And as long as blacks embrace this destructive identity, black chaos will continue.

People, regardless of color, need to stop making excuses for black violence, criminality, and chaos. Blacks need to take responsibility for themselves, and this starts by blacks publicly and consistently denouncing such poor, socially destructive, and irresponsible behavior. The shame and embarrassment that accompanies victimization, which has permeated and debilitated black culture, must come to an end. It’s time for blacks to consistently demonstrate that we’re not second-class citizens incapable of living up to the standards we expect of everyone else.

The only things at stake are black self-respect, dignity, and our reputations. I mean, black lives matter, right?

Derryck Green, a member of the national advisory council of the Project 21 black leadership network, received a M.A. in Theological Studies from Fuller Theological Seminary and is currently pursuing his doctorate in ministry at Azusa Pacific University.