Thursday, September 2, 2010 1:01pm EST Make this your Home Page | RSS rss

Obama alone can't halt the black murder surge

Earl Ofari Hutchinson | Posted January 5, 2009 9:54 AM

Northeastern University criminologist Alan Fox virtually pleaded with President-elect Barack Obama to do something about big city black homicides. Fox had good reason to implore Obama to take action. He had just released a study that showed that young black males who are murdered or who murder other blacks has jumped 40 percent since 2000. The magnitude of the jump and the crisis that it poses is even more astounding since during the same period crime and murder rates overall nationally have plunged.

The disturbing finding about black homicides is hardly new. A year earlier, the Violence Policy Center reported that black murders are off-the chart in many of America's big cities. The Bureau of Justice in its report on homicides went one better and found that the black murder rate is many times higher than that of whites, or even Latinos. It's the leading cause of death among black males age 16 to 34.

Black-on black murders have fueled the nation's murder stats for a number of years. And only in the rarest of instances has it attracted more than passing mention in the national press. Fox's study almost certainly will get the same treatment. It stirred a momentary rustle of hand wringing and soul searching and then will quickly disappear from the news. That's another tragedy piled on top of the tragedy of the loss of so many young lives.

The question that always dangles when reports like this come out is why do so many young blacks kill each other and what is or can be done about it. Imploring Obama to pump more dollars into job programs and crime prevention action is a must call but it's not a total answer. Nor is Vice President-elect Joe Biden's pledge to put 50,000 more cops on the streets. That was Bill Clinton's panacea in the mid-1990s. He pledged to put double the number of police on the streets than what Biden wants. Some credited Clinton's cop boost with reducing crime; it did little to stem black-on-black violence.

The brutal truth is that more police, dozens of new prisons and passing tougher laws haven't curbed black violence. Blacks don't slaughter each other at such a terrifying rate because they are naturally violent or crime prone. They are not killing each other simply because they are poor and victimized by discrimination. Or because they are acting out the obscene and lewd violence they see and hear on TV, films, and in the gangster rap lyrics that blare on the streets.

The violence stems from a combustible blend of cultural and racial baggage many blacks carry. In the past, crimes committed by blacks against other blacks were often ignored or lightly punished. The implicit message is that black lives are expendable. Many studies confirm that the punishment blacks receive when the victim is white is far more severe than if the victim is black.

The perceived devaluation of black lives by discrimination encourages disrespect for the law and drives many blacks to internalize anger and displace aggression onto others that, of course, look like them. They have become especially adept at acting out their frustrations at white society's denial of their "manhood" by adopting an exaggerated "tough guy" role. They swagger, boast, curse, fight and commit violent self-destructive acts.

The accessibility of drugs, and guns, and the influence of misogynist, violent-laced rap songs also reinforce the deep feeling among many youth that life is cheap and easy to take, and there will be minimal consequences for their action as long as their victims are other young blacks. And as long as the attackers regard their victims as weak, vulnerable, and easy pickings they will continue to kill and maim with impunity.

The other powerful ingredient in the deadly mix of black-on-black violence is the gang and drug plague. The spread of the drug trade during the 1980s made black youth gangs even bigger and more dangerous. Drug trafficking not only provided illicit profits but also made gun play even more widespread. Gang members use their arsenals to fend off attacks, protect their profits from hostile predators, and to settle scores with rivals.

The Violence Policy Center in its report a year ago said that the answer is to get the guns off the streets. And while there are way too many guns on America's streets, the truth is that there are already tough gun laws on the books in most big cities and that hasn't done much to reduce the killings.

It's going to take a full throttle effort by elected officials and black parents, churches and organizations to push hard for more funding and initiatives for job and skills training, and recreation programs, drug counseling, family support and rites of passage programs. It means providing positive and wholesome mentoring and role models of success and self-esteem for at risk young blacks.

Obama has a role to play in the fight to reduce black homicides. But so do many others.

Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst whose radio show, "The Hutchinson Report," can be heard weekly on KTYM Radio and blogtalkradio.com.

E-mail

Comments 15

kenny
2009-01-05 13:08:11

The murder rate for young inner city blacks speaks volume to the feelings of self hatred many blacks continue to harbor. Obama can use the bully pulpit to speak to irresponsible blacks about learning to take risks to improve there lives instead of traveling the road of violence, drugs, and gang affiliation.

robjh1
2009-01-05 13:08:13

It is the responsibility of the parent(s) and community to stop the surge. You can also through Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton the lawsuit chasers. Accountable must be demanded!

MidwestGuy
2009-01-05 13:24:31

Kenny, Obama is not the president of black america so he shouldn't be using his pulpit to speak about the issues that befall us. That is unless he's going to speak to the issues of ALL americans.

Rob, include yourself in the community you speak of. It is also YOUR responsibility.

Anon
2009-01-05 14:09:06

I agree with the author�s point about society sending the message that some victim�s lives are more valuable than other�s. I believe that this practice should end, and the only equitable way to do that is to punish the evil of premeditated murder with the exact same sentence regardless of the victim. If a state believes that the premeditated murder of some individuals, such as police officers or judges, should be punished by death, then the premeditated murder of any individual should be punished by death. Conversely, if a state believes that the murder of some individual should only be punished by a prison term, then the murder of a police officer or a judge should only be punishable by the same prison term. Society should send the message that premeditated murder is totally reprehensible and unacceptable whether the victim is a homeless man or a mother of 3.

Kenny
2009-01-05 14:40:48

MidwestGuy Obama is the president of (black) america. Black people are Americans and any problem that plague black americans affects all of America. Obama has a moral responsibility to speak to the crime, violence and the other problems that plague (black) America.

robjh1
2009-01-05 15:45:50

MidwestGuy, but of course I include my self. Why wouldn't I. It takes a village to get matters like this done. I have been speaking out on the topic for quite sometime. Standing idling by and pointing fingers will get us nowhere. One must identify the problem, admit the problem and then act!

Rowan
2009-01-05 18:30:00

@ Kenny "Obama has a moral responsibility to speak to the crime, violence and the other problems that plague (black) America." Why? Like ALL the white presidents from the past had a responsibility towards white america? Oh. Okay. That would make sense for past cultural behaviours.

Ty
2009-01-05 19:24:30

And nor should he be, in my area which has few blacks, the murder rate is among young Hispanic men is out of control, and, its going to take parents to stop this wave of killing, the government is going to and could care less, no matter who is parked up at 1600 Penn Ave.

blkbandit
2009-01-05 21:00:12

articles like these tend to bother me cause of two reasons 1) there is plenty research that shows whites commit more crimes then blacks but blacks are punished where whites are treated. 2) blacks never reflect on their own issues and are quick to blame racism. overall negroes need to shape up and take control of their situation.

Ostend Street
2009-01-05 23:25:08

I agree with others who said that President Elect Barack Obama will not be the President of Black America. We voted him into office to be President of America. Blacks need to take a serious look at themselves as a group and work within that group and with others to stop the wave of crimes that occur in the black community. In Baltimore, Blacks will not call law enforcement when they see criminals breaking into others homes. The just watch and stay out of it. That's not how you solve problems. You work together.

Thirdpower
2009-01-05 23:29:54

In Chicago, the 'Reverend' Jackson has repeatedly called for bans on firearms for the state even though Chicago has some of the strictest laws in the nation and 5x the murder rate of the rest of Illinois. I would like to say to the good 'reverend' and others like him: "Sure, I'll support more gun laws for you, as soon as you and the members of your congregation write the names of every family member and neighbor that belongs to a gang and has a gun hidden on this sheet of paper. Let me know when you're done and we'll hold a joint press conference to name names and start to really bring the cycle of violence to an end."

Cecil Jones
2009-01-06 06:46:19

Black on Black crime is usually a crime of opportunity. Most are drug related but they occur where there is limited police activity and reduced centers of hope. Why are Blacks living where there are fewer police and no hope? Address the opportunity factor and the murder rate should drastically reduce. Obama isn't responsible for policing the streets, but he can raise the level of hope.

Ostend Street
2009-01-06 12:21:35

Cecil Jones I live in an upper middele class Black Neighborhood that houses a former Mayor, a City Council President, a host of lawyers, high ranking Police Officers, Teachers and by now you get the point and we are having a rash of black on black crimes. These criminals are coming into black neighborhoods and causing havoc. People in this area are not hopeless so you cannot make a blanket statement about all of us. Somewhere, it is written that we shall hate each other (black folk) regardless of our stations in life. Note: Remember the problems the President Elect had with black republicans, black leaders in the beginning, and other black politicians. This hate runs long and deep with our people. It surpasses the crab mentality.

Leonardo daVinci E.
2009-01-06 17:30:11

1.When people come out of prison they receive cruel and unusual punishment by not being allowed to easily secure a job. 2.We have a revolving door to prison but how about society supporting a revolving door to education...some societies in the world support free education through college. 3.Why not stop restricting the talent of people who need to specialize in one ability by controling education so that they must also take courses which have nothing to do with what they intend to specialize in...free more people to be successful.Give people these options so they can redirect their energies.4.Personally I don't allow myself to associate with anyone who I have determined will use free speech irresponsibly or who (in the things they say)reveal they might at any time take unfair advantage of someone or unfairly force themselves on someone in one way or another...they lose my support and the support of my friends and so they gain no power to cause further harm in the community......And I have been known to SNITCH....S.N.I.T.C.H.:Single handed,non-negotiable,initiative,to,chastise,hatemakers-halfdoers-and hoodlems.S.N.I.T.C.H.

Kimba R
2009-01-12 14:34:15

Yeah,Yeah,Yeah...blame it on Whitey ! It's the result of a devaluation by white society! NONSENSE!!!! Why is the propensity for violence so great in Black Africa? Look at Darfur,Somalia,Zimbabwe...Those folks are doing some serious black on black killing and you can't blame whitey there! Truth is...Blacks ARE savages.The ARE lower on the Evolutionary scale than other races and they should be segregated. Our forefathers were right to keep blacks seperate and the civil rights movement of the '60's upset the balance through white guilt and idealism.Blacks here need to police themselves and evolve socially in all aspects of their exsistance or face EXTINCTION!!!

Notice: COMMENTS DO NOT APPEAR IMMEDIATELY
To see your comment, wait approximately two minutes, then simply refresh the page.
Report issues/abuses to suggestions@thedailyvoice.com

Leave a comment

Today's news

NEWS UPDATES

More News Headlines

RECENT NEWS

MAY CALENDAR

May 7: Monthly unemployment numbers released

Name
Email Address
URL