I think there have been random incidences (mostly in the South) forever, but this stuff in the North sounds "new" to me. I'll even entertain that perhaps this problem was an undercurrent in those cities and town's. I'll even go so far as to say that maybe it hit a... boiling point because of the shitty economy overall.
However, one cannot deny that Obama, Sharpton, and the Media are falling over themselves to make pretty much every incident into a racial issue, one cannot deny that the "leaders" across the board of African American relations are fanning the flames trying to twist shit into their agenda. Normally that's "typical" in political arenas, but there is a different dynamic with African American's than there has been with other "agenda" matters in this country; more destruction and hate than should be tolerated and encouraged - regardless of if the issue exists or not. That is where you lose a bit of faith from the majority of the country, sorry.
African American leaders should be encouraging peaceful demonstrations, they should be acknowledging at least on /some/ level what /HAS/ been done to try to fix shit - but they choose not to, they choose instead to claim that /nothing/ is being done, which is a lie and everyone knows it. When one has to lie to make an argument, the worth of their argument plummets. That is the way it goes, the way it has /always/ gone.
And the worst part, the worst part, is that when reasonable people attempt to assess if it is an issue that needs to be addressed or merely a perception gone wrong, our attempts to discuss the matter are shut down immediately by proclamations of racism. I am called a racist constantly because I refuse to personally apologize and make personal reparations for slavery that occurred long before I was born, because I refuse to excuse crime, rioting, looting, burning, and what equates to gang culture in my mind, simply because slavery existed.
Unfortunately, that appears to be what these modern black leaders want, regardless of evidence, regardless of other factors. It seems to me that those who lead and stand up for the African American community /want/ it to be a racism issue, they don't care to look at any other factors because their minds are made up that it is racism and nothing will change their mind.
When you reach that level of disconnect, that stage of refusal to look at anything but /one/ factor, then there is quite simply no point to discussing anything really. This tactic only drives us reasonable people to feel that the great experiment has failed and that racial coexistence with African American's is never going to be completely peaceful... Which in the long run merely continues the circle of racism in the undereducated on /both/ sides...
On a more personal note, I actually find it somewhat insulting that "I" am asked to apologize for anything, that I should "make up for"
anything to do with slavery. NONE of my ancestors were in this country when that shit happened. My ancestors were fleeing their own demons, and their home countries "racism" - The German Occupation of Norway in 1941, and Germany itself in 1944. I will /never/ apologize for slavery in America, ever.
I also doubt I am the only one who feels that way... The population of the USA in 1860 was around 31million, 3million of whom were slaves. Current population of the united states 314million. Take a guess at how many people African American leaders
falsely attempt to "hold accountable" for slavery today.
