Also brotha Temple glad you mention my girl sista soulja (also willie horton).

Man I tell blk folks all the time that I couldn’t stand that slick pimp Clinton because of how he threw Ms. Lisa Williamson under the bus.

1) Race-ism is a collective phenomenon. It is a power play between groups which imposes limitations on all individuals. That doesn’t mean we aren’t transcendant over it every day — I’m just saying that’s what this “-ism” seeks to do/tries to do. It doesn’t always win.

The outcome of this one tiny facet of “race-ism” suggests that ALL Negative Behavior by an INDIVIDUAL black person reflects negatively on the ENTIRE group. Is this true? Of course not. But, this notion has penetrated our psyches — collectively. Not every one of us care about Bonds or Vick.

But there is another fact.

Race-ism is a collective dynamic…and it’s a power play. It is a pitched contest over identity, land, wealth, resources and its still being fought — as you know. So — why is it important for the media to put a spotlight on Black athletes transgressions, rather than ALL athletes transgressions? I know the answer to the question and I’m sure you do. The question for Mizzo and I and others is — “What is an appropriate action?”

I think that on a certain level, this is a game and it is a form of psychological warfare. There are firms who traffic in powerful images intended to criminalize EACH ONE OF US. It is important that we recognize this because it is a high stakes game.

Exhibit A: George Bush (Pappy) won the White House through the use of a Willie Horton image. He pandered to a deep-seated notion. He laid the foundation for his son to return to the White House. (12 years of Republican rule — 2 Iraq Wars — 1 Black convict.)

Exhibit B: Bill Clinton used the rhetoric of Lisa Williamson to catapult himself into a Presidential race by proclaiming his allegiance to his peoples. Long before he blew the saxophone on Arsenio Hall’s show; long before he turned his back on Rwanda; long before he authored the Presidential Directive that will have the DOD all over Africa — he went out of his way to harp on the comments of little-known Sistah Souljah. The rest was history. Negroes asleep at the wheel were seduced by his drawl and his “Yes, yes, y’all” while folks were getting slaughtered.

Exhibit C: MLB encouraged and allowed the national media FOR YEARS to act as if Barry Bonds was the only player of any note who used steroids. Giambi and Sheffield copped to some light stuff — but Bonds was allegedly the only guy who was deep in the mix. Nothing from MLB about a deep-seated systemic problem that affects every team; nothing about Roger Clemens; nothing about A-Rod. And while all of this was going on, MLB grew from a teetering $1.2B business to a robust $6B business that has the power to move little Black and Brown children OUT OF PLAYGROUNDS so that they built NEW STADIUMS.

Exhibit D: You know I could on and on and on and on. I won’t.

The bottom line is that at the very least, the BUSINESS OF DEMONIZING black men through the actions of individuals is BIG BUSINESS. It’s a multi-billion dollar business.

It is going to drive the US’ military build up in East Africa.

It has already driven the construction of prisons across this nation for non-violent offenders to serve excessive terms under cruel conditions.

It has already allowed state and local police departments to augment their budgets — sometimes by as much as 500% for the purchase of all the latest Nigger-killin’ equipment. The latest guns, the hottest rides…they’ve got it all — and they’re dealing with teenagers on street corners.

It has already put $5B in MLB owner’s pockets.

It has already put 3 different criminals in the White House.

It has done much more than time permits.

The defense of Bonds and Vick is not an exercise that is undertaken lightly. It is born of a recognition that the RIGHT BRAIN is susceptible to powerful images. Perp walks and police handcuffs are prominent for a reason. The power of collective castigation and demonization is as real today as it was in 1619. The images are more ubiquitous and more sinister. And yet, when a man like Chris Benoit can take as many lives as he has without generating a media frenzy or stimulating the economy to watch the next lynch cycle, we know the depth of the problem.

Michael Tillery is simply demonstrating the force of his mental health. He is doing much more than defending Bonds or Vick or black athletes. He is defending you and me and my son. He is defending all of us.

Get in the game brother. Take some Tylenol and get in the game. I love how you write. Say it loud…be Fudge, be Proud.

The legend cannot become fact.

Your last statement describes why I’m so passionate when defending the Black athlete collective. Why does the monolith shine dark? Absurd. Just want equal treatment from my peers and their editors…nothing more.

Just finished hearing your Barry Bonds defense (gotta wait for the video to stream all the way before I hear the one about Vick). I have a question – don’t you, at some point, get tired of always defending black athletes, if for no other reason than they always need defending? I felt bad listening to you plead your case again and again to someone who, although he might have had good intentions, simply didn’t get it. I remember telling a white guy on this post, “Racism gives black folks a headache. We’d much rather be human than be defined by race.”