Hating Sharpton

I've been feeling this for a while now. It reared it's head during the last presidential election and since the Imus situation and the acquital of the Duke Lacrosse players it has shown up again: Sharpton Hating (tm).

What is Sharpton Hating? it' pretty clear. People hate Sharpton (and Jesse Jackson) because they show up when black people are insulted, threatened, etc. Sharpton takes the risk of being wrong by speaking out. Whereas you and I, work for someone else and have to put up with various insults and the like, Sharpton (and Jesse) don't work for anyone and are free to call spades, spades. In other words, they make their living, by and large by being there when racist stuff happens.

The Sharpton Haters feel that since Sharpton makes his living in such a manner that he the the reason racism is alive and well in America. By their logic, the reason racism exists in America today is because Sharpton and Jesse create it in order to make their living. Good one right? Now I'm not dumb enough to think that there aren't people who are so pathological as to want to make up slights for their own benefit. It happens. But I'm not feelin' that about Sharpton at all.

It bothers me that someone who made his living running up and down a wooden court and is on record making seriously derogatory remarks about black women, would even be considered a credible critic of someone who has been standing up for black people. it bothers me that sports writers, who make their living writing about people who make their living entertaining people by throwing, dribbling and hitting balls, feel they have something credible to say on what Sharpton is or is not doing. It especially bothers me because should any one of these types of people were to get shot at, or discriminated against, Sharpton would be the first person there to back them up.

It really is the case of most of these Sharpton Haters, that they are mad because relatively speaking, Sharpton is a free man. By a free man, I mean he can say what is on his mind about the state of America, without much fear of reprisal. He doesn't have to call anyone
"nappy headed hos" or hire people to make "race jokes". He doesn't have to trade on stereotypes or anything like that. Say what you want about Sharpton. Say anything you like, but the one thing that cannot be said is that he's a liar (We can debate the merits of the Tawana Brawley thing elsewhere). I have never seen Sharpton, in a debate where he has been caught lying.

The other component to this Sharpton Hating, is that many of those who are hating on Sharpton are doing so based on the reports by the same people that he exposes. How often is it that I hear black commentators talking about how Sharpton is a hypocrite for not going after MC's for using profane language. Anyone who has followed Sharpton knows full well he has been speaking out about such language, yet the same commentators are nowhere near the events where these things happens. There is no news in Sharpton talking about those things.

Certain black commentators have also tried to say that Sharpton has not addressed black on black crime. This is another completely false critique. I expect these kinds of critiques from white people. But the growing number of black talking heads and writing hands, have engaged in the Sharpton Hating. I can only surmise that these ill-informed people are acting, as usual, at the behest of some white "cheque writer" somewhere up the food chain. After all, as pointed out in the sound track below. Denigrating other black people will surely get you paid. Apparently there is a market for toms too.

Apparently to these Sharpton Haters, Red lining, mass unemployment of black men in places like NYC, predatory lending and corporate control and prostitution of Hip Hop is all the work of Sharpton. Yes, Sharpton is to blame for the Duke Lacross players waving brooms at strippers. Sharpton is responsible for the marginalization of conscious Hip Hop (which is not always clean Hip Hop). Yes, Sharpton is responsible for police misconduct and the drug dealers on your corner. Sharpton is why there's so many murders in Newark. Heck, while we're at it, why not blame the whole Iraq war on Sharpton.

So when you start seeing the Sharpton Haters running off at the mouth, or keyboard, recall who they work for, worked for or where their larger interests lay. Doesn't mean Sharpton is above critique, but the blatant hating directed his way: Suspect as hell.

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