Crime

Unfortunately, the conversation I mentioned earlier with the friend who just doesn't get it about black people continued. He made a comment regarding 'all the black on black crime in Oakland, Ca.' Of course the normal response to that comment is, "How many times have you been to Oakland?"

Well, he has never been to Oakland. I, on the other hand, lived there from the time I was in 4th grade until I was about 19. I think I have a bit more authority to speak on any kind of crime in the city of Oakland, Ca.
While living in that city, our home was not burglarized once. I never saw a drive-by shooting. I never witnessed any strong-arm robberies. I never saw any kinds of crimes, except maybe shoplifting. That is not to say that Oakland is the safest place on Earth. There is crime there.

Unfortunately, I lost friends while living there also. My friend in high school was murdered in her home. I believe I was in the 11th grade. Another family friend was murdered also, her body left beaten so badly that they had to identify her with dental records. Both were horrible crimes that took the lives of women who could have contributed a lot to society.

So there is crime in Oakland, just like any large city. When I think about what this friend said...black on black crime...I wondered if it really mattered to him if the killers of my friends were black or not. My high school friend was a white girl whose house sat independently in an area with no neighbors, one side was a vacant lot, the other, quite a distance away, was a little shop. I'm sure my friend screamed as this person stabbed her but there was no one to hear. The other friend was attacked by a man I believe she knew. The details of each crime are murky after so many years but I would have said then and still say now that I don't care what the race of the murderers were.

I hate the phrase 'black on black' crime because it implies that black people are more likely to commit crimes on people of their own race. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, criminals and crimes tend to follow similar patterns as far as race is concerned. In other words, whites attack whites and blacks attack blacks. Black on black crime is a catch phrase with terrible implications for the black race but it ignores the tremendous numbers of same-race crimes committed by others. I think that phrase never needs to be used again. When whites kill whites no one shouts about white on white crime. I have never heard that phrase being used to describe whites who commit criminal acts.

So, the latest in this conversation chapter is this friend is angry with me to the point that he is lashing out without provocation. If the truth ends our friendship, so be it. I would rather lose a friend an keep my dignity than silently listen to him spouting bigoted statements regarding black people.