Cable news has long been the theater of the absurd. It's has been a bastion of apologists, provocateurs, and sensationalists. It has also been a fountain of misinformation and many of the major networks have had no issues distorting instead of reporting. Television personalities pretending to be journalists spend a good portion of these 24 hour news cycles bloviating, pontificating, and trying to reinforce a particular viewpoint. Which is why I rarely watch. But every now and then we get comments from brothers like CNN's Don Lemon. Comments that are not only ignorant, but in large part very dangerous.
Recently Bill O'Reilly of Fox News made some very stereotypical(not to mention ignorant and disrespectful) comments about young black men. Now of course this is to be expected from Bill O'Reilly and Fox News. There are no real surprises here. What took me back a bit was the comments from CNN anchor Don Lemon. Lemon actually cosigned O'Reilly's comments and even said that O'Reilly didn't go far enough. I'm not sure how far Lemon thought O'Reilly should go. Maybe O'Reilly should've thrown in a few slurs to really drive the point home. I don't know. What I do know is that by cosigning O'Reilly's comments Don Lemon made life for young black men that much harder. By cosigning O'Reilly's stereotypical rant, Lemon made life for young black men more difficult and even dangerous. His comments were careless, thoughtless, and ignorant and it is our sons who will be forced to deal with the social atmosphere these comments create. You can listen to his nonsense here:
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/07/27/cnn-anchor-don-lemon-bill-oreilly-didnt-go-far-enough-in-criticizing-african-americans/
Now I know what some of you are thinking. "Doc Sinn you are exaggerating. You are in angry black man mode again". Some of you may even agree with Lemon. The problem is that when Don Lemon, a fairly young black man himself, reinforces negative images regarding black males every young black man in America must deal with the after affects. You see Don Lemon can sit in the CNN newsroom, run his mouth, and then retreat to his "predominately white community" he is so proud of living in. Meanwhile, young black men in inner cities all across America have to live with the image he is allowing racists to thrust upon them. An image he is helping racists to thrust upon them. Here is a news flash for Lemon. Not all young black men are gangsters and thugs. Not all young black men are drug dealers and killers. Yet ALL young black men have to live with the stereotype.
So maybe you agree but you are thinking "Doc Sinn, Lemon has a right to his opinion. He isn't truly hurting anyone. He is just saying what he feels". You could not be more wrong. When Don Lemon goes on live television and starts reinforcing the notion that young black men are predisposed to crime, he sanctions men like George Zimmerman. Men who see young black men as suspects. As criminals. As thugs. America's fixation with the image of young black thugs is what cost Trayvon Martin his life. Trayvon Martin was an unarmed teenager walking home from the store when he was profiled, stalked, and shot dead. His killer, George Zimmerman, claimed self defense and Zimmerman's criminal defense team asserted that Martin was some "black thug" who was looking for trouble. Even though Martin had no criminal record and his worst offense was a suspension from school for recreational marijuana use, the thug image was an easy sell and George Zimmerman walked out of a courtroom a free man. There was little empathy for Martin outside of the black community and many people even hailed Zimmerman as a hero.
You see that is the real danger behind Lemon's comments. It reinforces the notion that the average black man is a dangerous criminal. It suggests to the world that young black men are criminal savages, unworthy of respect, empathy, or equal protection under the law. It's why a young black kid can get killed walking home from the store with a hoodie on. It's why a 14 year old boy can get tackled and choked out by police for making "dehumanizing stares". It's why despite the fact that there are more black men in college than in prison, black men continue to be hated and feared. It's why black men are 30% more likely to go to jail for the same crime as whites(which btw makes Lemon's assertion that black men commit more crimes ridiculous). The problem is also exacerbated by the fact that Lemon himself is a black man and by co-signing O'Reilly he really helps to drive these dangerous stereotypes home in the minds of others.
Don Lemon is a sellout in my opinion. A comfortable negro. Some of you may disagree. But it is hard to dispute the fact that irresponsible comments like the ones he made in the video make life harder and more challenging for every single young black man growing up in inner cities all across America. He makes life that much harder for young black men who are just trying to make it. Young black men who are not only trying to overcome the crime, apathy, and violence that exists where they live but the image that they are all nothing more than lowlife criminals.
I doubt Don Lemon ever reads these words. But on the off, off chance he might my message to him is pretty simple. Shut the fuck up. Please. You aren't helping. You are making it worse. If you want to help stop reinforcing stereotypes, bring your ass to the inner city and speak to these young brothers. Let them know that you have their backs. Let them know they can make it. If you aren't willing to do that then be quiet. Don't offer negative criticism and stereotypes that do nothing but make life that much more difficult for them. We don't need that shit from you.
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