"wells, obviously..."

okay now i heard about this story a few weeks ago, but i did not know it would get this much attention. also, i dont really know what my opinion is about it. this is the original story:



now, i agree: it is best to raise awareness about a rapist in the neighborhood. still, was this the best way to go about it? well, i dont know. clearly, kelly and antoine were upset and feeling victimized. clearly, the attempted rape warranted the vengeful emotions so evident in this video. so were antoine's words, volume, and demeanor so wrong--or "ghetto," "shameful," and "shedding a bad light on the black community" as so many people have observed? I don't know the answer to that either.
I mean what does it really mean to be ghetto? We have had conversations like this in AoR many times, considering the actual definition of ghetto (as a noun) and then how it is so loosely used in people's daily vocab (as a noun and adjective). these people live in the PJs, are brown, use ebonics, and appear extraordinary and outrageous when it comes to physical appearance. yes, because of institutionalized racism, they have been forced into this racially homogeneous area where plight is rampant. still, as bill cosby asserts on occasion--and a often overstates--this is not all "the system's" fault. to some extent, these people's choices do affect their situations, and they have no one to blame but themselves. AND, as it relates to the video, the dodsons are a part of the black community. in fact, they represent a large part of it, so displaying them in this situation is not constructive, but it is accurate. no, not all black people in america behave this way, but some do, as we have seen.
the problem comes when others (people who are ignorant about race relations in america, biggots, non blacks, and impressionable youngsters who do not have any other image of themselves in their social environment) actually take this footage to be reflective of black americans in general. unfortunately, the individuals listed above constitute the majority of americans, and thus most of the people watching this video. people who do not have to be reminded of their skin color and all the detrimental stereotypes that follow it on a regular basis do not have to care about racism. people who accept these stereotypes about themselves and perpetuate them dont do anything about racism. this brings me to the next video:



so now, the criminal environment that has been imposed upon and accepted by poor blacks in the PJs is being made a spectacle of by some of the very people that i listed above, who do not have to care about or act against racism. yes, this shit is fucking hilarious. i mean really, it is funny. but let us not forget that people were victimized here. dodson was burglarized and then almost raped in front of her child, so why has the focus shifted to the manner in which this crime was publicized? and with all of these videos, songs, ring tones, and fan pages, why hasnt there been a description of the perpetrator released? why, after almost a month, hasnt this guy been caught? did she kelly or antoine get a look at him? which way did he run down the street? were there any witnesses throughout the PJs? what happened to the goddamn criminal investigation?????

well, if this guy is not going to be caught, at least something else that is positive came of the video(I could not embed the next video, but here is a link to the interview with cbs):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=og5znBpNEh8

apparently, the dodsons will be moving into a new home, using the profits from the media coverage and the music track. also, antoine is a source of support for some "fans" who have been raped and victimized in other ways. yes, this apparent exploitation of the dodsons' terrible situation is quite evident and antoine's immediate reaction perpetuated some negative stereotypes about black americans. but think about it: if you had personally been a victim of rape, your sister was now almost raped, you tried to tell people and they ignored you, then you had the chance just hours after the incident to raise awareness about it, and you have grown up in a situation where perceived weakness can be dangerous, your interview would probably not have been much different. also, if a ringtone that showcases such an incident will produce the means to decreases the chances of it recurring, you might just play into the whole thing too.

still, where is the fucking burglar and attempted rapist????