The current Baltimore riots are counterproductive
but grabbed our attention for three reasons—1) the continued harm to black
prisoners, 2) the threat of anarchy that riots can hold and 3) the inability of
"safe" black people including the USA President to corral the anger in black
communitites except for the actions of one black mother who publicly took
control of her son.
On April 27, 2015 during the Baltimore riots, one
Ms. Tonya Graham sensed her son Michael would be in the ensuing melee, went to
the crowd where she identified her son, publically extracted him from the
hopeless mentality of many gathered and whopped him upside the head and upper
body. When I saw her I wanted to shout it is about time that black parents
took back control of their children from the streets and from government
agencies feeding us a lot of nonsense about the rights of kids with a need for
their free expression and self-governance instead of requiring parents to be
responsible for and raise their own children.
There is no fine line between child abuse and
discipline for all of us who have been spanked, whipped or physically
disciplined know it is coming, what we did and either not to get caught or not
to commit the offensive act again. Some do permanently hurt the child and that
is abuse. But knocking some sense in their heads while knopcking the fool out
of them is not what was the issue. Laws leaning in favor of the child and
against the parents right to discipline their children go against biblical
teachings of spare the rod, spoil the child. The therapy which may help is
beyond the pocketbook of most when what is needed is first to deal with the
behavior.
Watching Ms. Graham follow the Gap Bands dicate
from the 1979 song, “Oops Upside Your Head” struck close to home. The HipHop
generation parents quickly are appreciating that time outs, going to ones room
and much of this new age feel good malarkey doesn’t work for childhood
recalcitrant behavior.
My oldest son occasionally has me in stitches
talking about the time I beat his behind in the hallway of his school for I had
been called away from my job one too many times to deal with his foolishness. I
admonished the school to call social services if they liked, but if they came
they’d better be prepared to take him with them for as long as he stayed with
me, he must follow my rules if he lived in my house. His Star of David tattoo
wasn’t because we were Jewish but because he was undergoing ‘Gangsta Disciples’
initiation of which I was having none of it. I was trying to spare my son's
life as was Ms. Graham against forces not all see and which many aren’t often
realistically confronting.
Bill Hannity’s negative comments about this
mother’s six children by different men vividly points out the conservative
disconnect with the fabric of people’s lives and our willingness to label
children so born as illegitimate or not worthy of our consideration in the
larger scheme of things. All G-d’s children are legitimate and worthy of our
support.
When Ms. Graham told her son to look her in the eye
I was proud of her for making him stand up to her like a man and face the
music. She is a mother on the right path with her son and we need to help find
ways to be supportive of her efforts. Her son didn't strike back but was
respectful of her and that too was impressive.
Education will be the key to unlocking the doors of
opportunity for our youth. Our Historically Black Colleges and Universities
have been vital to such efforts and need our support as we try to inculcate our
kids with the right values of the larger society. These institutions know what
to do with young black males if we can keep their doors open and get them
admitted.
DR.
ADA M. FISHER IS A PHYSICIAN, A FORMER MEDICAL DIRECTOR IN A FORTUNE 500
COMPANY, PREVIOUS MEMBER OF A COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION, LICENSED SECONDARY
EDUCATION TEACHER, AUTHOR, POET, GIFTED PUBLIC SPEAKER AND IS THE NC REPUBLICAN
NATIONAL COMMITTEEWOMAN. HER BOOK COMMON SENSE CONSERVATIVE
PRESCRIPTIONS SOLUTIONS GOOD FOR WHAT AILS US, BOOK I IS AVAILABLE THROUGH AMAZON.COM
CONTACT HER AT P. O. BOX 777; SALISBURY, NC 28145;
DRFISHER@DRADAMFISHER.ORG.
