Some days the shame and disappointment
strangles words ready
to erupt and disrupt all sensibility.
I am without tranquility.
In the Sixties racial stereotypes
hung heavy from the tree
of white supremacy.
The weight of reality
hung heavy on the children of Africa,
torn from loving arms and proud history.
The little ones feared my touch
on nappy-haired heads
I clasped with love until they trusted
my joy in the texture of their lives.
“I am Black and I am proud!”,
I taught them to say.
And teaching hope along the way
offered the chance to redraw destinies
and reclaim equal possibilities.
These children reclaimed rights,
led the good fight,
worked hard for their rights
and mine.
Yours, too, women and LGBTQ.
But, white backlash has been fierce
at every step of the way.
And when it seemed victory grew near
hatred and stereotypes born in fear
and insecure ego led by id unleashed
terror, once held in check
but never defeated;
allowed to fester and grow more intense.
Where did hope go?
To video recordings on cell phones
disclosing what had been hidden from sight
that white supremacy maintained tight
control of its wealth and power with stealth.
Police treating white children with dignity
As they attacked a Black children with immunity.
The mall was crowded. People filmed it all.
It went viral.
And still, there are those who see justice
instead of racism.
Who argue they acted according to normal protocol
instead of racial stereotypes.
Sixty years from the sixties
and I still rejoice in the phrase
“ I am Black and I am proud!”.
Sixty years from the sixties
and I still feel shame and disappointment
in my whiteness, and that of my country
Justice and Mercy,by Louise Annarino,March 20,2013
Justice and Mercy, By Louise Annarino,March 20,2013
Two words seem to define the response to the rape of a teen-age girl by teen-age boys in Steubenville,Ohio: fear and loathing. I am aware of the crime itself and the ancillary threats,denials,cover-ups,and diverse opinions expressed by the public and news media.I heard the apologies of those convicted and the statement made by the victim’s mother. The hate expressed against the rape victim and her defenders, and that expressed against the perpetrators and their defenders leave me saddened and dismayed. Having experienced sexual assault as a young woman, and lived with nightmares and flashbacks since, my heart bleeds for the victim in this case and for all women. We women face objectification and sexism daily. However,I suggest we put aside our fear and loathing and reflect upon two other words: justice and mercy.
Blindfolded Lady Law holds a set of scales,but not merely to weigh evidence. Those two plates on the scale also represent justice and mercy. When judges apply the law they must provide justice for all parties, and mercy for all parties.
As a prison social worker I worked with inmates who had committed truly heinous crimes,and some less appalling. By serving a sentence of incarceration justice was served. By participating in rehabilitation,mercy was applied. As a social worker,I sought to balance the two, as Lady Justice personifies. When I later became an attorney, I continued to seek justice and mercy for my clients. Only when justice is balanced with mercy do we create peace,for each victim, for each perpetrator, and for our entire community.
It is impossible to overestimate the value of balance. After any sports injury, surgery or illness; when planting a garden or teaching new ideas; while painting a picture or building a fence, the first thing one does is find and then maintain balance. Whether working to create a just society, a rehabilitation program,or a federal budget we must strive for balance. Justice and mercy. Both are essential.
All boys and young men,all girls and young women are in desperate need of our protection and guidance. We cannot expect a child born in poverty, or awash in the acid drip of discrimination,or subject to the benign neglect of overworked parents to stand strong against the sexually derogatory messages in their dress-language-social media-music-movies-television-gaming. We think because boys and girls talk,dress and act out adult behavior that they are mature. They are still children. They make stupid and harmful decisions. This fact is more readily acknowledged for boys who are white, athletes or scholars than boys who are sagging and hanging on a corner. Too often our latent racism blinds our reality. Boys carrying guns in gangs are still boys. Girls exploring their sexuality are still girls. How can we expect our children to show self-respect when we adults show them so little respect?
Decisions made by boys and girls have consequences; often,adult consequences. Facing the consequences of one’s actions is just. Caring for those facing consequences they never imagined in their young minds and hearts is merciful. Mercy does not condone sexually objectifying girls and women; but, it may provide a means to address the problem. Let us respect our children by paying attention to their needs, and being willing to pay the cost. How can we expect our children to deny their self-gratification when we are unwilling to sacrifice our own?
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Tagged as athletes, children, courts, discrimination, justice, juvenile court, law, mercy, racism, rehabilitaion, sexual assault, sexuality, social work, Steubenville rapes, teenagers