(ThyBlackMan.com) In the early 1950s, E. Colin Cherry, with his work on audition and auditory stimuli operationalized the term “selective attention.” It was meant to describe processes humans employed while engaging in situations that required what he called ‘statistical filtering.’ Specifically how we as humans attend to certain stimuli for processing auditory information while ignoring other stimuli. He called this the ‘cocktail party’ effect – how a person can enter a gym and only hear, attend, or pay attention to the party they are speaking with and disregard the speech of all others around them. There seems to be a similar phenomenon involved when some select to discuss violence in America today.
Apparently in the U.S., there is a problem with gun violence, not violence or violent behavior but more exacting, the instrument used in violent acts, especially the gun. Calling it “gun violence” is like blaming cars for accidents. It’s never going to get resolved until it is acknowledged the issue that has become an epidemic is rooted singularly in individual agencies affiliated with violent behavior.
There is no doubt that there is a large bevy of collective interests that have decided to target the tool of ease for harming others. The problem is that all remedies focus on the law-abiding over the criminal.
It is easy to say that guns are a problem for folk who have no true understanding of firearms. Targeting the behavior would foster agency on the individual and that to them is just plain not acceptable. So what if in Brooklyn a man was just charged with murder for the stabbing death of his mother or that police had to shoot and kill a man after he allegedly stabbed four family members to death in Queens this past Sunday morning, and slashed two NYPD officers. What is known is that it will not be described as ‘knife violence.’
The fact simply is that guns or knives or access to them are not the problem but rather the behavior of the individual. If they were then we would have all with access to both killing people left and right. Violence is a learned behavior that represents an unhealthy way to deal with conflict. Thus, violent behavior is any behavior by an individual that threatens harms, or injures the individual or others or results in the destruction of property.
Solutions proposed presently serve as a band-aid in the black and urban communities when it is spoken on by liberal progressives. They speak as if it is important to them yet at the same time proclaim that white supremacy and racism are the main conduits of death in black urban communities.
I will attempt to explain because I am in particular directing this to black folk. It’s not guns but the culture and parenting that’s the problem. Memo to Black Americans: Let’s stop expressing evil towards each other and falling for the endless cycles of self-destruction. I frequently ask why we hate our people so much. This is an epidemic. It’s sad and there appears to be a concerted effort to put people like this in front of our children. They want to make sure our kids are worshipping these demons. The main path is through music.
Now I am not saying the music or the devil make folk act as they do, but that if compassion and interest were sincere, none of this behavior would be promulgated. Blaming everyone except the perpetrators is a symptom of a failed society. I have some sympathy for these kids and their parents, but raise your children with respect for themselves and others and they won’t be out robbing people or running around the streets committing crimes. The only thing that’s tragic in this case is that the parents of these teens failed their kids by allowing them to run around committing crimes. Parents need to be charged with the same crimes their children commit, for not teaching them better.
They don’t understand – you put this energy out in the ether and it comes right back. RIP to this generation as they encourage Satan to snap his fingers to this crap. This is demonic energy. This isn’t music.
Moreover, news outlets should stop blaming “gun violence” and start calling out the actual problem that a sizable corpus of black young male teenage criminals is out of control! I would be lying if I did not admit this image of us being portrayed is suspect. They are a small yet problematic segment of the American experience. We have plenty more better stuff to be doing with ourselves collectively.
As someone born and raised in Memphis, I apologize for what presupposed artistic music culture has done to our nation. Savages, goons, gorillas, and other demons in our midst have pushed us to the limits for when you don’t imprison criminals, you get vigilantes.
There is no such thing as gun violence, some people are violent and use a gun but the gun is not inherently violent on its own. Spewing the word gun violence is just a talking point made to make you think that the gun is the problem, instead of the person behind the gun where the true problems exist. Taking the gun out of the equation will not change the issue of lawlessness and the lack of individual personal responsibility in this country – specifically from young black men.
I can say this because I was once a young black man and I honestly believe that regardless of race all descent human beings should be able to state the same. I am telling no lies. Sorry for my language but those who avoid this truism are just bich azz mutha fucas who lack the intestinal fortitude to speak to the reality we see and experience.
I read an African proverb that said “When a child is unloved, he will burn down the entire village to feel its warmth.” These streets are real and unfortunately, these cats are living life as if they have more than one life.
My God, please save this generation. These rappers and the folk that listen to their music nowadays wear death every day like it is retro chic. Sadly, one can tell they mean what they are rapping. They are out here like this and it is honestly crazy to think about. We need to stop this energy from being so popular in music with us because it is disturbing at this point.
Maybe if black schools taught American and black history these young men would know who the real OPPS are. And no it is not white folk but rather the failure to chase one’s dreams. But for the liberal music executive, rap is a medium to reinforce self-hate. Everyone wants to be a demon. That is until they meet the real entity.
The devil has this generation in a demonic chokehold in the booth, but when in the precinct they prove soft as wet toilet paper. Truth be told, I am glad people are waking up and speaking up…we are tired of hearing about killing.
The industry is really pushing self-destruction. They are pushing the locution of heartless demons. It has become a competition of who can be most disrespectful.
When I was young there were certainly things even the grimest, most ruthless killers and gangstas never messed with. God was one of them and church was the other. God is the last one you want to be playing with. In all sincerity, I’m going to bow my head to pray for this present generation of young brothers.
Progressives will speak out on gun violence but never say a word about gang violence. Listening to rap like this every day is the equivalent of eating super greasy food every day. How many more of these types of rappers do we need because all they spit is pure negativity? This is the devil’s work. If they talked about protecting their community with the same violence they would ban it.
I keep waiting for The NAACP to issue a “travel advisory” for Chicago, Baltimore, Memphis, and DC, the way they did for Florida, declaring it ” openly hostile to black Americans”.
Murder? Gun violence? Always trying to blame someone else. Until the black community grows a pair and steps up this will continue! Period! It’s not gun violence if the gun is protecting someone against an attack or robbery. When you try to carjack a person, you are not murdered and cannot be murdered if killed in the commission of a crime.
Ever since the BLM riots, the message has been that if you want something, just take it. And then call it reparations. This is the message young kids are learning. The only thing that’s tragic in this case is that the parents of these teens failed their kids by allowing them to run around committing crimes. Parents need to be charged with the same crimes their children commit, for not teaching them better.
These kids have had opportunities to better themselves but they don’t want it! They would rather run the streets and commit crimes. This is a huge parenting issue.
So when you hear cats in Charlottesville calling for the death of Jews and folk speaking out yet stay silent when they call for the death of Jews at restaurants in Philly you have a problem. Yes, it is not the gun it is selective hypocrisy. It is on us, all men not just black men, like Paul Tillich wrote “We have to build a better man before we can build a better society.”
Staff Writer; Torrance T. Stephens
Can also purchase any of his books over at; Amazon – TTS Books.