The Backwards Thinking Continuum Of Rewarding Rapists In America and Abroad
Disgraced former heavyweight champion and convicted rapist, Mike Tyson was in South Africa to attend a fundraising charity dinner being held in his honor. Considering that South Africa has about 50,000 reported rape cases each year, an average of almost 150 per day, it is a profoundly strange and disturbing choice to have Mike Tyson as your honored guest at a charity dinner raising money for children. Not only is Mike Tyson a convicted rapist, he was notorious for using his fists to beat African American women.
Making matters worse, ANC leader Jacob Zuma had intended to attend the event in partnership with Tyson. Zuma was accused of rape himself a few years ago and was acquitted in a very controversial decison. Among the extremely bizarre circumstances of his rape case, Zuma would blame his accuser for wearing a skirt that made him think she was sexually available. Zuma who is currently facing corruption charges, bowed out of the scheduled fundraiser after several women's rights groups in South Africa heavily critisized his scheduled participation.
What is this practice of rewarding convicted rapists? In a nation where rape has been used as a military strategic objective against women, why would you bring Mike Tyson to speak about anything? His appearance is a slap in the face to not only African rape victims, but to African American rape victims as well. What were the organizers of this event truly thinking? What has Mike Tyson ever done in his entire career that ever benefited women and children of color? When he was riding high on the money and fame, he was an abuser of women and a god awful role model. Now that he has fallen on hard times, he is still somehow worthy of being honored?
Something is truly wrong here.
9 comments:
Can we honor people worthy of the honor at these things?! Goodness; don't people do background research on the people they give awards of distinction to anymore? After a while, the awards are going to be so tainted that they won't be awards of honor anymore!
I will never understand why we coddle the most vile of our community.
A friend of mine calls the coddling and defense of trash "poor folks' mentality." I don't think this mentality is particular to poor folks. I know ppl ranging in lower to middle incomes that love R. Kelly & think a)"He did nothing wrong and the girls shoulda knew better cuz they were grown" or b)"I don't care what he did, I'm still gonna buy/listen to his records."
This goes back to the back and forth post you had about absolving predators and making rape victims blameworthy. I'm disgusted.
I know more White ppl who are disgusted with R. Kelly than Blk ppl. Do we not feel that we're worthy of protection? What is so wrong about reprimanding an adult about their vile behavior? How are we supposed to better ourselves as a community when we don't have the decency or gumption to check each other on our BS?
http://anonymissblog.blogspot.com
gurl! now this is a hot mess!
wha??
i don't get it either--this reward for "being a man that beats women"?
all the anger that men hold dear to them should be used to better themselves and the issues that surround young boys/men. but of course evil has fallen on them and they are doingas they see fit.
i am not going to comment on winnie--i may say something not nice--(cough-mediaho-con-cough)
oh, sorry, had something in my throat.
he is sad, and you know--WHERE IS DON KING? IS HE DEAD?
all the creatures that he created and then he just vanished!
Lord have mercy!
thanks for this info--LOrd, Lord....
According to Psalm 5, we should expect deceptive influences to “fall by their own counsel.” And according to the multiple benefits listed in Psalm 103, the Lord will be found to be the One in charge, executing righteousness and justice against oppression and oppressors.
Yes Lord, Yes!
Yea, Amen!
Yes, Professor Tracey, something is definitely wrong here. I don't know why the rapists are celebrated and the victims are scorned. And I cannot believe that Winnie Mandela would associate with a convicted rapist. Isn't women's rights one of her issues. But that's not the first time Tyson has garnered support from females. I was a child when he raped Desiree Washington but I remember the general attitude amongst black women was that Tyson was either not guilty or that Desiree had somehow wanted to be raped. "Well, she went up to his room at 2:00 in the morning. What else did she think was gonna happen?" Nobody considered the fact that Desiree was very young and therefore probably naive. No one considered the fact that as a grown ass man Tyson deliberately took advantage of the fact that Desiree was naive and facsinated with his celebrity status and invited her to his room with the intention of raping her. The thing that disturbs me is that alot of these people have daughters, sisters, nieces, granddaughters, mothers, and female cousins that they care about. When are people gonna realize that as long as rapists are celebrated in our culture women will never be safe?
You are tapping into the heart of why black people, around the world, are at the bottom of the heap.
We actually cultivate and nurture our own terrorists. It's also why we are so looked down upon -- yes there are racist people who hate us for our skin color, but there are other people who are genuinely revolted by this phenomenon too.
Why in the world would anyone step into the fray to protect black women, if this is what we do EVERY TIME?
For the love of God and all that is holy, Mike Tyson BIT THE EARS OFF OF A MAN ON LIVE, NATIONAL TELEVISION. If that doesn't warrant being shunned, then nothing is.
Honestly speaking, I don't think that people who think that way will ever change. It's time for sane-thinking blacks to uncouple from the R-Kellys, the Mike Tysons, the OJ Simpsons, the Michael Vicks, AND ALL OF THIER DOTING FANS... and to form a new ethnicity. The Thinkers vs the Barbarians. God speed to them and all, but we need to get away from those fools.
YES, the white cop will kill us just as fast as them. YES, the taxi driver will pass us by too. THAT DOESN'T MEAN that we have to share a destiny. It just means that we share an enemy. The Barbarians do not have the right to call themselves my brethren or recieve my affection or praise.
Professor Tracey,
We live in a country that celebrates rapists. After all Thomas Jefferson raped Sally Hemmings on a daily basis and he's celebrated as a founding father of this nation.
There are even decedents of Sally Hemmings that are so freaking lost that they have demanded to be recognized by the White decedents of Jefferson.
So considering this it does not surprise me that the RKelly's and Mike Tyson's of this country continue to be celebrated by other Black people.
Self-hatred is an insidious thing.
MDC has a point. I need to stop reading this now, before I actually become the 'man hating sapphire' that people already believe that I am. LOL
shecodes said="For the love of God and all that is holy, Mike Tyson BIT THE EARS OFF OF A MAN ON LIVE, NATIONAL TELEVISION. If that doesn't warrant being shunned, then nothing is."
------------------
now see, that is just plain crazy Truth! and it's just a shame that she can say it--and it is the Truth! i could not believe my eyes when he did that!
that is when i stopped watching boxing. i use to be a huge fan of that sport....until it became-dinner for one. that was it for me.
the whole anger/manic/beatyowife/rape
those that you can Mentality will not be accepted.
it is as you said shecodes...it will not change in their minds.
Post a Comment