Affliction in the Black community

 I remember my Grandmother Maggie Thornton speaking of someone being flicted. She was simply shortening the word afflicted. If I may take liberty with my grandmother’s word- many people in black communities are flicted-plain and simple. Take a moment and look up the word afflict. Webster defines it as; trouble, bother, causes problems, worry, upset, make miserable or distress. It is extremely troubling to see black men and boys wandering through neighborhoods looking like something straight out of vaudeville and/or Ringling Brothers Circus. They are the new clowns without realizing it. Their dress and overall behavior is something to behold. It is especially troubling because most of them do not have a clue how the public views them, and the overall negative affects it has on their lives, relationships and job opportunities. The few who realize their behavior and dress negatively affects them have taken a do not care, so what attitude. Their behavior, especially dress, bothers most people who observe it. However, there are enough people in black families and communities who turn a blind eye and pretend they do not see what is right before their eyes. People wearing obscene dress and exhibiting rude behavior and not being admonished, legitimize their actions. Inappropriate dress and other forms of behavior contrary to societal norms cause problems in communities. Some people feel obligated to say something to people they feel overall behavior is causing problems in the community. Approaching these folks can and do lead to confrontations that if one is not careful can lead to unintended consequences. Many blacks worry about what they see in black communities. They see school age black boys wandering the streets, during school hours, with their pants hanging off their butts, talking on cell phones. They see older mature black men wandering the streets dressed the same way, with a cell phone, beer in a sack and a cheap cigar. Entirely too many black men walk by job sites and see people of another nationality performing work formerly done by blacks and never bat an eye. It is extremely upsetting to see the apathy displayed by a large segment of black men. There seem to be little concern about their stead in life and where it will be when they grow old. Because they are so inclined to be indifferent about their stead in life, many times it falls on their parents and other kinfolks to provide for them. Others take the criminal road to get what they need to survive. This road usually leads to the criminal justice system. Many predominately black communities have many things within that cause them to be distressed-Single parent homes, drugs, high unemployment, high school dropout, robberies, killings, home invasions and other appalling actions, to name a few. Why have our men decided to add additional stress on communities by becoming total buffoons? Why have they chosen their current lifestyles? I guess they know not what they do and black communities will continue to suffer this affliction for God knows how long.