Man Hits Woman - Was he Right ? Or Wrong ?

[MightyLighty]

 

[medullaslashin]

The way I see it, this incident, and others like it, just make it all the more important to help mentor young Black men. I have mentioned before that I coach my son's club basketball team, and there are multiple boys on that team who see in me for the first time a positive male role model who genuinely cares about them, holds them accountable, does not stand for any lazy, bad attitude, unproductive behavior ect., These boys have a deep need for that kind of mentor-ship and guidance. I have even run afoul of some of the mothers who think I am being "too hard on them" at times. I simply tell them that I am not just coaching X's and O's, i'm preparing them for life. I will use this article tonight at practice as a cautionary tale of letting emotions override intelligence and the lifelong consequences that can result.

Mentoring is good... And kudos to you for doing it... but mentoring is like being a door-to-door salesman -- reaching a few at a time -- while people like "fiddy cent" and all the other hip-hoppers pushing savage, backward values are like mass advertising, selling warped values to vulnerable minds en masse.

I think along with presenting positive examples personally, we need to try to change the cultural values "en masse" over time. Our entertainers, artists, storytellers etc. are shirking their responsibility to do that...

Hell -- kids will even emulate the values of fictional characters... So our artists should try to give them more productive things to be than the "bad ass"...

 

[Loki]

Mentoring is good... And kudos to you for doing it... but mentoring is like being a door-to-door salesman -- reaching a few at a time -- while people like "fiddy cent" and all the other hip-hoppers pushing savage, backward values are like mass advertising, selling warped values to vulnerable minds en masse.

I think along with presenting positive examples personally, we need to try to change the cultural values "en masse" over time. Our entertainers, artists, storytellers etc. are shirking their responsibility to do that...

Hell -- kids will even emulate the values of fictional characters... So our artists should try to give them more productive things to be than the "bad ass"...

I believe kids respond best to positive role models who are present in their lives on a consistent basis. That being said, I hear you loud and clear that there are negative influences in the media (both within and outside of the Black community), that profit greatly from perpetuating negative stereotypes, lifestyles, hyper-sexual behavior, and piss poor values. I like the scathing social commentary that the Aaron McGruder had for BET and others, per the link below. Which brings me back full circle to mentoring, and being present in your local community, Black men being a living embodiment of uplifting morals and values for kids of all colors to see.