Classic Corner: How Dare You!

by Da CogNegro

Rosetta Stone? Pfff! Linguee? Yea right! Google?? Bye Felicia! When it comes to your translation needs, why waste your time and energy with these tools and services when you have the CogNegro right here at your fingertips?   Don't believe me? Hmmm, I would think by now we would have established some trust in our relationship! Well, since you guys seem to be a show and prove audience, I am going do what it do for the 99 and 2000. So am I translating or am I deciphering? Let's begin:

What They Say: How dare you  leave The Oklahoma City Thunder Kevin Durant? This is typical behavior of someone who couldn't get it done! Fine, take the easiest road to the championship. You are a traitor and a coward to this town and to this state. Back in the day, real players would stay on the team they were drafted to and were loyal to that origination until their retirement. But you're an overpaid, spoiled, and self entitled athlete who only cares for himself and lining his pockets! I am disgusted at what basketball has turned into and frankly I'm thinking of boycotting professional sports!


Translation: How dare Kevin Durant not understand his role as it relates to our town's economy. With him leaving, all of our business will be affected and tourism will decline steadily. We will no longer be able to make money off of him and this infuriates us! Now we know how slave owners felt when they were watching their property be declared free! How dare he be independent ,a shrewd businessman and not allow himself to be the subject of our vicarious fantasies being that we lack athletic ability ourselves. These players should realize that their purpose is to entertain and not do what's in their best interest!  So being that we can't  literally pillage our cities , we will resort to burning his jersey and tearing up his posters. Those items will serve as  effigies representing what we really want to do with him, just like back in the good old days! 

What They Say: How dare you Jessie Williams spew your racist  rhetoric on  an award show that already encourages segregation.If these words were stated by a person of any other race, that individual would be lambasted, shamed, terminated from his or her job and subjected to any other penalties that come with such reckless speech and behavior. How are we expected to be unified if we keep allowing such divisive speech to go unchecked? As an actor, aren't you apart of the privileged already you hypocrite!? 

What They Really Mean: How dare you not know your place in this hierarchy that we have systematically created and done everything in our power to maintain since you first step foot on this land! Don't you know that you are still referred to as three fifths in the constitution and some of us still maintain that belief? I hate the fact that this speech draws attention to our privilege that we have benefited from for centuries. And any reminder of said privilege makes us feel uncomfortable, despite my 'I voted for Obama" bumper stickers and collection of hip hop inspired movies. We will surely not admit that due to the fact that we did not understand the majority of what Mr. Williams stated , because such terms as "leaved" and "gentrifying" are not apart of our daily lexicon, We will  automatically assume that his speech is racist, even though we use the word out of context and aren't sure of its' true definition. Furthermore, if a person of color obtains a certain level of success, that person should be thankful that he or she  was allowed to do so and not attempt to mobilize and educate others. Why? Because we are satisfied with our status quo  and true "racism" is needed for us to maintain our place in this capitalistic society and stand by our justifications to mistreat those of color. Why can't you just be a credit to your race and smile?  What more do you want? You already have a black president! Slavery ended hundreds of years ago and no we don't count the next hundred years of domestic terrorism that occurred after it was abolished!

What They Say : How dare you become upset at the brave men and women, of our law enforcement, who risk their lives on a day to day basis to protect and serve! Has anyone taken into consideration that if  blacks didn't commit crimes then they wouldn't be put in those situations? These officers have to make split second decisions! And what about this Black Lives Matter movement! If "Black Lives Matter", then why do they kill each other so often? All lives should matter!


In reality though : Already, in our minds, we have made the determination that whatever action is committed against blacks by law enforcement is justified and warranted. Even if evidence is clearly projected, our preconceived racist notions and inward superiority will not allow us to view these individuals as nothing more than  sub human due to  the negative ,media images we are fed daily.In these cases, due process is null and void and officers can act as executioners. We ignore the fact that the individuals who continue to be on the other end of a policeman's gun is someone of color. What fuels our beliefs is the fact that law enforcement agents never suffer repercussions for their actions. Therefore, their extreme behavior is exonerated. For us to  avoid fully showing our disdain and lack of empathy for the victims of police brutality, we declare that "All Lives Matter", even though all lives aren't the ones that are being snuffed out by the law  on a continuous basis. Bringing up statistics on "Black on Black Crime "again shows the justification of the loss of black lives . It also proves that we fail to look at facts and realize that most crime is done within its' own racial demographic. 



What I Say: We are living in some volatile times, and being that I don't want to sound like scratched vinyl, I suggest you click HERE and follow these suggested courses of actions!

What I really mean....

really isn't much different than what I said:

To those who are angry, hurt and fed up:

Continue to be an example! Continue to educate, even to those who don't listen.Continue to be a leader among your contemporaries! Continue to speak even when silence is what's popular. Continue to hold those to task who are obligated to take action. Continue to push the veil of alleged equality from your site. Continue to spend your money elsewhere! When we all do this, our little voices will become roars that will shake the very foundations of this racist society. But if we continue to whisper, then the cries due to loss and frustration ,along with the buzz of distractions, will drown out our demands! -CgN

.