Mike Vick/Bill Belichick

This Marvin Thinks comes as a request from my little bro. He wanted to know what I thought about the Michael Vick situation (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/17/AR2007071701393.html) , versus the Bill Belichick (http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/7222570 )cheating scandal. My thoughts on this topic are skewed for a variety of reasons. To start I believe that Michael Vick has been a target of the NFL since he was drafted, and I know he has been a target of this country since he was born. Donovan McNabb, the quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles, mentioned a couple of weeks back that he felt black quarterbacks were treated differently than white quarterbacks. Many people ignored his comments, and chalked it up to another angry black man situation. Although his comments may have been misguided, for the simple fact that more than black quarterbacks get treated different than white quarterbacks, I agree with his overall point. Black males have been demonized to the point that even other black people fear us, consequently treating us differently. This creates a situation that is compounded by the fact that black males are generally considered dumber than most other people. This situation is once again compounded on the football field, when a black male is quarterback; the stereotypical smart mans position on the football field.
This reality results in people second guessing the ability of the quarterback to succeed. This is no different than what goes on with black males on a daily bases, especially those of school age. From the first day they enter the classroom they are looked at to a large degree as the trouble makers that eventually are going to fail. They are automatically looked at as less of an intellectual and consequently lead to believe this falsehood themselves. This perception of ones self worth is then reflect in every other aspect of this child's life. This perception of ineptitude follows these young men through adolescence, into adulthood. Molding and shaping the opinion that they have about themselves, along with the perception that other have about them.
This reality weighs heavy on the mind of a black male, whether the individual believes that to be the cases or not. This consequently, manifest itself, in the psyche of a black male subsequently resulting in his actions and the actions of others. It’s easy for a black man to shoot another black man, because the individual doing the shooting does’t see anything of value on the other side of the pistol. It’s easy for a cop to lock up black males because they see no value in their relationship to the community. It’s easy for a teacher to disregard the education of a black male, because their benefit to society in marginalized. Its easy for the world to look at black males as criminals, when the character has been displayed as such consistantly. This situation repeats itself over and over again inside the life of a black male that it becomes second nature to discredit, disregard, and dismiss the humanity of black men.
In short, do I think that Michael Vick got a raw deal? OF COURSE, but I don’t think his situation is any different than the situation presented to black males everyday of their life. Michael Vick is no different than the 1 million black males locked up in prison. No different the 50% of black males who “drop out” of high school in Chicago. No different than the black males in Milwaukee that are struggling to learn to read in high school. No different than the 50% of black males that are unemployed between the ages of 18 and 35 in New York City. Michael Vick, in fact is an extension of the reality that black males face everyday of their life. The reaction that people are having toward Michael Vick is nothing more than a reflection of the position that America takes on black males as a whole. The same position that they have been taking since slavery and the rise of Imperialism.
How does this relate to the Patriots coach? The NFL’s response to the two situations was completely different. Bill Belichick was caught CHEATING in a NFL game. Yeah he got a half a million dollar fine, but what everyone fails to realize is that he signed a multi- year contract that same week that gave him a bonus that dwarfs a 500K fine to peanuts. Vick got caught fighting some dogs, and lost his entire carrier and potentially will spend 5 years in prison. Millions of dollars down the drain and 5 years of his life for fighting dogs? Dog fighting is a horrible event and I truly believe that it is an inhuman sport to engage, but all in all their dogs. They are treating those dogs that where “rescued” better than Michael Vick. They are trying to throw away this mans life as thou he is a dog!! Yes he is guilty of fighting dogs and betting on those fights, but is that worth throwing a way this young man’s life. NO!!!!!!!!! Should he be punished to some degree YES, and I think the same punishment that they gave Bill Belichick would suffice in this situation. But, seeing the history of how black males are treated, I’m not surprised at all by the conclusion.
This isn’t a question of how black quarterbacks get treated, or how Vick got railroaded; this is a question of the reality that black men have to live. This reality will continue to exist until we begin to take control over the basic elements of our existence: our mind, body, and souls. Everything is designed to destroy the character to black males, until the whole world is calling them STUPID and DUMB. We have to take back the weapons that have been used to create these terrible mistruths. The media, the schools, our household, and the way we think and talk have to be re programmed in order to develop a community where, when a black male is born that day is celebrated, not the day that he get out of jail!

Tomorrow, the relationship between the hierarchy of the black church and hip hop videos.