Since affluenza works as a get out of jail free card for the rich, what benefits can victims of ‘Hood Disease’ look forward to?
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Some kids when they’re trying to fall asleep count sheep. I, as a child living in the hood, counted gunshots. And although I didn’t flinch when the bullets went flying, later in my life I noticed how the constant shoot-outs had traumatized me.
I was in my early twenties and I had just signed a lease to a condominium on the grassy street of Wells Branch, in Pflugerville, a suburb outside of Austin, Texas. My new home was nothing like I’d ever experienced. The Jacuzzi tub in the bathroom; the nearly thirty seat movie theater in the community room; and the spacious deck overlooking a glistening pool was a dramatic change of scenery from the Chinese stores, abandoned homes and littered streets of South Philadelphia. A decked out kitchen, I explored it – particularly the sleek refrigerator and ice-maker. Absent-minded for a just a moment, I looked for where I was to add the water so the ice would generate – I eventually caught on and flipped the switch. When I realized the appliance wasn’t going to immediately produce any frozen H20, I moved on to exploring the beautiful neighborhood.
A very quiet and safe residential space, the most fun place to go within a hop and a skip was the Super Wal-Mart. It may sound funny, but I was just as shocked by the size and offerings of the Wal-Mart – particularly all the booze – as I was about my new bachelor pad. I returned home with my groceries, made dinner, and dedicated the rest of the evening to indulging in Family Guy. The night grew near and I prepared for bed. After brushing my teeth and returning to the living room – where laid my laptop and air mattress – I heard a bunch of loud popping sounds. Immediately, I dropped to the ground and that’s where I stayed until I realized it was just the ice-maker doing its job.
“Trauma is sensory driven; meaning a person has no control over the type of trauma they experience,” says Duane Wilkins, BS, MHS, an established social service and mental health professional who contributed his thought-leadership to the recent post: “Hood Disease Validates Academic’s Call for Trauma Informed Training.”
Regardless of the offensive name – which is just another attempt to minimize and dehumanize poor people of color – life in the inner-city takes it tool on the mind – it did mine. And since the “prestigious” Harvard doctor’s now validate the stress, will judges take it into consideration the same way they do affluenza?
“I find it funny that a child of more privilege and resources can use it as a defense in court, but a child with a lack of resources has no chance,” said Wilkins.
The more affluent child Wilkins is referring to is Ethan Couch, a teenager from Texas who killed four people while driving drunk and instead of being sentenced to prison was placed on ten year probation and order by a judge – who never actually used the words affluenza – to serve an unspecified amount of time in a five-star drug and rehab center.
In stark contrast, Travion Blount, who was handed the harshest punishment delivered to any American teenager for a crime not involving murder, was ordered to serve six life sentences and an additional 118 years for robbing a house party with two gang members, holding party-goers up at gunpoint and taking purses, cell phones and marijuana. Blount was a boy of color, and Couch, a spoiled white boy who was able to start driving at age 13. The injustices in these two cases are just too long to enumerate and too frustrating to really even think about. But since we have to think about it in order to fight against it, let’s choose our battles wisely and engage the right fights, not just the loudest ones.
I’m not interested in arguing to change the name from “Hood Disease” to something more dignified, that won’t do anything in the long-term. I’m interested in arguing its legitimacy in the courtroom, and measuring it up to affluenza. I mean, since rich people can make up sh*t like affluenza and then not be held liable for their actions, shouldn’t a poor person with “Hood Disease” be offered the same saving grace?
READ: Affluenza: Plagued With the Complexion for the Protection
And if not, it sure as hell would be a lot easier if Lady Liberty just spoke her truth and showed her true colors, instead of draping in her body in a blood red, white privileged and blue flag.
Thanks for reading. Until next time, I’m Flood the Drummer® & I’m Drumming for JUSTICE!™
DOWNLOAD NOW: The Black His-Story Book: A Collection of Narratives from Black Male Mentors, presented in part by GoodMenProject.com.
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Photo: AP/Matt Rourke
Incredibly thought-provoking! Opens up so many questions about how far “justice” still has to go. Thanks for making me think about this.