Teach your children well

[libodem]

http://open.salon.com/blog/chauncey_devega/2012/03/19/trayvon_martin_and_life_lessons_for_young_black_boys#comment_2868050

[Number23]

1. One of my favorite posters here, a poster named firedupdem, who no longer posts here

had two sons. She used to tell us the stuff she used to tell them on an almost daily basis and it was like a drill sergeant preparing a soldier for war.

How not to resist the cops, no matter how assholish or just plain flat out wrong they were. To say "no sir" and "yes sir" even when you wanted to beat the crap out of them. How to walk away from situations when all you want to do is fight. All of these things were done to ensure their survival. Because it really is a matter of survival.

It is really a shame she no longer posts here but she got sick of DU's crap against the president a long time ago. But I will never forget her talking about the talks she had with her sons. It must have been so physically and emotionally exhausting, but what other choice did she have to do it and for them to listen? Having to talk about something for the 500th time is imminently preferable to having anything happen to your children.

[libodem]

2. It would have to be an ongoing

Open ended talk. It couldn't be just one conversation.

[onpatrol98]

3. It is exhausting...

I've got one heading off to college...and one in elementary school...

The thought of dumping all of this on the little one, one day, makes me sad.

But, it was a constant drill with all of his brothers. It's survival from day to day. It's a never ending conversation. By the time they're 13 or 14, they've already experienced overt racism...name calling, possibly by adults, more so than children. The soft bigotry, they've heard for years. But, this is the stuff, if left untold...can easily cost you your life.

Yes, we do talk about troopers. We talk about cops. We try to meet and know AND like all policemen. So, that by the time he sees your 14 black male...he knows him by name and is familiar enough to call him by name.

Walk through No neighborhoods at night. End of story. Eye contact. Graduate from high school, go to college...and go far away. I have no idea how far. With my parents generation, it used to be up north. Now, I don't know. I just don't know.

[libodem]

4. Exhausting is right