How many more innocent children, men, and women must die senselessly before members of our communities wake up saying enough is enough?
What African-Americans and Latinos Have In Common
Despite the cultural differences, and in many cases, animosity between African-American and Latino communities, we have quite a bit in common. It's bad enough that both communities suffer prejudice, bigotry, police abuse, and discrimination from outside of our communities, but are also plagued by destructive and deadly elements from within our communities with gang violence, and other crimes. Yet, the minute a white person, such as a police officer, harms someone in the African-American or Latino community, there is an uproar from the citizens. When Latinos and African-American miscreants harm decent citizens of their own respective communities, people whine and mumble about how unsafe the streets are. No one wants to speak out and stand up against these terrorists.
There Is Strength in Numbers
Latino and African-American prison gangs are in frequent conflict with each other, but ironically, most are locked up primarily for the harm they did to members of their own ethnic groups. During the 1960s, the Black Panthers (African-Americans), the Brown Berets (Mexicans), and the Young Lords (Puerto Ricans) were standing up in unison against an oppressive American system. Isn't about time that we all stand up to an oppressive, criminal element in our own communities. There is strength in numbers!
Bill..you summed it up perfectly. In all honesty, I hate to see any group of color in conflict with one another. As for Blacks and Latinos, just think about the spending power that both groups have in this country alone. Take that even further if we combined our resources for the greater good.
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