The Politics Of Black Inferiority: Outrage From Black Legislators As Virgina Governor Requests A Letter From Former Felons

• Crack Is A Black Drug
• Welfare Is A Program For Blacks
• Menthol Cigarettes Are For Black People

This is the list of assumptions that have been accepted by some Black people about ourselves despite the lack of any particular genetic linkage between Black people and the element under consideration.  Some people are inclined to accept inferiority as long as there is some benefit received by them as part of the transaction.

The latest news that is hitting the wire which threatens to distract Black Americans from the important issues that are brewing in our community is again emanating from the state of Virginia.  No it is not an issue about Black unemployment rates; the number of Blacks exposed to violence or a question of the graduation rates of Black children in our schools.

It appears that the latest assault to the consciousness of Black people from the Republican governor of Virginia is that he has the AUDACITY to ask former felons to write him a letter for the restoration of their voting rights as follows:

In coming weeks, McDonnell will start requiring nonviolent offenders to write a letter to him explaining the circumstances of their arrest; their efforts to get a job, seek an education and participate in church and community activities; and why they believe their rights should be restored. Some applicants already have been notified that letters will be required.

The nerve of this governor!!!   He must have a Confederate Army uniform tucked away in his closet somewhere.  It must be right next to his Klan outfit!!!!

My indictment of the "Black Inferiorists" comes from two points:

First the Black legislators of Virginia are up in arms.  Clearly when they imagine the person who is writing this letter not only do they see a "Black male".  They also see an "ILLITERATE Black male" who struggles to get through the most basic tasks of sentence formation in the expression of his remorse for the crime he was convicted of.

No where in the policy does it indicate that that the letter will be evaluated for its content, the failure to meet a certain standard rendering the ex-felon without his vote.

According to the Virgina Department of Corrections web site - the state had 30,911 as of December 2009 - the latest set of records that are provided.  There are no racial demographic information provided with these statistics.   

Black Americans make up 19.6% of Virginia's total 7.7 million population.  The question that must be asked is - Why are the Black legislators up in arms about this letter writing policy?   Do they have a certain conscious connection with criminals?   What is their connection to the victims of the actions by these felons? 

In my continuing review of "Left-wing Injustice" I have noted that there is a point where those who advocate for the convict while being silent about the victims of their crime degrade to a point at which they as purported advocates for justice become corrupt.   The criminal becomes the "victim of the system" and then we hear the voices of these once silent advocates.

If the Washington Post article stands as a complete synopsis of the facts of Governor McDonnell's process then I AM IN SUPPORT OF THIS NEW POLICY.  Requesting that a person include a letter as a statement of record of his present consciousness and his efforts to resume life as a productive citizen is not an unjust demand nor is it "cruel and unusual punishment".   If the person shows inability to perform written communication then perhaps the letter should be used to provide him (or her) with additional help to supplement the person's educational standing.

Those who argue that it is "unnecessary" should also ask themselves why they see the face of a Black man and why is that Black man "illiterate" in their view.   This bigoted assumption is far more offensive to my sensibilities.