The Difference Between Legitimate Dissent and Sabotage

I've been watching (and in one case, participated in) several blog discussions that are taking place at two of the blogs listed on my sidebar. The first discussion is over at Evia's blog, Black Female Interracial Marriage Ezine. Evia's been discussing Chris Rock's defamatory tirade against Black women in his latest show. The other discussion is at Gina's blog, What About Our Daughters. She's been discussing the security video showing a Black man punching a 16-year old Black girl in the line of a Los Angeles McDonald's.

Gina makes the comment that there are people who resent the very idea of anybody calling attention to a wrong that was done to a Black woman or girl. She's right. It's disturbing that many of these people are Black women themselves. What's even worse is the confusion that these Black female collaborators cause among the ranks of Black women. People who want to excuse, minimize and enable the harm done by Damaged Beyond Repair Black Men (DBRBM) often hide behind several masks: the mask of presenting legitimate dissenting opinions, the mask of being concerned for all Black people, and the mask of being concerned for all women around the globe. The cover stories are endless. Here's a quick guide to spotting internal saboteurs who are actually opposed to saving Black women's lives:

1-Is the person minimizing the extent and severity of the attacks on Black women in this country? If so, that's a clear sign that this person doesn't care about the suffering of Black women and girls. People who don't care about the atrocities being committed against Black women and girls are enemies to Black women and girls. This includes many Black women.

2-Is the person playing the "Victim Sweepstakes Game" by weighing Black women's suffering against that of others? Saboteurs are quick to claim that Black men "have it worse." No matter what. Including those Black men who are beating, robbing, raping and killing Black women and girls. Saboteurs are also quick to claim that Black women in the US have it so much better than foreign women. I guess the victim of the Dunbar Village gang rape (who was forced to perform oral sex on her own son) should feel lucky that she's not overseas. Playing the Victim Sweepstakes Game is a clear sign of bad faith and bad intentions toward Black women and girls.

Reject the Victim Sweepstakes Game out of hand when it's presented to you! Evil is evil. ALL evil should be resisted. Priority should be given to fighting the evil that hits closest to home. After all, if you're destroyed by the demon next door (or the demon in your house), you're not in any position to help anybody else across the globe. It's really that simple. This simple concept is why airlines instruct passengers to put their own oxygen masks on first before trying to help anybody else.

3-Is the person hell-bent on trying to discourage you from protecting yourself against attacks? Is the person focused on trying to stop you from punishing those individuals who attack Black women and girls? In the context of the ongoing war against Black women and girls, legitimate dissent is when a person says "I disagree with blah-blah. Here are the reasons why I disagree with blah-blah. Therefore, I won't support blah-blah action." And leaves it at that. People who are fixated on stopping you from taking action against those who attack Black women and girls, want you to remain under attack. They want you to remain defenseless. They want you (and women like you) to suffer. By supporting the status quo, they are supporting a continuation of Black women's and girls' suffering.

This is true no matter how much (or how loudly) such a person screams that they support Black women. If they are engaged in the above-listed behaviors they are most likely a saboteur. Treat them as such.