The Ghetto Handbook

Cop Suspended by Houston School District Over 'Ghetto Handbook'

I came across a segment on CNN this evening discussing a Ghetto Handbook distributed by a Houston School District Police Offer during a meeting with other day shift officers back in May 2007.

I saw the handbook on the "Smoking Gun" and don't see anything remarkably "racist" about it. Especially since many of us in the Black Community still call ourselves the "N word" and we use the language defined in the handbook everyday. Ebonics is our brainchild. We continue to proliferate it into the mainstream, i.e rap lyrics, urban dictionary, movies, books, etc. Indeed, ebonics has made many people very wealthy and powerful. Many tout "ebonics" as poetry; as a literary artistic expression. We can't get upset and throw down the "race" card when someone other than us uses our words to mock us. *throws hands up*

Tonight on CNN, Mr. Quanell X, Houston Community Activist was already working the TV circuit espousing the racist indignation of this handbook.

So, here we go again! The NAACP, Black Muslims and angry Black pundits will demand resignations and apologies, yet who among them will turn to us and say we brought this upon ourselves? Dare I say, none of them will have the courage to look in the proverbial mirror.

How can we expect ANYONE to take us seriously and respect us if we don't even feign to respect ourselves? *headdesk*