Homo Sapiens Inequality

 

 

I imagine by now that everyone knows that all men are created equal? However, in elementary school, it was widely known who was the prettiest; who was the ugliest; who was the smartest; who was the dumbest; who was the class clown; who was the best athlete etc. Then follows secondary school. In that setting, the most popular; the star quarterback; and the brains became crystal clear. This essay demonstrates that all men are not created equal.

Lebron, Magic, Steph and Michael are on a first name basis. Who wants to challenge them to a game of hoops?  Who wants to tackle Jim Brown, Barry Sanders, Ezekiel Elliott or OJ? Ask Brian Bosworth about tackling Bo Jackson? Who wants to get into the ring with Floyd Meriwether, Mohammed Ali or Sugar Ray Leonard? Who wants to bat against Bob Gibson? Who wants to challenge Jesse Owens, Wilma Rudolph or Usain Bolt to a running race?  Who wants to be on the receiving end of a serve by Serena or Venus? What would be the outcome of Bobby Riggs versus Serena? Who wants to carry Tiger’s clubs?  What about the artistry and creativity of Spike Lee, Eli Whitney, James Baldwin, Langston Hughes, or Elijah McCoy?  Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, and Harry Belafonte have made their mark. Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Little Richard, Stevie Wonder, Oprah, and Beyoncé have mastered their craft. Who wants to match wits with Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Cornel West, Angela Davis, W.E.B. DuBois, Kenneth Clark, or Barack Obama?  Do not forget about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  John Lewis and Pele as well. All men are not created equal.  Simone Biles is special too. There is nothing average or ordinary about these black skinned male and female individuals.

More examples of exceptionalism are found in “Bo’s Warriors.” Bo Schembechler was hired by athletic director Don Canham. Don Canham knew that black athletes were required to enhance Michigan’s track team.  Bo became a perfect fit as Canham was aware that Bo understood the necessity of having black athletes.

Thom Darden was an All-American and first round draft pick by the Cleveland Browns. This All Pro still holds their interception record and is ranked as one of their top players. Darden made a super game saving interception against Ohio State in 1971. In fact, Woody Hayes went crazy and was given not one but two 15 yard penalties for unsportsmanlike behavior.

Jim Betts was an outstanding athlete. His chapter is titled “The Best Athlete.” He played as a wide receiver, a running back and a quarterback. Not only that, in his senior year he was a defense of back. He was nicknamed “Rope Man,” and received the Meyer Morton Trophy. He was selected to play on defense in the annual Blue-Gray All-Star game in Birmingham Alabama. Jim was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings.

 When baseball coach Moby Benedict did not allow outstanding high school baseball players Jim, Tom Darden and Bo Rather to try out for the baseball team, Jim got his revenge at this coach. Years later, as an athletic advisor, Jim approached Benedict and told him that he had to, according to NCAA rules, have open baseball tryouts. Although this was not true, Jim recruited every black kid on the campus he could find. He wound up with about 30 black kids for the try out. He wanted to get back at coach Moby Benedict and screw up his day. Jim got his revenge.

Even though all men are not created equal, I have a story told to me by Reggie McKenzie who I called “The Enforcer” in my book.” Reggie was an All-American and a first round draft choice by the Buffalo Bills. He also earned All Pro honors. While with the Bills, Reggie and his friend Joe DeLamiellure were offensive guards that enabled the Juice {OJ} to break the NFL rushing record. Reggie was known as the leader of the teams “Electric Company” because they turned on the “Juice.”

Reggie told me that McKenzie was his father’s slave name. Reggie’s great, great grandmother was named Clarissa and was bought by a Caucasian slave owner by the name of McKenzie in Savanna, Georgia.

We a know that man is motivated to seek pleasure and happiness even though it’s short-lived and that man also often attempts to avoid pain, discomfort and anxiety. The pleasure principle and survival are in full force. It’s also in man’s nature to be aggressive toward others and to turn that aggression inward toward self as well. Let’s take black individuals residing in the hazardous urban areas. They are treated unequally and are subjected to crime, poverty, inadequate housing, poor educational opportunity, lack of good employment, separated families as a result of incarceration, police oppression as opposed to police protection, limited political support, systemic racism, a white culture of hatred, and inability to eat nutritiously. This is certainly a bleak and sad statement. Research findings suggest a positive correlation with greater the poverty that results in greater the violence regardless of skin color. The black man is not less of an American. What has happened to the conscience of white skinned people that enables this discrimination to continue? There is right, wrong, good and bad. An ethics of conscience is required to make our country different.

One has many ways to escape the reality of the present in the search of pleasure, happiness and comfort. One can sadistically exploit, harm and even kill another; consume high carb, fat, sugar and salt substances; and even intoxicate one senses by ingesting alcohol and drugs. Of course these are only short-term fixes, and result in long-term deleterious effects of dependency, chemical addiction, incarceration, obesity and even death. It’s not surprising that these impoverished individuals are poor, frustrated, and unhappy and have a medically high death rate due to hypertension, obesity and Covid- 19.

This year, in spite of Covid-19, police brutality and the disastrous hit on the economy, there was good news. The history of blacks being killed by the police and the George Floyd killing resulted in peaceful protests in our communities across our country. There are people of black, brown, yellow and white skin; all sexual genders; young, middle-age and old Americans marching in protest of “Black Lives Matter.” There is a tremendous amount of individuals taking part in peaceful demonstrations.

The current administration sent its unmarked armed militia with its teargas, rubber bullets and clubs to confront the peaceful protesters. The aggressiveness of these unwanted individuals was apparent. They had the weapons and their mission was to provoke. Even, right-wing individuals in Oakland, Washington, Oregon and Wisconsin made their presence with their guns and even with killings. This reminded me of the recent move of the “Trial of the Chicago 7.” In 1968, John Mitchell , Nixon’s Atty. Gen. arrested and indicted seven individuals falsely for inciting disturbance even though, according to Ramsey Clark the previous Atty. Gen. with investigations by the  FBI , stated the police started the riots. An appeal was made and that ended this farce as John Mitchell succumbed.

It’s obvious that all men are not created equal. It’s also obvious that some have exceptional athletic, intellectual and artistic abilities and some are able to overcome their horrible environmental conditions. Sen. Cory Booker stated that a white attorney brought his parents first home because his parents would’ve been rejected because of their skin color. Hopefully, the “Black Lives Matter” protests, this year, will bring about more change with less discrimination for the people of our nation.

Let’s learn a few things about skin color from Bo Schembechler. According to Jim Brandstatter, coach said “We are one race-Michigan football. You guys are not about race. No one from the outside is going to get between us. Race is not an issue.” Mike Keller remembered coach saying “Son of a bitch, you’re not red, you’re not white, and you’re not blue.  You’re Michigan.” Coach   Schembechler also supported the Mellow Men’s (comprised of seven African-American football players) stand on boycotting the economic building during a campus demonstration.