As the cameras are clicking, the news outlets rolling live footage, and everybody who is anybody in the media is busily pandering to the civil rights movement’s greats and self proclaimed spokespersons, there is a dirty secret that is accumulating more filth by the moment.

Here are facts:
 On April 18th, 1999 Kenneth Wilson was shot to death while searching for a parking place. The reason given was his dark skin color. (1)
 On November 3rd, 2000 Anthony Prudhomme, student at Glendale Community College, was gunned down in his bed by two thugs who invaded Mr. Prudhomme’s Highland Park apartment. One of the thugs was arrested on December 5th, 2001 and stated that the reason for the murder was that Mr. Prudhomme was black. Anthony was only 21 years young. (2)
 On December 11th, 2000 Christopher Bowser was shot to death while waiting for a bus; the reason given for the murder: he was black. (3)
 On December 15th, 2006 a 14-year young Cheryl Green was shot to death. The reason for the crime: Ms. Green was black. (4)

While bemoaning the hanging of empty nooses from a tree that was since cut down by overeager-to-please officials, those who bask in the light of the cameras fail to march on Los Angeles, California, where African Americans are routinely gunned down in what amounts to be a full-fledged race war that makes the term “ethnic cleansing” eerily come to life. In the scheme of things, an empty noose means precious little when compared to the lives that have been lost, the families that have been devastated and the failure to act by officials entrusted with the public’s safety.

So why don’t the civil rights movement’s great descend on Los Angeles and demand solutions? No, not the tepid assurances of sensitivity training, tree plantings (as opposed to cutting them down), and memorial services, but hard lined, heavy hitting action that protects the citizens of the second largest city in the entire United States? Where are the mouthpieces that will not stop demanding justice, liberty, and protection of the civil rights of the African Americans who did the rumba on another kid’s head and instead demand them for those whose lifeblood is now crying out for justice?

What is preventing those who march on Los Angeles routinely in an effort to have illegal immigrants “brought out of the shadows” to also march in protest of the gangland style shootings that left so many of their fellow Americans dead? Does the fact that in this case the civil rights violations are not committed by Caucasian Americans factor into the equation? Is it because many times over it is not the wealthy and the well connected who are dying during this race war but instead the poor, downtrodden, and perhaps in some cases even the troubled?

Where is the outcry of the public? Where is the banding together of Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, the Governator, and La Raza in a joint effort to end the violence that is decimating the residents of various neighborhoods? Why are not the governmental officials clamoring until the thugs are behind bars and the gangs that are perpetrating these killings are effectively disbanded?

Has political grandstanding of the mouthpieces gotten in the way of rolling up their sleeves and getting down and dirty in the ‘hood? Is it really necessary to hold the slinged hand of a teen girl who seems to have gotten into a slapping contest with some other teens until a security guard had to break up the fight? Is the fact that it is not “The Man” that is doing the violating of the civil rights has put a monkey wrench into the well oiled machinery of finger pointing that seems to run on the grease of Caucasian Erbsünde?

What will it take for anyone to come to their senses and regard the Jena 6, Palmdale 4 or any other such real or imagined affront as simply that: an affront; yet when actual murdering and dying is being done, serious offense will be taken and no rock will be left unturned until the streets of Los Angeles are once again safe for Americans of any color and racial background?

1., 3. http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=ind_focus.story&STORY=/www/story/01-22-2007/0004510650&EDATE=MON+Jan+22+2007,+06:18+PM
2. http://www.anthonyprudhomme.com/
4. http://cbs2.com/topstories/local_story_360163055.html