Ass Whoopings, Beatings, Spankings, and Punishment

I was beaten as a child.

I wasn't beaten to the point of hospitalization like my cousins. This is why for years I thought I wasn't abused. Some of my friends have had cracked ribs, been beaten with sordidly invented duct tape bound extention cords, and had hot water poured on them before beatings so that the sting of the whip would be more painful. The fact that I was kicked in the air before I reached the ground doesn't really sound as bad as the previously mentioned.

Not all black folks were beaten as children. My family went from being poverty stricken and homelessness to middle class before my very eyes. As I child I could share my "whippin'" stories with my friends and we'd laugh til the tears rolled. Now I've had to lock those stories up somewhere dark inside so I don't scare potential mates and future friends.

Even though there are a lot of blacks who haven't been beaten, there still are a lot of blacks who've been. There are still many more who feel that being beaten is a part of the "Black Experience". I am not one of those people.

I was watching "The View" on DVR and couldn't help but see guest panelist LaToya Jackson whitewash the abuse her family experienced at the hands of her father. I don't think Michael exaggerated when he descirbed Joe Jackson's beatings being so severe he'd throw up when he knew his father was approaching. This was something he talked about before any scadals ever broke about him; these allegations weren't some vain attempt to color over misdeeds.

Growing up I've heard that Michael Jackson's crazy antics were no excuse. After all, we've all been beaten. People always talk about how I got beat, and I turned out ust fine. Even I used to say this. But have we really? I don't think so. Instead of trying to defend bad behaviors as a part of our culture we really should shed them. Don't get me wrong, we shouldn't throw the baby out with the bath water (I'm not giving up by black dialect!) but we can stop beating the hell out of our children and we can start eating healthier.