Dear EVERYONE,

I’m sure by now you all have heard of Adrian Peterson’s recent child abuse indictment. I’ve watched a few interviews read his response and the media’s take on it. Now the Vikings have barred him from team interactions pending the outcome of the court proceedings. I figured; “I don’t have any kids, I don’t play in the NFL, I wasn’t there and know no details, other than what I’ve read from other people who basically know about as much as me… I’m a goddamn EXPERT… let me weigh in on this too.”

Adrian Peterson is a black male from the Southern region of America. Not sure if you know anything about the history of this region but they were big on free labor for several hundred years. Part of the practice during this free labor period, involved corporal disciplinary acts against those who didn’t volunteer their services in a satisfactory manner. Oh you don’t like working for Free? Whip’em. This carried over across race lines (NOTE: There were more Irish slaves in America than Irish people in Ireland at one point, they suffered along side African slaves). This was not only an acceptable form of discipline, but it was the one that was taught by the dominant “white” society and used by the dominant “white” society to enforce it’s ideas on Black culture. This tradition carries on today but instead of a bullwhip White society has a court system and a systemically violent ground force to enforce its ideas. Adrian Peterson is the new whipping boy.

Dear White Friends,

This isn’t a complex issue but the complexity of America’s white dominant culture makes it complex. There is no “Jury of our peers”. American white standards cannot judge American black culture fairly because American white culture lives in an untouchable Ivory tower. When the dominant “white” culture has an issue with black and brown cultural practices there is an infrastructure to support and execute repercussions. When Black America has an issue with White cultural practices there is nowhere to turn, there is nothing to do but hope that enough people in White culture see things the way we see them and eventually maybe something will happen (i.e. Police Brutality, Poverty, Media misrepresentation, Bias Legal systems.) Black people see white kids spazz out on their parents all the time, our outrage will not be front-page news. We see white parents coddle their children to the point of pathology; our concerns will have no effect on their lives.

Adrian Peterson used what he was taught was an appropriate form of discipline, what his grand father was taught was appropriate, and what his great great grandfather had most likely been programmed with by white dominant Slave master named Mr. Peterson. Now that this is no longer “socially” acceptable in the new white dominant culture, the court will whip those who disobey. The plantation has grown larger and more sophisticated but it is still a plantation nonetheless.

There are 2 things that I find particularly disturbing about this attack on Adrian Peterson. 1st is what I hear to be a constant speaking point around black popular culture from everyone but especially from white culture is the lack of father figures in the black community. I would agree that there is a sense of hopelessness and an accurate feeling that society doesn’t care about black youth beyond fearing them. But Adrian Peterson obviously cares, he may not have all the answers or know all the most recent American Psychology Association guidelines on parenting but I’m certain he doesn’t want his children to fall victim to the negative influence of growing up Black in America. He doesn’t want his son to go to jail as Adrian’s father had. I’m sure he doesn’t want his son to fall victim to gun violence as Adrian’s 2 brothers did when they were murdered. Adrian is trying to raise a child who knows right from wrong in the way that got him to where he is. He is trying to be the “father figure” White America so desperately wants for Black Youth and he is now being demonized for it.

The 2nd completely insane and hypocritical thing going on here is that the NFL is suspending a player for child abuse when it is a fact that playing football on any level causes head trauma and potential long-term brain injury. Under the logic that holds AP under indictment for child abuse every pop warner, high school & college coach & parent should be brought up on child abuse charges. The NFL is a 9 billion dollar a year TAX FREE NON PROFIT operation that sit’s on top of a child abuse ring. Where is the outrage? Adrian Peterson is the NFL’s way of distracting people from a corrupt ownership platform, a corrupt commissioner, a corrupt FBI investigation, and a corrupt government lobbying power. Ultimately the NFL is a distraction for us. The NFL distracts us so that we don’t notice our own corrupt corporate controlled government. The rise of the coliseum is the height of the collapse.

Dear Black Friends,

Hitting your children is no different than hitting your spouse or anyone whom you feel like hitting. Your child chose you he/she did the work to be here. They won a race against millions, they grew consciousness inside you, and they came to you because you invited them. Why now that they are here are you putting your hands on them? The initiation of violence on anyone when not in self-defense is a cowardly act, it is essentially the same thing as police brutality because you are the person yielding force and I am certain that the recipient of said force doesn’t want to be hit. Every time you hit your child or anyone not out of sheer self-defense you are justifying the use of force on anyone just because the person who has the greatest force can use it. Not ok dude. I understand that a child can work your last nerve, to the point of pulling out your own hair. I understand that a child can be disrespectful and slick with their mouth and unappreciative of your efforts to help them. But so what? You could have easily switched the word “child” for “boss” or “employee” or “wife or “husband” in those last sentences. Are You going to pop’em in the mouth? Doubt it. Don’t let a child’s ability to frustrate you become a child’s ability to out smart you into resorting to violence.

Dear Everyone,

At it’s core the reason why this sort of in house violence is ok with children is because society wants you to reinforce the idea that he who has power knows best, so that we fall in line when it is tax time. This has nothing to do with you raising the best person possible. This is about you teaching the newest cog in the wheel to turn smoothly. Teaching the newest citizens to agree to the terms that someone can demand something from you and if you don’t like it they have the right to hurt you as long as it is from the appointed power source or authority figure, i.e parent, teacher, police, judge, military, government.

You are teaching your child to Obey, hence the term “disobedient” when not falling in line. Don’t tell your kids “because I say so”, because this justifies that sort of lazy response from anyone with power. When You are wondering WHY you have to pay income tax that goes to paying off 1% of the interest rate of the national debt that supports wars that you have 0 interest in fighting, you justify an answer like “Because I said so…” How come we can’t know who owns the Federal Reserve??? “Because I said so…” Why do we have to go to war in the Middle East again? “Because I said so…” Why can’t we just make electric cars standard? “Because I said Soooooooo….” Why can’t all police wear cameras and mics and be fired when they are crazy? “Because I said so…” Why can’t We choose where we want our taxes to go? I don’t want to support the FDA or the defense budget I would like to support education… BECAUSE I SAID SO. It’s time to undo our programming.

Adrian Peterson was just carrying out his programming. Undo your programming.

Question everything.