Lionel Tate
By Osiris Akkebala
o_akkebala@msn.comIt never ceases to amaze me how we continue to allow the system to divide us, a system which has a history of lying, oppressing, disrespecting and manipulating Black folks.
It is clear that young Lionel Tate action was an accident and not premeditated murder. And any Black mind worth its salt should know that this child should not be in an adult prison and never should have been charged as an adult.
I mourn the death of the young sister. Young Tate was only acting out what he had watched many times on tv and attempted to mimic the art of wrestling not realizing what he saw was not actually happening and he saw those who appeared to receive body blows eventually get up and walk away. Irregardless of the young brother's size we must remember he is a child. Within that big frame set the brain of a child not fully developed, therefore, he could only think and reason only as far as his mind had developed with an incomplete developed brain. All of this grown-up rationalization is totally unfair, this young brother is incapable of reasoning on such a level. He is a child!! even though his action was unacceptable, it takes nothing away from his stage of human growth and development therefore it is impossible for him to think as an adult, and yet here we are urging and supporting the very system that has formulated a plan that will trap our young male child into a criminal system that has a history of being unjust toward Black males.
Have we gone stark raving madly in love with those who control such a system to the extent that we now help such a system destroy our own? It is sad and pitiful how insensitive we have become toward each other, even to the extent we cry in support for taking the head of our own children in support of a lying unjust system. It is time to wake up and get busy about saving the nation. Black man and woman we should be tired of sleeping.
Hoteph
Osiris Akkebala
chief elder
(p.a.i.'n)
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The Journal of History - Fall 2002 Copyright © 2002 by News Source, Inc.