And Riots Accomplish What?

Milwaukee Riots: Race Hustler Spouts the Usual Clichés

Race hustlers like Rainey claim to represent the community, but in fact lots of blacks condemn violence, and even refuse to blame whitey for the problems of the inner city.

A good sample of views from the Sherman Park area (where the recent riots happened) can be found in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

Yes, some of the people there give standard, politically correct answers:

Ceasar Stinson, a 44-year old who grew up in the Sherman Park area, jumped in the conversation. He said the violence and reaction to the killing — regardless of the circumstances surrounding the shooting — are symptoms of deeper issues and historical white supremacy.

“There’s a historical hatred and fear of African-American men,” he said. “Police have it. We have it. … We have a fear and hatred for one another.”

Others are more willing to point to problems in the black community:

Like many others contemplating what happened, Yvette McFarland said one of the main solutions starts at home.

“Parents need to parent their kids,” she said. “Parents need to teach biblical morals and values.”

She raised two children in the area in the 1990s before moving to Wauwatosa.

“I’m just sad to see how our black community is in such a rage,” she said.

Nearby, a pastor debated a longtime resident about the actions of those responsible for torching four buildings.

“I think it’s wrong,” said the Rev. Jeffery Hawkins of the Church of Living God and West Side Missionary Baptist Church. “It’s senseless.”

Hawkins is a postal carrier, and the gas station that burned was the last stop on his route for 10 years. He knows the neighborhood and the people well.

“Everyone wants to be politically correct instead of spiritually right,” he said. “You’re upset because police are killing black men … and you’re saying ‘Aw, the white man is keeping me down.’ But if you don’t change your way of thinking, you’re dooming yourself. ... You’ve got too much hate. You have to overcome hate with love.”

Hawkins, who is African-American, said his children are in college and that one of the reasons African-Americans in Milwaukee might not have opportunities is because they haven’t learned to read. “My wife and I sit down and read with (our kids). We have to teach them.”

Regardless, the reaction of the community was heartening. As one community resident explained:

“The good thing is that to get up early in the morning, a Sunday morning, and watch so many people come out to help out, just to help out because it’s the right thing to do — it proves not just to this community, (but) to the city, to the world, that we have more good in this world than we have bad. We just tend to focus on the bad.”