O.J. Coloring Book - Panel 7

[Steven Durland]

"Ignoring his extensive resume, the first question the job interviewer asked Jamal was, "O.J. Simpson... guilty or innocent!"
[View Image]

Questions:

1) In your opinion, what does the O.J. Simpson verdict reveal to us concerning issues of "Race" in American society?

2) Have you ever felt uncomfortable expressing your opinions on the case and the verdict in the company of strangers?

3) Has an individual's opinion on the trial become a litmus test on race in society?

[classics1]

I have never felt uncomfortable expressing my views on O.J.'s trial because I've never been racially biased. After reading the details of the trial, my opinion was that he was guilty. The majority of the white people I spoke to and some of the black people I spoke to felt the same way. Would he have been found guilty had the jury been all white? Probably.
The facts spoke for themselves. Why did the white community turn their back on O.J. ? Not because he was black but because of the appearance of unfairness of his "not guilty" verdict. The negative backlash on O.J. was partly aimed at the jury as well. Guilty is guilty, regardless of color. I think the verdict probably brought us several steps back on gapping this racial bridge that has plaqued us for years.

[CreativeStasis]

I think there is a change that has been trying to take place in American society that is long overdue, but with all change comes fear.
I am not uncomfortable expressing that I think O.J. was guilty, but at
the time of the trial I think that most of American society feared the repercussions of a *guilty* verdict.
It wasn't so long before the O.J. case that we all witnessed the Rodney King beating.
I think American society was still too sensitive to handle a case like O.J.'s, and deliver justice.

[classics1]

You are probably right, but the two incidents were so totally different. I think that is where the problem lies. When you unfairly deem someone innocent (O.J.) because of a previous wrong (Rodney King), then they are doing exactly what they have accused the whites of doing for so many years. I can sympathize from where they were coming in doing so, but it has had a negative affect on the way O.J. is perceived. You would be hard pressed to find a white person in America that feels for him. I could be totally wrong in this assessment, but I always felt that O.J. had turned his back on his own race, but they ended up covering for him in the end in spite of that fact. It was interesting to me the way the tables were turned for him.

[omarifox]

1) Everybody knows that African-Americans and Blacks are not really Americans, we are the residue of the dominant force of wealth creation from the agricultural era, free slave labor. Now we are a dominant spending force and still less than one half of one percent of the ownership wealth in the US. What OJ should have told Black America and what the verdict says about race is what everyone knows but doesnt deal with. The rich dominant culture still views themselves as superior to all other races and in lower classes of social strata, cause you cant just be blanco, you must be rich blanco, preferably oil based wealth. The dominant culture is in that psyche entitled to the extinction of Native Americans, Blacks, and democrats ha ha, and those not members of the novus ordo seclorum roundtable dont have the right to fight against a system that they werent supposed to beat in the first place. OJ got one of the passes athletics but believed his own hype. The other passes are of course drugs, and entertainment. The other side could care less if he actually did it, that side is upset that he used his wealth to acquire not just Black legal representation but Jewish as well and he beat the system, which "n*ggers aint ever supposed to do. So when you even minutely level the playing field, this exposes the true hatred that is inherent in being a member of the dominant culture. Am i saying if you are a member of the dominants that you are one with the hatred, no, but I'm no fool, I know what certain people mean when they give me the you're very articulate, erudite hype, i understand the mentality of certain folk tis all. The Noire side didnt believe the hype with Furman running around saying n*gger 42 times on tape and admiting to racial profiling, the BS three slow knocks at Katos wall, the so obviuous planted glove, etc. Even if Noire believed he was guilty, i hate to say it but, its like SO WHAT, after Emitt, Martin, and every lynched Black from 1619 with no retribution or reparations, "negroes" were glad a "brutha" beat the system even if he was a sell out wanna be dominant, but never honary blanco cat like OJ from the hood hood of Cali. Hey a brutha beat the system. For me personally, I am sad that two people lost their lives and that instead of greiving the loss of life, we pimped it for race. Children lost their mother, the Goldmans lost a son. Now Nicole raises a class point unfortunately because she lacks the melanin which is one qualification to be dominant, but her background wasn't exactly upper-crust before OJ, so America wouldnt really give a rats a** about her anyway, her death was merely an opportunity to express the hatred that the dominant harbors for Noire, and sadly enough we still give us free and adopt the hatred on a level higher for ourselves than will ever be projected by the biggest racist. Lastly, I said this in CAN before, if being honest about race in front of the other race is inappropriate(ask Trent Lott) for members of the dominant culture, if the superiority, the hatred, cant be stated other than the little articulate commentary, and police brutality, how can race relations go to the healing level or whatever its supposed to do anyway. I want healing man, i got hair on my body for a reason, thats not an African trait, if im hated so be it, the system clearly says so, go to the front of the state house, if I'm not hated then as Biggie say" gimmie the loot." The US is rich for a reason, ask Denmark and Nat. View the portal and ask yourself why the Citadel was built. Peace & Love

[classics1]

With the kind of attitude you have regarding the "rich dominant culture", it's no wonder we can't get over this huge racial gap. Seems to me like there is equal bigotry oozing from your "Noire" mindset. In speaking of Nicole's death as "an opportunity to express the hatred that the dominant harbors for Noire", I have to wonder if you realize that you're guilty of the same thing. From the white, female standpoint, I'm sick of being lumped into the same category of ancestors that I've never met. I certainly don't propose that we EVER forget about slavery and the hangings and other atrocities that were committed against African Americans (or any other race), but I really get sick of having it thrown in my face by someone who sounds equally racist against the whites. We (white people) are not all rich and anti- black and I resent being
accused of such. I'm trying really hard not to be thoroughly pissed with you and your attitude. Fortunately I have enough black friends who don't speak that way, otherwise I would think that this race issue will never be resolved. Don't sign off with Peace and Love unless you mean it.

[omarifox]

I thought this was about Juice, but I joust anyway. I aint write from no standpoint, i simply told the truth from both sides. America, dont give a God d*mn about any of its poor people, even Nicole. The fact that there are even poor people NOT of color lets you know that its a class thing. Black people aint supposed to get off, even if we're innocent, pretend like we are. PLUS, I dont have the financial or political latitude to be a bigot, because first off I'm not american, in americas eyes Im a n*gger aloud to live, pay taxes, and vote here until 2007 and when they repeal the 13th. There is no mentality and corresponding action, and 4 d*mn sure no system behind any of what i said. No white or Black person is being denied a job, going to jail, getting pulled over and searched, having his school underfunded or vouchered by any thought my beautiful brain produced. The sun is the center of the galaxy, oh Im a bigot to the geocentrists. And moreover, I know you're saying if america is so f*cked up then leave, go back to Africa. Africans built this place buddy, I aint going no where. KRS ONE said"America was built by every other race, except the European that runs this place." Second, Me being aware of hatred inherent in a paternalistic society aint the same as me being a hater. A dominant culture female scientist who is not the most welcome at the Lily White Party will tell you that humanity itself descends from a Black woman, the Real Eve, so everybody is black on the mitochondrial level, even "the man." So all hate is self hate ma. And you wanna talk slavery and women, lets go there. Empirical historical data can easily interpret that the lifestyles and opportunities/ hinderances afforded/ denied women throughout history are easily forms of slavery. The reason I have hair on my body in the first place is not because OJ made love to a race of caucasian women, but because the Stroms, T. Jeffersons, and so on went on raids while they were married, marched to the slave quarters and got it on with black females and enslaved their own kids, made love or should i say hate to their own daughters. So get sick of that, get sick of those ancestors that laid the racial blueprint, not me telling the truth about a prevailing mentality. I have friends i dont sit around thinkin i can go to the country club because not all of them have melanin, and I got white ancestors that I claim but they dont claim me. We all from Africa yamean. And I'll never let my "people" off the hook because I told yall CAN clowns before, Blacks captured, enslaved, sold Blacks. Okay Inzingah revolted give her credit but bottom line is no Europeans came with a sting operation to the African shores, there was never enough of "yall/them/us" that couldnt have been fought off, so I always check myself. You callin me guilty of the same thing is like the wolf askin the sheep why you hate me, you should be honored to do what i tell you. Im a Fox I aint no sheep ma. See, we keep pretending that the playing field is level, that all that wealth generated by AFricans isnt floating around anymore. Like I can drive in my upper-white middle class neighborhood without being pulled over. Yeah Im americas nightmare, beat the public school education, bougy, unashamed and honest, and know how to "articulate" that erudition I spoke on earlier when the cops come for no reason.. We act Like Black people own shipping companies bringing drugs to america. See, you cant even be honest about being aware of a system out to get you, especially me a Black male. And SOME of the people who benefit from the system wont acknowledge the privelege, even if they dont agree with it. How the f*ck is honesty bigotry? Oh yeah, dishonesty, thats a dominant culture trait. See, this is why they aint want us to learn to read, Im in a gang too, the book club ahggghhh.

[omarifox]

PS, peace and love, and Kerry won Ohio, yall fixed it again. No WMD found yet, oh, #2 largest oil reserve. And please tell your peeps to leave Barack alone.

[classics1]

Sounds to me like you're having a pretty bad day. Perhaps I should apologize for being white, but I won't. There's good and bad in all races and all people. I try to remember that daily.

[omarifox]

[Big Daddy Kane]
A black man from the motherland
Speakin a language today most people don't understand
where no one could bother me
cause I had freedom, justice, and equality
But then one day it was tooken away
and I was shipped to the U.S.A.
A young brother, made into a slave
to harvest the midlands and clean the chittlins
Given a new name, new religion
No freedom to vote, not even to make a decision
I saw my peoples, sold raped and took out
The rest of that stuff that Alex Haley talks about
They said I'm not from Asia I'm from Africa
And all the blacks there now are just scavengers
That's the way my mind was poisoned
to believe that in America blacks are inferior
A weak mind and a body of swine
only adds up to being - deaf dumb and blind
Illiterate to who where what and why
So I ask myself: who am I?