THRIVING Melanin Family Magazine November 2018 | Page 54

PASSIVE AGRESSIVE
Victims or 
“We cannot effectively assist those
of whom we are afraid and or have
disdain”
Screams… of reticent despair drips from
our lips as we bellow incessant demands
for justice, equality, safe streets, safe
schools, a flourishing environment and
that quintessential song of one’s inner
perfection; “what in the world is wrong
with the children” …!  
Parents; as a civilized society would you
agree that we have a moral obligation to
not only protect our child(ren) from both
physical and mental violence but to
protect our society from “our” child(ren)?  
Please, gingerly walk with me through this
land mine of violent behaviors associated
with our children as we explore some
uncomfortable territory.
Given our current lifestyles and our quest
to grasp that seemingly elusive American
Dream have we morphed into an, oh…!
Well…! society?
Are we cognizant of the fact that
marginalizing the situation does not
eradicate the potential for disaster?  
Each parent is aware that there will always
be mitigating circumstances, however; we
must ask ourselves is the potential for
violence lurking on the horizon if situations
are left unaddressed?
One conscientious objective that all
parents will potentially face is that never
ending, penetrating question, “did I really
do everything (within reason) that I could
have to keep him/her safe.
Violence covers. addresses from the
ghettos to the white house and is
sometimes viewed as this rampaging
phenomenon. When in fact we refuse to
look at the intricacies of its (violence)
inception thus the potential for passive
aggressive violence. We cannot quantify
violence with attempts of marginalization
by “assigning” it to specific neighborhoods,
and families.
Do we set the stage or at the very least arm
the land mines with the ammunition for
booby traps that helps to put in motion
our possible passive aggressive violent
behaviors within our children?
Not my child
s/he’s running with the wrong crowd
(s/he may be the bad crowd)
s/he will grow out of it
Oh… s/he is acting just like me when I
was that age
It was just a prank
Boys will be boys
NOVEMBER
2018 • THRIVE | 52