So, what is the true face of terror in the African-American community?

I find myself asking this question after reading an article on the Boston Globe website. You can find the article here.

We as African Americans have struggled for many years to try and improve our situation within the structure of America. I, myself have worked to try and uplift many young people and I suppose that I'll spend the rest of my life in that endeavor.
However, in my many years of life, I have found that our own ignorance has done more to tear ourselves down and to help those who wish to bring us low, than anything or anyone has ever done. Between the emotional degradation of our women, the social emasculation of our intelligent men, and the terrorism of our elderly, it is a miracle and a testament to our durability that we have lasted this long. To quote Marvin Gaye from "Inner City Blues," "Oh, make me wanna holler and throw up both my hands...."
I'm sure that I am not the first to have spoken on this subject, but the way I figure, if enough voices cry out about a problem, eventually it will be dealt with. At least, that is what I hope.

But to move on with this essay, Jeff Jacoby's article basically discusses the statistical truth that African Americans do more harm to ourselves than any other ethnic group. More African Americans are killed by other African Americans, than by any other ethnic group. That is an inarguable fact; put me on blast if you want to, but the numbers cannot lie.
What Jacoby does not discuss are the myriad reasons for this ugly truth. Forgive the comparison, but if you put a bunch of rats in a pen and expose them to socially harmful stimuli in an unforgiving environment, there will be "rat on rat violence" and statistically, more rats will be killed by other rats, than by rat poison or cats.
African Americans have been placed in an unforgiving environment and are constantly exposed to harmful stimuli. I could carry on about the inequity of the situation, but I do not have to. Just travel in any major city and look for yourself. However, the facts of this situation speak for themselves.

However, the solution to this problem is very simple in concept, but difficult to implement. We have to step forward and take back our community. We have to be willing to do what it takes in order to bring ourselves back from ruin.
We have to be brave enough to stand up to the thugs and pushers who sell poison and enlist our children as their foot soldiers in their useless turf wars. Gang violence and drug culture are not the iconic pastimes we want for our kids. Did any of you want your children to grow up to become hustlers and players?
We have to be tough enough to take responsibility for the actions of our family members and be willing to hold our children responsible for their actions; especially their wrongdoing. When the teacher calls you about your child acting up at school, you have to be willing to hear what he or she has to say and not be so quick to dismiss it. We have to be willing to participate in our children's education and lives.
We have to be concerned enough to take back control of our media and media focused upon us. African American music is more than hip hop and our performers are more than rappers. The images that our children see in the media are what mold and shape them in their daily lives. If all they see are gangstas on TV, then what will they emulate in order to find success in living in real life?

We have to be willing to stand up and fight for our future and how we wish to be seen by the world. In fact, I am driven to remember a quote from cartoon artist, Walt Kelly, the creator of "Pogo the Possum." Kelly's strip often imparted gems of wisdom and wit, masked by the seemingly innocent guise of a comic strip. To continue, a particular quote from that famous comic comes to mind when I think of what is happening with the national African American community. In fact, those of us who are willing to stand up and fight for our way of life should take this as our motto:

"Resolve then, that on this very ground, with small flags waving and tinny blasts on tiny trumpets, we shall meet the enemy, and not only may he be ours, he may be us.