Ellington

Okay, the New Orleans victims of Hurricane Katrina have had to deal with death, destruction, losing everything they hold dear and governmental neglect. Now they have to face racial profiling by law enforcement in St. Tammany Parish, the home of David Duke.

Oh, joy.

An excerpt from an excellent article written by AuthorsDen's Nordette Adams:

New psychology research indicates human bigotry and disgust of social outcasts is registered in the brain. Furthermore, the research suggests that most people see groups they percieve to be social outcasts as less than human. The article in Science Daily opens with a story of a brutal beating of a homeless person. The writer uses the story as an example of how some people treat those they see as less than human.

If this research is valid, then I think it gives society one more reason to reject people like Sheriff Jack Strain of St. Tammany Parish, LA, from public office and disdain them when they hold positions in the media. As I posted yesterday, you can view a video of Strain saying that "anyone who walks the streets (of St. Tammany) with 'dreadlocks and Chee Wee' hairstyles should expect a visit from the St. Tammany Parish office." He also said St. Tammany Parish won't tolerate any "New Orleans trash" in St. Tammany such as the unemployed and those displaced from New Orleans Federal Housing Projects. In other words, he's going to harass people based on ethnic hairstyles or hairstyles related to religious practice and also socio-economic status and declares such people "trash." (What is a Chee Wee? Think Cheetos.)

In essence, Strain is painting people who wear ethnic hairstyles as social outcasts deserving of public scrutiny, and there's plenty of history and research to show this can only lead to danger for the people negatively identified. He's saying it's open season on black people who choose to identify with their heritage by wearing their hair naturally or in hairstyles associated with their ethnicity. And I'm of the personal opinion, knowing Lousiana as I do, that ultimately Jack Strain and his deputies intend to harass all black people in St. Tammany Parish. Regardless of what he said, bigotry always escalates.

Geez, I don't want JPD coming after me because of my hairstyle. Maybe I should just go shave my head now. Hmph!