The Mockery of Domestic Violence
Reginald Dixon
One of the major topics of the year has become Ray Rice’s domestic dispute with his now wife Janay Palmer. It has been reported in numerous news outlets and has forced the NFL into tightening their domestic violence policy. Now the troubled athlete has found his way back into the spotlight once again, in an unlikely way. Several Halloween photos have appeared on social media outlets such as Facebook and Instagram showcasing people wearing the football player’s jersey, along with his wife having a black eye. What’s even more shocking is that these are Caucasian males and females in “blackface”.
Now before I get into the ignorance of wearing blackface as a Halloween costume, I’d like to point out how this hurts the cause of domestic violence. Seeing these costumes speaks volumes about how people feel on the Ray Rice domestic violence situation. It says that some people believe abusing one another is funny. It’s comical to put your hands on a person without having the thought of the damage that could happen. What does this show to our up and coming generation about relationships? Why is it that only black men are being linked to domestic violence? I think of these questions while scrolling through the numerous photos that are supposedly “humorous” jokes. The fact of the matter is that domestic violence isn’t funny. It isn’t funny to lose a friend, sister, aunt, or mother by the hands of an abuser. The people, who posted these tasteless photos for the world to see, should be ashamed of their actions.
As for Caucasians being covered in blackface, I find it horrifyingly offensive and disrespectful to the race of African Americans. White America dressing up in blackface for Halloween isn’t a new occurrence. Just last year after the Trayvon Martin trial, several photos on social media were posted with Caucasians in blackface mocking Martin’s death. Halloween is a time for people to dress any way that they choose. However, choosing to dress in the manner of blackface is ignorant and disrespectful. It is a terrible excuse to claim that it is only for “fun”, when in actuality they are mocking the black community. I find it sad that in this day and age, society finds it funny to continue to marginalize the black community on Halloween. It’s also horrible that a serious and tragic subject like Domestic Violence has become a public mockery in America.
