In honor of my hero, Ida B. Wells, and to all of the untold stories of people who have faced political and social lynching of any kind I would like to formally address the issue. Let’s be honest, as citizens of the United States, and I can only assume citizens of any country, we must be particularly careful about what we say and how we move. To be clear, the United States has a constitution which has often been quoted and mentioned, but the realities of adhering and maintaining the truth of its articles often depends on the social status of those who are being condemned. For instance, citizens have been told that they have the right to a fair and speedy trial but imagine being an innocent person who has been accused and tried in an effort to lynch them socially, thereby taking away their rights in a way that is often unnoticed and socially acceptable. One of the many ways that something like this can happen is though the common HOA.
The Improper Use of HOAs
We know that a homeowner’s association can be both a blessing and a curse. Many times, HOA’s are used to govern and spy on homeowners, enforcing unfair and unreasonable requirements on individuals. One of the unreasonable rules might be that you as a homeowner do not have the ability to have a garden and grow your own vegetables, or if you have a large dog, you may not have the right to place a six-foot fence around your property. Imagine paying thousands of dollars to move into a home after signing a contract stating that your home could at any time be taken away from you if you were unable to maintain your property. Rules such as this are often written directly into the HOA contract. Furthermore, the HOA often has the rights to change their rules at the drop of a dime, and if the governmental body decides that they no longer want you as a neighbor, they can collectively decide to create laws to force you out of the neighborhood. There are many other ways that citizens are and can be socially lynched.
Interference of Employment Status
In particular, we as citizens must at the very least have a sense of political awareness. The politics of an area, and where you stand politically has the ability to build you, or to destroy you. As long as you are a citizen of a city or state, you must be aware that your opinions and actions are constantly being judged whether you like it or not. You may say who cares, but you should at the very least be aware. Everyone need to be able to pay their bills and to take care of themselves and their family, but if the place where you live deems you as one who holds opinions, or you express topics that the collective feels is not conducive to their welfare, you could be ousted in sneaky ways that may involve destroying your occupation, reputation, and more over your life in general. This social ousting may include using the very judicial and law enforcement systems that we were taught existed to protect its citizens.
Improper Use of Law Enforcement
Imagine being a person who spent their entire life following the social rules, only to find out that your own community considers you to be a social pariah who should be placed under lock and key. Or perhaps even worse, what if in order to maintain order, they deemed you as being mentally unfit, creating law enforcement “issues” in your family in an effort to acquire your land and property? This sounds like a nightmare, right? Trust me, this can happen to anyone, even you!
Homage to Ida B. Wells
I dedicated this article to Ida B. Wells, not because I am trying to make a racial statement, but as an African American female, I admire and would like to pay homage to the woman whose footprints I would like to follow. Ida B. Wells saw an opportunity to place a spotlight on the injustice of lynching black men in 1892 after her friend Thomas Moss was violently lynched because he was a successful grocer in Memphis. As a teacher and journalist, she felt compelled to conduct further research, and found that 728 lynching cases occurred in the US between 1884 and 1892. She wrote about the situation and found herself out of a teaching position. She was forced to move to Chicago and to change her career, and her name.
Closing and scripture
In closing, many social conditions have improved since 1892, but some things seem to remain the same. We as citizens must monitor the things that we are being told about our neighbors, because as we are maintaining our perceived sense of “collective justice” for the good of the cause, there is someone who is being unjustly and unfairly punished while the elite, and the politically privileged are becoming millionaires. All the while, the political, and social structures conduct and maintain the “dirty work” of the elite. Please do not be offended by this article if you are rich and socially affluent while you are contributing positively to your community. This article is not about you. This is really a clarion call for common citizens to monitor how we move, as well as what we say. Lastly, I would like to quote a scripture from Hebrews 13:3 “Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.”