If a Black Man cries, is he considered a PUNK?

[Bri'on]

The Benefits of Sharing Emotions

[Patrick Haltiwanger]

Yes, but only according to inane social doctrine. Let's be honest, if a black man does anything; besides what we've been stereotypically typecast as, his manhood undergoes scrutiny.
In my experience; these stoic, nonchalant, and cryptic individuals tend to harbor deep-rooted self-hatred, which is corrosive.
Usually all those suppressed emotions transform into frustration, bitterness, confusion, and unfortunately rage. It just doesn't make sense to exhaust all your energy to suppress emotion, when eventually it will manifest. It's frighteningly unhealthy.
I think that's why studies show women have a tendency to live longer. All that internal emotional warfare is exceedingly draining, and you're literally at war with yourself.

I've gotten better at it myself. I've learned, if it's on my mind, heart, and soul. UNAPOLOGETICALLY EXPRESS IT!
I don't think there's much anyone else could call me. I'll be a punk, sissy, or any other derogatory term used to insult me.
I have to give someone the power and permission to make me feel inferior. I don't give my power away that easily.

I express myself.

[Bri'on]

Where I grew up, if you expressed one iota of a tear, there would be a line of fools(male & female) waiting to take your lunch money everyday...when I transitioned over to corporate, I noticed a slight difference on how "emotional" Black Men were treated.  Instead of a physical beat-down, emotional black men were never respected. Those brutha's may have gotten promoted and even invited to upscale socialite parties...but never quite fully accepted and the butt of most jokes. 

 

 

 

[Bri'on]

It is unhealthy to hold traumatic and/or dramatic emotions back. There is the fact of poor individual health but poor individual health affects the health of the community and family. By bottling up emotions, we infringe those emotions through our relationships with others and ultimately ourselves. That infringement can be destructive and lead to ensuing disasters like loss of employment, incarceration, and in severe cases, death.  

 

 

 

 

[Prentiss E. Whitley Jr., MHR]

In society (especially professional society) an emotional Black man is alternatively pitied and feared. Pitied because society deems that behavior weak, and feared because a show of emotions makes them think about a time where you may snap and display that which they always knew was in you- the untamed, uncultured ghetto dweller.

 

In personal settings I feel it comes down to how you carry yourself. I am a grown man who lives in the entire range of human existence, therefore I experience a full range of human emotions. I really got emotional after I had my first child...now some movies make me cry, and I can't watch a child crime on the news without feeling something. Yet no one would look at me a consider me soft. However, my friends know me and know that I am a strong, intelligent, ambitious man. And those men cry as well as laugh.

[Patrick Haltiwanger]

I'm heartistically expressive, and I value that trait about myself. I'm strongly opposed to jeopardizing my health, from lack of self-expression, just to acquire social brownie points to validate my 'manhood'. We ought to be more secure in one's own personhood based on our merits.
If we're assertive -- that's misconstrued as aggressive.
If we're emotionally withdrawn -- that's misconstrued as cold and bitter.

If I want to emotionally express myself; I will. If asinine mad individuals want to hurl insults, then so be it. Why must blacks wallow in circumstantial, convenient, and complacent mediocrity? If a white man wears tight clothing, makeup, and nail polish -- he's labeled rockstar. If he's black -- his sexuality is questioned.

I don't suggest anyone act out of emotions all the time, but neglecting your emotions altogether seems far more dangerous.

[Bri'on]

I was talking with a lady friend of mine last night about this topic. She believes black boys should be allowed to express their feelings early so that it is well facilitated by adulthood. She says a black man crying does not make him look like a punk, unless he is just balling in the middle of the street for no reason. She encourages black men to cry, in context.

[Patrick Haltiwanger]

I have to interject, because who's authorized to specify what constitutes a reason to cry? If you see a man in the middle of the street bawling, more than likely you don't know him, so you perceive it as no reason. In fact you don't know the exact reason.

If he's deeply hurt and disturbed -- let that man cry.
If he's overwhelmingly joyful -- let that man cry.
He's a punk, because someone else says so?

I have people who'll kill me without any remorse, because of my nationality, skin color, or etc. I'm just like to hell with people's assumptions and expectations.

[Bri'on]

@Patrick: You have proven your point to me today. I stopped by a local bar on my way home and played a song in the jukebox. The song hit home to some things that happened to me over the weekend and I wept. Another brother came up and asked if I was o.k. I just walked away and went on with my business. Why, part1. = my pain, part2. = my pride. 

Patrick Haltiwanger said:

I have to interject, because who's authorized to specify what constitutes a reason to cry? If you see a man in the middle of the street bawling, more than likely you don't know him, so you perceive it as no reason. In fact you don't know the exact reason.

If he's deeply hurt and disturbed -- let that man cry.
If he's overwhelmingly joyful -- let that man cry.
He's a punk, because someone else says so?

I have people who'll kill me without any remorse, because of my nationality, skin color, or etc. I'm just like to hell with people's assumptions and expectations.

[LibyaWest]

Yes, if he's gay!

[Bri'on]

What do crying and gay got to do with each other?

LibyaWest said:

Yes, if he's gay!

[LibyaWest]

Think about it in the context of your initial question.

[Bri'on]

Where I grew up and in the time that I grew up in, punk did not equate to gay. A punk was someone who did not stand up for themselves or did punk $hit. I do understand that in certain segments of the country punk and gay are synonymous, but that is NOT my intentions here. I am asking more on the health issue as the article states.

 

The Benefits of Sharing Emotions

LibyaWest said:

Think about it in the context of your initial question.