Ebonics and the DEA

Approximately 13 years ago, the word Ebonics fell into our culture like a lead brick. Websites dedicated to urban slang terms popped up like gang busters, a school district in California lobbied to make it a language taught in our schools, and everybody and their momma was using the Jive Dictionary to be hep. I have to admit I had done a whole news article dedicated to informing folks on the "new" school of speaking, which later was picked up by a radio station that announced a Slang Word of the Day for at least a month.

However, with Ebonics, there came a serious debate. Were we teaching our children to dumb down their speech? Was Ebonics a smarter way to communicate with our urban youth? And mainly, why was urban slang such a target when every youth group had their own lingo (i.e. skaters, goths, jocks)? It kind of reminded me of that scene in the slapstick comedy, Airplane, where the stewardess couldn't understand the two black passengers. Suddenly, another brother popped up and said, "Excuse me, I speak Jive." Then he proceeds to translate the quandary. Part of me laughed, the other part of me said, "What are you saying? You mean you can't understand us?"

Now my cackles have risen once again as I learn that the Drug Enforcement Agency is looking for 9 expert Ebonics translators (you heard me) to help them decode language used by drug dealers in the Southeast region of the country. Seriously? Fo' real? I don't know if I'm angry or just dumbfounded.

I am notorious for utilizing slang in my everyday life. Those who are fortunate (possibly unfortunate) enough to carry on a conversation with me know that I crisscross slang and SAT-type vocabulary like a double dutch pro. I love soaking up new words. I've read the dictionary because I never wanted anyone to use a word I could not translate. I was glad to take Latin in high school, because it taught me to breakdown language. I speak a language which, in itself, is a dialect of five to ten other languages. You would think I would be glad that there was a branch of the government utilizing this language for the good of the people.

Not necessarily.

I think what has me annoyed about this prospect is that once again our world, our culture, our lifestyle is being singled out for scrutiny. I rarely, if never, hear about how the government's need for translators who can interpret Neo-Nazi propaganda language or special code used by Wall Street-types embezzling our hard earned dollars. Aren't they just as dangerous? Don't they have their own lingo and slang terms to be deciphered and broken down?

Much as I hate to admit it, you got to give credit to the drug dealers for coming up with a language so hard that the DEA has to budget a portion of its $2.6M to crack it. What I find even more annoying is that the DEA shoots itself in the foot by making such a request because now those same dealers will know their codes are being tracked and will switch it up like a well phrased verse in a freestyle. So, they're translators will be obsolete before they even get started, which means once again our tax dollars are wasted.

The sadder fact is the DEA may be stifled in their efforts because those who know the language best may live by the code of no snitching, which means they will never tell no matter the pay you give them. It's the age old duel between authority and rebels, which leaves the folks in the middle ducking and weaving to avoid the crossfire.

It's a battle of words, everyone. Where do you stand? Pray for me (us), y'all.