I think Will Smith said it best with, “Parents just don’t understand.”

In a more accurate way, though, white parents just don’t understand.

Stemming from a cultural ideology that places white children at the forefront of innocence, the almost unanimous white members of the MPAA appear to agree that showing their kids doing unspeakable things is outside of their race jurisdiction.

Because violence is saturated in racial ignorance for white folks, our cultural perception of safety, crime and bullying, too, is saturated with myths and excuses.

The documentary, Bully and the tragic murder of Trayvon Martin are perfect examples of this.

Although movie ratings that depict slasher-violence, degradation of women and people of color are readily permitted for viewing by teenage audiences, a documentary chronicling the true lives of children and teens affected by bullying is crossing the line. Parents no longer feel the padding that Hollywood movies have to offer. The horror is simply too real.

Not only is documentation of children cussing and cruelly taunting other children too surreal for many, but the fact that so many bullies are white is an altogether devastation. When white people watch film or television and see someone of color either enacting violence or being the victim of violence, we don’t think twice. However, when roles are reversed, such as white children pushing other kids to suicide or white teens killing defenseless, hood-wearing folks, we cannot make sense of it. Not only that, but we must find a way to justify it.

White people have what I like to call an alibi complex. By this, I simply mean that by white perceptions, people of color are innately laced with flaws such as drug use, prostitution, low socioeconomic status and violence. However, when it is pointed out to white folks that they too participate, and generally in larger numbers, in these same acts, they’ve got a story to tell and a reason why. It happened to them, not because of them.

Racism surpasses white understanding in a tragically unique way.

An irony is that because we’re so unable to confront the consequences of nurturing racism, sexism, homophobia and violence, among other things, we get ourselves into further trouble.

Ignoring the racial motivations, conscious or subconscious, behind Martin’s shooting will only lead to more innocent victims of white people’s denial. Similarly, ignoring that white children and parents substantially and nationally contribute to these problems will only strengthen their presence.

It’s imperative that films like Bully be seen by, well, pretty much everyone, especially kids and teens. Further, white kids and teens especially need to see the film. They are, I believe, a group with promising potential to either enact tremendous violence or create much needed change.

Something that has always helped me to put things into perspective was one of Stephen Covey’s, “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” and a a bit of advice my father gave me growing up, “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.”