(09-06-2017 02:39 PM)Redwingtom Wrote: Very possible. And I don't envy their position at all. It can't be easy.
I don't consider myself a racist, but I can't deny that I was brought up with the notion that blacks commit more crime as well as hearing the n word from my friends, parents and my siblings as well as using it myself to my white friends and relatives. I know now that it was wrong, but when you're young you don't think like that. While there are certainly a small amount of cops who are on power trips and the like, you have to believe that a certain amount of them had upbringings like me where these stereotypes were drilled into your head. And now when you have power and a gun and perform a stressful job that could result in loss of your life in an instant, it's not easy.
I will NEVER forget an experience I had with a cop in the small town I grew up in. We were outside a bar one night around 1992 or so and the cops had been called after a black guy was bounced out of the bar for a reason I can't remember now. He did leave peacefully before the cop arrived, but the cop remained for awhile and joked with the bouncers who were friends of mine and then he said something I'll never forget: "I would have done a Rodney King on his ass!" he said. That has stayed with me for over 20 years now.
Hopefully someday it will get better...but I don't see it happening in my lifetime.
I think what you said could be said by many people of a certain age. I'm in my mid 40s and I assume you aren't too far off.
My grandfather, born in 1904, in another country used some of the same language. He came from an area with much ethnic strife (let's think of "Balkanization") and brought those experiences here with him. That being said, you'd be his best friend, even if you were polka dot colored if you worked next to him, sweating, putting in an honest day. And, my father, used the language less, but had on occasion. While in his job, he hired many more women and minorities (forty years ago) than were common in his specific white collar industry. I think they, and maybe some people of their age, struggled with reconciling broad generalizations (while using those epithets), with their personal experiences one-on-one, just treating people as people.
I disagree with your statement about you don't think things will get better in your lifetime. I think they have improved greatly in our lifetimes. Because things aren't "perfect" is not a reason to be discouraged and not recognize the progress that has been made already.
I can say that those words were not used and aren't used in my social circles. I only note that because, anecdotally, I see that as progress. I see that as a reason for hope.
There are problems with crime and social issues where a study of various demographics can find concentrations in communities. We have to be able to acknowledge that without being automatically called "racist" shutting down the conversation. We have to discuss those reasons and find solutions for those problems. Those are the conversations to be had, as I truly believe most of us do care about our fellow man, deeply.
I have a friend who works in federal law enforcement and was for a while tasked with drug enforcement in a major city. A lot of the "busts" they did were within the inner city. They didn't go there due to someone's color. They went there because that was where the drugs are (whether legalization is an issue or not, they aren't now, so that agency does enforcement). He would talk about the squalor of many of these locations where people lived. He didn't do it in a demeaning way. You can tell how much it weighs upon him. He didn't see color. He saw people who needed something. People who society/government weren't helping and may, in fact, be hindering, through policy and the way assistance, education and other things are handled.
In the Michael Bennett situation, the Las Vegas PD has responded, initially, that there was an active shooter situation going on right where he was. If he fit the description or something similar, I think most of us would agree that he could be detained, and quickly released when determined to not be the guy. That doesn't mean the cops treated him well or properly. I'm on board that could be the issue. So, to fix "this" problem, let's fix any cop who is a prick, instead of assuming this happened because of his skin color.
But if we just automatically assume "race" then we aren't going to fix any problem.
I greatly appreciate your post.