AMERICA AND JUSTICE FOR HER BLACK CITIZENS - THE NEED FOR FUNDAMENTAL CHANGES. PT2
Time to take the straight path?!
Some people will be minded to take the murder of 5 police officers in Dallas as a justification to argue that the American police is under attack and should be supported, but it would be wrong to do so. The murder of the officers, it would appear, was part of the consequences of various police forces oppressively 'policing' African American citizens, including murdering some of them. The call should not be about supporting the police, but changing the law enforcement system to make it impartial in its implementation.
This is the final part of this post.
It was in that context of the police callous murdering of Althon Sterling and Philando Castile, and many other innocent African Americans before them, that the murderous attack on the police in Dallas claimed the lives of 5 innocent officers, and the injuring of at least 6 others.
Of course this attack is not and cannot be 'justified' - unless the perpetrators are declaring that all American police, as an institution, is racist and that they are at war with them for, some would argue, 'being at war with the African American communities.
If, for argument sake, it really is the case that the American police are at war with the African American communities, then, it does pose the question of who will defend them against the systematic attacks the police are making on them. Some people will say that, 'every organisation has a few bad apples', and that you cannot blame or hold the whole organisation responsible.
If, for argument sake, it really is the case that the American police are at war with the African American communities, then, it does pose the question of who will defend them against the systematic attacks the police are making on them. Some people will say that, 'every organisation has a few bad apples', and that you cannot blame or hold the whole organisation responsible.
The fact is that that does not always apply; as it probably does not in an organisation such as the police, which exercises great power, the result of which can mean your death. If you cannot trust all police officers to act professionally and fairly, how do you know, as a citizen, as an African American citizen, in particular, identify which officer is the 'bad apple' and who is the honest and professional officer?
You cannot, so you decide to approach them cautiously and fearfully, most probably with the assumption that 'they are all bad apples', or are likely to be supportive and protective of the 'bad apples', in their misplaced solidarity.
We might also pose the question; if the American police is fundamentally racist, oppressive, and is at war with African Americans - and, yes, I known that the criminal element within the African American community will be cited as the rationale for the focus of police action - whose interests are they serving? If African Americans, in recognition of how 'they are being policed', are of the view that the police are not 'serving or protecting them', then, on what basis are they interacting? 'Cantonisation and containment of the African American communities?
So, yes, people do 'stereotype' people, and there are times when the majority is perceived or characterised as being afflicted by the same vices as the majority. Indeed, I wonder whether this 'stereotyped' perspective might have been the guiding force behind the murderous crimes of the police officers responsible for killing Alton Sterling and Philando Castle?
We might also pose the question; if the American police is fundamentally racist, oppressive, and is at war with African Americans - and, yes, I known that the criminal element within the African American community will be cited as the rationale for the focus of police action - whose interests are they serving? If African Americans, in recognition of how 'they are being policed', are of the view that the police are not 'serving or protecting them', then, on what basis are they interacting? 'Cantonisation and containment of the African American communities?
So, yes, people do 'stereotype' people, and there are times when the majority is perceived or characterised as being afflicted by the same vices as the majority. Indeed, I wonder whether this 'stereotyped' perspective might have been the guiding force behind the murderous crimes of the police officers responsible for killing Alton Sterling and Philando Castle?
Were they murdered because of the stereotyped mindset they, the police forces in general, and white America, in general, have about African Americans?
If the United States is to avoid more tragedies, such at these which we have seen this week, its governments, both federal and states, need to take urgent action to reform their police forces and their judiciary. It is no longer, or was ever enough for the establishment to give the appearance of listening to the deafening cry for radical and concerted changes to be made to an oppressive and racist criminal justice system, but doing too little to change it, and too slowly.
If the United States is to avoid more tragedies, such at these which we have seen this week, its governments, both federal and states, need to take urgent action to reform their police forces and their judiciary. It is no longer, or was ever enough for the establishment to give the appearance of listening to the deafening cry for radical and concerted changes to be made to an oppressive and racist criminal justice system, but doing too little to change it, and too slowly.
It is, arguably, criminally negligent to have murderous police officers such as we have seen in the case of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, with guns, and the 'right' to use them, except as a last resort. Police forces that have officers such as these have a duty to ruthlessly root them out of their forces and avoid being reinfected with their criminality and a lawlessness.
A shared vision for all Americans?
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