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The BLM movement can address their grievances through vehicles intended to do that or they can choose other inappropriate means and it is clear, in my view, they have. Other appropriate means include filing civil rights violation claims with the courts so that they can be adjudicated and resolved. Airing grievances before City Councils in politically respectful ways. Choosing quietly implemented tactics to influence outcomes, for example, boycotting companies that have questionable policies involving any kind of discrimination .... and there are plenty of those. In this country, for corporations doing business here, money talks. Decrease income and profits or create intense media scrutiny of company practices and behavior will change.
Well obviously you can't boycott a police force, but, otherwise, do you know they haven't tried all those other things first, before escalating? I know that some have. My days as a police reporter were more than a decade ago, but I know certainly that at that time in south Florida high-level officers had regular relationships and meetings with community leaders -- pastors, etc.
I think that the debate is now at a point where the question is ``institutional racism'', as in, all those things you suggest might work fine for white folks, but people like you and me don't have a sense for how those institutions work differently for black people. For white people like us (or in my case a slightly-brown person whose minority is no longer a target but once was), it is no fun to hear that we can never know what it's like to be a black person so we just have to listen and accept what they tell us. That seems extreme. I would like to believe that I could walk a mile in their shoes. The truth is probably between the two poles. We may not be able to experience America as blacks do today, but we can try harder and at least get closer to that reality, and it's probably incumbent on us to try. I don't think we should assume black people are just ignoring the easier/more peaceable options in favor of doing what they are doing.
Well obviously you can't boycott a police force, but, otherwise, do you know they haven't tried all those other things first, before escalating? I know that some have. My days as a police reporter were more than a decade ago, but I know certainly that at that time in south Florida high-level officers had regular relationships and meetings with community leaders -- pastors, etc.
I think that the debate is now at a point where the question is ``institutional racism'', as in, all those things you suggest might work fine for white folks, but people like you and me don't have a sense for how those institutions work differently for black people. For white people like us (or in my case a slightly-brown person whose minority is no longer a target but once was), it is no fun to hear that we can never know what it's like to be a black person so we just have to listen and accept what they tell us. That seems extreme. I would like to believe that I could walk a mile in their shoes. The truth is probably between the two poles. We may not be able to experience America as blacks do today, but we can try harder and at least get closer to that reality, and it's probably incumbent on us to try. I don't think we should assume black people are just ignoring the easier/more peaceable options in favor of doing what they are doing.
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