Facts
won’t dissuade people who are stubbornly invested in racism. The fact that
Freddie Gray’s death was ruled a second degree murder and that six cops have
been arrested won’t mean anything to them. The fact that his arrest was deemed
illegal won’t make a difference. They will be unmoved by the fact that even Fox
News of all networks is now acknowledging this happened. They’ll still say, “Oh,
that ruling was only made to appease the black people. More proof that they’re
privileged and oppressing whites.” I’ve heard this point of view expressed
loudly from white people who are still somehow convinced that they’re “not
allowed” to say it. I’ve also seen Fox’s desperate scramble to try to imply
that this wasn’t a race issue because several of the cops involved were
non-white. Those accepting this explanation don’t recognize internalized racism
and how, in the end, it still serves white supremacist aims.
Talking
about this is not “making it about race.” It was already about race and class;
talking about that is just acknowledging it. And it’s funny how CNN commenters
will make that claim, yet think that making sweeping criticisms of the black
population and accusing them of “separating themselves” is somehow not making it about
race. This public discussion, of course, is littered by cries of “Why do you
have to keep bringing up the past?” Abridged answer: Because the past leaks
into the present and future, and because talking about history is a way of
recognizing patterns. It’s noticeable how the white people who say they feel no
guilt or responsibility for things that other white people did throughout
history are the ones who feel so threatened by others bringing up that past. If
they really thought it had nothing to do with them, they wouldn’t get
defensive.
It’s
not hard to be a white person, whatever some might say. I can understand how it
might be really hard to be a cop at this time—not a white cop specifically, but
a cop in general. It probably feels like people are making assumptions or that
these kinds of posts are directed at them individually. But if a cop is not
doing or supporting these things, then these posts don’t apply to them. And
part of being a progressive, helpful cop is not only refraining from corruption
and abuse, but reporting it when they see it in other officers. Part of it is
not immediately assuming that another officer must have been in the right, but
taking a careful and honest look at what they did. And it’s recognizing that
those of us who are against this are not necessarily “against all cops” or solely blaming
police officers, but seeing that the police abuse that does exist is part of a
larger pattern of oppression. It’s also recognizing that while it may be hard
to be a police officer, it’s a much greater challenge to live as a non-white
person in America—and yes, there are also those who fit both categories. They
need to be recognized, but not used as tokens to derail the topic.
Facts
won’t matter to everyone, but that doesn’t mean that those who won’t accept
facts are hopeless. Before they can be receptive, they need to come to a point
where they no longer feel inclined to cling to white defensiveness (whether or
not they are white). That turning point may differ from person to person, but
the results are the same and will lead to a true and healthy unity.
