With Palms Together,
Troublesome thoughts: opinion is not fact. Feelings are not fact. Thoughts are not fact. Yet most of us, i believe, consider our subjective perceptions, thoughts and feelings, to be fact, fact that we act upon.
In the first three months of this year 213 civilians were shot by police. Given our perception of police engagements with Blacks, how many of those shot were Black? Answer: 30. Frankly, I would have guest a number higher than 50% and I would have been wrong.
There is, however, no question that Black lives taken by police, over a year, are disproportionately higher than those of Whites. A simple answer used by many is that this is a result of systematic racism among police agencies and as such represents a form of White supremacy. I am not so sure.
There are a lot of factors that play into this picture. Crime rates in Black communities, poverty, Black on Black violence, to name a few.
Recently, I’ve begun a study of Critical Race Theory, trying to understand the principles and motives that support it, and come to some terms with my own prejudices. The theory asserts that our entire nation is racist and even gains made through civil rights legislation are more about White advantage than Black civil rights. “Whiteness” is understood as property and liberalism is essentially racist.
I admit I struggle with this theoretical position. It ignores nuanced differences between bias and prejudice, for instance. It begins with an essentially racist belief that all Whites are racist and then seeks to establish this as the underlying truth of the theory.
Thus far in my research, it seems to fail to address the existential responsibility of individuals to achieve, choosing instead to blame “Whiteness” for the failure of Black communities to succeed.
CRT uses subjective narrative to support its claims. Personal stories of racist encounters with Whites reinforce the theory. Yet, I would hope we might know that anecdotal evidence is highly subjective and often is self-serving.
There is no doubt in my mind that racism exists in America and elsewhere in the world. It exists within all races and ethnic groups, Black, White, Asian, Native American. I believe it is important, essential, to recognize our own prejudices and biases, and work to extinguish them. But I don’t believe one racist point of view cancels another either. It is critically important that we each examine our own lives, the choices we make, the values we hold, and how we comport ourselves. Black Lives Matter and how we understand this, as Whites and Blacks, is critically important. In my opinion it is not helpful to use one racial stereotype to confront another.
May we each find a way to live in harmony.
ADDENDUM:
What are the limits to our responsibility, both personal and collective for our parents and parents parents behavior? Do we or should we, bear personal or collective responsibility for past generations?
I believe our personal responsibility begins with our own attitudes and behavior, but also how we deal with our parent’s attitudes and behaviors. While we can say our parents helped shape us, that shape is our responsibility.
My mother was prejudiced against Cubans as we lived through the Cuban mass immigration. As I had Cuban friends and neighbors, I knew them differently from my mother and rejected her prejudice. I think my early exposure and reaction to overt racism and prejudice allowed me to work hard to free myself from it: a lifelong process.
Prejudice and hate literally make me sick, I feel it viscerally. I confront anti-semitism, racial hatred, sexism, and any other form of prejudice as directly as I am able, including that which I may uncover in myself. I believe this is our responsibility to do.
I do not believe I am responsible for my ancestor’s behavior, but do believe I hold some responsibility in addressing its consequence. Why? Because I am a citizen and member of a diverse society. How is it not my responsibility to make our world a better place?