This has been a very difficult week for our country. First, we heard that Alton Sterling, an African-American man, was wrestled to the ground by two police officers then shot in the chest four times. A bystander shot video of this, and other video showed that Sterling was unarmed at the moment he was shot. Just a day later, Philando Castile, a cafeteria supervisor with no criminal record, was shot after a traffic stop for a broken taillight. The horrific aftermath of the shooting was live streamed by his girlfriend. First of all, when the police officer approached the car, he asked them to keep their hands up. (Why? I have NEVER been asked to keep my hands up when I've been stopped by the police. NEVER!!!!!!!!) Then he asked for Castile's license and registration. Castile informed the officer that he had a firearm but was licensed to carry, and that he was just getting his wallet. The officer said put your hands up, and when Castile did, the officer shot him. What the fuck?!?! In front of his girlfriend and his four-year-old daughter! They are going to be traumatized for the rest of their lives! This is murder!
People protested all over the country against what again is the unjustified killing of black people. The Dallas Police Department, which by all accounts is a great department with a good relationship with the community, was there among the protesters, taking pictures with the people. It was, by all accounts, a peaceful protest. Then the unthinkable happened. A lone shooter with a rifle gunned down 11 police officers in a rampage of bullets, killing 5 and injuring 6. One civilian was also injured. He was despicable. He wanted to kill white people, in particular, white officers. There are those who want to link him to the Black Lives Matter movement, but in fact he was not part of that movement. The Black Lives Matter movement is not about murdering police officers. It's about justice and equitable treatment. In fact, even some conservative media is beginning just now to realize that. But not all. And certainly, not all hearts and minds are there yet.
The bottom line is that as a society, we fear black people. There is a stereotype that black people aren't to be trusted. That they're scary. Dangerous. Why else do white people admit that they cross the street or hold on more tightly to their purse when they encounter a black person? Why else do they say that it's not okay for black males to wear hoodies because of the perception of being a thug, but it's okay for white males? Why else do white people call Richard Sherman, a Stanford graduate, a thug when he gets emotional on camera, yet Donald Trump who has said far worse things repeatedly, is the presumptive GOP presidential nominee? Why else do white people call schools that have a large number of black and brown faces "ghetto" and "dangerous" when there is no evidence that they are either of those things?
Earlier this week, I wrote an article about institutionalized racism, white privilege and white fragility that was published in the Seattle Times. Not surprisingly, I received a lot of hateful comments from professional right-wing trolls who called me "racist" and "loony". They invited me to leave the country if I didn't like it here. They equated the terms "white privilege" and "white fragility" with racial epithets. And they criticized me, the Seattle Times and higher education for indoctrinating students with "lefty drivel".
The thing is, everything they did proved my point. Their defensiveness was the ultimate in white fragility. Everything that happened this week showed that black men are killed by police for no apparent reason. The fact that the NRA has yet to speak out about Castile's case (he had a concealed carry permit) speaks volumes about the fact that the NRA has a connection to a white racial identity (i.e. if you're a white gun owner you're a patriot, if you're a black gun owner, you're a thug).
I have gotten to the point that some of my friends have gotten to. No coddling anymore. No tiptoeing around the issues. As long as people think they can get away with maintaining the status quo, they're going to do it. Well, it's not going to happen around me. Just saying. It's not okay. The status quo is not good enough anymore.
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