As a person of color myself*, I feel compelled to ask why it is racist to suggest that the African-American community (churches, civic organizations, schools, etc.) locally take more action to combat violence within that same community by condemning all violence, physical, emotional, or verbal, including all forms of bullying.
Community leaders have to step to the plate to do more for their own communities: they have the most influence. Municipal police have very little credibility obviously, as does the municipal government.
This has nothing directly to do with the color of one's skin or race per se. It does all to do with culture. I have rarely felt intimidated or threatened by African or Caribbean immigrants. Or (dark-skinned) Indians or Southeast Asians. I suspect violent crime is very low within these demographic groups.
Why is it racist to make this assertion?
Statistics aside, when was the last time a non-black person assaulted (or killed) a black person?
Why is it racist to ask this question?
Statistics as part of the discussion, why is it perfectly legitimate to using them when utilizing them to decry higher poverty rates and lower levels of educational achievement among African-Americans, and Hispanics to a somewhat lower extent but NOT appropriate to look at wildly disproportionate rates of violent crime among this same group?
Is it possible that there are multiple causes to the higher crime rate other than slavery and institutional racism, such as poor role models, macho behaviors among males, non-existent family planning, and most of all "the blame game," i.e., it's Hispanics who are stealing our jobs in California, Asians who cheat us, Jews who own all the wealth, etc.?
Why do some people think it is O.K. to use violence against those who openly ask these questions and look for answers?
If not now, then when?
History can be used in many ways, one of which is to justify maladaptive, destructive patterns of behavior.**
* who had African-American teachers in kindergarten and in the third grade and who was once befriended in a time of great isolation in college by one of the kindest and gentlest persons he has ever met, an African-American librarian, Mr. Morton.
** (This was done, for example, by Lenin and the Bolshevik party to define "class enemies" and rid Russia of its feudal system).
Community leaders have to step to the plate to do more for their own communities: they have the most influence. Municipal police have very little credibility obviously, as does the municipal government.
This has nothing directly to do with the color of one's skin or race per se. It does all to do with culture. I have rarely felt intimidated or threatened by African or Caribbean immigrants. Or (dark-skinned) Indians or Southeast Asians. I suspect violent crime is very low within these demographic groups.
Why is it racist to make this assertion?
Statistics aside, when was the last time a non-black person assaulted (or killed) a black person?
Why is it racist to ask this question?
Statistics as part of the discussion, why is it perfectly legitimate to using them when utilizing them to decry higher poverty rates and lower levels of educational achievement among African-Americans, and Hispanics to a somewhat lower extent but NOT appropriate to look at wildly disproportionate rates of violent crime among this same group?
Is it possible that there are multiple causes to the higher crime rate other than slavery and institutional racism, such as poor role models, macho behaviors among males, non-existent family planning, and most of all "the blame game," i.e., it's Hispanics who are stealing our jobs in California, Asians who cheat us, Jews who own all the wealth, etc.?
Why do some people think it is O.K. to use violence against those who openly ask these questions and look for answers?
If not now, then when?
History can be used in many ways, one of which is to justify maladaptive, destructive patterns of behavior.**
* who had African-American teachers in kindergarten and in the third grade and who was once befriended in a time of great isolation in college by one of the kindest and gentlest persons he has ever met, an African-American librarian, Mr. Morton.
** (This was done, for example, by Lenin and the Bolshevik party to define "class enemies" and rid Russia of its feudal system).
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