Quite frankly, I was very upset with Gay's article. Although I believe and know that racism is still an issue, I think that the term is being applied to every scenario that arises. When I watched the video of Ben Fields throwing the young girl across the classroom, the first thought that crossed my mind wasn't that she was black. I was appalled that this had happened to a student, whatever their race. In my opinion, Gay, and many involved in the "Black Lives Matter" movement are looking for instances that they can label as blatant racism, ignoring whether or not the action was racially motivated or not. As a result, it is almost as if they are diluting the concept of racism, relating it to every issue before giving it much thought.
A few weeks ago, I watched "Fox News Sunday," and one of the aspects they dealt with was the recent surge in cop killings. After watching it, I further realized that the relentless propaganda war raged on police officers leads to a complete misrepresentation of defense and an avoidance of realizing the true nature of an increase in crime. The people serious in the “Black Lives Matter” movement are missing an opportunity for dialogue and bridging the gap between the two communities of the people and the police force. They have to investigate the facts that black on black crime is still extremely prevalent and is far more deadly than police misconduct. Yet, the media never fails to link instances of police misconduct into a national narrative, spurring a response without a solid basis. However, what isn’t shown are the dangers the police officers face on a daily basis because this is overshadowed by the few counts of police misconduct. For example, this year, in Philadelphia, police managed to remove 2000 guns off the streets without one shot being fired by a police officer. But, of course, no one talks about this kind of thing. The media likes to present one type of story, typically one with an emotional background, and instigates an irreparable picture. People find it easier to sympathize with the painting of the oppressed, and that is what Gay is trying to accomplish.
Yes, there are double standards for African-Americans. Yes, racism is an issue that needs to be dealt with. But it needs to come from both sides. And not everything can be deemed racist before investigating it. We don't know what the student was doing before the video began its recording. She wasn't complying with orders and was resisting a police officer. That we do know. Although this doesn't excuse Fields's actions, and he has since been fired from his job, the African-American community needs to look internally at themselves as well. The police and our defense force are looking out for our best interests. The "Black Lives Matter" movement needs to examine its current standing, and find a way to approach their interests in a way that acknowledges all sides to the story.
Link to the article: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/30/opinion/where-are-black-children-safe.html
The video of Ben Fields throwing the female student across the room.
There is some faulty logic in your argument taken from Fox News. First, just because there is a lot of black-on-black crime doesn't mean there is not also racism in how police deal with black people. This is an "apples vs. oranges" argument. One doesn't relate to the other. It's a distraction. The same applies to the argument that there are plenty of good done by police officers. Again, apples and oranges. The Black Lives Matters movement's sole purpose is to highlight racism and show it to the world. They are not journalists and are not obligated to be unbiased. They are activists, and that's what activists do--highlight an area of injustice. They are not obligated to highlight the areas that not problems. I don't think anyone is saying "all police are bad." But Black Lives Matters want us to know that some are, and they are disproportionately bad toward black people, and they respond with violence too often when there are other ways a situation could be handled.
ReplyDeleteAlso, you say "the black community should look at themselves as well," as if they are one mind. Each person is an individual. How would you respond if someone said that about Jews? You don't all agree, and neither do black people. You are not responsible for the actions of some police officer in Israel any more than one black person is responsible for the actions of that girl in the desk. However, the police ARE an organization with guidelines for conduct. Black Lives Matters wants those guidelines analyzed and enforced. Is that so wrong?