Saturday 15 November 2014

Racism or Oversensitivity

#controversy #okay2disagree.blogspot.co.uk

              
 

In Ferguson


Ferguson, Missouri, was unknown to me living in England before August 9. That's the day Darren Wilson, a white police officer, shot and killed Michael Brown, an unarmed black teen.
The shooting prompted protests in the suburb of St. Louis, making it a flash point in the debate over race and policing in America.
Sometime this month, a grand jury announcement is expected on whether or not to indict Darren Wilson, the Ferguson, Missouri, police officer who fatally shot unarmed teenager Michael Brown. The community of Ferguson is collectively holding its breath in anticipation of mass protests.
 

The verdict

Riot police on a vehicle in Ferguson, 24 November
Read about it in the Economist
Obama on Ferguson: U.S. 'has more work to do' on race relations

(Reuters) - President Barack Obama issued an appeal on Monday for restraint by protesters and police after a Missouri grand jury decided not to indict a white police officer in the shooting death of a black teen last August.
In a late-night appearance in the White House briefing room, Obama also urged Americans to understand that much work remained to be done to improve relations between black Americans and law enforcement.

Full article
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/25/us-usa-missouri-shooting-obama-idUSKCN0J908I20141125

  

In the UK 

The UK has it's own issues
 

Some quotes

 
 We have made enormous progress in teaching everyone that racism is bad. Where we seem to have dropped the ball… is in teaching people what racism actually IS.
Jon Stewart
 
 
Things like racism are institutionalized. You might not know any bigots. You feel like “well I don’t hate black people so I’m not a racist,” but you benefit from racism. Just by the merit, the color of your skin. The opportunities that you have, you’re privileged in ways that you might not even realize because you haven’t been deprived of certain things. We need to talk about these things in order for them to change.
Dave Chappelle
 
The problem is that white people see racism as conscious hate, when racism is bigger than that. Racism is a complex system of social and political levers and pulleys set up generations ago to continue working on the behalf of whites at other people’s expense, whether whites know/like it or not. Racism is an insidious cultural disease. It is so insidious that it doesn’t care if you are a white person who likes black people; it’s still going to find a way to infect how you deal with people who don’t look like you. Yes, racism looks like hate, but hate is just one manifestation. Privilege is another. Access is another. Ignorance is another. Apathy is another. And so on. So while I agree with people who say no one is born racist, it remains a powerful system that we’re immediately born into. It’s like being born into air: you take it in as soon as you breathe. It’s not a cold that you can get over. There is no anti-racist certification class. It’s a set of socioeconomic traps and cultural values that are fired up every time we interact with the world. It is a thing you have to keep scooping out of the boat of your life to keep from drowning in it. I know it’s hard work, but it’s the price you pay for owning everything.
Scott Woods

Most middle-class whites have no idea what it feels like to be subjected to police who are routinely suspicious, rude, belligerent, and brutal.
Benjamin Spock
 

A blog by BeccyJoy Minnisotan

 
 
To the people of color;
I’m sorry. I’m sorry you’ve had to be so loud to get our attention. I’m sorry that another beautiful boy had to die to make us notice that you are oppressed. I’m sorry that no one is listening. I’m sorry that no one believes your experiences. I’m sorry that this is still happening. I’m sorry for the ignorant, invalidating, and racist comments you’ve had to deal with on top of everything else. I’m sorry that I’ve turned a blind eye to your struggle. I hear you, I believe you, I stand with you for justice. You deserve way better.
Beccyjoya

 

 

What say you?

Can a white person really understand racism?
Is the current situation in the US between law enforcement and Afro-Aamericans a storm in a tea cup?
Are black people being too sensitive?
 

13 comments:

  1. As a man of colour I have an opinion on this controversial debate.
    I will however first I would like to listen to comments from you all. I have never lived in Ferguson and witnessed what it feels like there.
    I find poignant the comment made by beccyjoy on her blog "You might want to rethink that comment you are about to post about Ferguson, MO.

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  2. Thank you for including my quote. I am curious if and how this conversation is different in the US vs the UK. What do you think?

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  3. Hi Beccy

    Thank you for your reply. It is funny you should ask this. I found an article written in the Independence (an leading UK newspapaer) by Yasim Alibhai Brown

    http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/inyourface-racism-has-returned-and-few-are-fighting-against-it-9850050.html

    She believes in your face racism is on the rise in UK again.

    Have a read.

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  4. Michael, thank you for your invitation to comment in your blog. I have two points to stand on:
    1. My entire motivation is for the empowerment of truth, regardless of race or ethnic origin
    2. The indignance I have towards the Ferguson event is because of the lynch mob mentality of many African Americans there.

    Without due process there is no empowerment. Isn’t that what the African American people in Ferguson are angry about?
    When I hear a black man of the cloth tell his people to reap vengeance upon white people then I get angry. When I see riots and chants that the white officer needs to be taken out and killed I get angry. When I see a white woman who disagrees with the judge, jury and executioner mentality of the group being ushered away from the area for her safety I get angry.
    I wanted to write that if the officer is convicted of doing the horrible thing that he is being accused of then I am emotionally right in the center of the outrage and demand for justice.

    In my opinion you cannot bracket the historical racism that the Ferguson police are said to have and condense it to one officer and one situation. You cannot erase your years of indignance and anger by surreptitiously “hanging” one white officer. It is much too familiar to days gone by.
    I hope but am not confident that peace will reign no matter what the verdict. Those innocents who want to keep their business from being looted, ,their cars from being burned and their family from being beaten will become the real victims.

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  5. Hi Larry
    Thank you for your comments.

    First of all I will say that I am not living in Ferguson. I know what I read in the newspapers.

    I would hazard a guess that a lot of the emotions of protestors come from their own experiences they face on a daily basis? It is only human nature to focus this build up on particulars occurrences especially when a loss of life so young has occurred.

    The death of Mark Duggan, 4th August 2011 sparked riots in London UK.

    Although both scenarios will not be identical similar emotions and debate arose.



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  6. Just adding a link to news about the unrest following the Mark Duggan shooting

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-14842416

    Regards

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  7. Michael, thank you for your reply and I agree with you 100%. The death of Michael Brown fueled emotions already at the boiling point to overflow into what we have seen. It's obvious that Ferguson needs some righting of their ship in many ways and it will take time.

    I remember a quote by Gandhi I believe, "An eye for an eye and the world goes blind" Michael Brown didn't deserve to die, that is a surety and even if he tried to overpower the officer and take his gun. It is a tragedy.

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  8. Michael,, I just read your article regaridng mr. Duggin and his death. Very similar to the Ferguson event. Michael Brown displayed a penchant for violence in the convenience store prior to the altercation with officer white and prior behaviors.

    I believe that in both cases this has some weight in public opinion here in the US. This is also similar to the Trayvon Martin case as well: http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/05/us/trayvon-martin-shooting-fast-facts/

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  9. I don't know that a person who is by default in in the privileged class can ever get fully into the space of someone who is by practice and belief excluded from privilege. It's not that a white straight man cannot ever comprehend anything about being non-white or non-male or even non-straight. I think we can get clues and we can approach understanding--but when the difficulties come of a real-life experience, we get to go back to our position. We visit others until our vacation experiences are over.

    It's not to say we shouldn't try, or that our attempts are worthless because they aren't going to be perfect. We still have to try. But in every place where we think we have "got" it, and in every instance where we think we have arrived, we need to temper that with the realization that we will never get into it because we will always be able to put back on our normal clothes and assume our normal place in society.

    I think one good thing that can help for those of us who are starting to approach this and starting to ask questions and starting to try to understand is to do a lot of listening, and a lot of thinking, and a lot of holding back. There are thousands of people around us who will tell us their story of what it is like to be non-white, or non-male, or non-straight, and their stories are valid, and their stories will help us understand more.

    The goal isn't to reach a place where we just understand, of course. This isn't a course in Modern Day Sociology. The goal is, I think, to reach a place where we see people as they are, and we not only accept this, but really enjoy the differences other people bring to the world we live in. Not blindness, not pretending we don't see color or gender or orientation. A place where we really do see it, and see it as something entirely normal and wonderful.

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  10. Thank you Larry for your comments.

    I will take a look at the link you posted this evening and add my comments. I would like to draw your attention to another angle people are looking at with regards to this story. Some say that the fact that more cops are armed in America means that more situations like these will happen. Check out this post if you have time.
    Would like your views.

    http://okay2disagree.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/armed-police-trigger-happy.html

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  11. Stephen Matlock

    What can I say. When I started this discussion I hoped that it would provoke derp thinking. You certainly have put some thought into your comments.
    I can't say I disagree with much you have said.

    With regards to the tragedy in Ferguson do you believe that if cops did not carry weapons as default in the US, like in the uk, when mistakes do happen there would be less grave consequences?. This is making the assumption this tragedy was a mistake. I am aware we are still awaiting a verdict.

    Hat off to you.

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  12. Check out my Trigger Happy post. Like to get your views.

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  13. Some additional comments from the author

    I think the protests and high emotions are not entirely concerned with this one particular incident but are symptomatic of the experiences and feelings that have been felt for some time. Could it be a symptom of deep mistrust for the judicial system and the ability for the justice system to deliver a fair decision? Again I am not on the ground experiencing what people white , black or any colour are going through in Fergusson however from what I in have read there seems to be deeper underlying issues around a sense of inequality amongst the citizens.

    Should one be looking to address the deeper underlying issues whatever they may be? Is this why no matter what the verdict there is a fear that further protests may lead to disturbance? Should we use this unfortunate event to look at some of the real issues? Could it be that there is a real underlying racial tensions could it be that not enough black police officers are being employed so as to show fair representation in the authorities?

    There are no easy answers however they will/must be answers. Nothing is unachievable.

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