NO ONE IS BORN A RACIST

The incident of the last few weeks has beamed the light on the law enforcement departments in the US as if policemen are all monsters and the racism in the system is peculiar to the police force alone. I agree we should start with the police force, where many have died in the hands of police officers because of a culture that gives the police power to harm suspect and in many cases, kill people who are otherwise innocent or would not have been sentenced to death if they were found guilty of the offense they are been arrested for - this excessive use of force has led to the death of people of all hue (color). Where this is a greater problem is that most victims are people of color. When you look at the statistics of people who are killed by the police, you will find more African Americans. Is the police force the problem or the racial issue in the society they live in? I do not believe the US police force is the sole problem. The underlining problem is racial inequality. Look at mortality from COVID-19, more African Americans died, how do we reform how COVID-19 kill or do we deal with the reason why African Americans are the most susceptible?

African Americans are below the ladder on every index for measuring the good quality of life - income, employment, education, safe community, etc. The cycle of poverty has been perpetuated from the time of the abolition of slavery when they were not given land or when they gave them loans at higher interest rates. The Jim Crow era from the late 1800s rolled back many of the gains between the time slavery was abolished until the civil rights movement of the 1960s. The current problems of implicit bias and unconscious bias where African Americans are seen differently or treated differently have ensured these brothers and sisters did not make headway. Those who harbor this bias have been emboldened since #45 was elected in 2016. Many believe that his election is a way to show the rest of America that it was a mistake to have elected #44, who they consider inferior.

A few weeks after my family moved into our current neighborhood, one of my neighbors carried his AR15 on his back and was parading in front of our house while my children were playing outside - that was the last time I allowed them to play outside. This particular person has been hostile to me since we moved here. This type of "you do not belong here" is the reason for the fear that creates mental problems and cause a reduction in productivity - then at the end of the day, they label you as lazy not considering the racial tension you face at work, in your neighborhood, at your church, in the grocery store, while driving on the road, everywhere practically.

Those who act in bias way join the police force, become teachers, become politicians, news anchor, become doctors and nurses, and they carry their bias along with them. Reforming the police force alone will not solve this problem, re-educating the whole populace is the solution. People who need this reform must agree they need it, and be willing to participate. They should train their children from the time they are young that they are not superior to other kids or better than anyone because of who they are. Train them to treat everyone with respect and honor. They should set the example too, talk is cheap. They should not racially profile anyone before them because kids learn from watching us than what we tell them. This evil has been passed down because parents have racially discriminated against minorities before their kids or thrash talk those who look different before them. No one is born a racist, people learn it, and it can be unlearned. I believe this is the way forward.