The three police officers on trial for killing Sean Bell were acquitted today.
As someone who had inside information during the trial of four police officers in the Amadou Diallo case, I was unsurprised by that acquittal eight years ago. I lack the inside information this time, but having followed the case in the papers I am again not surprised by the acquittal.
The problem here is that we have a built-in racism in our society. It does not help that the vast majority of so-called "progressive" organizations are all, or nearly all, white. It does not help that the few groups that consist primarily of people of color (oh, screw being PC -- make it "consist primarily of blacks or Hispanics") are portrayed in the media as violent or potentially violent.
It does not help that those relatively few cases when violence erupts are over-reported. (Note: According to NY1, "While many appeared angered and shared their frustration with members of the press, no violence broke out." This, on top of the completely peaceful march down 5th Avenue next year, cannot be emphasized too much.) It does not help that when violent actions are taken, it is only because the underlying frustration (I wish I could come up with a stronger word) demands a pressure valve.
It does not help that the cause of that frustration –- the lack of opportunity that still divides our society by skin color, and the race-based attitudes behind that lack -- has not been addressed seriously for over a generation.
I have a neighbor who appears, on the surface, to be a decent guy. We talk about the nearby playground where his kids play, the Yankees and Mets, etc. It shocked me, therefore, when he said he didn't think he could vote for a black man. I still haven't figured out a way to confront him on this, and try to change his views.
And that's the main problem. How do we convince seemingly decent people that they are racist, and that they need to change their ways? I don't have answers; if I did I'd post them here and everywhere. Nor have I heard any answers.
Meanwhile, the built-in racism that pervades our society and our "criminal justice" system, causes the trial judge to state:
"Because establishments known as "strip clubs" often generate criminal activity including prostitution and narcotics, the Police Dept. Club Enforcement Unit was given the task of infiltrating such places and pursuing violations of law that would lead toward shutting them down."
meaning, I suppose that clubs frequented more by white people don't have crime? Does anyone else remember the Limelight club? How about Danceteria? If law enforcement cracked down on white clubs the way they crack down on black clubs, we'd see a very different reaction -- television "news" interviews with white people asking why the cops aren't going after "the real criminals," and so forth.
The solution, I think (and I could be wrong) is to merge the "white" and "black" and "Hispanic" grass roots groups so that we can all work together. We're basically pushing for the same types of changes, so why not work together? It's not easy -- there is a certain wariness when, for example, a white person talks with a bunch of black people about working together. This wariness is borne of experience; almost every time this happens the result is no result at all. A better way is for white people to join organizations peopled mostly with, and run by, blacks and/or Hispanics. By proving a willingness to help without trying to take over, trust can be earned.
It's going to take time, so we should start now. A couple of suggestions are some tenant groups and the Alliance for Quality Education. Many of the top people in these groups are black and Hispanic -- and they already have a good mix. I'm open to other specific suggestions.
