The tragic death of Eric Garner was unfortunately viewed as horrific, yet typical by many who have grown up in poor neighborhoods in New York City. Minorities have long been the subject of unfair racial targeting and excessive aggression brought about by the hands of the NYPD. These communities have marched in the past and yet change has not come. We marched when Sean Bell was shot, yet change has not come. We are now marching for Eric Garner and still serious changes are not being considered or even vocalized. Mayor de Blasio and police chief Bratton have given conciliatory words, but neither of them have acknowledged that sweeping change needs to occur in the force. And for a second I will forsake everything I believe in to keep an open mind. Crime in New York City is at an all time low. Whether that is a result of the harsh policies brought in the 90s or demographic shifts or other unanticipated externalities (e.g. Freakonimcs famous abortion chapter) is the question nobody wants to answer. But it is the question that needs to be answered. There can no longer be a justification of the needless murder of minorities in the city. We cannot allow racial profiling to become the crux of our police force's tactics. Yet many whites in the city are content with just allowing the status quo to stay the same. Well it's time for meaningful change.
This meaningful change needs to come through evaluation of hard facts. For example, look at the NYCLU report on stop and frisk to see the ineffectiveness of an exorbitant amount of stops. Also, why is it that whites are suspected of engaging in crimes such as misdemeanors and drugs at a far lower rate than Latinos and Blacks. To assume that whites in the city are using less or are far more mature than their Black and Latino counterparts seems like a large oversight. The racial bias is clear and many a racist person in the city is ok with this. Most of the voices I hear shouting vehemently in support of the NYPD are white. It doesn't surprise me that this is the case. White people have no reason to fear the NYPD because the tactics being used don't racially target them. But to hastily frame this as a "racist white phenomena" would be premature. I have heard from many Latinos and Blacks themselves that they believe Blacks and Latinos deserve this extra scrutiny. Racism and self hatred is something that is embedded in the city. As I grew up I was taught to hate people like me. I was also taught to differentiate myself from them. There were "ghetto" Puerto Ricans and then there were those like me. What I didn't realize was that when others looked at me, they wouldn't see the difference. And then I realized further that was because there was no difference. We were both Puerto Rican; others thought of us as ghetto. One of us rejected the term, the other didn't bother to comment. Rooted in the city is a sense of knowing. We all think we are culturally competent to the point that we can make sweeping generalizations. And when a minority awkwardly laughs with you as you make a joke that clearly isn't funny, you are deluded into believing that you have gained access to a secret cultural capital that allows you to be racist. But to you it isn't racism. You think it's truth. You're wrong.
Racial progress is being made in New York. The new generation of New Yorkers aren't afraid to have serious conversations about race. We aren't afraid to proclaim our ignorance. We don't allow the racial poison that has been given to us by our parents and environment to affect our decisions. Instead we believe in a better New York City. One that doesn't include a police force that is trained to racially profile. This isn't a condemnation of the NYPD. It's an earnest call for reform. Teach cops that minorities are people. Tell them to check themselves when they feel their own racial biases kicking in. And make it clear that when your racial biases lead you to mistreat the people you are supposed to protect, then you will face significant penalties. This is the kind of language we need to see. Bill de Blasio and Bratton's doctrine of mutual understanding is not enough.
This meaningful change needs to come through evaluation of hard facts. For example, look at the NYCLU report on stop and frisk to see the ineffectiveness of an exorbitant amount of stops. Also, why is it that whites are suspected of engaging in crimes such as misdemeanors and drugs at a far lower rate than Latinos and Blacks. To assume that whites in the city are using less or are far more mature than their Black and Latino counterparts seems like a large oversight. The racial bias is clear and many a racist person in the city is ok with this. Most of the voices I hear shouting vehemently in support of the NYPD are white. It doesn't surprise me that this is the case. White people have no reason to fear the NYPD because the tactics being used don't racially target them. But to hastily frame this as a "racist white phenomena" would be premature. I have heard from many Latinos and Blacks themselves that they believe Blacks and Latinos deserve this extra scrutiny. Racism and self hatred is something that is embedded in the city. As I grew up I was taught to hate people like me. I was also taught to differentiate myself from them. There were "ghetto" Puerto Ricans and then there were those like me. What I didn't realize was that when others looked at me, they wouldn't see the difference. And then I realized further that was because there was no difference. We were both Puerto Rican; others thought of us as ghetto. One of us rejected the term, the other didn't bother to comment. Rooted in the city is a sense of knowing. We all think we are culturally competent to the point that we can make sweeping generalizations. And when a minority awkwardly laughs with you as you make a joke that clearly isn't funny, you are deluded into believing that you have gained access to a secret cultural capital that allows you to be racist. But to you it isn't racism. You think it's truth. You're wrong.
Racial progress is being made in New York. The new generation of New Yorkers aren't afraid to have serious conversations about race. We aren't afraid to proclaim our ignorance. We don't allow the racial poison that has been given to us by our parents and environment to affect our decisions. Instead we believe in a better New York City. One that doesn't include a police force that is trained to racially profile. This isn't a condemnation of the NYPD. It's an earnest call for reform. Teach cops that minorities are people. Tell them to check themselves when they feel their own racial biases kicking in. And make it clear that when your racial biases lead you to mistreat the people you are supposed to protect, then you will face significant penalties. This is the kind of language we need to see. Bill de Blasio and Bratton's doctrine of mutual understanding is not enough.
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