WWRD wrote:
HLq wrote:
It's actually really sad. I think we do have a problem with lack of police accountability, and we absolutely should pursue reforms along the lines of ending qualified immunity, ending no-knock warrants, eliminating or at least reducing the power of police unions, improving police training and standards (which would require more funding, not less), etc. But none of these things have anything to do with race. Framing the problem as a racism problem means there is no chance we will actually accomplish any of these badly needed police reforms.
Even if racism was the problem, the idea that we're going to fix it by "ending racism" is as laughably naive as the idea that we're going to "end murder" or "end rape" etc. You don't just end racism. You mitigate it, you discourage it, and you figure out how to live your life without requiring the world around you to be perfect.
Excellent post, echos what I've been saying.
If you don't attempt to "end racism" what would you have done about slavery? Or is racism - or any kind of prejudice - to be accepted or tolerated if it isn't so big or obvious? I'm betting there are certain words - racial epithets - that you would feel it unlikely you could get away with in public now.
To say it is impossible to "end" something sounds like an excuse not to try or to make progress - it's all too hard. I don't think MLK Jnr took that view. Or anyone who strove to make the world a better place.
