What the world thinks of America is an important question but at this juncture it is even more important for us to consider what we should think about ourselves. From some people we are hearing rage about recent events and too often the rage is misdirected and cloaked in specious legal arguments.
Certainly looting, arson and violence in general are not acceptable reactions to recent events. Neither is ideologically based dismissal of the underlying causes. Recent incidents have brought before us the reality of deep divisions and shocking race based police enforcement misbehavior. Legal dysfunction is an issue and includes failures to bring cases to trial. Failure to indict is not a finding of innocence.
The video from Staten Island graphically displayed what can only be regarded as a murder of a man guilty of nothing more than selling unpackaged cigarettes. An officer in Cleveland whose background suggests he should not have been on the force killed a young man. Also in Cleveland not long ago 73 police cars ,yes 73!, chased down a young unarmed black couple guilty only of speeding and fired 137 shots killing them.
The incidents of the killing of young black men goes on in the context of a racial imbalance in incarceration. And America has the highest incarceration rate in the developed world. We have higher rates than Russia and Iran. And much of it is for minor drug offenses visited disproportionally on people of color. We ruin millions of lives.
At last demonstrations across the country are bringing black, brown and white together to speak out against our national disgrace. Our outrage needs to be directed at a dysfunctional system and the failure on our part to right the wrongs we are perpetuating through racist behavior. At long last we see the stirrings of an overdue second civil rights movement and must be vigilant against the rhetoric of those who would implicitly support dysfunction and racist sentiments.
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