This is extremely offensive to "White People"

[Mark Sanchez]

'Can we switch for just one day?' my friend Sean jokingly asked me as we were working out at the gym. 'No, way' I said firmly. You see, Sean is black and I am white and Sean was suggesting that we swap races. In his plea, Sean was none-too-subtly commenting that living life as a white man might be easier than living as a black man. In my unwillingness to switch, I acknowledged the privilege -- and safety -- that comes with being a white person in 21st century America.

There are a lot of events vying to occupy the American mind these days such as Gaza, Iraq, Ukraine, the immigration crisis, hate crimes against Sikhs, Ebola, and Robin Williams' death. But in one way, the ability to switch among these traumas is a white person's 'luxury.' For Sean, and for many black Americans, the recent spate of black male deaths at the hands of police in America is forced to occupy the primary place.

There is an epidemic in this country and its victims are black men. Eric Garner died after being put in a stranglehold in Staten Island in New York City, Michael Brown, was an 18-year-old teenager killed in Ferguson, MO, and Ezell Ford was killed while reportedly lying down in the street in Los Angeles.

Black Americans are rightfully outraged, but it will require all Americans to be mobilized before the racism that undergirds these killings will end and the deaths along with it. White Americans like me have to stop channel surfing all the outrageously bad news from around the world and focus on the death that is happening in our own cities to our fellow Americans.

I spoke to Rev. Tony Lee who is an African-American pastor at Community of Hope AME Church in Prince George's County, Maryland. Rev. Tony and I went to seminary together and he has been a colleague I trust to speak the truth to me about race in America. He called the recent deaths 'disturbing but not surprising.'

"The reason people are responding so strongly is that these are examples of daily antagonisms felt by black people on the street. This is part of a wider school-to-prison pipeline and the ghettoization and de-humanization of black bodies. Social media gets the word out much quicker and people are responding to dead black men on the streets in LA, Ferguson and NYC by saying 'wait, that is going on in our streets too.'"

But social media is part of the problem according to Rev. Lee. "The challenge is for this to become a movement not just a moment. People are expressing outrage with hashtags but they are not organizing. Movements need organizing."

Given that we are both pastors, I asked Rev. Lee what the church should do and he offered some very practical steps, including becoming advocates for police training, holding police departments legally accountable for deaths, and connecting with the efforts at a community level. Rev. Lee also pointed out positive organizations that are doing great 'movement' work like Black Youth Project that churches should be supporting and partnering with.

Rev. Lee was quick to mention that his church has positive relations with the local policing because they have been proactive in creating encounters where police can meet the community and the community can meet police -- not only in crucial moments when tensions are high -- but also during normal times when the two can see the best of each other.

According to Lee, the church also needs to reclaim and proclaim the narrative about the worth of black lives in the face of the criminalized depiction of black people on TV, movies and in music. The wider church should be involved in the celebration of the breadth and richness of the black experience.

I asked Rev. John Vaughn, Vice-President of Auburn Seminary, what kind of response he would like to see from white Americans. Rev. Vaughn responded via email that he hoped his white friends would be vocal and articulate why these killings are not 'yet another isolated incident' and 'explore the premise that racism is not a thing of the past.' Perhaps most importantly: "Listen to your friends and colleagues of color about their experiences and analysis of racism in America."

I also pressed Rev. Lee on what he would like to tell white Americans on how to show solidarity. I was humbled by his response:

We need to lock arms amidst all of this. If the police feel they are above the law with any one group, they will feel they are above the law with others. We need to learn from the civil rights movement. It wasn't just black folks, it was everybody, because it wasn't a black problem it was a moral issue. We are remembering 40 years after the Freedom Summer. That wasn't just black people risking their lives, it was a community that went down to Mississippi because they knew that when any group within the nation is marginalized then we can't be the nation we want to be.
The way I translate Rev. Lee's generous invitation is 'show up.' White people need to get off the computer and get involved with our voices, feet, votes and resources to help make sure that this epidemic of black deaths in America ends. This is not a 'black problem it is an American problem and it will take all of us working together to solve it.

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[Ōkami]

Why do you find it offensive?

 

[griffnat13]

I don't think it's possible to offend me with racism. I'm white btw

 

[Zealotic]

Yeah why is it offensive ?

 

[Ōkami]

I don't think it's possible to offend me with racism. I'm white btw

I'm white too, the article is just a rant about black people wanting some white perks.

 

[Pumpkin Ninja]

In what way is that racist to white people? Dirty Sanchez strikes again.

 

[Young Thug]

you guys can get offended? i thought you hired people to do that for you

 

[Jazzy Stardust]

Haha this is fail.

 

[Ōkami]

you guys can get offended? i thought you hired people to do that for you

Well puts food on your table.

 

[Hàdes1]

Lol thats offensive to you?

 

[Cyclical]

Wait, so equality among all Americans= Racist?

GG

 

[WolfHaley]

I'm white too, the article is just a rant about black people wanting some white perks.

Yeah no, the article is saying nothing in America should be just one group, if one group is being targeted, like police attacking black males(just an example), then it's not just black males who should be protesting this and trying to stop, it isn't just a black male problem, everyone should be trying to stop this problem because it's a blemish on the entire nation. It just mentions white people specifically because a white guy wrote it.

 

[Ōkami]

Yeah no, the article is saying nothing in America should be just one group, if one group is being targeted, like police attacking black males(just an example), then it's not just black males who should be protesting this and trying to stop, it isn't just a black male problem, everyone should be trying to stop this problem because it's a blemish on the entire nation. It just mentions white people specifically because a white guy wrote it.

The problem is people think it's race related. But instead it could just be cops abusing their power which they are known to do.

 

[jthis300]

So I'm by no means racist. In fact my fiance is half Japanese and black. What I don't get is why the St. Louis event is even an issue. I believe it was self defense by the officer. Even if it wasn't, I don't see how rioting fixes anything. (someone offends me so I'm going wreck my neighborhood and kill somebody in the process). Obviously I don't know what it's like to be black, but I've been raised around black people...
What is interesting is that my friends tell me that they're embarrassed for most of the community for their actions. I hope someday we can all realize were all imperfect and make MISTAKES.

 

[WolfHaley]

The problem is people think it's race related. But instead it could just be cops abusing their power which they are known to do.

This is true, but it doesn't change the fact that there ARE race related incidents like this that do happen. Just not all of them make big news.

So I'm by no means racist. In fact my fiance is half Japanese and black. What I don't get is why the St. Louis event is even an issue. I believe it was self defense by the officer. Even if it wasn't, I don't see how rioting fixes anything. (someone offends me so I'm going wreck my neighborhood and kill somebody in the process). Obviously I don't know what it's like to be black, but I've been raised around black people...
What is interesting is that my friends tell me that they're embarrassed for most of the community for their actions. I hope someday we can all realize were all imperfect and make MISTAKES.

The riots are bad yes, but think of it this way: You have one side a grown man trained to take down perps with his gun being the LAST option. He probably has pepper spray and a taser on his person. Then, you have an unarmed teenager who was yielding. But the officer needed to defend himself by shooting the teenager 9 times? This wasn't just self-defense, this is an incompetent officer.

 

[Ōkami]

This is true, but it doesn't change the fact that there ARE race related incidents like this that do happen. Just not all of them make big news.

Well it seems all the race related ones that make the news are when a black teen get's shot.

 

[Gatsuuga]

So I'm by no means racist. In fact my fiance is half Japanese and black. What I don't get is why the St. Louis event is even an issue. I believe it was self defense by the officer. Even if it wasn't, I don't see how rioting fixes anything. (someone offends me so I'm going wreck my neighborhood and kill somebody in the process). Obviously I don't know what it's like to be black, but I've been raised around black people...
What is interesting is that my friends tell me that they're embarrassed for most of the community for their actions. I hope someday we can all realize were all imperfect and make MISTAKES.

Wait what? Did someone die as a result of the people rioting? I haven't been across the riots because frankly it's a stupid response so can you aware me? If they killed someone as a result of the riot who's to say anyone in response can't riot back? Of they are fighting for moral justice they are going about it in the worst way possible.

 

[jthis300]

Well the way I heard it was different I guess... I heard the young man had already assaulted the cop and was reaching for his pistol. I agree, when thinking clearly and perfectly pepper spray or baton would suffice. No one except the cop really knows.. I really do not want to defend the cop because I have found in many situations they're pretty worthless. But what bothers me is how people reacted to it...again, rioting your own neighborhood and killing in the process is a little excessive and unproductive.

 

[Tingun]

But the officer needed to defend himself by shooting the teenager 9 times? This wasn't just self-defense, this is an incompetent officer.

I agree with this.
There's no room to speculate on the events leading up to the shooting as a wide range of events could have led to this unfortunate outcome.

It's my belief that a policeman's power to exercise a "shoot to kill" method in suppressing an assailant should only be a viable tactic when the assailant has a projectile weapon. While I don't condone the use of a firearm against an unarmed person, I still don't understand why the police officer, could not have simply used his firearm (which still is a completely unnecessary action altogether) to incapacitate the kid. I cannot perceive a reason why 9 shots would ever be needed to stop an unarmored unarmed civilian.

OT: Pointless premise

Wait what? Did someone die as a result of the people rioting? I haven't been across the riots because frankly it's a stupid response so can you aware me? If they killed someone as a result of the riot who's to say anyone in response can't riot back? Of they are fighting for moral justice they are going about it in the worst way possible.

An unorganized, partially poverty stricken community can't be expected to react to police brutality with peaceful or otherwise reasonable protests 100% of the time.

They rioted, however a large portion of the community held vocal protests that did not result in violence.

 

[WolfHaley]

I agree with this.
There's no room to speculate on the events leading up to the shooting as a wide range of events could have led to this unfortunate outcome.

It's my belief that a policeman's power to exercise a "shoot to kill" method in suppressing an assailant should only be a viable tactic when the assailant has a projectile weapon. While I don't condone the use of a firearm against an unarmed person, I still don't understand why the police officer, could not have simply used his firearm (which still is a completely unnecessary action altogether) to incapacitate the kid. I cannot perceive a reason why 9 shots would ever be needed to stop an unarmored unarmed civilian.

OT: Pointless premise

Exactly. If he did pull out his gun, one shot to the arm could have been enough. Getting shot hurts. A lot. Even one shot could have been enough. Shit, even rubber bullets could incapacitate someone, one metal one is enough.