Many still wonder why we people are exclaiming, “ Black Lives Matter”, but the reaction of the public and the Cincinnati Police shows that this concept is still not understood. From the way that the media, public and police are responding to the incidence of the 3 year-old boy who fell into a gorilla enclosure, questions must be raised. Namely, why is it that the parents are being dragged in the public eye? The Cincinnati police are now investigating the parents for criminal negligence. But let's really think about why.
The parents of this child are black and I can't help but wonder. Why is it that in less than 48, hours of almost losing their son, the police are starting an investigation? Of course, the parents should have been paying closer attention. I don't think anyone can disputes that piece. However, after such a traumatic accident, is it really appropriate to charge anyone?
If this were the case of white parents, the story would be completely different. Blacks and other minorities in this country are often disenfranchised and do not have the luxury of being a protected class. As a result, minorities don't think about the ability to sue various people or organizations when they feel something doesn't go their way. On the other hand, White people in America suffer from intense entitlement. There is a sense that they are, and have always been, protected. So the likely reaction of white parents would have been a litigious one. To continue, more sympathy would be felt regarding this family. The response of the police would not have been to charge the parents criminally. We have to come to terms with these biases and confront them head on.
Our systemic discrimination in America is so entrenched that whites and the police don't even have to consciously engage in it. The systems are already in place and it set into motion with little thought as to if the reasoning is truly sound. When we are honest about the society we live in, we can see how systems of inequalities permeate the nation. The deleterious ramifications of this Western world are even felt globally. So when do we decide that it’s time for a change?
The parents of this child are black and I can't help but wonder. Why is it that in less than 48, hours of almost losing their son, the police are starting an investigation? Of course, the parents should have been paying closer attention. I don't think anyone can disputes that piece. However, after such a traumatic accident, is it really appropriate to charge anyone?
If this were the case of white parents, the story would be completely different. Blacks and other minorities in this country are often disenfranchised and do not have the luxury of being a protected class. As a result, minorities don't think about the ability to sue various people or organizations when they feel something doesn't go their way. On the other hand, White people in America suffer from intense entitlement. There is a sense that they are, and have always been, protected. So the likely reaction of white parents would have been a litigious one. To continue, more sympathy would be felt regarding this family. The response of the police would not have been to charge the parents criminally. We have to come to terms with these biases and confront them head on.
Our systemic discrimination in America is so entrenched that whites and the police don't even have to consciously engage in it. The systems are already in place and it set into motion with little thought as to if the reasoning is truly sound. When we are honest about the society we live in, we can see how systems of inequalities permeate the nation. The deleterious ramifications of this Western world are even felt globally. So when do we decide that it’s time for a change?