The Growing Trust Gap
By Kwame S. Salter
Robin Williams, the brilliant
late actor/comedian, once remarked, “Reality! What a concept.” When the
discussion comes around to race relations in America, we seem to have a
difficult time dealing with the reality of race. On both sides of the racial
divide, opinions seem to be set in quick drying concrete. Many whites feel that
any mention of race is an attempt by blacks to justify or excuse some action or
reaction. On the other hand, too many blacks believe that no white person can
be trusted to be fair and objective in encounters between the races. In
reality, the truth lies somewhere between these two extremes. Clearly, not
every compliant by blacks is frivolous or a blatant attempt to obfuscate by
playing the so-called “race card.” And, in spite of the sordid history of
social injustices, political disenfranchisement and state sponsored terrorism
in the guise of the Klan and other white supremacist groups, many brave and
courageous whites have stood up for both our civil and human rights.
The recent phenomenon of
rewiring racial injustices to be viewed as something other than reality has
been aided and abetted by the talking heads of Fox News, Rush Limbaugh
et.al. Some whites have a problem with
Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson and, even, President Obama injecting themselves into
race issues. However, more blacks find the right wing rants of the Fox commentators
both insulting and a gambit—as they, not so subtlety, use race as both sword
and shield to boost their ratings and line their pockets. Jon Stewart, the
insightful and comic genius anchor for the Dailey Show (http://youtu.be/n-cfi-zzNzM.) assembled and dissected a block of videos from
these media agitators. After viewing the Stewart video, I am sure you will
agree that facts to these guys get in the way of their goal of whipping their
fan base into frenzy. While selected and isolated so-called facts are
introduced with glaring graphics and amplified by angry guest commenters, the
objective reality doesn’t support their position. In their worldview, the only
race that counts and should be acknowledged as legitimate is a NASCAR event.
Yet still, they raise issues that must either be countered or addressed-- not
only by blacks, but also all of America.
Issues such as black on black
crime and the scourge of vicious black criminal cartels loosely referred to, as
gangs must be faced up to and discussed. Approximately 12%-13% of the American
population is African-American, making up 40% of the almost 2.1 million male
inmates in jail or prison (U.S. Department of Justice,
2009). Crime, whether committed by blacks or whites, has become pandemic in our
large urban centers. What are the contributing factors; why is our criminal
justice system so efficient in the capture and incarceration of black
offenders; and, how many are in prison due to being targeted in the putative
War on Drugs? “Too many,” as George
Wallace was said to have quipped when asked, “how many blacks are there in
America?” But, why are we so protective of so many of the truly bad guys who
live in and terrorize our black communities? Is it that we don’t trust the
police? Many of the police patrolling these black communities are themselves
black. Are these black officers quid pro quo better or fairer than their white
counterparts? Some are and some aren’t.
Just
recently, a highly commended black Police Commander in Chicago was stripped of
his badge and gun while facing two felony charges. This top cop allegedly put
his gun in the mouth of a black suspect. DNA test verified the presence of the
gun in the suspect’s mouth. By the way, this cop, over the years, had been the
subject of many citizen complaints. What comes of the complaints from black
citizens against these black cops? According to records, only two citizen
complaints resulted in discipline. Is this behavior by a black cop surprising?
No, not if you consider that during WWII the Nazi’s used Jewish prisoners as “Kapos”
or prisoner trustees to watch over and brutalize their fellow Jewish prisoners.
The more brutal these Kapos the more rewarded by the SS Guards. As I pointed
out in my piece of Ferguson, what we need is not, necessarily more black
officers—but better officers. Attracting, developing and retaining better
police officers is the key to tamping down some of the potential of violence by
and against police. Having a close relative that was a police officer who was shot
and blinded in the course of duty, I know their job is not an easy one. Every
split second is over loaded with information and data that must be correctly
deciphered—their life and the suspect’s depend on it. This is the reality of
the situation.
Having
discussions aimed at bringing about positive race relations appears to be a
topic that America is not eager to put on the table. America, we have a
problem. This is not a new problem; it is not even an isolable problem; still,
it is a wicked problem. According to the Australian Public Commission, a wicked
problem is one “that
is difficult or impossible to solve because of incomplete, contradictory, and
changing requirements that are often difficult to recognize. The term
"wicked" is used to denote resistance to resolution, rather than evil.”
Improved race relations in America can be achieved
by applying our unique American “can do” attitude. We have a blueprint. That
blueprint is the Kerner Commission formed by President Lyndon Johnson in 1967
to understand the root causes of the urban riots that plagued our cities from
starting in 1964. Johnson rejected the Commission’s recommendations. Still, the
Commission’s findings, known as the Kerner Report were spot on and prescient. The Commission stated that the nation was
“moving toward two societies, One Black, One White—Separate and Unequal.”
Moreover, the Report warned our country faced a “system of apartheid in its
major cities.”
Obviously, we have not heeded the warning. Today,
the concentration of blacks in the inner cities remains more fixed than fluid;
the predicted racial divide has widened; and, poverty is more structural than
generational. We need President Obama to issue a call to action, much like
President Johnson did over 40 years ago. Thus, my modest proposal is for the
President to create the Biden Commission on race relations. Joe Biden, our
straight shooting Vice-President has both the street cred and needed gravitas
to lead such a Commission—his 2007 primary gaffe, notwithstanding, of
describing Obama thusly: "I mean,
you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and
clean and a nice-looking guy," Biden said. "I mean, that's a
storybook, man." I’ve heard worse and Biden has more than atoned
for that politically incorrect statement.
Finally, I would also highly recommend that Sean Hannity, Bill O’Reilly
and Rush Limbaugh be invited to join this august body. Why not? They always
seem to have the right answers.
