LETTER: Some questions about the United States and race
Given recent events, the following questions arise.
What does police brutality have to do with racism? Is police brutality limited to only black criminals? Are there instances of police brutality toward white criminals? Have the people criticizing police participated in a “police-ride-along” to experience what a cop faces day to day and what it is like to try and subdue a violent criminal? Where do the majority of violent crimes occur?
What does slavery have to do with police brutality or systemic racism? How can systemic racism exist when there are so many affirmative action programs impacting public-sector job hiring, small business contracts, college admissions, school expulsion, federal grants, etc.?
Do rioting and looting improve racial relations? Does allowing rioting and looting to go unchecked improve racial relations or does it embolden criminals to continue their unlawful ways and to resist arrest?
