From what I've seen, a legitimate argument can be made that systematically people are being treated differently. And then the frustration of "how do we change the system?", and when you can see both parties largely failing the people... Frustration grows to aggression... And so on and so on.
I don't think there is any question that the black or latino communities have been treated differently. The question I have is this due primarily from systemic racism or because many of the these communities are in low income, high crime areas. I can't blame a police officer for taking precaution in these areas but certainly not to the point we've seen in this situations like Floyd.
From my own research, I am hearing/reading that the whole reason that these high crime communities are at a disadvantage due to systemic racism or lack of privilege (whole other thread topic). The culprit being that these minority communities are forced to live in high crime areas due to racism. That, people of color have been victimized mentally & physically so as to that they are unable to get out of these for their own good. As such, this is a self-repeating, generational, systemic problem for these communities. I agree there are folks stuck in this victimization situation which cultivates this racism narrative, especially as police officers are having to deal with consistent life threatening situations in these communities of color.
But is racism the ONLY, majority reason for keeping these communities in this systemic state?
I humbly do not think so nor do I think that is the main reason. For me it comes down to one simple truth & that is if my kids/wife were growing up in a place where they were in danger, I'd get them out. I can still get public assistance under WIC, my kids can still get Medicaid, if we find a place that we can move to. If I need to work two jobs (which I have done), so be it. If I needed to go to college/tech school full time, so I can get a better paying job (which I've done), so be it. It is my complete responsibility to provide for these things for my family. Non-negotiable. And what's interesting is that when anyone decides to get out of those dangerous communities to do whatever it takes, they typically are able to get out despite a racist environment in which they live.
However, I do think some things need to change to help folks do that. I am totally convinced that one of the things that has discouraged the fundamental effects of a nuclear family in these poor communities is how government assistance is reduced or even eliminated when couples marry. The original intent of this government assistance was to assist single mothers who's husband or father of her children abandoned them. But nowadays, its the very thing inhibiting folks from marrying & working together. Basically, the pendulum has swung one government policy objective to now a completely different objective. So, if we really do believe that having a nuclear family makes a big difference on these matters we need to KEEP the government assistance for those folks who really are trying to get their families out of areas of system poverty & racism.
