There's been a lot of talk recently about the rampant level of racism in this country. I wasn't alive fifty or one-hundred and fifty years ago, so what I'm about to say is purely academic. If I was alive fifty or a hundred and fifty years ago, I am pretty sure I would hate non-whites for the simple reason that they were non-whites. I'm also pretty sure it would be extremely easy for me to find other whites that shared my hatred toward non-whites.
Understand, when I say hatred, I mean hatred. I would hate these people. I would hate to eat the same food they do. I would hate to use the same water as them. I would hate to touch the same doors they use. I would hate to sit in the same seats as they do. I would hate them to the point that I would want them dead.
HATE
Pure hate for the simple reason that they were not white like me.
But I'm not alive back then; I'm alive now. I'm alive at a time where we integrate rather than segregate. I'm alive at a time where it's okay to use the same things those of another ethnic background use. I'm alive in a time when it's okay to sit next to them and even touch them. I'm alive at a time where we even voted them into the highest office in the nation.
But I'm also alive at a time where I have to be careful what others interpret my actions, words or thoughts to mean. I'm alive at a time where hidden motivations are brought to light in every mixed-race situation like a magician produces a rabbit. I live in a time where that irrational hated I mentioned above is forced into these situations as if all the progress ever made never existed.
I just cannot understand why. Just as I cannot understand how a person can hate another person simply for being of another race; I cannot understand why racism has to be the reason for these unfortunately events. I'm not going to take a side on this Missouri thing, just as I refused to take a side on the Martin thing; but neither of them were a result of racism. The racial differences between the victim and shooter is not a reason to claim white-on-black violence or to claim there is a huge problem with racism in this county.
I cannot tell if the definition of racism has become so watered down over the past fifty years that is has changed from a form of hatred to any form of perceived-negative action against non-whites, or if this all because crusaders behind a successful crusade have nothing more to do so they manufacture perceptions to keep their crusades going. I'm not about to say that race relations are 100% perfect, but it's not like it was fifty years ago -- not even close.
The problem with the situations like were experiencing in Missouri and last year in Florida is not racism. The problem is idiocy; pure and simple. When I was a kid, I played cops and robbers; and when I played a cop, I pretended to have a gun. I have watched many a cop movies and cop shows, and all the cops in these movies and shows have guns. I have been around many cops in my lifetime, and every single one of them had guns. They even had guns where they were not actively being cops. Cops have guns. That's a factual statement that I think everyone can agree to and understand.
The reason why cops have guns is to protect themselves. It's the same reason why military personnel and security guards have guns. A situation may arise that they feel they lives are threatened, and the gun is there to protect them. They don't carry bats, or knives, or hammers, or bricks -- they carry guns. So when someone attacks them with a bat, or a knife, or a hammer, or a brick -- they defend themselves with their gun.
The thing is -- if you're the type of person that is feels the need to attack a cop, one of three things is going happen. The cop will rationally take in and assess the situation and find a non-lethal way to disarm and restrain the attacker. --OR-- The cop will react by drawing their weapon but remain calm enough to fire an effective disabling shot and then restrain the attacker. --OR-- The cop will panic and shoot the attacker attacking them until that attacker is no longer attacking. One of these scenarios could result in a dead attacker. For the record, when a cops panics and shoots an attacker dead, the white attackers die just as easily as the non-white attackers regardless of the race of the cop. Also, all this will apply to military and security guards too.
The problem in these situations in not whether the individual in a position of authority is racist towards the individual they shot and killed; the problem is the idiot that thought it was a good idea to attack someone with a gun. Again, we all know cops have guns, and the guns are there to protect them. So, if you're the type of idiot that thinks it's a good idea to attack someone that might defend themselves with a gun they have, then you're probably going to get shot and could die. Why? Because the chance that a cop you're about to attack has the training or mental fortitude to not panic when you threaten the lives is pretty low.
One more thing. Not only do all cops carry guns so people shouldn't attack them, but there's even a law called 'Assaulting a Police Officer' that you could get charged with if you survive the attack. I'm pretty sure we all know that little nugget of information. So, before we all start chalking another one of these tragedies to the rampant racism in this country, can we please remember that there are a lot of idiots out there, and idiocy knows no race?
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