If there’s not one thing to stray attention from minority problems, it’s another.
On Sunday of August 20th, 2017, the Sergeants Benevolent Association released a video titled “Blue Racism,” in which the group tries to explain how the climate in America towards police is extremely hostile, almost to the point of systematic discrimination. Not just any discrimination, however, but racism. Yes—according to the NYPD, they’re subject to racism because they’re “blue” police officers.
Let’s analyze this video, shall we?
“They don’t even label me as being African American, Latino, Asian, Caucasian and so on. They tend to see an even broader stereotype, through an even more racist lens.”
For starters, NYPD, being labeled an “African-American” or “Latino” is not a stereotype. A stereotype is an offensive generalization of a group of people, and I wasn’t aware that my entire race was a derogatory exaggeration—unless you people seem to think so? Secondly, did you all really say that people view police officers in an even more racist lens than people view Black Americans or Mexican Immigrants? How so? Is having the entire legal system on your side, even when you’re plainly wrong, some new form of racism? Has the President—or any former President—ever dehumanized you as drug dealers and terrorists? I don’t believe so.
Can we stop pretending that being blue is a race? Nobody is born blue; nobody is born identifying as a police officer, nobody is denied service for being a police officer, and nobody is systematically oppressed by the government for being a police officer. This “pro-police” rhetoric is nothing but another way to throw away the frustrations of Black people because White people hate when minorities start getting uppity about their civil rights.
Cops are being killed, yes, and that is a terrible thing that Black Lives Matter does not promote—but there are better ways to spread your message without undermining the desired equality of black and brown people across the country. Instead of falsely crying about being oppressed, educate yourselves on the fact that police officers are typically the tools of the oppressor, and stand in solidarity with the citizens that you’re tasked to protect whenever one of your own murders another innocent.
Don’t create videos that try to victimize yourselves, the typical perpetrators. Create videos whenever an unarmed black man or woman is slayed by a proclaimed “officer of the law.” Create videos that show you don’t condone the historically-sewn racism in both the justice system and the police department. Create videos that show progression—and maybe this “anti-police climate” will lessen.
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