The issue I wish to address is not specific to Laguna Beach. However, this issue is one that the entire country is confronting right now, so in that sense, it is an issue locally as well.
The chief question plaguing America right now is whether or not there is institutionalized racism in law enforcement. And secondly, are the police guilty of brutality?
The first thing that must be said is that law enforcement is one of the most difficult and dangerous jobs in America. This fact is complicated by the fact that we ask the police to deal with all the failures of our society. Homeless people is not a law and order issue, but let’s let the police deal with it. Mentally ill people living on the streets. Let police deal with it. Quality of life issues and crimes? Give it to the police. The inevitable effects of years of poverty, poor educations, lack of opportunity, hopelessness, obscenely imbalanced levels of wealth. Yup, sounds like police work. Oh, and crime too! Saddle up cops. Fix everything for us will you. We’re too busy becoming wealthy to care or to actually live the ideals that a democratic republic is built on.
Is there institutional racism in law enforcement? How could there not be racism amongst the police. We’ve seen for 401 years, and especially during the last three, that racism is alive and well throughout our society. And as America’s schools and cities become increasingly segregated, the hope for a “meeting of minds” on this issue appears futile. Consider this, in 2015 at least 104 unarmed Black men were killed by law enforcement, according to mappingpoliceviolence.org. Now change one variable. If in 2015 the police had killed 104 white men don’t you think the issue would have been resolved five years later. That’s institutional racism in our governments, our judicial system, and in law enforcement.
As to the question of police brutality. It really isn’t a question anymore after having watched two weeks of police, the National Guard, the attorney general, and the president (in name only) beat and abuse peaceful demonstrators. One former member of the CIA stated that what he witnessed was similar to events he had seen in tyrannical third world countries. At this point, America really does seem like a failed state.
It has been clear since the murder of Emmett Till in 1955 that America as a society and its government isn’t listening to Black people. This situation will not change until all white people put their back into eradicating this problem. It is the greatest problem of our lifetime that confronts us right now. Pitch in or watch things get much worse.
Mike Arrajj, Laguna Beach
Thank you for sharing your thoughts Mike Arrajj. We live in a world where all too often we have looked the other way. In my marketing consultant work, I worked for Riverside Community College District for a short period of time as a Director at the Center for Social Justice and Civil Liberties in Riverside. The true and verified historical stories of the struggles experienced by immigrants and minorities were truly heart-wrenching. But they also caused a major stir and critical changes city, state and nation-wide resulted. The CSJCL and the Museum of Tolerance should become mandatory for So Cal. students of all ages. Most adults and students who toured RCC’s CSJCL from around the world said it changed them. This is where it starts.
Our public safety employees would directly benefit as well. And, contrary to CC Peter Blake’s negative remarks about such venues in the past, they are important educational facilities and non-partisan. It would do him a world of good in understanding and listening to the people he is serving if he explored diversity and educated himself. The disconnect and community tension in our city under his leadership is the worst it has ever been.
I fully support police work and the difficult job they are tasked with. I support finding new ways for them to do their jobs effectively and safely and to protect the public they serve equally and fairly. Thank you.