A New Day is Dawning

Thoughts on the Pandemic, Race & Policing
by John Two-Hawks

These past few weeks I have been watching, listening and absorbing all that is happening in our world. I never want to be just another voice shouting an opinion into the ether. There is plenty of that already – and rightfully so. Throughout human history, seasons of change have almost never happened without a roar. Change seems to always come with civil and societal unrest. But in times like these, the constant chaotic onslaught can drown out the still small voice of reason, decency, clarity and wisdom. And we all need that voice now more than ever. Thus, I have sought the silence, waiting for the heart of things to be revealed, that I might be able to articulate my thoughts about things in a good way that makes a positive difference.
 
Current events have revealed something very telling about us collectively. We are struggling with our ability to feel empathy for those we are at odds with. We are having difficulty finding ways to really listen to each other. And most troubling of all, some have taken the dog whistles of racism, conspiracy and authoritarianism as a green light to publicly express their worst impulses. Whether it is the global pandemic, the social unrest about policing and race in America, or the current political climate, I see a common thread in our collective behavior in all these areas. There seems to be a tendency for many of us to go into our selective corners and barricade ourselves in. We make a snap decision about a given issue and wall ourselves off to hearing another perspective. The distance between us creates a chasm that divides and causes us to feel angry and shout at each other because we don’t feel heard.
 
In regards to the pandemic, admittedly, the information about it has been somewhat confusing. This confusion has created a breeding ground for the spreading of false or distorted stories, some of which have devolved into full blown conspiracy theories. I won’t entertain those here. The point of this writing is to illustrate that when we decide too quickly on any given issue based on limited information, we risk closing our ears to a broader perspective, and can become unable to hear anything that doesn’t fit our narrow view, thus stymieing our ability to learn, comprehend and understand. The result is we find ourselves arguing about details and missing the big picture. At the end of the day, there is a global pandemic happening. It is real. It has killed nearly half a million people. It can kill you or someone you love. It can kill your neighbor. Whether we know someone who has had Covid-19 or not (I do) shouldn’t determine how ‘real’ we believe it is. And it should also not cause us to forego our basic human decency, compassion and care for others where public health guidelines are concerned. It’s really that simple. Love your neighbor enough to shake off those selfish impulses and endure a few small inconveniences for the greater good. Remember, this too shall pass.

---

Photo by www.DailyTrib.com

Where the issue of policing and race is concerned, I have a lot on my mind. I have seen a lot of posts on social media making the point that most police officers are good, and do their very difficult jobs with honor and integrity. And this is true. But it’s not the point here. And to try and make that the point is actually part of the problem. The point is that black and brown people keep getting killed by police at far higher rates than their white counterparts, but their cries for help have fallen on deaf ears for far too long. This is what we need to be looking at. Not whether or not most cops are good. We already know that. Most are good. That is not the issue. The issue is a deeply flawed policing system that allows for bad cops to keep killing black and brown people with impunity. That is what we need to be focused on. That’s what ‘Black Lives Matter’ is about. It simply means, ‘I am black, and my life matters as much as yours. So please stop the police from killing us just because we are black.’ That’s all it means. What is so hard to understand about that? Sometimes I see well meaning people respond to ‘Black Lives Matter’ by saying ‘All Lives Matter’. Again, this is not the point. Of course all lives matter. But it is not all lives that have been under constant generational assault by police and vigilantes, it is black and brown lives. To say ‘All Lives Matter’, ‘Blue Lives Matter’, ‘Defend the Police’, or other versions of rebuttal to 'Black Lives Matter' is tone deaf and frankly, insensitive to the very real issues that 'BLM' is trying to call our attention to. And one more thing; if we are pointing at the property damage and looting that occurred during the mostly peaceful nationwide protests, we are again arguing over details and missing the point.
 
The senseless, heartless killing of George Floyd by a veteran police officer evoked global protests and outrage not because it was the first time we had ever seen something like that. On the contrary, the outrage poured out because horrendous acts like this have happened so many times before, and almost nothing has ever been done. This kind of thing has been going on for generations. The killing of George Floyd is just the most recent display of overwhelming violence against black and brown people at the hands of police. It was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back. The time to change the way policing is done in America is long overdue. The system that funds, hires, trains, equips, and evaluates police officers needs a total overhaul. The policing system is struggling with two things: endemic racial bias, and an authoritarian warrior culture. These are very real problems that we need to fix. And we will only fix them if we apply our better angels and exercise our compassion. So let us come out of our corners and listen to each other. Yes, black lives DO matter. And yes, most police officers ARE good. Both of those things are true. What is also true is that American society as a whole is still infected with a racial bias toward black and brown folks. Too often they are seen as inherently bad. Just look at the movies. How often are the bad guys black or brown? Pay attention and you will be stunned by what you learn. It is true as well that policing is a hard job with a lot of risk. It is high pressure and very stressful. But we must get past this false narrative in our system of policing and our society as a whole that black and brown people are inherently bad. We must permanently put an end to racism and racial bias once and for all. So let’s put down our preconceived notions, try to see each other as human beings, use our compassion and apply our empathy, that we might find our way to the light of equality, fairness and basic human decency as we strive to solve this problem and heal the festering wound of racism in our nation.
 
In the end, all solutions require us to lay down our egocentricity, lower our voices and turn our ear to one another in the spirit of compassion and understanding. These are troubled times, but they need to be. We have something to learn here. Let us each look within and be honest with ourselves. If we see something that needs to change, may we find the courage to do so, for ourselves and for the greater good of all.

---