Monday, February 16, 2015
Racism: FBI director calls it like it is
Comey has been praised for admitting that police often react differently to blacks and whites. Everybody seem to have been impressed by that -- while at the same time conveniently overlooking what he said is the cause of that: Black behavior
In an unusually frank and personal speech, FBI Director James B. Comey on Thursday addressed “hard truths” about policing, acknowledging racial bias among law enforcement officers and lamenting a “disconnect” between police agencies and communities of color.
Police “often work in environments where a hugely disproportionate percentage of street crime is committed by young men of color,” Comey said. “Something happens to people of goodwill working in that environment. After years of police work, officers often can’t help but be influenced by the cynicism they feel.”
A police officer, whether “white or black,” has a different reaction to two young black men on the side of a street than he does to two white men, Comey said, because the black men “look like so many others the officer has locked up.”
At one point in his remarks, Comey cited the song “Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist” from the Broadway musical “Avenue Q” in making the case that everyone makes judgments based on race.
“Look around and you will find,” Comey said, quoting the lyrics, “no one’s really colorblind.”
Adolphus Pruitt, president of the St. Louis branch of the NAACP, which has been deeply involved in the response to the shooting in Ferguson last year, applauded Comey’s remarks.
“It is extremely profound and timely that the folks at the highest level of the justice system and law enforcement are beginning to talk publicly about what they know and we have always suspected,” Pruitt said.
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5 comments:
Isn't he such a thoughtful leader as to talk about touchy subjects. I wonder if he will bring up the subject anon 3:14 mentioned?
3:14 and 5:01,
Are you trying to say that an investigation into a crime begins with the race of a person and not where the evidence takes the police?
You just proved Comey's point.
1:58, the investigation of the crime often BEGINS with the description of the perpetrator.
If a black man has been reported to have committed a crime by a victim or a witness you don't go looking for a white man. Usually you know if a crime has been committed by a minority because the press don't give any race. If it was a white person they would say Caucasian.
2:45,
I agree but that is not what 3:14 and 5:01 seem to be saying. They seem to be saying that because a certain race may commit more crimes in an area, the people of that race should be suspects immediately as opposed to letting the evidence (which include the description) lead to the person.
Go back to the article and re-read Comey's words: "Police “often work in environments where a hugely disproportionate percentage of street crime is committed by young men of color,” Comey said. “Something happens to people of goodwill working in that environment. After years of police work, officers often can’t help but be influenced by the cynicism they feel.”
A police officer, whether “white or black,” has a different reaction to two young black men on the side of a street than he does to two white men, Comey said, because the black men “look like so many others the officer has locked up.”
There is a huge difference between having a description of a person (actual evidence) and saying the crime must have been committed by a person of a certain race because of past encounters with members of that race.
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