RACE RELATIONS

In light of the recent killings of minorities in the U.S. in police custody or by the police, one can see a glimpse of hope for change this time. Only because heads of cities and police departments are slowly coming forward to say the obvious and denounce the horrible treatment of these men and women of color.

Once it’s acknowledged that racism is prevalent in the U.S. then something can be done about it. It should also be noted that the majority of whites and non-whites have gone out to protest in support of the BLM (Black Lives Matter) so it must be acknowledged that most Americans are not racist. But for too long, it has been ignored that there are racist elements in the police force and government; politicians calling for people to vote to make the change sounds quite ridiculous to me. People cannot vote in or vote out a racist police officer. Racism may be so deep rooted in a community that only prosecution or fear of prosecution can change or deter the behavior. Surely, it shouldn’t take burning cities and days of protests for a city, a state or a country to learn nothing good can come out of racism and police brutality.

I can tell you that this is especially true in the U.S., a litigious nation, where at least in the Los Angeles County endless multi-million dollar verdicts have marred the reputation of the police force as an employer as well as a City. In the end, the judgments or settlements paid out will affect the tax payers in the worst possible way, not the police force itself. To sum up, it benefits society as a whole to improve race relations with respect to law enforcement and how they treat people of color.