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manickittens t1_j66kkk5 wrote

Reply to comment by Psychogistt in Chance of riots tonight? by [deleted]

I believe the entirety of the law enforcement system as it currently stands is inherently racist. Law enforcement, regardless of their individual racial or ethnic backgrounds, have shown that they view each other as “blue brothers” with the goal of protecting each other and consolidating power. When Black people were enslaved peoples in the US who did the white owners rely on to enforce and punish the “field slaves”? I sincerely doubt they would have done this to a white man pulled over for a traffic stop.

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Psychogistt t1_j66lpga wrote

I think it’s pretty racist to compare black police officers to black slave drivers.

I do think there is systemic racism in law enforcement, but that’s not the primary driver here. The power they are primarily consolidating and protecting is class power. Police brutality happens regularly to working class white Americans as well.

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manickittens t1_j66mch7 wrote

It was an analogy to show how the racist system utilizes folks being oppressed to work against their own best interests.

But you have a good night! Stay safe!

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km89 t1_j66tdsk wrote

>Police brutality happens regularly to working class white Americans as well.

I'm sure, but it's worth pointing out the overtly racist elements of police behavior. It's not even remotely out of the realm of possibility that these cops have gotten it in their head that they are some of the "good ones" who either personally or whose family at one time escaped the hood, and have contempt for those who have not. I've personally head almost as many black people as white people make the comment that "there's n*****s and then there's black people." (EDIT: Though, to be fair, my social circle is mostly white. It's possible there's a bias there, regarding which black people choose to be a part of that circle or are made to feel uncomfortable doing so.)

Here's a personal anecdote. Probably about 10 years ago or so, I was in an acquaintance's back yard. There were a group of white adults, white teenagers, and one black teenager. All of us were borderline white-trash at the time.

A cop car comes screaming up the driveway. Two officers jump out, ignore every single white person, and tackle the black teenager. They ended up fracturing his skull and breaking his nose. We later found out that they were doing a drug bust... at the wrong house. I offered to testify, but the victim and his family never took me up on that and I have no idea if it went anywhere.

The point is, we were all very obviously of similar economic background--but somehow that was not enough to cause police brutality to the white people, but was enough to cause police brutality against the black person.

I think it's true that police action is largely class-based, but it's also important not to forget that there are racist elements at play.

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