Race relations after the pandemic (II)

Source: de.wikipedia.org

[I did not participate in the anti-racism demonstrations in my town this June, because of the coronavirus pandemic. I now regret this, for we are in a time where it is important to stand up and be counted.]

Shockingly and tragically, another name has entered the list of black Americans who have been killed or maimed by the police. Jacob Blake was entering his car when a Kenosha police officer grabbed his shirt and shot him seven times in the back. Accounts vary, as they will, but more than a week later the police have not articulated any rationale for detaining Blake, much less for putting that much ammunition into him.

Two days later, a white teenager from across the Illinois border shot and killed two demonstrators and wounded a third. His gentle treatment by the police has been contrasted with how they treated the unarmed Blake, but we might charitably credit the police chief's statement to the effect that his force was overwhelmed and confused by the outpouring of demonstrators and agitators in the wake of Blake's shooting. I'm sympathetic, but maybe they should have thought of this before they shot him seven times.

These awful events coincided with the Republican National Convention, which renominated President Donald Trump, whose political career has thrived on chaos, much of which he himself has created. (Hello, Portland!) A week's worth of speeches blamed violence at demonstrations on feckless Democratic state and local leaders, complete with video that turned out to be taken in Barcelona, Spain. Vice President Mike Pence said, "The hard truth is, you won't be safe in Joe Biden's America." Pence cited the death in Oakland of federal officer Dave Underwood as a prime example of the "violence and chaos in the streets of our major cities" which would supposedly increase under a Biden administration, but the person actually charged with killing Underwood is a member of the right-wing Boogaloo Boys (Millhiser 2020).

Democrats, starting with presidential candidate Joe Biden, are certainly put in an awkward position by any association of violence with anti-racism demonstrations, given that blacks are one of their core constituencies and civil rights one of their core issues. Biden has articulated a nuanced position of considerable integrity (Feldman 2020), for all the good that may do in the foodfight that is contemporary American politics.

John Locke (Wikimedia Commons)

John Locke (1632-1704), the English philosopher who strongly influenced 18th century political thought including that of the Framers of the Constitution, argued that law enforcement by the state was more "convenient" than doing it yourself in a state of nature, but only if the state was fulfilling its contractual obligation to protect individual rights to life, liberty, property, and the like. Black citizens have long wondered with some justification whether the state is much interested in their individual rights. It is, to say what should be screamingly obvious, an urgent matter for both the police and the whole body politic to contribute to a society where black lives matter. A race war might reelect the President and boost Tucker Carlson's ratings, but in time it's a war that nobody wins.

Martin Luther King Jr. (Wikimedia commons)

One reason I'm continually drawn to the political thought of Martin Luther King Jr.--whose public approval ratings in the 1960s, by the way, were not far from the Black Lives Matter movement's now--is his sustained focus on long-term outcomes. His movement was about remaking American society into one where blacks and whites, including those who opposed him, could live together in genuine community. His activism served his constructive strategy, rather than reacting to provocations of the moment (or playing at presidential politics). 

Looting and violence, even if borne of frustration, don't get us to community, and rightly or wrongly, serve to distract attention to the core issues. Same goes for choosing one side or the other without some constructive action to follow up. However, as in past struggles for justice, both the moral force of protest and the pragmatic tactics of political leadership can move us forward.

Whether sympathetic to Black Lives Matter or not, those speaking out on this issue must do even more to articulate a vision of the American future that [a] takes into account the legitimate grievances of black Americans, and [b] imagines a future inclusive community with [c] law enforcement that acts to support this vision by protecting the rights of all.

SEE ALSO

"Race Relations after the Pandemic," 27 May 2020

Perry Bacon Jr., "Could a Backlash Against Black Lives Matter Hurt Biden? The Two Don't Appear Linked So Far," FiveThirtyEight, 27 August 2020 [includes polling data on BLM though not past the time of the Jacob Blake shooting]

Laura Bliss, "An Alleged Bike Violation Brings on a Police Shooting of a Black Man," CityLab, 1 September 2020

Nicholas Kristof, "The Lawbreakers Trump Loves," New York Times, 29 August 2020

Alec MacGillis, "What Can Mayors Do When the Police Stop Doing Their Jobs?" ProPublica, 3 September 2020

Sarah Maslin Nur, Michael Wilson, Troy Closson and Jesse McKinley, "7 Police Officers Suspended as a Black Man's Suffocation Roils Rochester," New York Times, 3 September 2020

Scott Wilson, "'Why Were You Attacking Me?'" Washington Post, 3 September 2020 [2019 choking-drugging incident in Aurora, Colorado]