Is it about Race? Or is it about Insularity and Indifference?

By Pam Wylie Powell

The haunting images of George Floyd, Tamir Rice, Philando Castile, Sandra Bland, and Ahmed Aubrey.

Before that, the equally haunting images of Trayvon Martin, Renisha McBride, and Eric Garner.

George Floyd, killed by Derek Chauvin and a bevy of policemen as horrified bystanders watched helplessly. His death sparked violent protests throughout the United States, and even abroad, as citizens worldwide saw Floyd’s death as another instance of a police force that is not serving the community.

Tamir Rice, a twelve-year-old playing with a toy gun in a public playground, was killed by a police officer firing at him two seconds after opening the door of his patrol car as it rolled to a stop. The gun didn’t have an orange-tipped barrel that would indicate it was a toy.

Philando Castile, pulled over for a traffic stop, was shot and killed after informing the officer he had a gun. Castile also had a permit to carry the gun.

Sandra Bland was arrested during a highly questionable traffic stop by an officer not following protocol. She died in police custody. The ruling was suicide.

Ahmed Aubrey was chased down like a criminal and killed by three men when all he was doing was jogging through a neighborhood.

Trayvon Martin, returning from a store where he bought candy, was killed by a Neighborhood Watch member, George Zimmerman.

Renisha McBride was killed while pounding on a door in the middle of the night. Theodore Wafer, the homeowner, felt threatened and fired his shotgun at her, killing her instantly.
Eric Garner was killed by a policeman using a chokehold the police had outlawed.

The question is asked, “Is it about race?” Each of these individuals was black.

Is it about race?

Or is it about Insularity and Indifference?

If we are living insular lives where we only communicate with people we agree with …

If we are living insular lives in communities where everyone looks like us …

If we only listen to or watch or read what we agree with …
Then we are missing out on a lot of the world.

Especially if it leaves us only caring about what concerns us – or feeling threatened by what is outside our circle. We become indifferent. We say, “It’s not my problem. It’s their problem and it’s their fault.”

And when Insularity and Ignorance run rampant on the Internet, the problem is compounded. The Internet has made it easy to throw verbal rocks at people. Those verbal rocks hurt. Rocks, thrown with insensitivity or even malice, can engender hatred. Hatred results in violence which destroys civilization.

Then how do we stop the hate?

We can start by listening.

I grew up in Orange County, California during the civil rights era. I remember thinking, “What is the matter with those people marching in protest in the South? I’ve never seen a single case of discrimination here in Orange County.” And of course, I hadn’t since Orange County at that time was practically 100% white. It was overwhelmingly white because the real estate salespeople refused to sell to people of color. I didn’t know this. I didn’t find out about it until I went to college.

When I found out that a) there was discrimination and b) it was as close as the neighborhood I grew up in then I came to a stellar understanding – that people can be honest and have enormous good will and still be 100% wrong.

That understanding – the understanding that I, as an honest person of goodwill, could be wrong – has, I hope, made me a better listener.

Ben Franklin The United States was founded on the premise that we have the right, might, and ability to govern ourselves. If we refuse to listen to others, if we slap a label on them and treat them with indifference because they are not as we are, then we are rejecting for them the very heritage we claim for ourselves – that right of self-government. If we claim for them the same heritage we claim for ourselves then we will be willing to listen and have a dialogue rather than talking past each other.

The other way is to include everyone in our family.

That’s everyone: George Floyd, Tamir Rice, Philando Castile, Sandra Bland, Ahmed Aubrey, Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman; Renisha McBride and Theodore Wafer; Eric Garner, and the police, including Derek Chauvin.

Everyone is family. Each kid belongs to all of us. If one of them dies, we all grieve. And each police officer is part of our family. We know that it’s a hard job, a demanding job where uncertainty can lead to scary circumstances.

With family, we work together for justice. We work together for ways to listen to and understand each other. We do it because life is both too short and too long to let ignorance, insularity, or hatred hold sway.

We listen, treat each other with respect and find we share a common heritage, a common humanity, a brotherhood, a sisterhood – a family.

Pam Powell is an author, playwright and radio personality living in Springfield, OR. Connect with her on Linked In.