California Forum
Police response to U.S. Capitol attack highlights law enforcement’s rampant racism
The attack on our nation’s Capitol by insurrectionists was fueled by Donald Trump and revealed how misinformation and blatant lies by political leaders can misguide and brainwash individuals, causing them to harm themselves and others because of irrational fear.
The seditious acts also showcased to the world the wild discrepancies between how police respond to gatherings of peaceful, law-abiding protesters of color and white nationalists intent on destruction. People of color people are met with aggressive, brutal, sweeping attacks while those intent on trampling our democracy are permitted to take selfies with officers, allowed access to restricted areas and shown patience.
Since the first images of Rodney King were broadcast showing a weaponless, defenseless man of color being brutalized by several Los Angeles Police Department officers, police treatment of men and women of color, whether peacefully protesting or going about their day as citizens, is not on equal terms with our white counterparts.
Sworn to protect the Capitol building and members of Congress, law enforcement officers were allegedly seen on video allowing agitators, anarchists and domestic terrorists to access the building, taking photos with rioters and looters and refusing to exercise force, thereby allowing the building to be overrun.
The complacency and possibly purposeful acts by officers that allowed the halls of Congress to be ransacked and desecrated by white supremacists is telltale. It is also in stark contrast to the response given to the peaceful gathering of men and women of color in Lafayette Park in the summer of 2020 when local police and federal agents attacked protesters using tear gas, rubber bullets and a helicopter to disperse the lawfully gathered crowd, clearing the way for Trump’s disgraceful photo-op.
Police often, without hesitation, utilize deadly force against persons of color and falsify reports to justify their deadly actions. Over and over, media reports, cell phone videos and individual testimony contradict police reporting on the circumstances that led to the death of a person of color. The same technologies often show a very different law enforcement reaction and outcome when a white individual is caught attacking an officer, wielding an actual weapon or committing a heinous act.
Police have been videoed providing white suspects with Burger King meals after being arrested, ignoring active white shooters wielding a weapon in public and using restraint when dealing with white criminals threatening the officer’s life and others.
People of color are too often viewed as threats while white suspects are seen as troubled individuals in need of treatment. These biases are embedded in the very fabric of our society.
Case in point: In 2014, when 28-year-old Alejandro “Alex” Nieto was shot and killed by police while eating his lunch in a park near his house in San Francisco, all four officers involved were acquitted. Twelve-year-old Tamir Rice, who was playing in a park and posed no threat to anyone, was shot and killed by an officer within seconds of arrival.
The accounts of tragedy in communities of color caused by bad officers has a long history and, unfortunately, without convictions or consequences will remain a threat. One reason for the acceptance of these police actions is a deep-seated national notion that people of color are second-class citizens.
The Confederate flag was carried in the halls of our Capitol, reminding all of us that racism remains pervasive in our country and that the torch of hate burns in full view — fueled in part by the discrimination we have seen from members of law enforcement for decades.
Black Americans just recently, within the last 55 years, fought for and won the right to vote in a country where we have been part of the fabric for 400 years. That right led to victories in Georgia recently as Rev. Raphael Warnock, a descendant of slaves, won his bid to serve in the U.S. Senate.
America is not equal by any means, but we were on a pathway toward equality for all before Trump. We must now work on that goal with even greater fervor and vigor, and we must start with reforming law enforcement — those tasked with ensuring treatment under the law is fair, equitable and transparent. Anything short of this is criminal and a direct attack on people of color.
Comments