Minneapolis fatal cop shooting of white woman does not absolve institutional racism

[Equinox Moon]

A tragic shooting by a police officer of a white woman does not change the fact that there is systemic institutional racism in this country. The argument that this incident now shows it is regarding police culture and aggression and not about racism is non-sense. I think it is both-and.

I have read about the statistics of people other than white, being pulled over, arrested, imprisoned, beaten and killed by police and that number far out ways white people.

The overly aggressive and reactive police culture is an issue, and maybe now highlighted differently, but this tragic shooting of a white woman does not somehow absolve institutional racism. It is both-and.

[no_hypocrisy]

1. The police mentality allowing them to shoot first reminds me of the directive

given every morning at Roll Call in Hill Street Blues:

In this clip, the phrase is explained, clarified, etc. but it still puts the police on alert to use their weapons when they don't know what's going on.

[MineralMan]

2. You are absolutely correct. The two issues are linked,

but are independent of each other. We need to address both of them to end both of them.

[Bettie]

3. Exactly

This particular shooting may have more to do with training and police culture than it does racism, but the reaction sure doesn't.

Usually by this time, there are loud voices in favor of the cop coming out and saying "well, he/she was an exemplary officer" (even when he or she wasn't) and digging for every time the victim made a face in a photo or crossed against the light to paint her/him as a terrible person who deserved it.

This time? Near silence.

But, this time the races of the victim and shooter are flipped.

Odd how that works, isn't it?

This cop may very well be charged, convicted, and spend time in prison. If he does, it is a hollow victory, because that would highlight the degree to which our society values white people's lives over black people's.

[Equinox Moon]

5. Well said.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

4. Yep.