Is "systemic racism" really a thing in the U.S.? I'm seeing this term being thrown around a lot as of late.
I'll admit there are regions of this country, very small pockets in the grand scheme of things, that I, as a Mexican male, would not venture into. Heck, there are parts here in L.A. where the lines between racism and culturalism get fuzzy. I can only imagine it's the same for blacks in specific regions throughout the country.
I remember working in Pennsylvania and seeing black men with white women walking around at the mall, and no one was batting an eye. But, the second my Hispanic buddy and I walked into a restaurant, bar, etc., you'd literally hear the record skip. One lady at a Cracker Barrel, without hesitation, before even taking our order, said, "you two look different". We advised her we were LEOs working in the area, and everyone went about their business. We laughed it off, but it still felt a little odd. She turned out to be a sweetheart who simply didn't see brownish people all that often, if ever.
So, the term "systemic" tends to lend itself to a grander scheme, one were EVERYONE is involved. Personally, I don't believe that to be true...not even close. As I mentioned before, there are no doubt pockets throughout the U.S. where certain skin colors, cultures, etc. are shunned, even harassed, and unfortunately sometimes injured/killed.
I'm hearing many pastors and political figures stating that "systemic racism" must be eradicated. First, I'll reiterate my belief that there is no such thing as "systemic racism", and I don't see the government, or ANYONE for that matter, doing anything to persuade people from getting stuck in their bubbles, and being less than welcoming to "foreign" cultures.
What that SOB did to George Floyd was absolutely sickening. It's almost as if he went mentally retarded for those 7-8 minutes. I'm hoping to see his partners charged, as well. Personally, I don't know of ANY law enforcement agency that teaches such a technique. BUT, this idiot's actions DO NOT mirror the beliefs, feelings, and/or actions of the 800,000+ sworn law enforcement personnel in the U.S.