Racism in 2015

Yes, I think we still have a problem. Much of the anti-Obama political noise seems rooted in racism, that is white people looking down their noses at people of color.

I find this prospect hideous. I’m white. Born in 1943 to a middle of the road republican family, we respected all people, foreign and domestic, of Asian, African, European descent or whatever. I followed the news reports on TV and in Life Magazine regarding civil rights problems, protests and violence. Well into the 1950’s this unrest was recorded and reported broadly. It disgusted me then as unfair and decidedly un-American.

By the 1960’s I got more involved. Realizing the extent of America’s racism, I got involved in party politics (Republican), marched with protesters peacefully and wrote letters to the editor of local newspapers on the subject. When Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated I took personal action by enrolling in the seminary so I could work towards peace and justice constructively.

I remained in seminary only one year. I returned to the work world and built a career maintaining principles and ethics supportive of peace and justice. I worked for the University of Illinois at Chicago for 17 years. In that part of my career I worked with youth helping them develop organizational skills to use in furthering social concerns and civic activism. Such work supported healthy citizenship not disruptive political unrest.

By the 1970’s racial harmony in our nation was forming well. Standards of living for all citizens were expanding well across all boundaries of gender, color and nationality. The well being of America was very well spread throughout the nation and all of its peoples.

By 2000 I thought we were mostly home free on racism. Evidently that was to be short lived. By 2015 we are faced with all manner of discrimination – gender, sexual orientation, race, nationality, and immigration status. For a nation built on diversity America is sadly evidencing a sorry spate of discrimination.

San Francisco has been an urban area of pride for me. Accepting of gay and lesbian communities, the Bay Area has been mostly non-discriminatory. Once Harvey Milk’s assassination was fully accepted into the area’s history and understood, the urban community made strides in accepting people of color, gender identities and immigrant history. San  Francisco was a vibrant, multicultural Mecca for acceptance, and social integration. Inventiveness marked this population and today it is a high cost, high reward region that drives an economy with remarkable vivacity and long term health.

Yet there seems to be a problem, a very large one. It seems that the San Francisco police have uncovered among their police officers widespread phone texting of racial and homophobic themes. It appears to have become a sport among the officers. So much so that police administrators are reviewing 3000 arrests for fairness and sustainable legal status. If any of those cases are tainted, they will be reversed and a whole hell of a mess in the courts will result.

What’s worse is the trust that will be lost among the public for the very people they rely on for law and order in their community. If the police lose the trust of the people, the entire community will be in trouble.

Racism is a cancer of the body politic. Governance itself will be in question if racism is a reality. Even worse yet is homophobia. San Francisco is the home of the free gay and lesbian community. If the reality is opposite from this, then the Big Lie will be shown to be true. If so, how horribly sad it will be.

This problem is appearing throughout our nation, especially racial unrest. Police departments are seemingly the center of the action at this point. But I suspect this is just the tip of the iceberg. Think Baltimore, Ferguson, Mo., and a lot of other communities as well. Trust in the local police is quivering a bit in the eye of the public. That’s a problem for community leaders and police administrators. The public defines these issues, not the politicians. In the end trust either reigns supreme or it doesn't. If the latter, community doesn't truly exist. Trouble will follow soon.

Freedom of speech in our land is costly. It is imperative to maintain. But it is also expensive in terms of public distrust, unproven conspiracy theories, and cheap political strategies that destroy public trust and confidence.

Raising issues on abortion, gay marriage, gay rights, immigrant rights, border protection, and raw racism as public issues will surely destroy our nation. It has shaken us before.

It is time for true leaders to step forward and raise the quality of the discussion. The tone of political discourse must be improved. Religious freedom should not trump all other issues. Besides, each of us is free to worship as we wish without interference. What we don’t have the right to do in the name of religious freedom, is cram one person’s theology and belief system down the throats of everyone else.

All the major religions are peaceful and peace loving. They also work tirelessly for social justice. This is true of Islam, Judaism, Christianity and all other religions as well. Why a few distort the voice of entire religions and turn them against others is a true tragedy for all. America is better than that. It is time to prove it.

All of us need to raise our voices accordingly. Speak and be heard.

Now, let’s get back to business and deal with the issues that matter the most. Last time I checked, they had nothing to do with religion, gender, sexual orientation, race or nationality. So what are we waiting for?

This battle has been fought and won. Let’s get on with the business that needs to be done.

May 11, 2015