As a first generation American, I may be missing some nuance here, but I just don't understand what black folks want.
Sure, there was slavery, then institutionalized discrimination and there are still societal issues that seem to afflict black Americans. Why?
Slavery was abolished over 150 years ago. Civil rights laws were enacted to provide recourse for lingering anti-black discrimination. All sorts of very expensive government programs, paid for by white folk, were implemented that gave black Americans all sorts of benefits, from free food to free housing to special education for those who refused to learn the basic elements of being an American (speaking English, learning the three Rs, etc.) and reverse discrimination was legalized to give black Americans yet another way to assimilate and reap the benefits that this amazing country provides.
Still, they insist not enough has been done and even though the science shows that many black American communities choose crime, drugs and violence and create the conditions where cops either have to take action to protect the rest of society from the barbarism of many black American communities or stand back and let society be destroyed.
When I was a kid (1970s, San Francisco), most of the other kids in my school were also first generation Americans...my best friend's parents came from China, another friend's parents were from Samoa, quite a few others were from Mexico. All of us spoke proper English and studied hard and to a one, we ended up with college degrees, good jobs and comfortable lives. The black kids in our class were all from families that had been in the US for 200+ years, yet most couldn't speak proper English and rejected education for crime.
Yeah, slavery sucked, but blacks were hardly the only ones affected by slavery. The Chinese in California basically were slaves, yet they are now some of the highest achieving people in the country. My own family (both sides) were enslaved during WW2 and most of my family was killed, other than the few who made it to the US with no money, speaking no English and having survived what most would say is one of the most horrific atrocities ever.
So the black American community claims that what makes their situation different is that they are still experiencing discrimination and even institutionalized violence.
My take is that the black American community doesn't understand the basic element of chickens and eggs. Something always precedes behavior and while I don't like cops, I don't blame them for making assumptions when they have to quickly assess a situation and take action, including employing violence. I just don't understand what black Americans want...hundreds of thousands of Americans gave their lives to end slavery, trillions of our tax dollars have been spent to give black Americans every opportunity to succeed and special programs that no one else benefits from exist for black Americans.
I'm starting to understand "racism", and for the most part I think it's justified....
Interesting take on things.
But, it's really not "race" as much as it is culture. And the culture has been reinforced by racial politics.
