How Serious is Systemic Racism?

1. 82

   crankaliciousposted 4 years ago

   Read this post:
   
   https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/ … sed-325676
   
   Heartbreaking.
   
   Did this woman do anything wrong? How do we right this wrong? Clearly, wrong was done to this woman, she suffered all the consequences. Nothing was done or will be done to the people who harassed her.

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   1. 82

      Credence2posted 4 years agoin reply to this

      Crank, I am prepared to do you one better. Here is another article and example
      
      https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/25/real … ation.html
      
      I know that the nation and the world are full of jerks that can on an individual basis behave badly.
      
      My problem is that when institutions like banking, real estate and the example that you provided seem to indicate a concerted effort both up an down to food chain to make certain that a designated group is not treated fairly and go out of their way to assure such. I am always going to have an issue with such things.
      
      I will not support people, politicians nor ideologies that tell me all of this is a mere figment of my imagination, isolated incidents or that I exaggerate, and simply choose to ignore what is before my very face.
      
      The "system" as you noted is locked down tight to the point that this woman's complaint fell on deaf ears even at the highest levels of supervision. How is that possible, who is so malevolent to be behind such a thing and what kind of people are content in working in such a environment claiming plausible deniability, blaming an automated program?
      
      And THEY want to know why we are not getting along?

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      1. 82

         crankaliciousposted 4 years agoin reply to this

         And have you ever seen a conservative or Republican even acknowledge that this issue is a problem? Has it ever been a serious concern for them? Is it something they care about?

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         1. 82

            Credence2posted 4 years agoin reply to this

            No, Conservatives like to point to "culture" family values and such as an explanation for so much disparity in opportunities and outcomes between whites and blacks. It is just another dodge or excuse. 
            
            There is law and there is the defacto reality on the ground.
            
            Because, they have generally not taken these problems seriously, this is just one reason among many why I do not support the GOP and those that ally with them and that includes Donald Trump, the new face of the Republican Party.

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2. 84

   GA Andersonposted 4 years ago

   I wasn't long into your linked article before I was thinking this is a case of more than just racism. It may have started that way, but as the story went on it seemed more like a case of personal persecution.
   
   It seems logical that the CBP officers at the crossing would be repeating schedules, as in a group of officers assigned to that duty that would be manning the booths. Her story doesn't say if it was a different officer each time.
   
   Unfortunately, this appears to amount to a 'he said - she said' situation. That is not to say I don't believe her story, but it does mean that a preconceived perspective would bias the reader to believe a particular side of the issue.
   
   One bias would believe the CBP booth officers were racist jerks, the opposite would believe she may be lying or exaggerating.
   
   I'm stuck. I have a seed of doubt. I can see her first, (or second), secondary inspection, being racially motivated, but . . .
   
   Given her description of the SENTRI system, and her noting that some SENTRI travelers were recognized and greeted, and the multiple Upper management efforts she made that surely must have resulted in some further contact between Upper management and CBP management, (meaning it would be logical for CBP management to at least make it known to the crossing that a problem was being claimed) . . . yet she still continued to be harassed.
   
   This is why it feels like more than racism to me. This is why I have a seed of doubt. If her story is true then it seems more likely that she was harassed for who she was, (or how she reacted), and not her skin color. Which would possibly imply the CBP officers were more jerk than racist.
   
   If her story is true, it would also mean the CBP investigative office that Politico contacted is lying and covering up for racist and jerk behavior. With the publicity from Diplomat Corp communications and the Politico inquiry, this seems a risky move. Not unbelievable, but once again it is a perception based on the bias of the reader's perspective. For some, I am sure there is no doubt—either way, but for me, there is a seed of doubt.
   
   So I do not see this as systemic racism. It seems either a cadre of racist jerks or a case of misperception and exaggeration. However, if there ever is any further validation from her FOA request or further Politico investigating, I would be glad to eat that seed of doubt instead of letting it grow.
   
   GA

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