By Mike Matejka
This is not an easy time to be a police officer. Nor is it an easy time to be an African-American, particularly a male. It seems like daily there is another incident that only raises tension. We now have a litany of place names – Dallas, Baton Rouge, Minneapolis, Charleston, Ferguson – whose mention conjures tragedy.
The challenge is there is no easy solution. Every police department has its own character and culture. What was particularly tragic about Dallas is the department there was seriously working to improve community relations, training officers how to verbally de-escalate situations and even studying British techniques, where officers traditionally don’t carry guns. Instead of confronting demonstrators in Dallas, the police there mingled and interacted with people, only to become victims themselves. I’ve been in many meetings with Bloomington and Normal’s chiefs, and McLean County Sheriff Jon Sandage. These leaders are seriously grappling with and open to new ideas to improve relations locally, and I commend them for their efforts.
At the same time, I understand the fears within the African-American community. Every parent lectures their child on how to respond appropriately and politely if stopped by police. Even with the proverbial parental “talk,” I can understand how many African-Americans live with tension, always alert for a situation that might bring trouble.
After President Obama’s election, many thought we were entering a post-racial society. Sadly, that does not seem to be true. Overt racism is not tolerated anymore. As someone with pale skin, I think we all have to dig a little deeper, and see that there are subtle and unintentional reactions that can lead to a racist response. We white American don’t think twice when we enter a store. Many African-Americans will tell you that sometimes clerks seem almost too eager to help, signaling a “why are you here” attitude. Numerous studies show job discrimination results because of the name on the resume. John, Mary or Jane’s resume often end up higher on the stack than Keisha, Chemberly or Da’doneta’s resume.
What does all of this mean? It means we all have to work a little harder. Our police departments need respect and we need to foster that respect, especially among our youth. At the same time, our young people need to feel respected too. We can all look in the mirror and challenge the subtle reactions we often have to skin color, dress, gender and religion, and look beyond to see the human being next to us. Let’s not be complacent, but continue to build a community with liberty and justice for all.
Mike Matejka is the Governmental Affairs director for the Great Plains Laborers District Council, covering 11,000 union Laborers in northern Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota. He lives in Normal. He served on the Bloomington City Council for 18 years, is a past president of the McLean County Historical Society and Vice-President of the Illinois Labor History Society.
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