Poll: Have You Witnessed or Experienced Racial Discrimination Within the Last Two Years?
Issues of race are nearly impossible to understand in one simple question. For a more in-depth look at race issues I find Pew’s research helpful:
Blacks are much more downbeat than whites about the pace of progress toward a color-blind society. They are also more likely to say that blacks are treated less fairly than whites by police, the courts, public schools and other key community institutions.
While these differences by race are large, significant minorities of whites agree that blacks receive unequal treatment when dealing with the criminal justice system. (King’s Dream Remains an Elusive Goal; Many Americans See Racial Disparities)
The perspectives of different races is not really surprising.
The poll question this week asks if you’ve witnessed or experienced racial discrimination within the last 2 years. I don’t expect those responding affirmative to be a huge percentage, but I’m pretty certain it’ll be greater than zero. The poll is in the right sidebar.
— Steve Patterson
Have I witnessed racial discrimination in the last TWO YEARS? Are you serious? Here? In St. Louis? Please, Steve. Be serious. Racial discrimination. Hmmm… Let’s see.
How about those majority types using the “N’ word in like company, thinking it’s the norm? How about the state of Missouri rejecting the expansion of Medicaid, a low income, often minority supporting, health care program?
How about the Board of Aldermen? Where some aldermen play the race card, dividing one race against the other? Does that count as “racial discrimination”?
But actually, thinking on it a bit, I’d say, not so much. It seems here in the STL, racial discrimination is much less than it used to be, especially among non-locals and the “under-40” crowd.
“How about the state of Missouri rejecting the expansion of Medicaid, a
low income, often minority supporting, health care program?”
There are many possible reasons for opposing expansion of Medicaid (though I support expansion). Most reasons are unconnected to racism. If you cry wolf over every policy that hurts minorities (and other people), the nobody will listen to you when there is a case of actual racism.
If you haven’t witnessed it, you simply don’t have your eyes open. Discrimination is far more than in-your-face use of the “n” word. Many times (and much more often) it is way more subtle, but still there. And it’s not all black-white, around here, either. There’s discrimination against Asians, Hispanics and Bosnians, as well.
http://www.salon.com/2013/11/01/when_no_one_said_anything_how_racism_goes_unquestioned/
For those suspicious about this link it’s a good article titled “When no one said anything: How racism goes unquestioned: Some say we should just “get over” racism, but it’s not possible when so many condone it with their silence”