By now everyone has surely heard of the five shootings of Oakland Police officers over the weekend, resulting in four deaths, plus that of the parolee turned murderer. As a resident of Oakland, I was horrified when a BART Officer recently killed an unarmed man in custody. Today, I am equally horrified, times four, that these officers are gone by the actions of a vile being. But what I really want to talk about is what you will likely not see in the papers or news about this tragedy. The first thing you will not see addressed, but perhaps pieced together in pictures, is that the four officers killed appeared to be white and their killer, particularly, was black, although this is what every honest reader wanted to know from the start. Why do we want to know, you ask? That’s easy. Ethnicity does not speak to guilt or innocence, but it is a very valid empirical story as to who, what and where notorious danger lurks.
The second thing you will not see written is why these police officers were so, umm, white. Oakland, with a sizable black population of 35% (white (23%), Latino (21%), and Asian (15%)) should have had at least one black person on the law’s side in this battle, but no. The reality is that both motorcycle or SWAT duty are coveted exam-positions where white males perform at a higher level and this is how this lone demographic found itself owning the wrong place at the wrong time slot.
The third thing you will not see written is that when police officers get injured or killed, the follow-on police work is often compromised to the detriment of the health and safety of the public and the officers themselves. While this is understandable, from an emotional standpoint, it is also an unacceptable profile for an officer, that they should take risks that increase the likelihood of injury to themselves or innocents. The SWAT officers clearly did not assume and prepare for the worst case scenario, causing me to wonder if emotions from their slain and gravely injured brother officers unduly influenced them.
The fourth, but hardly the last, thing you will not read about is the effect this tragedy will have on white officers and their relationship, good and bad, with black Oakland, and officers on the whole, engaging black suspects in the future. They can’t help but take a more aggressive and/or cautious posture toward them. Profiling will go up. Brutality will go up. Arrest will go up. Injuries will go up. Fatalities will go up. Lawsuits will certainly go up, and convictions will likely go down.
I don’t have a lot of answers, but I can tell you that until we stop hoping that we all just ‘get along’ and start speaking about things unspeakable, we are not going to make a lot of progress and people will continue to die senselessly, needlessly and tragically.
James C. Collier
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Technorati Tags: Acting White: Oakland Cop Killer, Shooting, Fatalities, Parole, Murder, Acting White
16 comments:
Why police officers are mostly white (in urban areas) is due to this qualifying question: does the applicant have a criminal record? This is a vicious stupidity cycle. Far too many young black males have a permanent record. Apparently, even when young white males get arrested their records get expunged, or the prosecutor will drop the case.
I'm fascinated as to why this isn't an issue black activists would focus on. Encouraging these young males to keep their noses clean, aka Jena 6, will allow them to qualify for many jobs. Unfortunately, going to jail has become a badge of honor among some folks.
I understand the focus on IQ, but it is all really about an organic lack of morality.
If you would do your research, you would notice that only 2 of the Officers were White, and 2 were asian/pacific islanders...not that this has anything to do with anything in this instance...
Anon 2:40, Thanks for that good and irrelevant point, I should have said that the officers 'appeared' to be white to the untrained eye.
How many innocent black victims have been hassled and killed by White Police Officers, The question of white males excelling on the exams is a misnomer, the question is why are white males attracted to these paramilitary institutions anyway, and who do you think they are protecting!
The problem with many black intellectuals, are that you naïve to the notion of what these institutions represent. It’s another extension of White Supremacy; sorry I don’t sympathize with any of those officers. The irony is that Oakland is the birthplace of the Black Panthers!
Organized to defend against police violence!
Like Asians and Latinos are exempt from racisism against White Folks!
lincolnperry: both white and black boys are attracted to weapons via imperfect motives, however my chances of getting blown away by a black man for $5 is incomparably greater than getting off'd by some John Wayne wannabe. BTW, I just read where Mixon was wanted, by DNA evidence, for raping a 12 year black girl at gun point and is suspected to be a serial rapist. Who are you saving from what by defending this dude?
I'm not defending Mixon, In defending the deaths of the officers are we attempting to be fair and balance, thats the impression I get from all the apologist comments on the blogs.
I worked with White Males and Hispanics in law enforcement, they don't give us the benefit of the doubt!
The San Franscisco Chronicle reported that a Street Shrine has appeared as a memorial to the Cop-Killer. I cannot find any reference to this online.
Please E-mail the San Francisco Chronicle and ask them why this story is not being posted online.
Oakland residents built a street shrine memorial to the cop killer.
It was reported in the print edition of the San Francisco Chronicle. Yet, I cannot find it online. Why is that?
Oakland residents left flowers for Mixon.. How sick is that?
Write the San Francisco Chronicle and ask them why this fact is unavailable on their webcite!
Why is it that the cowards and apologist always post anonymous, many poor black people law abiding, and not...have a mistrust of law enforcement, and feel that this is extension of tyrannical government. So in there way they feel they are celebrating a martyr for there cause.
There is an interesting film, I recommend call American Violet, about a young woman who is a victim of police and unfair justice system. http://www.theagitator.com/2009/03/21/american-violet
It seems the only issue black activists cling to is any that seem to be a "white on black" injustice.
When do they discuss black on black and black on white crime?
Never that I can see.
Why?
I have to guess because those issues, which are many times more serious, do not promote their cause and bring in the money that keeps them going.
They refuse to try to help their own when their own are killing each other in record numbers but if one black person is killed by a white they take to the streets in droves denouncing it to the heavens.
They are their own worst enemies and refuse to acknowledge it.
"Young white males get their records expunged and white cops are the problem."
Talk about broad generalizations and casting blame.
Some martyr. Raping a young black girl.
Quite the value system you got going on there LP.
Yes there is a "shrine" to the cop killer and today there was a march in the streets celebrating the cop killer as a "hero" for killing those officers.
They were shouting "they got what they deserved".
Has this been shown on the network news?
Somehow I doubt it.
There are some screwed up folks in this world. They celebrate a multiple rapist and murderer as a hero.
I wonder how this vile crap makes his victim's families feel?
The parents of the young black girl he raped must be appalled as well as the families of the officers.
Where is Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton on this issue?
It begs for discussion and needs to be addressed NOW.
Golden ah if you reread the comments Linc Perry said white cops were the problem. I gave no credit for who said what in my comments.
But you did make the comment that white kids apparently got their records expunged.
Do you have any stats or facts to back that up?
Since you used the word "apparently" you must be assuming something you know nothing about.
Let's do face facts shall we. A lot more young black kids get arrested than whites therefore a lot more black kids have those nasty permanent records.
I do agree with your comment about black activists not trying to solve black youth issues. It seems the only issues they care about are any they can blame the white man with.
Forever the victims.
But hey, that's what brings the money in.......
"Another black man without a father."
Careful there.
The feminists will castrate you for suggesting that fathers are somehow relevant to their childrens' outcomes, and the PC Police will sue you for suggesting that black children are more likely to be born out of wedlock.
In all seriousness, I can't help but wonder if black Americans were better off in the 50s, when they were mostly left to their own devices, than today when everyone is bending over backwards to accept, excuse, and even celebrate their shortcomings and misdeeds. Who among the early civil rights activists would have said that Mixon was a "good kid", or celebrated the slaughter of four peace officers?
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