Outside Agitation vs Dismantling Institutional Racism

I preface this article by letting people know that I detest violence. I've fought against it most of my life. Having said that, I have also seen the establishment, almost always, blame the consequences of public demonstrations on outside agitators and anarchists. Fairly seldom has any blame been placed on segregationists, homophobes, or sexists or white nationalists. Usually, the accusers also have very little knowledge about the political philosophy of anarchism or personalism but what they know is that throwing out the term anarchism can produce visceral reactions. That is a topic though for another article.

The recent events in Minneapolis have caused lots of feelings, actions and reactions. Government officials responding to property destruction are moving in a direction of militarism, strong physical containment, and purportedly some questionable citizen electronic surveillance. There has always been a tendency to blame others when a crisis shows up. Blaming victims of injustice is an easy but incorrect response.

The fact is that it's much easier to ratchet up and blame outside agitators than it is to analyze, discuss and bring about the systemic changes that end racism in society, government culture & operations, policing, or criminal justice. Throughout history there have always been righteous outsiders & agitators. The list could go on and on. They showed up in Seneca Falls, Selma, and Stonewall. Some of that list includes names like Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcom X, Gandhi, Dorothy Day, Cesar Chavez.

The first step right now is to understand the pent up anger and frustration with systems that never change. People have been here before. Communities of color and poor people understand the past better than most of us. The list of deaths, arrests, beatings and unfair treatment are long and old. Demonstrations and marches have taken place before and nothing changes. America is a tinder box. We have a President who tweets hatred and lies to the masses. We have white men and women showing up at state capitols with military grade weapons and no consequences. We have a criminal justice system hidden from society unless you have to contend with it yourself. We have prison populations made up of the poor and people of color. There are police and police agencies who treat the black community differently and many times brutally. Government officials and community leaders would be better off discussing and solving these issues, short term and long term.

There always have been provocateurs and probably always will be. They include the left, the right, undercover police, undercover intelligence agencies, militia members, etc. This fight though is about justice. It includes policing, housing, jobs, economic fairness. None of this is about one city at a time. This is about our entire country and we need to recognize it quickly. 

So let's not have issues of who's marching, who's protesting and which group needs to be surveilled take over the conversation, the activities, or the hard work of systemic change. We need to keep our eyes on the prize and fight for true justice for all, in the street, in the council room and in the board room.