Us in Justice
I’ve had a tough time grappling with the current state of race relations and the lack of justice that is delivered to humans as a result of the structures and systems that have been put in place for decades, no hundreds of years. Personally, I’ve never been a huge political individual and rode the wave for social movements spurred upon by fellow friends and millennials come political season. This time is different though. This time, I demand change and need to see tangible results to back up the claim that the issues of race have been dealt with honestly and fairly. The sheer injustice is outright despicable to see still taking place in society.
Race relations have always been a touchy subject of conversation given its history and lack of desire to be spoken about so openly and candidly. No matter the arena, people want to remain comfortable and validated within their position. Honestly, it’s because we as a people are afraid of some greater power that will overthrow our stake as the owner of the social contract. The only way we can grow as a people is to embrace the uncomfortable discussions about how the country and world operate for people of color. As I’ve gotten older and more mature (debatable now as I actually think about it), I’ve become irate at a common truth about the American society:
People are willing to become uncomfortable only if there is a dollar figure payoff at the end of the day. When it comes to social issues or matters of the heart, people let that slide in hopes of the “little guy” taking care of it.
Think about that for a second… we elect people into positions of power to protect our interests and do good for the sake of the country. Like attracts like, even though I thought it was opposites, and that’s the fundamental issue in building our societal structures. How did we even get to where we are today where we created a society to profit off of people of color based on a set of ideas that holds no basis?
The systems that are put in place and thoughts that peculate society around blacks, indigenous, and people of color did not just spur up overnight. If those tried in court are innocent until proven guilty by the prosecution, why in hell are people of color guilty by default until proven otherwise? It astounds me that we are so quick to judge others and are not willing to judge our own selves of equally punitive standards. There is no reason to believe that someone is this or that without proof. I don’t want to delve too much into this side of the coin because I’m frankly not equipped or as educated as should be to discuss it any further.
The social services to address the other side of the coin alluded to earlier need to be better funded for the sake of true advancement and protection of society - plain and simple. When you see figures that show that the police departments of major cities around the country have a budget equivalent to, in most cases larger than though, the combined budget for education services, health services, employment opportunities, housing, and social services is beyond insanity when you think about why that does little to no good for societal advances. Take a look at an example of the Los Angeles city budget here if you’re interested in seeing actual figures.
While not a perfect source to discuss the actual increase in budgets to police forces over the decades going hand in hand with a decrease in crime, odd yes, there is definitely reason to lift the finger and question what is feeding those municipality discussion rooms to push this trend. It is no secret that data shows that police budgets have increased throughout history in correspondence with people of color migrating to cities in search of a greater opportunity for life. As mentioned in the article, the way resources have been allocated has pushed opportunities away from people of color for generations on end from the get go. It’s always been a losing proposition that is saddening to see.
As a firm believer in health, human psychology, and sense of self in the creation of the Introspective Musings blog, I cannot believe that state municipalities have not allocated more resources to these domains that are central to a shot at a good life. How states are not legitimately reassessing priorities prior to every fiscal year’s budgeting discussions baffles me. At the center of those three pillars for a good life are mental health and social services. In the simplest form, everyone’s life course ultimately comes down to the state of mind - if the mind isn’t right, the probability of a decent life dramatically decreases. The issue here stems from the fact that there are so many variables that go into shaping one’s mind:
Economics
Relationships
Nutrition
Time
Location
I could go on with more elements to tack onto that list. If we cannot correct our mind and perceptions, we cannot aid the greater good for the global society. On the flip side, there is only so much mental health coaching can do up to a certain point, which brings me back to the core of the issue.
Systemic models need to be abolished in the new age. While systems shouldn’t be tinkered with too much when they’re working, they need to be continuously reevaluated to see if there can be further improvements to progress towards an ideal perfectionism, whatever that may look like. We cannot think the same way we did back in the 1960’s, let alone 2000’s, with our societal systems. How can we evolve if we continue to remain comfortable? Those very factors that affect the mind now need to be systemically changed in terms of the opportunity to the global society, and that comes down to the political end of the spectrum. I can only so far as much try and engage in the conversation from a economic and slightly civil rights perspective given how much I still need to educate myself on matters. However, it would be unjust for me not to at least try and spur others, even if it is just one individual, to consider pitching in towards this mammoth undertaking that is long overdue.
Now my frustrations may seem only contained into the defined boundaries of this post, but I assure you that it extends far beyond that. For anyone that knows me on a more personal, authentic level, I’ve always been one to stray a bit outside of the bounds and am not your regular egg. This will be a long-term effort that cannot just be minimized to the moment. We all need to collectively continue pushing on the matter, whether it is through protesting, educating yourself, donating, or engaging in tough, revealing conversations, in order to make the much needed evolutionary progress on societal norms and systems. We cannot take our foot off the gas pedal now while politicians try to revert to the backdrop of the coronavirus. Having said that though, please also take cautionary measures with coronavirus still plaguing us by wearing masks and socially distancing yourself out in public.
With any lifelong pursuit, we have to keep in mind that once we achieve the desire state of equality through resource allocation and equal opportunity distribution, we must continue to maintain that state AND continue to progress even on top of that. Unlike our predecessors, we will not live in the past ideologies and remain comfortable with the present state. Looking at this movement and generation of citizens, I’m confident in the progressive idealism that runs through the veins of society going forward.
If there was ever a defining moment to seize upon, it is now. With our collective efforts, we can all, as alluded to in the post’s title, accomplish what should have been the norm:
Put the “us” in justice.
Keep fighting, keep listening, keep learning, and above all else, open your hearts and minds to the world at large for the rest of your life from this point forward. If you’ve read up to this point, I would love to discuss and engage in open, revealing conversations to better educate myself on matters, so I encourage you to provide your own perspective and opinion, even if it is correcting any misunderstandings on my part. Take care everyone, and sit and reflect long and hard this “Independence” weekend.
“We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color.” - Maya Angelou
