One can be equally outraged by the murder of a police officer as they are by the murder of an unarmed boy. You do not have to choose one life over another. You can stand united with the Black Lives Matter movement and with the Dallas Police Department. Both are signs of
patriotism. We have even seen active duty and retired military personnel show solidarity with Colin Kaepernick and those who kneel during the National Anthem. One form of expression does not mean one person is more patriotic than another. All sides are exercising their constitutional right to make a statement, which might be the most patriotic thing an American can do.
Whether you choose to stand (or kneel), we can no longer pick one side or the other or pretend to be color blind to avoid uncomfortable conversations.
Color Blindness Is A Real Danger
History and context matter. And, while American history is one story, it is shortsighted and naïve to deny that the white American history is vastly different from the black American history. Being color blind means that we pretend this is not true, and that there are not undercurrents in all facets of life as an American and policies that continue these truths. It is also time that we study history and the laws that have gotten us to where we are. It is time that we address privilege and the
lens through which we
examine our
communities and the
advantages and
disadvantages of those
around us. Politics,
economics, legal
issues, our physical
environment and basic
human rights, are the
most important
aspects of
transformation.
Racial disparities are
quantifiable and they
are pervasive; their
impact evolving for
decades. They are also
expressed through the
everyday experiences of minorities. In her 2014 Ted Talk, Mellody Hobson noted that, “Color blindness is very dangerous because it means that we are ignoring the problem.” It means that we are not having a real dialogue about what is happening to individuals and to communities. And it also means we stand to rob another generation of equality in the country we love.
Realistic Expectations
While neither inequality nor patriotism can truly be measured or quantified, they do exist. And they are both institutionalized in 2016 America, just as they have been in America every year before.