As America continues to grapple with the subject of police reform and racism, it has become increasingly clear that we need change if we are to move past these issues. According to recent polling, the vast majority of Americans would agree with that statement.
Do you remember the Disney movie Zootopia, which proclaimed that anyone can be anything? You have probably heard the saying “In a world where you can be anything, be kind.” That is solid advice for our time of disagreement. Too many have become too entrenched in their views to show any kind of respect for another person, God forbid we react with empathy.
Zootopia is a story about government corruption, in which a socially-naïve mayor is forced to resign over a series of attacks by predators. His replacement, a sheep, at first seems kind and well-meaning, but her nefarious purposes are eventually revealed, as she is responsible for concocting the poison that causes the predators to ‘go savage.’ Officer Hopps, the protagonist, suggests it might be something to do with the DNA of predators. Because Zootopia is ninety percent prey, the new mayor is able to stoke fear about the animals, thereby proving that predators are dangerous.
When you look at the facts of the plot, does it remind you of anything? Look closer. The predators in Zootopia can be likened to black and brown people in our country. Officer Hopps keeps a can of “fox repellent” on her just in case. The comparisons can be made with a large swath of the current American climate. When Hopps makes her ‘DNA’ comment, she explains to her fox friend that he’s “not like them,” to which the fox replies, “So there’s a them now.”
Our nation faces critical issues, which we cannot hope to resolve by remaining stuck in the mud and collectively spinning our wheels. We can only get out of it by pressing forward, no matter how difficult the task.
In the news, we see sports leagues banning Confederate flags at events. We witness protestors toppling statues of Civil War-era generals, and discuss rebranding of breakfast labels, band name changes, and even an update to a popular ride at Disney parks.
Are we going too far with erasing problematic visages of our past? Many of us would agree that we are overreacting. Millions of people resist such changes, and it is easy to see why. On the flipside, perhaps we should consider the feelings of traditionally-marginalized groups. Majorities of such groups agree that these images, monuments, and flags serve as reminders of slavery and oppression. But is sanitizing our nation of such things really worth it?
Personally, I side with those making changes, but perhaps not for the reason you may think. Companies and bands own their own product and should be free to make changes should they see the need to do so. I feel that we should not honor a rebellion over slavery that resulted in the deaths of at least 600,000 Americans. The generals and armies that attacked Fort Sumter were traitors to our nation. There is a world of difference between preserving history and honoring the likeness of the treasonous rebellion leaders. This history can and should be remembered, lest we forget it all, thus dooming us to repeat these mistakes.
Christian theology is centered around the concept of atonement. We tend to think of atonement as a personal process where we have done something wrong and seek to make it right through prayer and repentance through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
What would a national atonement look like? We may be seeing the beginnings of it. Politicians from both major parties are debating on police reform. The removal of our troubled history’s reminders can be seen as a necessary first step. “We are sorry that we have offended you with these stereotypes.” Regret, however, must precede concrete action to correct our behavior. We can do that by supporting updates to police procedures and ending certain protections that favor corrupt police officers. We can demand that more funding be directed to mental health, poverty, and homelessness, which unfortunately cause too many problems to count.
Our police forces are necessary. Defunding or disbanding police departments is not the correct response. When officers do good, we thank them for their service. But that service comes with responsibility. Good police officers do not look the other way when their fellow officers are committing abuses and crimes. They must step up and demand accountability.
It all comes back to empathy. And we are losing it.
While true that the internet does not encapsulate the true national mindset, we can witness examples of blatant racism lurking in plain sight everywhere. Racism is not only hate. It is allowing abuse to continue over a fear of change. It is using coded language without uttering that awful ‘N-word’ and then claiming we aren’t racist.
Racism is an action rather than a thing. We can change it and we should challenge it wherever it appears. It is not merely a difference of opinion when it actively seeks to harm those at whom it is directed. Consider the vocabulary of terms some use to describe certain people. Avoiding words and phrases like ‘thugs,’ ‘inner cities,’ ‘ghettos, ‘you people’ and ‘black-on-black crime’ can deliver the seeds of progress.
The internet tends to reveal the worst of us. Responding to hate with more hate does not quench its fires; it only serves as an accelerant. Too many call out perceived hate by lobbing their own bombs. “(Expletive) (Insert political party here) want to destroy America!” neither helps nor proposes any solutions. After all, if you really think you are better, then be better. Resorting to the lowest common denominator will not ease the pain.
Nelson Mandela once noted that “No one is born hating another person because of the color of his [or her] skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”
Canadian author Pierre Berton once wrote, “Racism is a refuge for the ignorant. It seeks to divide and destroy. It is the enemy of freedom, and deserves to be met head-on and stamped out.”
We must not stand silent while our brothers and sisters cry for help to reform a system that has oppressed them far too long. Said Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel, “Neutrality only helps the oppressor, never the victim.” Atoning for the sins of our ancestors is the right thing to do, regardless of whether we personally had anything to do with it.