riots, fomented or fermented?

To provide as the rationale behind the levels of nihilism/anarchy on exhibit across the country as resulting from the latest instance of police brutality, no matter how evidenced or shocking to everyone’s conscious it was, seems simpleton to me.

History and ample empirical evidence would indicate that the angst is more about a ineffective and further deteriorating process that engenders aeolian equity imbalances as they are meted out to minorities. Especially African Americans.

In getting to this point over the last many decades, we have managed to snatch sectarian defeat from the jaws of valuable civil rights victories.

There were hard fought and humanly costly civil rights victories achieved/won in the 60s. In the succeeding decades the subsequent gains focused largely on granting and protection of the rights to access .( restrooms, water fountains, schools, voting booths, employment, private businesses, legal systems, interracial marriage etc..) The thought that equal access would lead to equal opportunity, equality and and the biggest prize of all (equity for all) were always misguided.

A blue ribbon panel called by LBJ (Kerner Commission 1967-68) in effect predicted current and proposed policies would lead to a racially divided / apartheid like society .  “Our nation is moving toward 2 societies one black one white, separate and unequal”.  We didn’t listen or couldn’t comprehend, and we now have racial enclaves high in crime with little hope , poor education etc.

In those ensuing years process and politics have constructed and maintained various programs/policies/prescriptions that that 1st provide then withdraw fundamental aide from the needy if/when/as they make even minor temporary, transitional, ephemeral progress from poverty toward equity. Such delineated, circumscribed assistance(s) has the effect of subsidizing the poor and the lineaments of the disparate.

Similar policies were/are enabling, even encouraging and subsidizing those without hope to reside in enclaves with those of similar circumstances for generations. (similarly policies exist  that maintain a system and processes that escorts immigrants into a perpetual subclass of labor for our naturalized citizens to exploit) .

These well intentioned but poorly thought out and implemented (maybe no accident) programs came post hard fought for bipartisan legal changes that gave minorities “new” improved legal rights and access to what GOD and the Constitution had already given, but obdurate prejudices  have since continually and always circumvented and stayed any significant permeation into society as a whole. 

I guess the thought was the ancient implacable engrams of racial biases would naturally evolve or be replaced/balanced/offset with new engrams more reasoned , absent preconceptions. Then a more organic universal equity would evolve . 

While in my generation segregation has been legislated away and in a narrow way , the process has encouraged succeeding years to have passed without substantial, effective action that actually improves minority access to the ladder that leads to equity, which would in turn leads to equality. Not equality as merely a word or concept but as a intellection that gives way to a realization . 

To add fuel to the chronic equity/equality tribulations the lack of competent leadership ,while not new , is currently particularly egregious in that authority is more interested in putting the  political opposition in a synthetic unacceptable light rather than engaging in a Socratic problem solving process.  

Even worse the language of leadership gives a pass to illegal bad behaviors including violations  of individual and human rights as long as it serves a ( always political) purpose.  Ironic ? While the objective is political and likely not the propagation of racism, the actual effects are to engender generational inequalities. 

So, Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd . That single event spawned a excellent motivation and climate for change. Massive peaceful protest (worldwide !) bolstered by egregious violence certainly would assure chronic issues of inequity could no longer be neglected or relegated to the political dust bin called oblivious.

Almost like the good old 60s huh?  Maybe or elected leaders would put together non bias Blue Ribbon Panel(s) for ideas that address disparities in job opportunities, access to and quality of education and job training, access to and quality of healthcare and outcomes, access to investment capital,  improve community protection from crime and its consequences ( including police violence and black on black violence) , etc…

We could recognize the good work of the Panel by how it incentivizes the successful  ( say good grades and a community service record guarantees a full ride to collage or trade school)  yet provides a equitable alternative path to the less fortunate that enables an imitation of the opportunities a non minority is born with. Surely this moment in time is going to necessitate a new political puissance , right?

Well maybe not. It seems to me the 2 top elected leaders in the Senate and the Speaker of the House ( all totaled well over a hundred years in politics) have created a small insignificant yet opposition legislations  re: police training et. al.  that if passed will ( read as sarcasm) clear up the whole mess that the orange guy has managed to make in just three _ing years! 

Amazing, while the good people the Kerner panel spoke to us about decades ago still wait, the persons always present and that have overseen the decades old debacle of inaction, disingenuous action and action for political gain have done it again . They have legislation at the ready… you just have to re-elect them .

Maybe if you the electorate are so angry ( along with a certain skosh of limited capacity) you might not recognize the legislation is tiny , not significant to the larger issue of justice, parity, and equitable actions creating equitable reactions but more suited for political gain than seizing the momentum on the issue of generational unfairness and injustices 

“ The arc of the moral universe “ may “ bend toward justice” -MLK 
but only when we stop doing the same thing over and over.-ESW 
“We have met the enemy, and he is us”- Pogo