Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”

Mark 12: 30-31

Yes, you read that title correctly. The government can’t fix racism. The atrocities committed against Black America are heartbreaking and inexcusable. What happened to George Floyd breaks my heart and fills me with anger. I am disappointed that I live in a world where a police officer decided that a black man’s life was less valuable than his. However, this is not something that the government can fix. Today in America all people are equal in the eyes of the government. Don’t believe me? Here are the examples.

The best and most prominent example is The Civil Rights Act of 1964. This is a landmark civil rights and labor law that outlaws discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. It prohibits unequal application of voter registration requirements, racial segregation in schools, employment, and public accommodations. Other examples include the Fourteenth Amendment which freed the slaves, the Fifteenth Amendment gave black citizens the right to vote, the Civil Rights Act of 1871 was enacted to directly fight the KKK, the Civil Rights Act of 1991 provided the right to trial by jury for discrimination cases, and the Twenty-fourth Amendment prohibited poll taxes which were used to try and keep blacks from voting. These laws are only the major ones there are hundreds more and thousands across all states.

The government has spent generations equalizing Black America. Laws have been put in place to provide them with the same opportunities as everybody else. Does the black community still feel some of the ramifications of segregation and Jim Crow laws? Absolutely. I am not saying that they don’t, what I am saying is that they now have the opportunity to overcome them. I am also not naive, discrimination definitely still exists and it probably will for a while. However, by law all people are afforded the same rights and if those rights are violated you can hold them accountable.

The problem I have, is when people face discrimination, they point fingers at the federal government and then get angry when they don’t do anything. Tell me what you’re expecting them to do? When you protest, who’s attention are you trying to reach? When I ask this question 90% of the time, nobody has an answer. If you are simply protesting the government, I hate to break it to you, but you are wasting your time. The government has reached the point where there are not any more equality acts they can pass. Any more laws and the Constitution will be violated. People who are facing discrimination always seem to want the federal government to pass laws against hateful speech or ideas. This is not possible. Racism on a personal level is not illegal. It cannot be, it would violate the First Amendment. Every American citizen has freedom of speech, religion and press. Which means I can say as many hateful things as I want, as long as I am not committing a crime, there is nothing you can do about it. I am not saying that this is okay, but it is part of being in a country that values freedom over feelings.

If you experience discrimination, I encourage you to prosecute those people to the fullest! That is your right as a citizen. That is how your voice is going to get heard. People discriminate and companies discriminate because they can, and have, gotten away with it. Discrimination lawsuits are very often public, and not a single company in the world wants their name drug through the mud. Not to mention the money they will be dishing out. Negative consequences can enact change. After a lawsuit companies will have a significant loss of profits, loss of time, and loss of good public relations. Taking these actions is going to be far more productive than standing in a picket line ever will be. 

But let me circle back around to police brutality. None of what I said before is an answer to fixing what happened to George Floyd. I simply wanted to redirect your eyes to the place where the problem can actually be solved. This is a societal issue. It is not only a White America issue but a Black America issue. Unfortunately, I don’t think there is a clear-cut answer, but it definitely needs to begin in police academy training. Now, I don’t know enough about what police are taught to give an answer as to what types of training is needed, but I do know one thing; Police are taught crime statistics. Based on those statistics cops are taught how to police certain areas. Unfortunately, the statistics show that in the last 50 or so years Black people are disproportionately more likely to commit crimes than Caucasian people. This is not racism talking, these are actual statistics, and not a single White person or politician in the entire world can change those stats, only Black America can change them.

Dear Black America, if you want to change the way you are perceived, rally together and change the statistics. Do not give people any reason to ever think anything less of you. That is the power you possess and in my opinion that is how you truly fight back. Hold one another accountable, and while you do that, us here in the white community will reteach our children, and each other, how to love everyone no matter their skin color. Accountability is the key to eliminating racism. I as white person will hold my white brothers and sisters accountable for how they treat others, and you in your community, should build one another up to create a generation greater than the last.

Now before you go and get all mad at me, just because statistics say one thing doesn’t mean that the violence is justified. Believe me I understand that most Black people are not part of a statistic. That would make me a horribly naive and close-minded person. I’m simply giving you an explanation as to where the policeman’s head may have been at, and what kind of things are taught in the White community. What happened to George Floyd and so many others disgusts me to my core. George Floyd didn’t resist arrest, nor did he pose a threat to police, yet he was wrongfully killed. What is even sadder is that this is the story for so many others. I believe those policemen should be tried for murder, and convicted, spending the rest of their lives in jail and may it set an example of what happens to those who do not treat their black brothers and sisters with dignity.

God tells us to love thy neighbor. Simply put we are to love God and love people. All people. This is also why God tells us to love our enemies, which I feel like is much more relevant right now. When I was a child we had a song we would sing called Jesus Love the Little Children. Maybe you know it. In this little song there is a line that I believe is a powerful statement to how we should be treating one another during this time. It says, “red, yellow, black, or white, we are special in His sight”. Every single human being that ever existed was hand crafted by God, and is special to Him. I guarantee if more people begin walking around with this lens the world will become a whole lot more beautiful. So Black people, love your white neighbors, and love your police enemies. White people, love your black neighbors, and if those neighbors are enemies, love them anyway.

I want to conclude by saying this is a two-way street. White America needs to be better, teach our children better, and treat everyone with the same love that we are given. Black America needs to rally together to change the perception and statistics of their community. Let’s also come together beyond the protests. Sure, it’s a beautiful sight to see White and Black America rallying together, but once the hype is over we tend to go back to our separate corners. Both sides are guilty of this. It is not just White America pulling away from Black America, Black America is also pulling away from us. Let’s have discussions, share ideas, let’s learn about each other. I’ve learned more about the black community by reaching out to individuals and talking with them about their grievances, than any other instances in my life.  Black America, when a White person reaches out to learn more about you, receive them with open arms. I cannot count the amount of times that I’ve tried to reach out to somebody and they push me away because they’re afraid of my skin color or my ideas. Black America you separate yourself from us just as much as we separate from you. The unknown is scary so let’s be known to one another. So, stop pointing fingers at the government, stop pointing fingers at each other. Let’s take those pointed fingers open up our hands and join them together to create a better America.