OPINION:
A new study published in JAMA Surgery has found that the root cause of mass shootings in Black neighborhoods is “structural racism” (“Study links mass shootings in largest U.S. cities to systemic racism against Black residents,” web, July 19).
I recently attended a community meeting in Baltimore to discuss the July Fourth holiday weekend, which left two people dead and more than 20 people injured. A major reason for the violence, according to many at the meeting? “Systemic bias,” including slow response times by the police.
I received no clarification on this point at the gathering. When will we stop blaming everybody except ourselves for the critical issues plaguing us nationwide? And since when did the medical community become experts on social issues?
If you have ever lived in a Black neighborhood with a high crime rate, you do not need to “study” the emotional and physical stress experienced daily by residents. You’ve felt it. Whoever was surveyed for this study doesn’t live in one of these neighborhoods.
The study should have instead focused on the various public policies or social norms — such as legalizing open drug markets — that have had a severe, negative impact on Black communities. For example, I still recall that my most immense emotional fear in the 1980s was being the victim of a drive-by shooting, as these are crimes that often go unsolved.
I understand the issues around structural racism and systemic bias. However, in 2023, African Americans are working at all levels of public service (as mayors and police chiefs and on school boards and city councils).
To find solutions, we must stop exclusively blaming public servants and ignoring the issue of personal accountability.
Ever since the murder of George Floyd and the rise of Black Lives Matter, we have demanded that police leave our neighborhoods. Yet there is uproar whenever a crime occurs, resulting in an “if a body doesn’t drop, we don’t stop” mentality among many local police officers.
We sanction unsupervised community events that allow our youth the use of drugs and alcohol, but blame the police when violence occurs. We demand protection, but when asked to help with investigations, say “I’m not a snitch.”
Could all this be contributing to slow response times by police? Instead of wasting our political influence and public funding on reports claiming racism, let’s use our power to improve neighborhood-police relations and individual accountability through activities with community and religious organizations.
GREG RALEIGH
Washington
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