Staying Silent on Racism Doesn’t Benefit Society
I’m white. And I’m not a racist.
My late father made racist comments that led to heated arguments when I was of age to challenge the old man. You’re either part of the problem or trying to be part of the solution.
That’s why it’s important for any of us in the media with a voice to say something, anything, to provide insight. Regardless of how it could be perceived, as Indianapolis Colts Frank Reich reminded on a Monday Zoom video conference call, it’s unacceptable to stay silent.
There’s no way any of us can condone police brutality or the unfair treatment of peaceful protestors. But raising awareness to address racism in our society doesn’t benefit from burning cars and looting, either. Acts of violence by anyone obscures the outcry for social reform.
Some will say that’s the only way this problem will get noticed. But there has to be another way other than being destructive toward people and property.
We all saw the viral video of George Floyd getting the life suffocated out of him while in police custody last week in Minneapolis. If it didn’t disturb you, then what does that say about how you see our society?
This isn’t about politics, folks. This is about how ALL human beings should be fairly treated and not discriminated against based on race.
Two peaceful protestors march in Indianapolis on Monday.
Michelle Pemberton/USA TODAY Sports
As riots and protests rage on, how do we make this better?
The knee-jerk response is police reform, of course. This country can take a long, hard look at how officers are trained and, perhaps more importantly, how they are psychologically screened to become officers. That’s not an indictment of all officers, because I’ve known several who are upstanding people. Those I’ve befriended are trying to keep communities safe in doing their jobs.
But I’ve also met some who scared the hell out of me. You never forget thinking, “There’s no way he has the right temperament to be a cop.” I once had an officer on a traffic stop accuse me of swinging the car door open quickly to hit him, which wasn’t true. He asked me to get out, so I did, and he didn’t move back much, and the door almost clipped him. I insisted that I had no reason to start something with him. He had a hand on his holstered gun as I slowly reached for my driver’s license from the laptop bag in the rear of the vehicle. He sternly said, “slowly.” I couldn’t have been more deliberate. It was ridiculous. Ever drive away relieved to just get a speeding ticket?
That said, making a blanket statement that all cops are bad and putting the blame just on them is unfair. This isn’t all on them.
The larger issue is how do we impact the way people think and act? What’s the best way to educate a culture on the importance of treating our fellow citizens with respect and dignity?
Yeah, that seems impossible. But we have to try.
When San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick started taking a knee in 2016, I defended his right to do so. It wasn’t popular with many from a political perspective, but my father and half-brother served in the military to defend our freedom, which includes the right to free speech. That means a football player can take a knee during the National Anthem at NFL games to raise awareness for racial inequality.
My job as an NFL sportswriter thrust me into defending that position when someone voiced displeasure about Kaepernick. At some point, after trying to be patient, the hair on the neck raises and you have to state your opinion. I did.
I doubt our relationship will ever be the same. So be it. I didn’t stay silent then, nor should I now.
I’m reminded of a college fight in a bar where I was a bouncer. Someone took exception to a couple of my friends who were dating. The racist perception focused on how the girlfriend was white and her boyfriend black. I just saw a happy couple visiting me at work. I didn’t hesitate to defend my friends against work colleagues who didn’t want to see my friends there.
One other personal experience seems relevant in trying to make a point.
My family moved to inner-city Toledo, Ohio, when I was in grade school. That was a major culture shock at 10 years old. I was the only white kid in my class, which meant being afraid each day for about a week, and always facing fears on that daily neighborhood walk to and from school.
I was different. But what resonated was how classmates accepted that.
From day one, I was welcomed and befriended, actually treated like I was special because I was white. When a bully wanted to fight on the playground, several classmates rose up and talked the aggressor down. I was with my buddies, and anybody who wanted to mess with me had best be prepared to tangle with several others standing up front.
That experience reinforced at an impressionable, young age how everybody just wants to be treated fairly and with respect. People who are black, African-American, minorities or whatever label is often attached, shouldn’t be viewed any differently than those of us who are white.
Well, they are different in one respect, which I’ll never be able to know: They are often unfairly treated because of their race.
I was treated differently, but in a positive way. That’s why, as an adult, I will never look down upon someone based on race.
If more of us who are white would be unafraid to stand up for people, like those who did for me in grade school, that would be an important step for society.
Granted, that seems like a small step. Admittedly, we can’t fix this problem overnight. But we can keep trying each day.
(Phillip B. Wilson has covered the Indianapolis Colts for more than two decades and authored the 2013 book 100 Things Colts Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die. He’s on Twitter @pwilson24, on Facebook at @allcoltswithphilb and @100thingscoltsfans, and his email is phillipbwilson24@yahoo.com.)
