It's one thing to identify a problem in this world. It's another thing to identify how to solve that problem. 2020's social justice reckoning brought about an important landmark in America, but how it will be remembered will depend entirely on the solutions and reactions to those problems.
Since mid 2020, the US has seen both homicide rates and hate crimes rise exponentially. If it is true that the sanctity of human life is our most precious treasure, then it's impossible to argue that life in America for minorities has not gotten objectively worse. Most of these crimes are taking place in major cities, where the majority of people of color in America reside. In 2020, you saw homicides in America rise from 2019 by over 35% according to recent analysis. Individually some cities' rate, both large and small, rose by over 100%. In 2021, homicide rates continue to increase in many cities. In Philadelphia for instance, homicides rose to 500 in 2020, up from 356 the year before. As of a few weeks ago, 2021 is on pace for close to 700 murders. We're talking 1990's level violence in some major cities.
Since defunding the police, Portland's homicides are up roughly a whopping 2,000%. Is that entirely due to merely defunding the police or a coincidence? I'll get into that shortly. Many of the lives lost in these major cities are black lives. Many of them children, even. If the goal of social justice is to protect life, and therefore, prevent death, then we have failed, as have our solutions to this problem.
The question is why have they failed? In part, I believe because a lot of proposed solutions came from a place of emotion and not logic. People were angry, sad, hurt, and were not in a place psychologically to think of rational solutions to the problems of racial injustice in America. Solutions proposed were to strip away the funding from police departments, who, very often, are the only entities equipped to protect minority neighborhoods. Especially ones gang and drug ridden. The argument was that "we'd only be taking away some money to invest it into communities and help in other areas, and wouldn't affect the departments' ability to do their jobs." And how has that worked out? Already, several cities are rushing to pass legislation to increase funding, as there are a shortage of officers in some communities, that are now ill-equipped to be protected. Many officers have resigned and/or retired due to the lack of backing from their city and state leaders. And some, like Michael Brown's father, have questioned how donations to Black Lives Matter are being used.
Anyone who thought logically about the drawbacks of defunding the police departments could have seen this coming. I wrote about this several times. I'm no expert, though I do spend a lot of time reading and blogging about crime. All I did was think rationally, take the emotions of an incredibly emotional situation out of it, and realized that this was going to backfire. For minority communities most of all. In fairness, I do believe that some of the homicide spikes in were due to 2020 COVID lockdown frustrations, but not as many as originally assumed by some. As homicides spike even more in 2021, and America is more open than it was in 2020, that no longer stands up well to scrutiny.
Another area we have failed, was the allowance of Critical Race Theory rhetoric to permeate our culture and institutions the way it has in recent years. Not just with with homicides, but with hate crimes as well. Just recently, after a spike in hate crimes against Asian Americans, The Chinese American Citizens Alliance of Greater New York (CACAGNY) released multiple statements condemning Critical Race Theory for the poison that it is, knowing full well its potential for harm. Some of whom see very familiar Maoist ties in its rhetoric, and "struggle sessions" often pushed by institutions who adopt CRT. Hate crimes in 16 of America's largest cities rose by 145% in 2020. We'll see where the 2021 stand once the year ends, but there appears, at least on the surface, to be a substantial amount to start the new year.
Yes, some of this is linked directly to COVID. Just like after September 11th, hate crimes rose against Muslim Americans in the US, it stands to reason(unfortunately) that after COVID hate crimes against Asians are going to rise. However, not every perpetrator is what many would refer to as a "Trumper." Many of them haven't been. Most of these are coming in Democratic cities with people of all races committing these crimes. I think it's a variety of factors, but Critical Race Theory propaganda ties in directly as well. In recent years, Asians have been discriminated against, for being very good earners in America, and being very well represented in prestigious universities as a demographic. Some publications have start lumping in Asian Americans with white people, in certain race-based studies. A tech company advertised a job that was only open to "non-Asians." A San Francisco school board member accused Asians of using "white supremacy to get ahead." And the term "Yellow Privilege" was used as an adjacent to the term "White Privilege" as a way to demean individual Asians, and infer that they have protections under criminal law. As if there isn't more to an entire race of people and their accomplishments than one tiny slice to analyze. Notice the terms "oppressor" and "oppressed" in the attached photo, both staples of CRT.
Critical Race Theory teaches us that only two types of people in the world exist: the oppressors and the oppressed. That we must view every situation race-first. That racism is the single defining factor in every major societal, government, or corporate decision. That racism is incurable. That minorities in America can't succeed on their own, and need white Americans to ally with them, while simultaneously also saying that white people are irreparably racist, are born racist, and are solely the cause of every racist policy in America. CRT is both hypocritical and regressive. It's both racist, and sophistry. It's no wonder hate crimes and homicides are rising. The ability to relate to one another and see each other as human beings is being eroded. Instead, we blame and point fingers. We ridicule and demonize. We strip down each individual's complex identity down strictly to their immutable characteristics. Recent surveys have shown the unwillingness to speak or interact with others is rising. How are we supposed to have complex conversations and understand one another if we are afraid to speak to one another or when one side already has decided the other is wrong about any given issue? How can society come together to cure racism if it's taught society is irreparably corrupt and racism exists in everything aspect of it? What would be the point in even trying if that's what you were led to believe?
What has spawned is resentfulness, anger, and the increased likelihood to treat someone as subhuman, whether it's killing them or committing hate crimes against them. This will come true if you view them less as an actual person with complex beliefs and ideas, or are taught that person you don't even know either hates you or has wronged you just by existing. It's going to be much easier to feel helpless and resort to desperate acts, including violence, if you believe you never have any chance of making something of yourself regardless of how hard you work. And over time, the racial divide from this rhetoric will continue to grow as certain communities grow bitter and resentful, as any injustice committed by one ethnicity against another will be affirmation of any ignorant belief that one ethnicity is out to destroy the other. There are a lot of areas where society has fallen short, but we'll never find solutions to those problems if we cannot get along with one another. As some institutions, particularly universities, where our young adults go to grow and learn; have started to adopt segregation-based policies under the influence of CRT, that feels less and less likely everyday.
So, what is the solution? To start, our nation's biggest entities should stop listening to the vocal extreme activists, that's for damn sure. If they had it their way, Capitalism would be abolished for some form of Marxism, every person with money, no matter if self-earned, would have everything they own stripped away and be redistributed; police and prisons would be done away with; and race-based segregation would return to every aspect of society. The institutions that lead this country need to grow a backbone, and stop listening to vocal minority of social media mobs who have no idea how anything in society actually works. Most importantly, people need to get together and have discussions on how to solve complex issues and be okay with disagreement. We need to use logic and sound rationale instead of our emotions on how to fix what is damaged. We need to base decisions on research and data, not feelings. We need to not over-correct on things that may only be partially broken, where minor tweaks could make a much more positive impact than wholesale changes, because often those over-corrections bring about more problems than originally existed. Like defunding the police and stunting their ability to protect its citizens; or corporations hiring diversity, equity, and inclusion directors who implement struggle sessions in the workplace where you get openly shamed based on your skin color, like Jodi Shaw experienced at Smith College. Then maybe, someday, we can see real social justice in America, instead of just preaching about it.
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