Me and Apu Revisited
The recent murder (yes, I'd call it murder) of an innocent Brazilian citizen, wrongly associated with the recent horrendous bombings in London underscore what I've thought all along: Some people with the power to kill really can't tell 'non-white' people apart. I understand the issues of national security, and the threat of suicide bombers is very real. I also understand that the powers that be (aka The Man) must make some important decisions in a very short time frame. However, without significant training and grounds (other than he lived in a place that they thought terrorists lived) those decisions can't be made effectively and events like this could be the norm. Although the English Government and Police have apologized sincerely, they have not addressed the obvious ignorance that permeates their tactics. If you can't tell a South American from an Arab (the terrorist profile!) there are obvious problems.
posted by -i- at 11:18
2 Comments:
Other Y., I must say that using the death of a civilian to illustrate the "larger" issue that "some people can't tell non-whites apart" is in bad taste. That's just my opinion.
Twin Y.,
Your point is taken. However, what I was trying to do was illustrate the systematic prejudices that exist within power structures. The point is that for all purposes, the civilian was a random joe minding his own business. It could have easily been any other random joe. Which is what bothers me.
Post a Comment
<< Home