Stereotypes and Prejudice

Picture this… You see a white guy running down a road, and he appears to be running as hard as he can. Be hind him, you see a black SUV with police lights on top and a black guy driving. The guy driving is wearing a Military Police uniform and is telling the white guy running to, “Keep running!” Think about this mental picture for a few minutes…

Over the last few months, I have become more and more disgusted with the media concerning stereotypes. Whether it was the situation in Ferguson, MO, last year, or the more recent situation in Baltimore, MD. Hundreds of people are protesting and capitalizing on many different stereotypes. Just a few of them that I see are:
- All blacks are persecuted and have to rise up.
- Most white cops are evil racists and must be eradicated.
- Since the Civil Rights Marches during the 1960's didn't 'fully get rid of' racism, we have to act out violently.
- Anytime a white cop arrests a black person, it has to be racially motivated.

I could go on and on, because there are many, many different stereotypes out there. There are stereotypes of people in colleges, there are stereotypes of people in politics, there are stereotypes of those in the military. But, since Ferguson and Baltimore have been in the news so much recently, I will focus on those.

I am sure that most of you out there reading this blog know the cliché, “Don't judge a book by it's cover...” In a nutshell, that means don't make a decision about reading or not reading a book based solely on the title, the cover art, etc. Actually take time to read the summary of the book, the preface, or scan a couple of the chapters. I know that all of us are guilty of doing this. Back in April, I had a birthday and I decided to pick out two books for myself since I knew that, due to an upcoming deployment, I would not get much in the way of gifts. And, I have been a very avid reader since I was in grade school. So, I spent some time scanning a number of books in a store. Since I did not have a lot of time, I had to make a purchase fairly quickly.

Because of that, I 'judged a lot of books by their covers.' If the genre was one that I didn't care for, wasn't a small paperback, or the title did not sound appealing, I did not consider it further. But, after going through once and not finding anything 'good,' I realized that I would have to spend a little more time looking at at least some of the books more closely, otherwise I would not have any travel books. So, I took more time looking through the books and finally found two that appealed to me. One appealed to me because it was about a former US soldier and his Military Working Dog (MWD), both who had been released from the military and doing private contract work. Being in the military and having a dog myself, when I saw what the book was actually about, I chose to buy it. And, although I haven't quite finished it yet, I have really enjoyed it! (For those who want to know, it is “The Kill Switch; A Tucker Wayne Novel” by James Rollins and Grant Blackwood.)

I also selected another book called, “The Lost Island” by Preston and Child. I have not read it yet, but based on the description on the back, it is potentially a good book. I love Indiana Jones movies, but I am a little critical of some of the books out there concerning archeology or searching for lost treasure. Being a lover of history and having studied theology and ancient writings (primarily ancient Hebrew and ancient Greek), I am critical with how such such movies/books are done.

I know that, had I not changed my attitude towards finding a book last month, I would have missed out on at least one really good book. The authors of “The Kill Switch” have done a very good job and portraying the former soldier and his dog in a believable way. And, since my family has had a dog for almost 7 years, and I have been in the military for almost 14 years now, I am a bit critical of such things. Sure, there are things that have to be taken with a grain of salt, like how some of the fight scenes are described. But, that comes with most any book or movie. I am very glad that I did not go with my 'first impression,' especially with this particular book.

As I just mentioned, I have been with the US Army, both Active Duty and with the Nebraska National Guard, for almost 14 whole years. I have had the privilege of serving with many different people of very different vocations, ethnic backgrounds, religious beliefs, etc. Although I have been skeptical of some people based on first impressions, I have found that I am often wrong with what I initially thought. They were either having a bad day, I misread them, or something else. Most of the people I have served with I have been proud to call a brother or sister in arms.

Even while in college and seminary, I learned that initial assumptions about a person can end up being totally wrong. My life has been blessed by knowing each of this different people from all over the United States. Nay… From all over the world. Each of these experiences have enriched my life and enabled me to be a better person, I am greatly thankful for each of them.

The rioting that has happened in Baltimore and in Ferguson are excellent examples, I believe, of what can happen when people focus on fist impressions and/or the prejudices that they already have. Instead of seeking to find out what all of the details of the incident to see if the situation was justified or not, they immediately assume that the white police officer was biased and racist because he caused injury and/or death to a black person.

Yes, it is saddening when a person dies, and having to live with the fact that someone died based on the actions you took, either justly or unjustly, are things that each person faced with those situations will have to remember and deal with for the rest of his/her life. I am thankful that, as of writing this blog entry, I have not been forced to take a life. I hope that I never have to. But, due to the nature of the work that I do, as a Military Police Officer or a Corporal with the Nebraska Department of Corrections, that will always be a significant possibility. Every time someone is seriously injured or killed during any kind of military, law enforcement, corrections, or even self-defense situation an investigation will be done. It's mandatory. It's done to make sure that what ever force was used was actually justifiable, based on what the person knew at that time.

To make an assumption that a white cop killed a black person for no other reason than racism and prejudice, without making an attempt to know why everything happened, that makes your racist and prejudice. In assuming that a situation happened based on what your perceive as the causes, without seeking to find out the actual details, makes you just as 'pre-judging' as a white person who judges a black person to be on welfare and incompetent and lazy because he/she saw the person wearing dirty clothes and not working during 'regular banker's hours.' Or, just as prejudice as a person who equates all followers of Islam with those who are extremist and seek to force their 'version of Islam' onto others.

We are all fallen people with broken relationships with each other and with God. Do to our finiteness, we cannot see all things or understand all that happens around us. And, in some jobs, a person may have to make judgment calls and react to a situation based on a very incomplete understanding of all that goes on around them. The military, law enforcement, working in corrections, and firefighting are just some of the many jobs where a person has to make a split-second decision based on what they know, at that time. If they perceive that their life or the life of someone else is in jeopardy of death or serious bodily injury, they have to react. Even if it is later proved to have been a bad decision, if it can be proved that, at that time, they acted correctly, based on what they typical person in a similar situation would have reacted, then their actions will be considered justified.

When a person makes judgments based only on what they think or assume happened, and make no attempt to find out what the details of the situation is, it is very likely that your perception and understanding will be incorrect. That is bad enough. But, to go around and state that your understanding of the situation is true (that the shooting in Ferguson, MO, was racially motivated, for example) and not listen at all to evidence being shown to the contradict what you believe, then you are not doing anything positive for society. You are, in fact, actively making things worse. And, if you you such situations as an excuse to do violent things, like assault officers, destroy private property, and otherwise riot and be destructive, you are no better than the person and situation that you are 'rioting' against. When you participate in such violent acts, you show yourself to be as closed minded, arrogant and hateful as the person and situation that you are 'rioting' against.

And, it doesn't help with the media, no matter who they are, help to portray that kind of stereotyping. My wife grew-up in the Baltimore area and we have talked at length about that situation. It isn't just a white/black thing, there is also deep rooted anger concerning job and education opportunities, perception that law enforcement officers of any race arrest first, ask questions later (perceived or actual), etc. These people who give us the news or share their 'educated insights' into situations should be the first ones to actively seek out the truth and then use that knowledge to bring things to a more peaceful end, not purposely encouraging it to be worse (either because it makes them look better, more rating, or just too lazy to seek out the truth).

We live in a fallen world. It is easy for us to hate, seek only after our own gain, seek after answers that please us while dispelling truths that make us uncomfortable, etc. It is a daily challenge to stop and examine all of the evidence. It is much easier, from the safety of one's own living room to 'armchair quarterback' the decisions of others. It is important to examine things that happen in the world and make informed decisions on them. But yet, the important word here is 'informed.' That requires time and energy. Just like making new friends, experiencing new places, learning a new skill, or reading a new book, it all takes time and energy. Although first impressions will always happen (and we should strive to make good first impressions), a person is more than just one's first impression. A situation is more than just your initial thoughts after seeing or hearing about it later on.

After all of that…. Let's go back to the illustration that I started this blog out. The white guy with a black cop driving behind him, telling him to keep running. Think it was an ironic version of Ferguson that happened somewhere in the world? Did you even think that the cop was chasing a white criminal? I am sure it looked quite humorous, a white guy running on the road with a SUV behind him and a black cop telling him to keep running. I am sure that it got a lot of double takes. The thing is, I don't know for sure, because I didn't see it. I was the guy running.

Back in 2011, during third deployment to Iraq, I had to take the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT). For those that don't know, the standard Army APFT includes the number of push-ups and sit-ups done by an individual within 2 minutes (for each event), and then a timed two mile run. While I was getting ready to take my APFT, a friend and fellow Military Policeman asked me if I would like him to pace me. I told him that it would be wonderful if he did. After a little discussing, we settled on him trailing me, lights on for our safety, and he would call out the time every so often. He also 'encouraged' my to 'keep running' throughout the 2 miles. Thanks to his help, I was able to successfully pass the 2 mile portion of the APFT. And, although we laughed later on about how it must have looked, I observed that it would have looked even more absurd (and hilarious), if he had been in front and I had 'chased' him. Now, wouldn't that be the sight, a white guy 'chasing' a black MP in a SUV, lights flashing, and him yelling at me to 'keep running!' Coffee and doughnuts, anyone?!