Say What?

   "America is not a racist country." So said Donald Trump Jr. in a speech to the Republican National Convention. One wonders what country he has been living in for the past several decades, or what hiring practices he has seen, or what TV news programs he has been watching the past few weeks, or what friends he has had who can describe to him being routinely stopped for "traffic checks" while driving under the speed limit on a major highway.
   Such an offense is known as "driving while Black."
   Drivers of color -- including members of the U.S. Congress -- can say they are stopped and questioned far more often than their white counterparts.
   Most police officers take their jobs seriously, and do not stop or question others without due cause. However,  there are a few -- far too many -- who resort to violence if a person does not show what they deem to be "sufficient respect."
   Boys in America learn early on that shooting someone in the back is wrong. But apparently some police officers believe that shooting a Black person in the back is OK, no matter that the person is unarmed and walking away.
   In some states, high-speed police chases are prohibited by department rules, because they are too dangerous, to bystanders and any alleged suspect as well as to the police themselves. Officers in such departments defend such a rule by saying, "We'll get him next time." This on the grounds that they can track the vehicle, and that the perpetrator is likely to continue his reckless behavior, so there is no good reason to endanger others over a traffic offense.
   But that's the policy of responsible departments and officers. There are far too many who focus on stopping people of color, on the rationale that the crime rate is higher among people of color than among others. Whether that be true is not a good enough reason to arbitrarily stop people of color more often than members of other groups, without any other cause.
   And if it is true that crime rates are higher among members of any particular group, then it's up to members of that groups to assist in encouraging lawful behavior by all.
   Historically, that's what happened among other ethnic and minority groups in America as they struggled to achieve the equal opportunity promised by the American tradition.
   That applies to all, regardless of race, creed, color or spiritual belief. Sadly, some political leaders these days blame minority members for all the problems America faces, without attempting to work together to resolve these problems.