What’s wrong with this picture?
We saw the police treat the racist mob at the Capitol differently than the way they treated the black lives matter people by doing little or nothing. This is the outcome of white privilege as they let the racists get away softly; this was white supremacy and white privilege at its best. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), “President Trump supported tear-gassing peaceful protestors for a photo-opp in front of a church. The contradiction in his response to protests is clear: ‘If you’re with me, commit all the violence you want. If you’re against me, then protests are unacceptable.” The riot of white terrorists at the Capitol was the end result of a despicable despot president filling the minds of readymade racialized whites with hate speech in order to bring about a racist coup and steal an election.
Those of us who know what white privilege is, and know what it feels like, and know what white terrorism is, can see why the racist rioters at the capitol are simply not held accountable. We have a long history of not holding evil people accountable. Confederates were not held accountable for thousands that were killed in a Civil War over slavery, and many of the people who engaged in lynching were not held accountable. Today, police officers who kill people in cold blood are not held accountable. Trump is now the leader of bigots, neo-Nazis, neo- confederates, conspiracy big foot nuts, and other conservative clowns. Racist thugs and Back the Blue vigilantes are all in cahoots. Even before the white terrorists can be arrested and brought to trial, Trump claims this is a time for healing—WRONG; it is a time for justice and the arrest and conviction of white terrorists and bad cops.
The certification of Biden and Harris was a national security requirement, but the Capitol police saw it as pro-white and pro-police event so they did not act forcefully; a clear example of white privilege at work. In fact, the Capitol Police did not sound an alarm even after it was evident that far-right and racist extremism was promoting the riotous pro-Trump terror at the U.S. Capitol. The hell continues, and keep in mind that Trump’s announcement that he will not attend the inauguration of Biden is but another form of racist code talk to let the white terrorists know that they can continue attacking.
We have our problems here as well. The comments by the new head of the police association, in an attempt to discredit the FIXSAPD petition movement is using bald-faced lies. White privilege can been seen in the San Antonio Police Officer’s Association recent comments of contrived machinations in which they claimed that people circulating a petition to remove a corrupt police contract are dividing the community when SAPOA protects bad cops with a contract that allows them to rehire criminal officers. These wild accusations even included an old malicious and racist Alabama-styled verbal attack, which I have not heard since the Klan used it regularly in Mississippi; that the petition campaign was being conducted by people from out of town when the FIXSAPD leadership is from San Antonio. Too bad SAPOA President John Diaz repeated this baloney, something he apparently learned or heard from racist cohorts. At the same time, white privilege ignores the racist officers in local law enforcement and in “Back the Blue” vigilante groups. No one is against good cops, but this association (SAPOA) is protecting the bad ones. The petitioners of FIXSAPD have not threatened anyone, but there is film footage and photos of SAPD officers threatening petitioners and Black Lives Matters protesters.
Will the white racists who attacked the U.S. Capitol be held accountable? Will the President Trump, who has incited violence for over four years be held accountable? Will officials, like Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, and Josh Hawley be held accountable for supporting the racist rhetoric of Trump? Will the SAPOA be held accountable for protecting racist and bad cops, or will white privilege continue to rule the day?
