Word Definitions - Systemic Racism

The head of the RCMP got herself into trouble when she fumbled the question as to whether or not there was systemic racism within her organization. She should not have answered the way that she did. It is clear to most people that in all parts of our society, and in fact, in all societies racism exists and it exists at a systemic level. But the commissioner was quite right in suggesting that she was unclear as to what the phrase meant; that she had heard a number of different definitions of the phrase. Her suggestion that we needed clarity as to what we were talking about is what we should expect from the leaders of our various public institutions. To blame everything on the system - will not fix the problems that exist.

  The phrase systemic racism suggests that the actions of the individual are shaped, manipulated or controlled by the system that they work in; that the entire system around that officer is structured in such a way that treating people differently because of the colour of their skin is okay. The phrase also suggests that any racist action is beyond any one individual's control.  For example - if a police officer is more likely to confront an indigenous individual or a person of colour and is more willing to escalate that confrontation into aggressive physical restraint - it is because his training has taught him to do that and the entire command structure (including any disciplinary review process) supports such actions or is it because the officer believes (and has always believed) that some individuals are inherently guilty of some crime and less likely to be a good citizen and that there is no point trying to be "nice". The officer acts as a racist because he is a racist.

 We can fix the former. We can review training, who and how people are supervised and work on creating a culture where such attitudes are not allowed. It will not be easy and unfortunately, it will not be nearly as quick as people would like but it is very doable. However, if the main problem is that the officer's core values suggest that some people deserve less than others and that some people are more likely to offend - then all of the training in the world will not change that officer's mind. Just get rid of him/her. Pay them off and get them out of the force. The longer they stay - the more they will pollute the minds of younger officers.

 So many of the reports that I read in the press labelling actions as systemic racism strike me not as the fault of the system but the fault of the individual who committed the act or at worst the actions of a few managers. There is much that needs to be done. There are, within Canada, numerous examples of how various systems have slowly evolved over the decades to be restrictive and punitive to people who can be identified by the colour of their skin. Those individuals will experience more barriers to education, jobs, housing, social mobility and will face higher rates of incarceration or mistreatment by police. Those barriers can be identified and taken down. We can not as easily change the deeply held values, supported by their faith, their family and their chosen community, of those officers who are racist.

 When we allow people to confuse systemic racism (which puts the blame on something else) with individuals who are racists - we make far too easy for those individuals to spew their filth onto our streets. It is time we start to assign responsibility to the act upon the individual who did the crime - not on some rather nebulous system.

 

Word Definitions - Crisis

My somewhat ancient (it almost qualifies as an antique as I have had it for over 40 years) Concise Oxford Dictionary defines crisis as "Turning point, esp. of disease; a moment of danger or suspense in politics, commerce etc." There are other, more current definitions available via the internet including those from Mirriam-Webster and Cambridge Dictionaries that are more detailed and that suggest a slightly more onerous tone.The Cambridge Dictionary, for example, includes " experiencing a time of great difficulty, danger or suffering". In the past few decades, the definition of a crisis has expanded. Despite this expanded definition, if one reads any newspaper - it is clear, The word "crisis" is greatly over-used. y newspaper, it is clear - the word crisis is greatly over-used.

The word crisis implies something that is or has just happened, something that is current and I think something that is a new situation. Using the word crisis to discuss the woefully inadequate long term accommodations for seniors is not accurate. Governments, administrators, family and residents have known for years that there were problems in many of those homes. We all ignored the reports and the recommendations. How some seniors are supported as they become elderly and frail may be a national shame. It is clear, at least to some, that we need to invest more money into long term care including into oversight, but it is not a crisis. It is a chronic problem that has festered for years. Adding to the word crisis to the label makes it appear as if someone will have to do something about it, or at least they are thinking about doing something. We should have done something about it 20 years ago.

Similarly, there has been much talk in the last week about the "opioid crisis", specifically in BC. This renewed media interest was stimulated by the report that in May, more people died from a drug overdose than those who died as a result of the COVID-19. This is a frightening and shameful statistic and the news should be published and discussed. But the fact that the number of people who are dying is increasing does not reflect a crisis. The use of illegal drugs is a chronic problem, the use of opioids has been an issue that has needed to be addressed for years. We have, as is the case with so many other issues, ignored the warning signs, ignored the reports and the comments from people who understand the issues. This nation could have years ago invested significant dollars and expertise into preventing the social circumstances that lead to people becoming more likely to become addicted. We chose not to. We chose not to invest in programs that would have given more opportunities to young people who lived in difficult situations. The fact that they are dying is not a crisis - it is a reflection on our unwillingness to invest in the solutions.

Again it appears as if people are using the word "crisis" in an attempt to get people's attention. To make it seem as if someone will have to do something about it. By using the word crisis it makes it seems as if it is not our fault, that we could have done nothing about it, that it came upon us all of a sudden and we are shocked. That is all unadulterated crap. If we had bothered to get out of our safe, comfortable shells, if we had decided that we are our brother's keepers - then there would not have been the need to define the far too many deaths from the misuse of opioids or the numerous deaths within the long term care systems as a crisis.

These things are not a crisis - they are a manifestation of our inability to do what needs to be done.