root cause paper

7/21/2019 Root Cause Paper

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Whitany Lewis3/27/15 Root Cause Analysis

According to the National Journal, !ore than "# $ercent o% whites and

e&actly 57 $ercent o% 'is$anics e&$ress %aith in the institutions( )hat nu*+er

%alls dra*atically, howeer, within the +lac- co**unity, where .ust 3

$ercent %eel con0dent in the $olice( )he social $ro+le* that will +e

e&$loring is the lac- o% trust in law en%orce*ent +y *inorities, es$ecially

A%rican A*ericans( )his $articular $ro+le* has +een $realent in our society

recently due to the )reon !artin case in lorida, the erguson !issouri Riots

and the 4ric arner case in New 6or-( )hese incidents s$ar-ed a twitter

ca*$aign called 8lac-Lies!atter, that later turned into a %ull +lown

*oe*ent( want to e&$lore the root causes o% this lac- o% trust in law

en%orce*ent, +ecause it is a serious $ro+le*( A lac- o% trust in law

en%orce*ent leads to co*$lete disregard %or law and order( 'oweer +e%ore

can discuss what this lac- o% trust will +ring a+out and how it can +e

changed, *ust 0rst discuss how it ca*e a+out(

)his $ro+le*, li-e *any others in the 9nited :tates can +e traced +ac-

to a ti*e +e%ore the Ciil War( 6es, a* re%erring to slaery( :laery can +e

seen as the *other root o% our $ro+le*( :laery is the *other root, +ecause

racial diision in the 9nited :tates can al*ost directly +e traced +ac- to it(

;uring this $articular ti*e in A*erican history, A%rican A*ericans were

iewed as chattel( )hey were only good enough to co*$lete *anual tas-s

that White $lantation owners either did not want to do, or did not hae the

ti*e to do( )here%ore, at the +eginning o% relations +etween A%rican




A*ericans and Whites there is i**ense ine<uality( =resident eorge W( 8ush

said it +est>

“My nation’s journey toward justice has not been easy and it is

not over. The racial bigotry fed by slavery did not end with slavery

or with segregation. And many of the issues that still trouble

America have roots in the bitter experience of other times.”

)he issues +etween A%rican A*ericans and Whites only deelo$ed

%arther %ro* this $oint( or the sa-e o% ti*e we are going to discuss $articular

ideas and $ractices that hae led to this $ro+le*( )he 0rst is the %or*ation

and i*$le*entation o% stereoty$es( According to Laura reen o% ?irginia

Co**onwealth 9niersity, stereoty$es are cognitie structures that contain

the $erceier@s -nowledge, +elie%s, and e&$ectations a+out hu*an grou$s(

:o +asically we as hu*ans deelo$ stereoty$es +ased on e&isting

in%or*ation( 'oweer, that in%or*ation could +e dee$ly awed( n that case

an entire grou$ has +een .udged +y a $erson that had %aulty logic when

deelo$ing the .udge*ent(

or e&a*$le, the idea that A%rican A*ericans only listen to ulgar ra$

and hi$ ho$ *usic is not true( $ersonally listen to ra$, soul, country, %un-,

o$era, and the list goes on and on( Also the stereoty$e that A%rican A*erican

wo*en are laBy and are +asically liing with the assistance o% wel%are, is ery

insulting( will graduate with a degree in =olitical :cience( hae organiBed a

goern*ental council in *y area( hae done things that *ost $eo$le neer

i*age, yet when so*e $eo$le loo- at *e they assu*e that the 1# year old




-id with *e is *y child instead o% *y +rother( -now this +ecause when

was 13 years old, *y *other had another child( 'e is the sweetest little +oy

eer and he and are ery close( When he was still a +a+y, was wal-ing

through the store with hi* and was gien so*e ery *ean loo-s +y

$assers+y( thought nothing o% it until a wo*an decide to co**ent on how

well dressed *y son was( too- the ti*e to in%or* her that he was in %act *y

little +rother and went on with *y day( At the age o% 13, no child should +e

gien *ean loo-s %ro* adults( 4s$ecially not adults that hae the i*age

co*$letely wrong(

% it was this easy %or *e to +e identi0ed as a stereoty$ical +lac- girl,

then what chance do any other A%rican A*ericans hae Without -nowing

anything a+out *e, these $eo$le *ade assu*$tions a+out *y li%e( What

ha$$ens when a $olice oDcer is the one *a-ing those assu*$tions

Why $olice start to *a-e stereoty$ical assu*$tions, the worst is

assu*ed in each race, e&ce$t %or the race that the oDcer is a *e*+er o%(

4ach $erson is a+le to recogniBe that all stereoty$es a+out their own race

*ay not +e true, +ut %or so*e reason that sa*e rational thin-ing is not

a$$lied to other races( Let@s ta-e the e&a*$le o% the 4ric arner case in New

6or- %ro* last year( 4ric arner was a %ather and hus+and, who was allegedly

selling loose cigarettes according to the New 6or- )i*es( )he worst $art is

that in the *idst o% his arrest !r( arner died( )he arresting oDcer, ;aniel

=antaleo, $ut !r( arner in a cho-ehold that was su$$osed to +ring an

unar*ed !r( arner to the ground( 'oweer, the *aneuer, which had +een




+anned +y the New 6or- =olice ;e$art*ent since 1EE3, -illed hi* F)he New

6or- )i*esG( 'e yelled E ti*es that he could not +reathe, yet his cries went

unanswered( s this really what this oDcer would hae done to any $erson

that was co**itting a noniolent oHense % it is, then we seriously need to

<uestion our $rocedures %or arresting unar*ed oHenders(

)he oDcer@s actions in this case were +ad enough, +ut what ha$$ened

ne&t is what $unched %aith in the .ustice syste* in the %ace( IDcer =antaleo

was cleared o% all charges( 'e was cleared o% -illing a *an, .ust +ecause that

*an was +igger than hi*( 'e was cleared o% -illing a *an een though he

was not alone during the arrest and his li%e was not in danger( 'e was

cleared o% -illing a *an who yelled E ti*es that he could not +reathe( E

ti*es, !r( arner said can@t +reathe, and E ti*es the oDcers ignored hi*(

What does this say a+out the alue o% !r( arner@s li%e or the li%e o% any

*inority $erson %or that *atter

!r( arner was a large *an, yet he was not dangerous( 'oweer, the

stereoty$e o% A%rican A*erican *en +eing iolent $reailed( n the words o%

!rs( arner 'e@s IDcer =antaleoK still %eeding his -ids, and *y hus+and is

si& %eet under and @* loo-ing %or a way to %eed *y -ids now( s this really

the way that the $olice in A*erica %eel that they can gain the trust o%

eeryone )his case s$ar-ed a series o% large organiBed $rotests across the

country( )he hashtag 8lac-Lies!atter too- oer twitter( )here were a

series o% die ins, one o% the *ost signi0cant occurred in !ia*i( t shut

down a *a.or roadway %or a+out 3 hours according to Local 1# News(




=rotests li-e these show that this is a $ro+le*( )here are grou$s

+anning together to try and 0& it, yet we can@t see* to acco*$lish anything(

)hese $rotests called %or changes in $olice training, they called %or changes

in legislation, and they called %or .ustice %or all( Not .ust the $eo$le that

$olice oDcers chose to $roide .ustice to, +ut all( When the $olice are not

trusted chaos can easily ensue as we saw in erguson, !issouri( When an

unar*ed teenager !ichael 8rown was -illed +y a white oDcer, who was later

cleared o% all charges, the $eo$le too- to the streets and rioted( 8rown@s

ste$%ather called %or the reolution a%ter the decision was handed down( 'e

said 8urn it to the ground( 8urn this + to the groundM




Let *e +e clear that do not agree with the actions o% the rioters in

erguson, +ut do see where their anger ste**ed %ro*( recogniBe that

they %elt this was the only way %or their oices to +e heard( When you %eel

that you hae +een denied .ustice, and your %aith in the syste* is at its

lowest using the syste* to e&$ress your outrage is not an o$tion(

n +oth o% these situations, there is a history o% distrust in the $olice

de$art*ent( )he %act that there is a negatie history in all o% these cases is

not a go way to *oe %orward(

As a solution to this $ro+le* is %airly si*$le( We all hae to recogniBe

that this is a $ro+le*( % your children hae no chance o% +eing -illed +y

$olice oDcers on their way to school, then this does not see* li-e an issue to

you( 6ou $ro+a+ly hae no lac- o% %aith in any law en%orce*ent oDcers( 6ou

$ro+a+ly %eel sa%e during a routine traDc sto$( 6ou $ro+a+ly hae neer %elt

the sting o% racial in.ustice %ro* an authority 0gure( 'oweer i% you are li-e

*e, at the age o% 1" you were told +y your $arents how to res$ond during a

traDc sto$( 6ou were told that it is +etter %or you to +ring the $olice to your

house instead o% sto$$ing at night( 6ou were told that you need to +e

res$ect%ul een i% you are +eing disres$ected( 6ou were told that you should

+e care%ul which $laces you go, +ecause the $olice %re<uent those areas( s

this a $ro+le* now s it a $ro+le* that as an A%rican A*erican wo*an, a*

%aced with the $ossi+ility o% harsher treat*ent %ro* law en%orce*ent

oDcers s it a $ro+le* that *y white %riends are treated .ust as $oorly when

they are with *e Racial intolerance is not a $ro+le* o% the $ast( t is a




$ro+le* now, and it leads to a lac- o% %aith in law en%orce*ent oDcers +y

*inorities, es$ecially A%rican A*ericans(

We hae to recogniBe the $ro+le*s and stand against the*( We hae

to unite as $eo$le against the use o% e&cessie %orce +y $olice oDcers

against citiBens no *atter the color o% their s-in( Whether it +e through

education, or si*$le conersations( :o*eti*es the si*$lest solution is the

+est( will leae you with one last story to e*$hasiBe this $oint( n *y area

we are %aced with a great deal o% racis* that has +een $assed on %ro*

generation to generation( We hae had oDcers that were 0red %ro* the

$olice de$art*ent +ecause they were *e*+ers o% the Olu Olu& Olan(

'oweer the story that hae to tell you does not inoled those oDcers( t

all started with the $olice de$art*ent searching %or a wanted *an( )hey

trac-ed hi* to an a$art*ent co*$le&( 'e %ound a $ar-ing s$ot in %ront o% the

a$art*ent +eside his own( ;uring the wee hours o% the *orning, $olice

oDcers -noc-ed on Andrew :cott@s door( :cott was not e&$ecting isitors at

the ti*e and was ar*ed( 'e was -illed +y oDcers who neer announced

the*seles( )hese oDcers then realiBed that they had shot the wrong *an(

)his *an was in his own ho*e early in the *orning, yet he was not sa%e %ro*

the oDcers that hae sworn to $rotect hi*( ;id *ention that :cott was a 2"

year old white *an ;oes it *atter *ore now




Wor-s Cited

1( 8ur-e, =eter( P=rotesters 8loc- )raDc in ;owntown !ia*i(P ocal!"( 5;ec( 2#1( We+( 2" !ar( 2#15(

Qhtt$>//www(local1#(co*/news/$rotesters+loc-traDconi1E5/3##S3S5ST(

2( o&, Lauren( P)hereUs a 'uge Racial a$ in )rust o% =olice( Can

Congress i& tP #ww.nationaljournal.com( S ;ec( 2#1( We+( 2" !ar(

2#15( Qhtt$>//www(national.ournal(co*/congress/theresahugeracialga$intrusto%$olicecancongress0&it2#112#ST(

3( reen, Laura( P:tereoty$es>Negatie Racial :tereoty$es and )heir4Hect on Attitudes )oward A%ricanA*ericans(P $%& %ounseling




'ervices( 1 Jan( 1EES( We+( 2" !ar( 2#15(

Qhtt$>//www(%erris(edu/.i*crow/lin-s/?C9(ht*T(

( ood*an, J(, and Al 8a-er( PWae o% =rotests A%ter rand Jury ;oesn@t

ndict IDcer in 4ric arner Cho-ehold Case(P The (ew )or* Times( )heNew 6or- )i*es, 3 ;ec( 2#1( We+( 2" !ar( 2#15(Qhtt$>//www(nyti*es(co*/2#1/12/#/nyregion/grand.urysaidto+ringnochargesinstatenislandcho-eholddeatho%ericgarner(ht*l

Vr#T(

5( 'oHer, :teen( PAndrew Lee :cott ;ead> La-e County =olice atally:hoot Wrong !an While 'unting !urder :us$ect(P The +u,ngton -ost (

)he'uDngton=ost(co*, 17 July 2#12( We+( 2" !ar( 2#15(

Qhtt$>//www(huDngton$ost(co*/2#12/#7/17/andrewleescottdeadVnV1"7E#S(ht*lT(

"( )aylor, Oeeanga6a*ahtta( Pnternational :ocialistReiew(P nternational 'ocialist /eview( 1 Jan( 2##3( We+( 2" !ar(2#15( Qhtt$>//www(isreiew(org/issues/32/racis*(sht*lT(

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