On May 25, a black man George Floyd was videotaped being killed in a senseless, depraved manner by a white Minneapolis police officer. Ever since, angry and violent demonstrations spanned the nation. The overwhelming majority of outraged participants are genuinely concerned that more must be done to better the lives of black Americans, particularly those who have been living for generations in failing neighborhoods.
Unfortunately, we are living through a polarizing time in which meaningful policies to combat racial disparities are rejected by both the left and the right. On the right, most commentators dwell exclusively on dysfunctional behaviors in black communities, focusing on the looting that coincided with some of the Floyd demonstrations, not on the legitimate concerns. Except for a few lonely voices, most refuse to even consider the roles that unequal policing, educational and occupational policies have played.
