The cases of black men being killed by police officers throughout the country and police officers being killed last week in New York have shined a powerful light on the racial tensions still existent in American society.
These cases have only widened the already large divide between law enforcement officers and black residents across the United States, but they have also sparked momentum among many communities to pursue justice and policy change.
Since we have a black president and a justice system with laws protecting minorities and their civil rights, it appears as though racism has decreased in the United States since the days of Jim Crow and segregation. Unfortunately, having laws in the books and a black president are not enough. The institutions set up to execute those laws are often times increasing the lack of trust between the different racial and ethnic groups in our country. Some of the leaders of our police department, it seems, are not engaging in a conversation about these issues with their local community members–they are instead choosing to look away while some of their police officers resort to brutal force, hasty actions, and judgment-calls based on stereotypes.
What we call can agree on is that law enforcement agencies need to change from the inside out. The Pew Research Center conducted a survey in August about how people view law enforcement in this country–70% of blacks and 63% of whites say police departments do a poor job holding officers accountable for misconduct. These numbers show that white and black people are on the same page when it comes to having no assurance in the system that was created to protect them. If our most important right as individuals is to feel safe and secure and we cannot trust our own law enforcement, then it is no wonder that things are the way they are today. The Pew survey also found that only 38% of both whites and blacks say the police departments treat racial and ethnic groups equally.
It is not enough to say that there has been progress and change if it is not represented in practice. Just because it is written in law, does not mean it has been fixed or solved. Policy makers and law enforcement leaders have failed to actively engage in dialogue on these issues beyond what is written on paper.
One of the main pillars of democracy is participation from and by the people. For this system to remain viable, the people must be asked to engage in dialogue and have their experiences heard and taken seriously. In order to restore faith in our governmental institutions and between different racial and ethnic groups, we must cultivate a culture amongst our citizens to challenge the institutions that have allowed for centuries of subjugation.
There are two related lessons in Judaism: Tzedek, Tzedek, Tirdof, which translates to “justice, justice, pursue it” and Gemilut Chasadim, which means “bestow loving kindness.” The first lesson actually forces us as Jews to be responsible for actively pursuing righteousness and undoing wrongs and the second lesson comes from a broader concept of showing compassion and love to those who are rich or poor, sick or healthy. It is an expression of goodwill to all. Jewish wisdom and text urges us to choose moral and ethical behavior that supports the community through mutual responsibility. As a Jewish woman aiming for progress in practice, I hope that the residents of this country can come together with the leaders of our institutions and find a way to turn the principles of equality, respect, goodwill, and justice into practice.
Alixandra Liiv is the Fall Policy Intern at the National Council of Jewish Women/LA and is currently obtaining a Master’s degree in Public Policy at Pepperdine University.
