Liberals and the racist label

Our local, world-famous RPD beat officer posted to the East CAC Facebook page today about his upcoming meeting with the owners of the local shopping center and asked neighbors what things he should discuss with the owners. Several citizens posted thoughtful, helpful critiques of the shopping center, though a few noted how some teens who sometime loiter in the parking lot make them nervous.

This made one neighbor uncomfortable. She responded:

“I’ve shopped at [this store] regularly for five years and I have never–not once–been solicited, approached, or bothered in any way, shape, or form by teenagers or loiterers. I’m confused as to where this concern is coming from (and yeah, I know there was that big fight there a month or so ago) Frankly, it’s making me a little bit uncomfortable, as this thread seems to be a bunch of white people talking about how to make the neighborhood shopping center a better place. A good conversation, for sure, but are (black) teenagers hanging out outside of a local grocery store really a safety concern?”

This led me to dryly remark on Twitter:

“The community discussion made it all the way to 31 posts before a white person accused the other white people of being racist.”

It was a great community discussion, full of good suggestions for the shopping center but as soon as one or two people mentioned feeling uncomfortable by the people hanging out suddenly they were branded racists.

The way I see it there are two types of people: those who give a shit about others and those who do not. You’d be surprised at how well this sums people up. I do my best to treat everyone the way I want to be treated. If you’re good people, it doesn’t matter what color you are: you’re good people and I will be proud to be associated with you.

That said, when a fellow liberal throws a nasty label on others in a holier-than-thou attempt at liberal one-upmanship it really boils my blood. Nowhere in the earlier conversation had anyone mentioned anything about race until the accuser did. In fact, the conversation was perfectly reasonable up until that point, where it took an extreme left turn into name-calling.

Have there been problems at that shopping center? Yes. Even some frightening ones. Still, I consider it safe enough that I have no concern with Kelly shopping there alone. When we moved here, though, the first shopping center story I heard was that of the elderly mother of a well-known community activist getting mugged in the parking lot. She was African-American and to my knowledge no one accused her of being racist.

It was this particular crime that spurred me to urge that Raleigh Police Department boost its presence in the shopping center. This effort led to the opening of the shopping center’s RPD Neighborhood Office, a place in the shopping center where for three years beat officers could stop in and do paperwork or meet with community members. I was disappointed to see the office close last year without much fanfare. Fortunately, the shopping center has progressed to the point that the office is really no longer needed.

So, if a group of loitering teens makes one nervous, does that make one a racist? Having once been a teenage boy, I can say with some authority that any group of unsupervised teenage boys, no matter the race, has innate potential to do stupid things. At the Harris Teeter over in lily-white Cameron Village, teens loitering outside the door have occasionally made me feel uncomfortable. White teens. Teens who often were sitting on the curb in handcuffs by the time I exited the store.

I’m a sailor. I’ve walked some tough streets in my time and I’ve learned how to keep a sharp eye on people when I’m in areas that call for it. I can take care of myself but I understand when a crowd of unruly teens might make someone feel threatened. I don’t belittle them for it, though.

There are enough real examples of racism in the world that there’s no need to make up bullshit ones. Everyone deserves to live in a safe neighborhood. Everyone! Pretending crime doesn’t exist does no one any good, and neither does throwing around damning labels.