I have only been to America a very few times and for very short periods of time.
But since I love bus travel, each time I rode public transit and closely observed the sort of people about to ride it.
Today, in light of all the recent shootings in America involving black car drivers at 'routine' (quote unquote) traffic stops, that experience has left me reflecting.
Given the relatively greater proportion of blacks and other minorities who ride public transit, compared to whites, I have a theory why then are so few blacks and minorities are killed on buses compared to those riding around in cars.
I believe that the sight of a young black/brown/red man in a real nice car arouses unconscious envy and anger in us whites in a way that simply isn't reflected in the way that most of us whites feel nothing (but pity) when viewing (usually poor) people forced to 'put up' with public transit.
The best advice anyone has found to give black people when confronted by the police is to submit totally and abjectly, to think and act just like a slave from back in the 'good old days'.
Because every black-white traffic stop is in danger of ending up as an unconscious re-run of the Civil War.
Since so many ardent car drivers feel that riding public transit is a form of slavery, perhaps merely being seen riding a bus is abject submission enough for minority passengers.
Or could it just be that public transit situations simply offers too many witnesses ?
No comments:
Post a Comment