America's 'twin' crisis

(Baonghean) - Two fears are shadowing the lives of Americans at the same time. Gun violence continues to be a daily story despite strong public outcry.

And the confrontation between police and the minority community has once again resurfaced. The combination of these two factors created the shooting in Dallas last week that left five police officers dead.

Police and people of color - the eternal conflict in America. Photo: CNN

Everything is "hot"

It is difficult to confirm whether racist actions by law enforcement or gun violence were the first and direct cause of the disaster in Dallas, Texas on July 8.

Information provided by the investigation force shows that suspect Micah Johnson had not just one but many detailed plans to attack the police to carry out his crazy idea.

The shooting of a Dallas police officer who was on duty to stop protesters from protesting the deaths of two black citizens by police in Minnesota and Louisiana is just one of them.

Johnson has used protests over an issue that has been simmering in American society to target the police force, adding to the list of shootings and terrorism this year that are directly linked to gun ownership.

The deadliest attack on law enforcement in the country since the September 11, 2001, attacks forced US President Barack Obama, who was visiting Europe, to cut short his trip and head to Dallas early.

Meanwhile, protests against police shootings of black people continue to take place across the United States, clearly reflecting the increasingly serious racial conflicts in this country's society.

…but nothing new

Police abuse and excessive use of force remain a major problem in American society, especially with high frequency among minority groups such as the black community in many states of this country.

First of all, it comes from the freedom of American citizens to own guns and ammunition. The ability of suspects to “fire” murderous weapons makes the police always live in fear with the thought that if they do not act in time, the risk of being shot is very high.

The second thing that makes white police shooting and beating people of color appear so frequently is because racism is deeply ingrained in the consciousness of a part of the white police force.

They think that people of color are synonymous with “dangerous elements” and that there is no need to be “gentle” with such subjects.

Back to the story of racism in American society, where people of color or other minorities are marginalized, suffer many injustices and lack opportunities to improve their lives.

Police stop a car in suburban Dallas after a sniper shooting on July 8. Photo: NBC news

Recent surveys show that, a century and a half after the Civil War abolished slavery, blacks as a community still lag behind whites economically, educationally, and socially. Blacks have higher unemployment rates than whites, lower wages, and higher incarceration rates.

These issues are not resolved, so the opposition or dissatisfaction of this community does not decrease.

On the contrary, it makes black people in America more sensitive to the actions of authorities, in response to information about unfair behavior by white police.

A clearer illustration of this inequality is the contrast between rich and poor in many cities across the United States, with one side being a city mired in poverty and economic underdevelopment and the other side being the image of luxurious high-rise buildings with well-dressed, wealthy people.

To maintain order, city officials implemented a policy of thoroughly cracking down on criminals.

In that context, police measures were seen as somewhat harsh, increasing tensions related to the behavior of law enforcement officials, who are mostly white.

Difficult to resolve

Racial violence and conflict continue to increase not because the US government has not taken action. But it seems that doing so is not effective enough to erase the already huge gap between the two communities.

The fact is that African Americans today have a better position in the political and social life of the United States with an education as well as equal civil rights.

From Europe, President Obama made his first remarks after the attack on police in Dallas. Photo: The Guardian

The inauguration of the first black president in the history of the United States, Barack Obama in 2008, was also considered a significant step forward for the United States internally. President Obama himself had many plans to resolve the issue of racial conflicts.

But unfortunate incidents still occur because black people in the US have lost faith in the government and law enforcement, believing that the current political system and law enforcement are designed for white people.

And any lack of trust on either side is fuel for this already smoldering pain./.

Thanh Son