The challenge of prejudice

In recent days with the arrest and arraignment of Officer Noor there has been a social media out cry "because she was white" and I have heard it from others who are outspoken on the issue.  I now am now pondering whether we are actually achieving anything by being as pre-judgemental with our outcries as we are with the perceived pre-judgmentalism of those we rail against.  I have no issues about the fact that there is clear evidence to suggest that law enforcement through out the world does have issues with their ability to step outside issues of perception.  What I find difficult is that every act becomes an act that is to be prejudged against the perceived norm.

Is our first response to fight prejudicial fire with prejudicial fire?

The issue that should be debated is not the perception but the actual justice inherent in each situation as each situation is not the same.  Yes, there has to be some education of law enforcement officers to overcome the petty prejudices of society if they are to act as law enforcement officers.  There also needs to be cultural change in organisations regarding how they perceive the other as all of our organisations are filled with the pre-judgments of our society.  However, an immediate outcry that someone, who is the known person of interest, is arrested and the victim is white does not call for the prejudgment of the outcry.  In looking at every possible case with our prejudicial eyes we actually devalue the outcry that we make.  Even when we look at our own propensities in terms of our theologies and our worship or even, dare I say it, when change or refurbishment is suggested, we respond from our prejudices.  In deed there should be little room for our prejudices in the world today.  Such judgmentalism is our gut level reaction to our perceptions rather then our ability to look at situations through the eyes of love and justice.  There are times when an outcry is warranted, when there is an absolute mockery of justice, irrespective of whether the perpetrator is from a "majority" and the victim is from a "minority" or the other way around.  Our reaction needs to be to the injustice in the case not the personalities involved.

We do not allow ourselves the gift of discernment when it comes to our response to situations that inflame our sensibilities.  Even at the simple level of our response to the assumptions of the Medical profession to our health or dietary habits.  We have a tendency to rush into our judgments rather than allowing ourselves the time to make judgments that are based more on the justice that the situation warrants rather than what we perceive to be the injustice. Perhaps by letting our emotional response cool we may be able to react appropriately to situations. it is not that we do not need or should not protest injustice, it is just that we need to actually discern our response to injustice.  That response would best be one that is effective rather than emotional. Discerned rather than gut level.  By acting on our prejudices we align ourselves with those we are protesting against and not the side of justice. In these days of instant communication we are losing, and perhaps have already lost, our ability to ensure and discern the right.