Question about institutional racism... I was about to ask my black friend this shit and just wanted to see what you people have to speak on it first?

[D_Bone_Steak]

Here is the cut and paste of what I was about to write. My friend is black by the way and I was writing to him about it. Just looking for opinions on it. Like, is there a difference or is it all just in my fucking dumb head?

"Hey man... I just got off a rant about what I think about institutional racism with my kid. I'd like your perspective on this shit. I was a kid right getting into some fist fights with everyone... school age shit. But I did notice I wouldn't get punished as long as I got into a fight with a black kid. My theory is they got treated differently young like that, would get off scott free... and even me as long as it was with them... but then the age 18 shit kicks in and they're not as afraid of the law as I am. Because seriously dude... I beat the shit out of white dude... big trouble. Talking about the under 18 stuff here. I beat the shit out of a black dude or he beats the shit out of me... sort of just flies under the rug... we didn't even get suspended. What's your take on that shit? Would that be a good example of some institutional differences? I mean past the age of 18 I was punished so much for the same shit I was afraid to do anything... Dude's that never really got punished would do some bullshit and end up in jail. Like I never saw them again and they never came back."

[Msputiton]

Yeah so. That is a great example.

The reasoning for it started after they freed slaves.

They still considered black people to just be their livestock who was freed.

So they created laws to keep black people under under control.

Over time laws were fixed, but when most people spend generations learning separate punishments for us.

People will unconsciously still keep them in place. Sometimes purposely.

It gets accidentally taught.

A perfect example of what i mean.

Go to news sites. Read comments on crimes of black children who commit serious crimes and compare them to comments on white children who commit serious crimes.

They use read like this.

Black child crime "what a thug" "such an animal"

White child crime "this is a shame, how did we let the system fail him"

Same concept on the institutional racism throw the book at the black child, help see how to prevent this behavior or give them another chance.

[D_Bone_Steak]

This adds to what I was thinking... I'm going to have to think on this subject a whole lot more. I move around a lot and have seen it all play out in different ways. So has my friend (we're both military) and we've seen a bunch of different situations.

[Anonymous]

I grew up in the Los Angeles area and went to school with a lot of blacks and Hispanics, and I never saw that kind of bias. Everyone was held to the same standard in my experience, and I think most people would agree. This is why most people are so cynical about "racism" these days. Our real world experiences just don't support the claims.

[D_Bone_Steak]

I would agree with this... moving around a lot and I didn't see anything like this in LA... I was in the vally next to NoHo arts district at that point. White dude like me and the Mexican dudes just knew better than to step into certain neighborhoods and there was distance... We'd get mean mugged walking past but no interaction.

[D_Bone_Steak]

That's just LA and when I was there though. No idea how it might of changed.

[Anonymous]

Make sense.