[Neurons] 2020 Neurons #30 THINKING ALOUD ABOUT "SYSTEMIC RACISM"

Sun Jun 7 23:48:09 EDT 2020

From: L. Michael Hall 

2020 Neurons #30

June 8, 2020

Thinking for a Living series #15

THINKING ALOUD ABOUT

"SYSTEMIC RACISM"

Alfred Korzybski warned that there are pseudo-words- terms that do not refer
to anything real or actual.  He warned that pseudo-words undermine the
scientific attitude and prevents the discovery of truth because it
misdirects people.  He illustrated that with the word "heat," the word
"unicorn" in zoology, and the words "time" and "space."  New scientific
discoveries arose when the language was corrected.  I added Pseudo-Words to
the Meta-Model in 1997 in the book, Communication Magic.  You can read about
it there and in Science and Sanity by Korzybski.

When we think critically about the term "systemic racism" that is now being
tossed around, we find several significant problems.  First of all, the
phrase is comprised of two vague, non-specifying nominalizations.  Each
sounds like a noun, but neither is a true noun.  In each there is a hidden
verb (that's what a nominalization is- a verb masquerading as a noun).  It
is part of hypnotic language and a great way to hypnotize people.

Racism as an attitude of thinking yourself as superior to those of another
ethnic group, and they as inferior, and then acting on that prejudice is a
particularly toxic attitude.  It discriminates between people based on one
or more traits, usually on the most superficial things- skin color, hair,
facial features, family of origin, etc.  Opposite to racism is an attitude
of treating all people as people, as equal human beings, as valuable and
precious persons. 

Our legally system announced from the beginning that all people are "created
equal by their creator" ... and it has taken centuries to fully incorporate
that sense of equality into our laws.  The Civil Rights movement of the
1960s primarily led to making that happen.  Once the laws are in place, the
next step for making it real lies in getting everyone who is a part of the
legal system to live and practice those laws.

Now this system involves something conceptual (the law, the rules, the
procedures) which we can write down, publish, and use to inform people.  The
system also involves human beings who are by nature imperfect, fallible,
biased, and who suffer from incompetencies in actions and cognitive
distortions and fallacies.  As a human system with great ideals (the law)
and fallible humans (the people) we have a situation that will always be
imperfect.  Yet however imperfect, it is to our glory that we work to make
it a "more perfect union."  That's the ideal and the vision.

So what is this thing that's bantered about, "systemic racism?"  Those wh
use it assume that the whole system is corrupt and flawed, that no white
person could possibly understand the plight of any black person.  Then to
deepen the problem they say that the "systemic racism" is "unconscious."
That allows them to now engage in circular thinking so that if someone says
"I'm not prejudiced against X" they can say, "Well you are, you are just not
conscious of your racism."  Now the person is forced into a corner, assumed
to be prejudiced, and there's no way to escape the accusation.  Of course,
all of that is fallacious thinking.

To Meta-Model this and gain specificity and precision in understanding, we
have to ask questions around the two different aspects of justice and
equality.  One has to do with our conceptual mapping of these things.  The
other has to do with the hands-on practice of the ideal.

1) The Conceptual Aspect.  Where in the system is the racism?  Is the law
unfair to anyone?  If so, let's fix it.  Are the rules out-of-balance and
discriminate against some people?  If so, let's fix that.  Once we clean up
our concepts of equality so that "justice is blind" and operates the same
way with everyone, then we can talk about the human part.

2) The Human Aspect.  Is X-person showing favoritism to one person or a
group?  Then let's address that person.  Is X-person discriminating against
some people and not giving them the same break that he would give to others?
Again, let's address that person.  

In the end, this demystifies the convoluted and unspecified pseudo-term,
"systemic racism."  The idea of an unconscious conspiracy of "systemic
racism" is a myth.  All racism occurs in some person -individually or as a
representative of an organization.  When you know that you know how we can
fix this problem.  It enables us to know precisely where to focus our
attention and energy in order to bring about a "more perfect union."   Now
we can do something specific and concrete when we find injustice and
discrimination.

Discrimination itself is not the problem.  Marin Luther King Jr. argued that
we should make distinctions based on a person's character, not color of skin
or other superficial things. Finally, if we note where the protesters are
protesting and calling for those in charge to hear them and respond to them
- they are predominantly in Democrat cities and states.  If the so-called
"systemic racism" is the cause- how is it that cities like Baltimore are
racist when every public official is an African American Democrat?  Does
this mean the Democrats are not and will not listen to the call for equality
under the law?

              New York -      Governor is Democrat, Mayor is Democrat

              Minneapolis - Governor is Democrat, Mayor is Black Democrat

              L.A. Ca. Governor is Democrat, Mayor is Black Democrat.

              Chicago IL.         Governor is Democrat, Mayor is Black
Democrat.

              Seattle WA        Governor is Democrat, Mayor is Democrat

              Wash DC            Governor is Democrat, Mayor is Black
Democrat.

              Boston -            Governor is Republican, Mayor is Black
Democrat

              Baltimore           Governor is Republican, Mayor is Black
Democrat.

The statistics facts also do not show any systemic racism.  In 2019 a total
of 47 unarmed persons were shot by police.  Of those 47 persons-  9 were
black and 19 were white.  And in the same year, 89 police were shot on duty.
If in 2019 there were 9 shootings by police, there were approximately 5,000
shootings and killings of black people by black people.   Where is the
outrage for that?  Where is the racism when black kill black?

www.wsj.com/articles/the-myth-of-systemic-police-racism-11591119883   

L. Michael Hall, Ph.D., Executive Director 

International Society of Neuro-Semantics 

P.O. Box 8

Clifton, CO. 81520 USA                             

               1 970-523-7877 

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