Bias and Discrimination - My View

Racism, Bias and Discrimination

I just listened to a news program during which a Black man was interviewed saying that he is sick of the rioting.  He believes there should be protests but violence is not appropriate.  He understood the anger because he too has been stopped and profiled numerous times by police.  He knew he did nothing wrong but still he was scared of what might happen to him.

The next segment of the show was about the large numbers of Black and Hispanic people dying from Covid-19.  Most of the news segments related to the underlying health problems the black community may have which are worse now with Covid-19.

I remember hearing months ago, when the pandemic was at its worst, that doctors needed to make the painful decision: who would get medical care because they could be saved and who would not receive care because they could not be helped.  Now I wonder: could some doctors also be making that choice because of the same thought process a white police officer might have when engaging a black man?

Isn’t it possible that our trusted healthcare professionals are also experiencing bias when it comes to seeing a patient who doesn’t look like them or their family?

I don’t know the answers but I do hope it is a way for us to recognize how we feel when we see someone who looks different from us, and in any aspect of our daily lives to recognize that this person is important.  Whether it’s a police officer or a doctor or anyone else who works with the public or lives in this society, we must recognize there may be underlying feelings and emotions that need to be examined

That’s all.

This short video might help explain why this happens. 

Understanding unconscious bias