Innocence by Ethnicity
In the 21st century, new social ideas like the incorporation of gender specific pronouns, affirmative action and the freedom to express your religious beliefs are increasingly becoming part of the norm. Along with issues such as gender and religion, reforms concerning race are also prominent now more than ever. With campaigns such as the “Black Lives Matter” movement in full swing, the American people have honed in on race as a problem that needs to be confronted. Although this change in racial issues is made to better the lives of all—which I believe it has—there are situations where failing to deal with issues correctly have been problematic, take the Peter Liang case for example. In this case, Asian-American NYPD officer Peter Liang accidentally killed a black man by unintentionally firing his gun in a public housing complex. Though officer Liang became a victim of unnecessary public scrutiny, he was given support by people of his race and deemed worthy of a free pass for what he did because of his Asian American identity.
This outrage that we have is understandable. But the reactions caused by what have happened in the past are uncalled for.
Before his prosecution, the Asian American community flocked to Liang and the media with hopes that it would somehow prove his innocence. At rallies and protests they contested the claims of manslaughter with claims that Liang was only tried because of the color of his skin. This kind of protection has led unjust cases to court in the past, such as the Tawana Brawley rape allegation in the 1980s where Brawley claimed she was raped by white men. Backed by figures such as Al Sharpton, her case went public and later it was discovered that it was probable that she was lying. We have not found the balance of civil rights reform and over-sensitivity to issues of race, leading to extreme points such as the Liang case. The Asian Americans who argued in favor of Liang made him more than human. They said he was unfairly treated because of his race and made it seem as if he had more of a likelihood to be innocent because of his ethnicity.
Another key argument made by people all across the country is the unfair difference in treatment between minorities and whites. For example, the cases in Ferguson and Staten Island involving white police officers unintentionally killing a minority didn’t even make it to trial. This outrage that we have is understandable. But the reactions caused by what have happened in the past are uncalled for. There needs to be a change in our system that will result in equal and fair treatment regardless of our race. The appropriate response to this situation is not to give Peter Liang less of a sentence for an act purely because others have been given unfair privilege in the past. If one breaks the law and gets away with it, that does not give another permission to do the same thing. Not only is this wrong, but it is actually hurting the cause for change. With cases just like these we immediately claim that the situation is completely unfair. Although most are, the correct way to deal with it is to follow the law and keep arguing for change wherever possible. Letting criminals go won’t make the situation better.
Peter Liang was found guilty of manslaughter with a sentence of 800 hours of community service, five years of probation and a permanent stain on his name. By the end of the ordeal many Asian Americans were split on whether to support the verdict or stick with their original stance. This division only causes more tension not only with other races, but within their own race. All the various movements that help unite all people and fight against racism need to gain even more strength in order to achieve permanent change. If we choose to continue to let illegal activity occur in the name of “equality,” nothing will be able to happen. The case of Peter Liang is just one example of the power that groups of people have when they come together. From this case, we can learn to harness that power and put it towards making more positive change, instead of angry protests that promote bad things, not good.