Political Blackface: Are White Liberals Ignoring Black Voices?

Please respect our republishing guidelines - Click Here

Still think the progressive left actually cares about black people? Consider this: A recent Gallup poll revealed that the majority of black Americans don’t support the “Defund the Police” initiative, nor are they as terrified of law enforcement as the national Black Lives Matter organization would have us believe.

Black Americans and the Police

The Gallup poll analyzed the attitudes of black Americans toward law enforcement. Despite the claims of the far left, most respondents indicated that they would prefer that the police remain in their neighborhoods. In some cases, African Americans stated that they would like officers to spend more time in their cities.

From Gallup:

“When asked whether they want the police to spend more time, the same amount of time or less time than they currently do in their area, most Black Americans – 61% – want the police presence to remain the same. This is similar to the 67% of all U.S. adults preferring the status quo, including 71% of White Americans.

Meanwhile, nearly equal proportions of Black Americans say they would like the police to spend more time in their area (20%) as say they’d like them to spend less time there (19%).”

Another interesting tidbit that the poll revealed was the frequency with which black Americans see police officers in their neighborhoods. The survey found that “Black Americans’ reported exposure to local police is slightly above the national average, with 32% saying they see the police often or very often in their neighborhood.” This percentage is ten points higher than that of white participants, but only four points higher than Hispanics.

On the other hand, about 41% of black respondents stated that they see police in their areas only “sometimes,” which is in line with the national average, while 27% said they “rarely” see law enforcement officers. This means that 68% of black Americans do not see police in their neighborhoods on a routine basis.

When it comes to defunding the police, blacks expressed sentiments that would be sure to disappoint the left if they actually cared what black folks think. Only 22% of African Americans support abolishing police departments. But it’s worth pointing out that 90% favored implementing “specific reforms aimed at improving police relations with the communities they serve and preventing or punishing abusive police behavior.”

Another Narrative Bites the Dust

While the poll demonstrated that black people are not as averse to police presence in their neighborhoods, it still shows that they are not as confident that they would be treated well during interactions with law enforcement. Less than one in five African Americans believe that the police would treat them with “courtesy and respect.”

The results of the study show that while black Americans acknowledge that reforms are needed in law enforcement, they are not on board with the drastic anti-police agenda of the progressive left and the national Black Lives Matter organization. Moreover, African Americans, while cautious of the police, have no desire to banish them from their neighborhoods.

This poll is more than just another example of the left getting things wrong. It’s a sign that the Democratic Party grows more out of touch with the black community every year. It also is one more reason why the Republican Party would be wise to take advantage of the left’s blatant disregard of their key voting bloc. This would be a viable opportunity for the GOP to begin making inroads with the black community. Of course, it remains to be seen whether they will adopt this strategy.

The reality is lost on the mostly white far-left activists who are currently ransacking cities like Portland and Seattle, ostensibly to stand up for black Americans. The public will never see any reports on this from the corporate media because it is not in the best interests of the Fourth Estate to expose this information to the American public.

When progressive leaders and activists push their “Defund the Police” agenda, they are not merely misinterpreting the wishes of African Americans; the fact is, they don’t care what black people think. It is not an honest mistake; it is a brazen disregard for a people they look down upon but have no problem using as political pawns.

~

Read more from Jeff Charles.