Sincere question about race, crime, perceptions and stereotypes...

[HardWorkingDem]

I want to be completely upfront on this OP.

I am a white male police officer in a city known for its supposed persona as a test market for the nation. We have a 25 percent black population. After almost 20 years as a police officer, I am growing greatly troubled by how my observations are taking a tole on my liberal beliefs.

I am a die hard liberal Democrat with a masters degree in criminal justice. I sincerely believe that no person is better than another when it comes to identifiers as gender, race, sexuality, religion or beliefs. I truly believe we are all equals.

Now, here is my dilemma - I am known to tell people that when it comes to policing, "that when it comes to a liberal's beliefs, with what we see every day, a liberal has to a to struggle with his or her beliefs, while a conservative gets to have his or her beliefs reinforced."


When I examine the troubles in society, I understand that there are things like family, prejudice, support groups, nutrition, environment, economics, social standing, biology, peer pressure and many more factors that influence behavior. Many of my conservative counter points miss and ignore these factors and instead see a causal link between race and crime. I know it is much more complex than that.

What I am asking is for guidance, help and knowledge to point me away from examples, observations and experiences that tend toward the development of prejudice.