Peter LiangP

Chatterbox: Down to Earth

Peter LiangP

Peter Liang

Peter Liang was an Asian American rookie cop who shot a wall unintentionally and the bullet bounced off the wall, down a stairwell, and killed an African American teenager named Akai Gurley.

Despite the fact the numerous white police officers had purposely killed black people and gotten off, Liang, (Leeong), an Asian American, was charged to the fullest extent of the law.

This is an example of racism in our community, injustice that needs to stop. 

How is it fair that white police get to directly shoot people and get off, yet Asian people can't even shoot walls?  

 

Mei, I'm very glad that you brought this up. In our current political climate, this is an important topic. If you're interested in doing something about it, there are organizations like NAPAWF (the  National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum) that are doing some good work for Asian American people, women in particular. ~Admin

submitted by Mei-lan (May-lah n)
(March 7, 2016 - 7:23 am)

back to the Down to Earth

That's so sad! Never in my worst nightmares would I shoot another person, even one of my own race. And this is where we think, there's only one race of people. And that's the human race. Now some of us have every reason to hate the human race, especially those such as myself. The destruction we've wrought on this poor Earth is nightmarish. And yet none of us pay attention to the Earth's woes, calling the destruction "progress." All we do is squabble over differences in skin tone, perhaps the way someone speaks, or how big their eyes are. But none of those differences matter! We're all people. 

But still we're isolated in our little countries, rather than mixing and uniting. We're blind to the greater problems, absorbed in puny self conflicts. We can't forget our differences to watch the Earth crumble to nothingness after the wars we rage have broken it down. And if the Earth falls, then we'll inhabit and slowly deteriorate another planet, petty conflicts still thriving.
What we need to remember is that everyone has feelings. You can't be partial to people of your skin tone because you think you're better. How would you feel if someone you didn't even know glared at you at the playground because your skin was darker than theirs? How would you feel if someone shoved you away from the drinking fountain so they could drink, under the belief that you were inferior to them? You wouldn't feel good. You'd probably go home crying. You'd feel a burning hate or fear toward that creature that shoved you. You'd want revenge. And so the seeds of a war would be sown.
Your story, Leaf of Love, is an example of one of the petty conflicts I mentioned. It's pathetic, really, how white people think they're so high and mighty, that they're above everyone else. How they can just shove people around to no consequence. It's hubris. It needs to stop. And it all can stop by the word of one person.
That was a lot to get out! But I'm glad I did get it out.
submitted by Scylla
(March 7, 2016 - 6:56 pm)

That's so beautiful! :D

Scylla, you should become an author when you grow up. You're an amazing writer! 

I just wanted to point out that the discrimiantion was against an Asian people, not a Black people. The injustice was the fact that an Asian person was convicted when many white people were let off.

Or maybe you should become an activist, like Martin Luther King Jr. What you wrote would sound beautiful in a speech.

submitted by Mei
(March 9, 2016 - 7:34 am)

I wholeheartedly agree. We're all people! So why do we treat each other like we're not? It doesn't matter about race, eye color, ETC. I am a white person. I have friends that are of all different races: African American, Asian, ETC. Does it matter what they look like?!? No! All that matters is what's on the inside, not the outside. I just wish that people could stop worrying about outward appearances and focus on what matters: Kindness, character, ETC. Don't look on the outside, look on the inside. That's what counts. But we're all people. We're all humans. We all have almost everything in common except for one minor detail that some people think makes all the difference. But it doesn't matter. At all.

 

Unfortunately, it matters very much to some people, Joss. Saying that it shouldn't won't make it go away. It is very hard to break out of a system like that. I hope you all keep thinking about ways to counteract systemic racism. ~Admins

submitted by Joss
(March 9, 2016 - 10:31 am)

That was great, Scylla! I really like the way you worded it. The only thing is that I would say some white people think they're high and mighty and I don;t, and I know a lot of people who don't.

submitted by S.E.
(March 10, 2016 - 6:43 am)
submitted by Top
(March 8, 2016 - 10:55 pm)

AMEN SCYLLA! I have actually been thinking very similar things, but I never really found the right words to say them. I am glad I am not the only one who has been thinking this way, because if enough people start saying these things, we can make a difference. WE are this world's future and if we can learn from the mistakes of the past we can change things for the better. We will be and even are, at this moment, the creators of a better world. Look past differences. Instead of thinking what you would do if you were that person who did something wrong, do it. Set an example and others will follow. And together we will heal this world.

submitted by Cockleburr
(March 9, 2016 - 10:36 pm)

Not only was an Asian person convicted for shooting a wall, but a black police officer was convicted for not stopping her white police colleague from shooting someone, and the white police officer, the one who actually committed the crime, got off.

submitted by Mei M.
(March 9, 2016 - 5:38 pm)

I am amazed and glad that there are such wall-of-text replies on this thread! I have to admit I would not have known anything about this at all if not for your post and for Admin's commentary. This really is what media is about, sharing issues that are important for us. Just as Joss said, we all are humans, and though the prejudiced and the irrational and the immoral in our society may not recognize this and present opposition, we who understand have to be the ones to change this. 

I'd like to say that I don't think Mei-lan was trying to be derogatory to white people in any way by referencing caucasian police who are not prosecuted. There's no justice in beating people down but in bringing people up. I'm not trying to say Asian American police should be able to shoot people indiscriminately, but that anyone who commits murder (or manslaughter, which is a different crime) should be charged for it. 

Black people are getting a lot of press in the current political climate as Admin said: some derogatory and injust and terrible, some supportive and educational. Bringing other races such as Asian-Americans into this, I think, shows just how interconnected our country (in the context of being in the United States) is: we've all got to stand together on this in the face of a united threat. And this threat isn't white people in general: generalization and stereotypes are the very opposite of what I'm trying to mean. Only the prejudiced and immoral are the threat here.

While I'm no lawyer, here's how I see it: It's wrong that someone who committed murder (white police) were not prosecuted. It's wrong that someone committed manslaughter. It's wrong that someone was killed. There is so much wrong in the world and it's not as though it is right to kill if you are prosecuted or that it is right to kill if it is accidental. But it is wrong, wrong, wrong for any of this to be related to race. Wrong is wrong. And we need to stop this, stop adding our own prejudice to this issue. 

submitted by Air
(March 9, 2016 - 7:44 pm)

Thank you, Mei! But as I always say when people say my writing's good, I read too many good books, articles, you name it. They've rubbed off on me. I meant everything I wrote up there. I wouldn't say anything different. Your story infuriated me. I think some White people are just plain ARROGANT. (Sometimes. Not all of them.)

submitted by Scylla
(March 10, 2016 - 9:41 am)

Scylla, please understand that I am not trying to offend you, but I think it might be a little prejudiced to say 'white people are just plain ARROGANT'. Again, I am not trying to insult ANYONE, least of all you, Scylla. But I think putting huge groups of people into boxes like that is racism, and even though it's the other way than it usually is seen it is just as bad. 

Again, if I insulted anyone I am REALLY REALLY REALLY sorry and I did not mean to do it.

 

Cockleburr, "putting huge groups of people into boxes" is actually prejudice, not racism. Anyone can have a racial prejudice or bias about a certain race of people. Racism refers to power dynamics where one race holds economic, political, and social power over another. Because people of color have never had that power, reverse racism is not possible. People of color do have colorism in their communities. There are a few good documentaries about colorism, one called "Dark Girls" and another called "Light Girls."

We hope this helps you understand! Let us know if you have any questions. :)

~Admin

submitted by Cockleburr
(March 10, 2016 - 2:40 pm)

Oh, thank you Admin. I didn't know there was a difference between prejudice and racism.

submitted by Cockleburr
(March 10, 2016 - 5:43 pm)

And please note that I said, Sometimes, not always in parentheses. But I wholeheartedly agree.

submitted by Scylla
(March 10, 2016 - 9:19 pm)

This is awful. Not only because of the racism inm our country but because of the fact that rookie cops are able to carry around guns. I mean, if you're just starting to be a cop, why carry a weapon? It will just be a cause of violence. Did you know that uin England, when 90% of the police force stopped carrying arms, a ton of shooting there stopped?

When people see guns, they get more violent. Why must we be shooting anything at all? 

submitted by OtR
(March 10, 2016 - 8:15 pm)

And did you guys know that Peter Liang hadn't even been trained properly? I heard that his teacher gave him almost all the answers on a test, for becoming a policeman.

submitted by Mei-qi (May-qi)
(March 11, 2016 - 7:44 pm)

So whose side are we on? Are we on the rookie's side, the government's side, or neither? Are we on the side of preserving what little humanity the monsters we've become have left? 

Now ask yourself this last question. What has the world come to? 

submitted by Scylla
(March 12, 2016 - 6:12 pm)
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