My son and I were at dinner last night, and 2 police officers (white) walked in behind us. When I went to pay, I asked the employee (female black) to add their check to mine.
As we were waiting on our food inside, my son whispers to me that I shouldn't have asked the employee to do that. I felt confused and I asked him why. He tried to tell me that it would have been offensive to her, because she was black and they were police officers, and goes against the narrative in the city I live in, that the police are discriminatory.
I scoff. Am I wrong? I think he is wrong.
I will concede that "some" black people might think the police are their enemy, and that certainly is the current narrative in the city I live in. I will also concede that there are possibly some white police officers that are prejudice against certain demographics of people. But I absolutely don't believe it is the majority on either side.
I did not at all think what I did was offensive to either party. The employee was very nice when I asked her to add them to my bill. It didn't seem to bother her, or maybe she was just so professional she didn't let on if it did.
Is this really the world we live in, because it isn't the world I live in. It makes me sad that my son thinks this is the world we live in, because he is living in it differently than me. Clearly I am white and do not have to worry about too many racial biases in my day, but I don't treat a single person differently based on anything other than something I have experienced with that person first hand. I want to believe that all people are inherently good people, until proven otherwise.
If I would have offered to pay for the meals of an elderly couple or a homeless man what could make that offensive to someone? Something, I am sure of it.
Can we not let this be the new world? Do something nice for someone today. Give someone hope that the humans in this world can be good. I try to do something once a day. Can you?
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