America’s colour blindness

How many black cops does it take to commit a racist hate crime? The latest correct answer is ‘five’. That’s the number of policemen in Memphis who have been fired and charged with second-degree murder for the killing of Tyre Nichols.

Last month Nichols, who was himself black, was pulled over by the officers. They proceeded to kick him, pepper-spray him, hit him and repeatedly baton him. He died in hospital three days later.

Of course, if the Memphis officers had been white, American cities would be being burned and smashed to the ground again, as they were three years ago after the death of George Floyd. On that occasion it was asserted that Floyd was killed because he was black – something which, interestingly, wasn’t claimed at the white arresting officers’ subsequent trial and conviction. But if you see everything through the lens of race, that is what you do. Rogue white cop kills black male? Must be racism.