'Inaccurate and harmful': Texas Senators Cruz, Cornyn dismiss notions of systemic racism in police and society

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WASHINGTON – Texas Republican Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz on Tuesday rejected the notion that there's systemic racism within policing, and beyond, in the United States.

Speaking during a Senate Judiciary hearing about police violence, both the Senators dismissed the idea of systemic racism to witnesses, which included S. Lee Merritt, an attorney representing George Floyd’s family.

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“I would like the witnesses to tell us if they believe that the police department and the police in America are systemically racist,” Cornyn asked the panel. “Would anybody like to raise their hand agreeing with that statement?”

A few of the witnesses testifying appeared to raise their hands. Cornyn responded by saying, “And that means all 18,000 police departments, all 800,000 law enforcement officers? Is that true?”

Cornyn said perhaps police officers play too many roles, and there needs to be a stronger emphasis on de-escalation training, but quickly turned back to "a lack of trust with the police" and systemic racism within society.

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Merritt responded to Cornyn.

“When we over-concentrate our communities - black and brown communities, specifically - with militarized policing, what you’re going to have is disproportionate use of force and incarceration of black and brown people” he said.

The senator tried to distinguish between class and race, while witnesses testified that they often go hand-in-hand and are "disentangled" within American institutions.

“You think systemic or structural racism can exist in a system that... requires individual responsibility?” Cornyn asked. “Or do you think it’s one or the other?”

Vanita Gupta, the president of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, answered: “I think every American institution has been, kind of, shaped by these forces.”

“Do you believe that, basically, all Americans are racist?” Cornyn followed-up.

“I think we all have implicit bias and racial bias, yes, I do,” Gupta responded.

“Wow,” Cornyn responded, prompting Gupta to say she thinks America is striving to be better. But the senator replied, “You lost me when you want to take the acts of a few misguided, perhaps malicious, individuals, and ascribe that to all Americans” and not just to police officers.

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The hearings were focused on discussing reforms and legislation Congress could pass to address police brutality.

They follow weeks and thousands of protesters taking to the streets in the wake of Floyd's death, demanding an end to police brutality and racism.

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What is systemic racism?

NAACP President Derrick Johnson defined systemic racism, also called structural racism or institutional racism, as "systems and structures that have procedures or processes that disadvantages African Americans."

Glenn Harris, president of Race Forward and publisher of the website Colorlines, said systemic racism creates disparities in many "success indicators" including wealth, the criminal justice system, employment, housing, health care, politics and education.

He said although the concept dates back to work done by scholar and civil rights pioneer W. E. B. Du Bois, the concept was first named during the civil rights movement of the 1960s and was further refined in the 1980s.

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Cruz also renounced the idea of systemic racism in policing during Tuesday's hearing.

"I think some of the rhetoric that has been used in the wake of Mr. Floyd's killing has been inaccurate and harmful," Cruz said, continuing to focus on Democrats. "A great many of our colleagues, use the phrase 'systemic racism' to suggest that the entire criminal justice system is imbued with racism. I don't believe that's accurate."

He continued it was wrong "to impugn the integrity of everyone working in law enforcement is a disservice to this nation."

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Cruz slammed the notion to "defund the police" and, citing an academic study, said if other members "agreed that Black lives matter, demonizing the police and causing them to pull back from protecting people's lives will predictably cause more black lives to be taken."

"So, I urge that we proceed with caution, with a commitment to justice, and a commitment to truth," he concluded.

Contributing: N'dea Yancey-Bragg

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cruz, Cornyn dismiss notions of systemic racism in police and society