Systematic racism occurs when institutional systemic policies, practices, and political structures put minorities at a disadvantage. One of the most egregious structures happens to be the American justice system, and this is a prime example of how racism infiltrates systems designed to protect citizens.
Police officer Conrad Lariviere of Springfield Massachusetts, shared his hate with world on Facebook with a vile post mocking the death of Heather Heyer, and the dozens injured at the hands of a white supremacist Nazi in Charlottesville. Someone on Facebook shared an article about the terrorist acts in Charlottesville calling it disgusting, and Officer Lariviere responded to the post with:
“Hahahahaha love this, maybe people should’nt block roadways. “
The receipts of his racists statements quickly spread on Facebook and the backlash came swift. After an internal investigation, the Springfield PD confirmed that Conrad is one of their officers. Officer Larviere apparently felt the heat and issued an apology:
“Never would I want someone to get murdered. I am not a racist and don’t believe in what any of those protesters are doing,” Lariviere told MassLive. “I’m a good man who made a stupid comment and would just like to be left alone.”
Springfield released the following statement regarding Officer Lariviere:
“I received notification of this Facebook post earlier today via email from a complainant. The post is purportedly from Springfield police officer. I took immediate steps to initiate a prompt and thorough internal investigation,” Barbieri wrote in an email. “If in fact this post did originate from an officer employed with the Springfield Police Department, this matter will be reviewed by the Community Police Hearings Board for further action.”
A post like this coming from a policeman is not surprising, given how timid the police acted towards the Nazis and terrorists that descended on Charlottesville this weekend. It demonstrates once again that things are not all that different from years past and there is still a mountain of work to be done to create a truly free and equal society for all. Flip the page to view Officer Lariviere’s racist Facebook post.