Last night on BET, Obama said that there are lots of cases where police officers have a “subconscious fear of folks who look different” and that, among other things, is creating a national problem that must be addressed:
“This country is at its best when everybody is being treated fairly. We have a history and a legacy of people not being treated fairly in all kinds of walks of life. It is particularly important for people to feel like they’re being treated fairly by law enforcement and police, because the consequences when they’re not treated fairly can be deadly.
And you know I’ve said it before, the vast majority of law enforcement officers are doing a really tough job, and most of them are doing it well and are trying to do the right thing. But a combination of bad training, in some cases, a combination in some cases of departments that really are not trying to root out biases, or tolerate sloppy police work; a combination in some cases of folks just not knowing any better, and in a lot of cases, subconscious fear of folks who look different —- all of this contributes to a national problem that’s going to require a national solution.”
Worst. President. Ever.