I was accused of being "racist" yesterday.

I had supported a short piece written by a member of the police force asking for people to be more aware of what their job involves. I simply said that most police are ordinary people doing a difficult job. Apparently this is "racist". 
It is  apparently racist even though I have serious concerns about the way police here are trained. It is apparently racist even though I do not believe our police are perfect. 
Their training leaves something to be desired. There are people, perhaps too many people, in our police force who are there for the power it gives them over others.  
It does not mean that we should be protesting against the job they have to do. I will protest against excessive use of force or power or incidents of brutality and expressions of racism.  I will not protest against the entire policing system.
Why? Because we need it. We would be in a state of anarchy without it. 
Imagine a society without a police force. Imagine a shop keeper trying to prevent shoplifting without the support of the police. Imagine trying to use the roads if people simply chose to ignore road rules, speed limits and stop signs. Imagine the victims of domestic violence trying to protect themselves and their children without help. How would you protect the most vulnerable members of society, the wandering Alzheimer's patient or the frightened autistic child lost in the bush, and also give support to those involved in caring for them? 
Yesterday I went to buy something for the Senior Cat. I had to go to a more distant shopping centre and decided to pick up the milk for the weekend at a supermarket there. As I was about to be served there was a serious altercation at the back of the store, one which resulted in the police being called in. The assistant who had been going to serve me - and I had already unpacked the trolley - excused himself and went to help. He used a judo throw to take someone to the ground and prevent him from doing more harm. Other people then took over and he returned to help me. It was a very unsettling incident and people were relieved to see two members of the police force - who must have been buying their afternoon coffee at the cafe opposite - come quickly in. 
Yes, people were relieved. Here was "law and order", people who had the capacity and the legal right to handle the situation. The person serving me had no such right. He could be charged with assault if "unreasonable force" was used. He clearly knew what he was doing but it was still a risk. The situation needed the police.
But someone felt differently yesterday. She chose to challenge me and claimed that, by supporting the police request for understanding of their job, I was not supporting the demands of the protestors and the Black Lives Matter movement. She now considers me to be "racist". Nothing I could say or do would convince her otherwise. She even rejected my right to use a word from the language of the local community. It is not her first language by heritage either but she claims a right to use it. I don't speak the language but I know some words and have been encouraged by those who speak the language fluently to use them when communicating with them. A common language is a powerful bond and it has never before been suggested to me that the use of another language is anything other than a compliment to the native speakers of it.  Still, she saw my use of a single word as "racist".
It was at that point I realised that, no matter what I said, she would continue to believe that I am "racist". It won't matter to her that my friends and acquaintances are of a more than usually diverse background and culture. I have almost certainly experienced more discrimination than she ever will. It will make no difference.  She sees me as not supporting something she is clearly passionate about. 
Do I support different training and increased training for our police force? Yes, it is long overdue. Yes, but I am also realistic enough to know that changing attitudes is very very difficult. It is going to take a very long time. The protest movement might produce some changes but those protesting will lose support if their actions result in anarchy. Protesting will not be the catalyst but positive and workable suggestions for change arising from it might well work where protest fails.
It is for that sort of reason I will support the police in doing their job. If that makes me a "racist" then too bad.