What do the people really think? Important poll reveals black and white perspectives as tensions grow

'The Black Lives Matter movement has given a younger generation a voice in civil rights.'

Racism in the United States prevails as 69 percent of Americans agree 2016 has shown the highest levels of racial discord since LA's '92 riots.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - The poll was conducted the day after five Dallas police officers were killed in an ambush amid a crowd.

Tensions remain high between the black and blue communities despite President Barack Obama's claim during a memorial service for the fallen officers that races in the United States are "not as divided as we seem."

In a poll, conducted by Times/CBS News, revealed black and white Americans see the treatment of blacks by police in very different lights.

The results should not be considered surprising when one considers the appalling amount of officer-led assault of members of the African American community.

In the poll, participants were asked whether authorities were more likely to use deadly force against a black person than a white person and three-quarters of blacks answered yes, while only about half as many whites agreed.

The poll found 56 percent of whites say a suspect's race makes no difference in an officer's use of force, while only eighteen percent of black Americans agreed.

Participants were then asked to rate the job their local police department was doing and four of five whites claimed "excellent or good," while the majority of blacks answered "fair or poor."

Over two-fifths of blacks claim the police in their communities make them feel anxious, rather than safe, while whites and Hispanics believe the presence of an officer makes them feel safe.

Ayesha Numan, a 22-year-old African American living in Kansas City, MO, participated in a follow-up interview, in which she stated: "I have been in situations where the police have made situations worse rather than better. That's not to say that I write them off as all bad. I just have to be cautious of how they're acting around me."

The divide between the black community and the police officers meant to serve and protect was clear in the poll, which indicated 74 percent of blacks are sympathetic to Black Lives Matter, while only 37 percent of whites supported the movement.

Among everyone polled, 41 percent agree with Black Lives Matter, twenty-five disagree and 29 remain neutral.

Age was a large factor in support for Black Lives Matter, with 50 percent of all adults under 30 claiming they agree and 20 saying they didn't. Among participants 45 and older, 36 percent agree and 29 disagree.

Marc Morial, the president of the National Urban League, stated: "The Black Lives Matter movement has given a younger generation a voice in civil rights. The police are a flash point.

"The broader situation is always the underlying issues: the criminal justice system being broken, the higher unemployment among African-Americans, the slower recovery from the recession, the assault on voting rights and voter suppression."

While many agree there is something very wrong with recent racially-fueled events, some are quick to admit there are two sides to every story.

Roger Boulanger, a 46-year-old white man living in Mendon, MA, added: "A lot of the times you see video, and most of it's after the altercation. You really don't see what happens before that.

"I don't want to say it's 100 percent that every time someone gets shot, it's just the police being racist. I don't think like that."

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