Tim Scott Believes in Systemic Bias—But Only Against Republicans

Senator Tim Scott (R-SC), speaks at the Commemoration of the Bicentennial of the Birth of Frederick Douglass, in Emancipation Hall of the U.S. Capitol, on Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2018. (Photo by Cheriss May/NurPhoto via Getty Images) TIM SCOTT, AMERICA’S ONLY BLACK REPUBLICAN SENATOR, has a message for other black people: Stop whining about systemic oppression, stop demonizing law enforcement, and take responsibility for your actions. But for Republicans, Scott has a very different message: Getting arrested and prosecuted isn’t your fault. The criminal justice system is rigged against you. Racial disparities in policing are a well-established phenomenon. Scott knows all about it, including from personal experience. Four years ago, he told colleagues that he had been stopped by police 18 times in the previous two decades. He said that in one case, he was stopped as he tried to enter the Senate chamber wearing an official pin that identified him as a senator. In 2020, Scott negotiated with Democrats on legislation that would have banned chokeholds, funded body cameras, and taken other steps to improve law enforcement. But he cautioned progressives not to foment black distrust of police. He accused the left of “tearing this country apart, making it a...