URGH

[colvinfan]

So, today I was driving down my normal drive home and a cop signaled for me to pull over. The cop was standing in the middle of the road with a radar detecter gun thing and there were other cops on the side of the road doing the same thing. Essentially, it was a speed trap. Now, my drive home takes me through the start of some of the more crime

Comments

[cryslea]

Wow. Just... wow.

Maybe the black dude was speeding more than you? Probably not, but...

[colvinfan]

Maybe. My ex-gf said the same thing. She said I was too quick to assume and I should give the cops the benefit of the doubt. Stil...it seemed really odd, and it was at the place where 7th street transitions to Hwy 55. Just seemed really suspect...I feel better now though and realize I should probably be less quick to judge.

[themenacingsky]

I have to admit that there's a chance that I would have overreacted. (If I don't, one of my friends normally reminds me of my quirky behavioral traits. So this post is essentially a penance. Hopefully I am in similarly guilty company!)

It's likely (that if the moons were all aligned), I would have been seen on the side of the road, screaming at the officers, "This is clearly profiling. I demand that justice is served equally and impartially."

The initial motivation, behind setting loose my mouth, would have been the desire to help the underdog and point out that the partial and discriminatory judgement at work.

However, more than likely, my end results would have been earning a ticket for myself along with the other driver...and maybe even a citation for unruly behavior.

Oh and the laughter that erupted every time I told the story about taking on the police, and getting spanked in the end.

[colvinfan]

Yeah...I'm trying to let it go. I very well could have over-judged and over-reacted. The thing is, my gut reaction is based on the sheer number of cases I read while I clerked for an appeals judge where it was CLEAR to me that profiling happened. I've come to expect it. Then today I drove by that intersection again (very close to a homeless shelter) and two cops were patting down a black homeless guy. URGH.

[themenacingsky]

As much as I make fun of myself and my stories, we have to make peopole think. It's great that you are writing and talking about your observations. Society needs to feel they trust the source or the medium to actually pay attention. Otherwise, they drive by and don't even realize what they witnessed.

Just keep telling yourself that slow reform is the way to go. One day we will change the minds of those that can't think outside of the box... because they built the box (and they are trying to nail the lid down to separate the "them" from their exclusive "us")!

Thanks for sharing. It's so important to do so.

[colvinfan]

Thanks, I wasn't that sure after I posted it. I thought perhaps I'd gone on an overdone rant. I just know there are a lot of people out there who are not aware of their white privilege (in many many arenas).