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« Reply #693 on: July 20, 2013, 12:20:13 PM »
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I haven't commented on the Zimmerman case, altho i have strong emotions about it, because others are doing a superb job of it. But let me just comment on the president's speech yesterday. In case any person thinks he was exaggerating the events that have happened to him, let me just say that everyone inour interracial family, including me, has had similar experiences.
They range from when my future DH and i were leaving his development in southern New Jersey, pulling out from a stop sign, so we couldn't have been driving too fast and Van (DH) said he saw the police car coming, so he was being extra careful. The cop stopped us, ask for Van's ID, where did he live? Even tho he had his license in his hand. Asked where were we going? Which, of course, was of no consequence, but Van said he was taking me to Philly. Cop asked where did i live - again, of no consequence. Van asked why we were stopped, cop said he was speeding, which was impossible. Then, even though it was just dusk and he could see me perfectly well, the cop came around to my side of the car and shone the flashlight in my face. He gave Van a "warning" which was really a warning about being with a white woman.
My dgt when driving her college boyfriend to the Trenton train station in her father's Diamante, a lower end luxury car, was followed down a Trenton street and into the parking lot of the train station. The boyfriend was about 6'2" and with them was a young man we had as a foster child who was about 6' and 250 lbs of muscle, he was a weight lifter. The cop told them to stay in the car and asked for her license and the car registration. He asked where they were going??? She said she was taking Nick to get the train. Who were the guys in the car? Whose car was it? Why were they in Trenton??? Then he walked around to ask for Nick's ID and saw he had on a Marine Corps shirt. Asked if he was a Marine, Nick said yes, and he said o.k. and left. The only explanation was that he thought these 3 young Black people should not have been driving that car. Pure harassment!
My son, a good student and well-known athlete, closed his eyes one day in class, the teacher asked him, in front of the class, if he was on drugs! He was furious! He has never even smoked a cigarette.
Friends of the same son stopped in front of our house one evening to unload a bike of a friend from the trunk of the car. Included in the group were 2 football players, 3 basketball players and the president of the junior class, all young Black men, none had ever been in trouble. I mention the athletes because we are a town of about 25,000, the police know the trouble-makers, but they also come to the games and know of the athletes and all of these boys where frequent visitors to the recreation center which is onthe same municiple property as the police dept and the police frequent it also. While they were unloading Anthony's bike, a police car pulled up behind the old white Plymouth with lights whirling. Within 3 minutes there was another police car and the K-9 truck and before the discussion ended a third police car was there. So neighbors were out to see what was going on. This was a neighborhood that was 85% Black, so it was not even that the cops were seeing these young men in the "wrong place."
The police asked what was happening - "we're dropping Anthony off to play basketball." "Whose bike is it?" Anthony's. "Anthony, what is the serial number on your bike!?!" Really??? I'm sure you've all had bikes growing up, do any of you know the serial numbers? "Where do you live?" (to each one) Our foster son had on a varsity jacket that had belonged to his cousin from another town, they asked him 3 times, why do you have on a "Boro" jacket?
My husband went out and asked what was the problem, said he knew these boys, they were good boys, not problems. The police responded that there was a report of a white cadillac creating a problem on Main St - 5 blocks away, AND this white plymouth looked nothing like a cadillac!
These were all boys who had been taught to respect authority, but all those cops did that night was to say to them, no matter who you are we will always suspect you because you have dark skin and will feel free to harass you when we please.
Now the irony is that that son and dgt of ours now have a cousin who is a NJ State Trooper and my dgt has a very good college friend who is also a NJ State Trooper. That is progress and i hope they are raising the conscience of the other troopers.
I just wanted to make it clear that when you hear any person of color speak about these experiences, they are not exaggerating or just repeating stories they've heard from others, and it is not just in the cities, or in the South, or to the poor. This is a suburban Philly town that was named the best place to live in the u.s. by Money Magizine about 7 yrs ago!!! They have ALL been in similar situations.
One other point, i think the prosecution missed an opportunity to have the 6 women jury identify with Treyvon Martin, what woman has not been on the street in a fearful situation for what negative event might happen to her? Such is life for people of color and women in this world. I am not saying that white men have not sometimes been in frightening situations, but i am sure it has not been as often or as scary for them as for us.
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