time for soap box
is acquainted with a lovely african-american lady
she works as an accountant at a major accounting firm.
the best way to present this is to allow her to speak. the son's name, the police chief name and "community" is used by to protect identities and location
There's no simple way to explain this situation, but I will be as concise as possible. For the second time this week, REDACT NAME was questioned by the police...for walking around our neighborhood. The first time, THREE police cars stopped and questioned my son because "someone had alerted them that a suspicious male was walking in the neighborhood." After confirming his address, the officers allowed REDACT NAME to go home. REDACT NAME asked me not to take any action at that time.
This afternoon, REDACT NAME was questioned AGAIN. The officers said that they had received two phone calls from people who were "extremely agitated about him walking through the neighborhood." When REDACT NAME arrived home, he broke down. My stoic, reserved son sobbed onto my shoulder because he didn't feel he'd done anything wrong and, short of staying indoors, doesn't know how to avoid further harassment.
I have contemplated knocking on all of my neighbors' door or leaving letters in their mailboxes asking them to refrain from calling the police on my son as this could, literally, cost him his life. To be perfectly honest, I don't know what to do.
Later an update:
On 5/18, a male called and reported he’d seen a suspicious male walking near a church (this church is next door to our house). REDACT NAME said he remembered an older man watching him while he walked. On 5/25, a woman called and complain a suspicious male had walked past her. Both of these instances resulted in REDACT NAME being questioned by multiple officers in multiple vehicles and, immediately, allowed to go home. Chief REDACT NAME iterated the officers followed up each incident by informing the respective complainants REDACT NAME lives in the neighborhood and isn’t a threat.
I spent an hour listening to platitudes about how the high standards to which XXXXXXXXX Police Officers are held. I left the meeting with loosely framed assurances regarding potential future incidents (discussions with shift supervisors, better screening of emergency calls), as well as the pictured items to pass along to REDACT NAME.
I shared the morning’s developments with REDACT NAME. He shared some of his coping mechanisms for engaging white people. He said he’d trained himself to NEVER show any anger. He also said he always averts his eyes/intentionally avoids making eye contact because he feels they are afraid of him. He said he’d employed this strategy during both encounters, and feels he failed to allay their fears. He said he wishes he could speak to the people who’d called the police because he would like to ask why they’re afraid. REDACT NAME appreciates all the support our "community" has offered. You all give him hope because you see HIM.
question: why does he have to have any coping mechanisms?
there is nothing wrong with him. he is bright - honest - doesn't do anything that would get anyone in any kind of trouble
he simply is a nice kid
it is THIS kind of endless inequity that has gone on for over 400 years
400 years of violent assaults and endless harrassment
that always seems to almost explode but does not quite happen
every time another african-american - who is unarmed - is killed
the video of George Floyd is - by any definition a snuff film
no mater what angel you look at it - the murderer (do not call that a police officer) - the video shows a murder
the knee on the neck is an illegal move
it goes on for almost 9 minutes
you can hear the officer order "get up and get in the car"
yet we saw - in another video - mr floyd already in handcuffs - not resisting - walking to the car
if your knee is on the neck - making certain the person can not breath - how are they to get up and go to the car?
was this part of a ploy to get mr floyd to attempt to comply to get up so the police could say "see! see! he is resisting arrest!"
what we saw is a murder
it was not a crime of passion
was mr floyd in possession of a counterfeit bill?
could be
guess what!
THAT is not a violent offenae
it sometimes does happen
and nobody is arrested
it is not a crime that gets you the death penalty
if you are white
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore—
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over—
like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.
Or does it explode? - Harlem by Langston Hughes
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