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Facing my fear: driving while black can be fatal. But I've got places to go


umbertino
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A traffic stop could easily escalate and end my life. It happens to black drivers in America all the time

Friday 5 August 2016 11.30 BST

By Taylor Crumpton

3611.jpg?w=700&q=55&auto=format&usm=12&f
‘Everyone drives over the speed limit in Texas. But not everyone is black, living with the fear that, in an encounter with police, the rights granted to me by the constitution would be void.’
Photograph: Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

 

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/aug/05/facing-my-fear-driving-while-black-dangers-us-fatal-traffic-stops

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No I'm not denying that there are a few bad cops out there. But obeying the law is the biggest thing anyone can do to stay out of trouble.  The next is to not get cocky with the officer...these law enforcement officers are walking on a very tight thread these days. Things have gotten way out of hand...and I think we need to look to the example of Martin Luther King...and not the radical, violent black lives matter gang to see how we should confront any misguided officers of the law.  Getting obstinent is a sure fired way of getting on the bad side of any officer...period!!! 

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Good advice Sentinal!  I would add...respect the position of the officer even if they are doing a horrible job...that way you don't give them even more reason to escalate the situation.  Road checks are a routine thing in NC...and I hate them!  But I'm not going to do anybody any good complaining at a road check!  If I really want to do something it would frankly have to be trying to petition for the laws to change...and I personally don't feel that's my fight!

Edited by RodandStaff
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in the old Native American adage...walk a mile in my shoes.....

 

my two sons who were taught to respect and obey the police had many encounters that could have ended tragically...even though they followed the orders...the worst was when my oldest son (small for his age and looks young even now ..as I still do at age 69) who was driving my car (older luxury vehicle - that I got as an IBM exec) he was at the time working several jobs...married to a very faired-skinned girl from Puerto Rico....they pulled him over...threw him on the ground....dump his briefcase on the road looking I guess for contraband....asked his wife "....did this N rape you..."....when I went to the courthouse at nearly midnight to post his bail (which by the way I never received back) I asked WHY he was stopped in the first place....I was told because of a crack in the windshield...now the car had a heavily tinted windshield....the crack was transverse and hard to see even in full daylight...and I was expected to suspend all reason and believe that it was seen from across the road  at night....the judge even tried to convince me that my son...who had already been stopped for DWB on other occasions would "never amount to anything"....My son is now a world traveller, a Hebrew Scholar, an entrepreneur with business developments and a beautiful family.....

 

I wish it WERE as simple as obeying the law....

my last stop for DWB was in NYC.....I was making a right turn when a patrolman stepped from the curb and directed me to the curb...as I had already stopped for pedestrians who were crossing the street to catch a bus I wondered why he was stopping me...some of the pedestrians even asked "why are you stopping him...what did he do ..??" 

the officer said that I had failed to obey a no-right-turn indicator (lights that are triggered only at certain times I NYC) I told the officer that the light was NOT illuminated...he wrote me up anyway...(I actually circled the block afterward to confirm that the light was NOT on).. two trips to court from upstate (he no-showed the first time and though it is standard practice is to dismiss for no minor traffic violations when the officer fails to appear..the judge held it over) we lived 1hr and 30min from the city...parking is an outrageous $20 minimum (hr) when the officer did show on the second appearance he lied about where he was standing...and about the operation of the light.....after I spoke the judge asked if the officer had confirmed that the light was working...he said it is always working at that time ...ticket and charges thrown out...but the kicker is....the courtroom was overwhelmingly full of minorities....most of whom were clearly angry to be there in the first place....it may be a small thing but the courtroom was very hot...and at some point the judge asked if someone would please turn on a fan near the rear of the room....no one moved....I was on the far side of the room and quietly got up and turned it on...the judge thanked me....I guess being dressed in a suit and tie...filling a simple request....and stating the facts were enough...most of the people before me got fines...except for one non-minority who had an attorney who argued "legal mumbo-jumbo" and got his client off...hmmmmI wonder what his fee was...

 

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Just curious Umbertino.  Is  it intentional that most of your news topics started of the negative nature are usually about the US and UK or is it just a coincidence?  I guess nothing of a negative nature happens in Italy.  I'm sure it's just a coincidence and you don't go out of your way to find these topics.

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