I recently encountered a meme on Facebook that stated "Has anyone mentioned that Police Will Leave You Alone If You Don't Do Illegal Stuff???" The meme has surfaced as part of the current national debate about several police murders of black men in recent months, and posted by someone with very close ties to police departments and police officers. A white person. It caused me to think about what the meme actually means.
The first thing it means is that the poster still doesn't understand the history in this country of how police have been used to stifle dissent and block protest against perceived injustice. For hundreds of years, police were used to recapture escaped slaves, break up union organizing efforts, and intimidate anyone who may be thinking about protest or political action. Adding to these numbers, the use of military, including militias and national guard troops, was also used frequently. Our first President, the "Father of our Country," was moved to use troops to put down a rebellion among farmers who objected to a federal excise tax on whiskey. (click here for more) The ink was barely dry on the Constitution when the Federal government determined that armed force was needed to enforce the authority of that government. It is naive to believe that there were never excesses on the part of police in their day to day activities. It's willful ignorance to believe that such excess was unusual or not by design.
The next thing about the meme is that the people who believe it are people who have been fortunate enough to never had a negative encounter with police officers. This is a common social issue these days; people who don't personally know someone who contracted or died from the Novel Coronavirus sometimes don't believe it exists. People who don't personally know someone who was the victim of racism may not believe that racism, including institutional racism, exists. There are other examples, but I'm hoping these suffice. The inability to believe something exists because one hasn't had personal experience with that thing could be the subject of another blog post, but not today.
Here's why I don't believe in the truth of this meme. Back in the day, when I was a college student, I drove an old Chevy Corvair which was plastered with Eugene McCarthy "flower stickers." They were emblematic of his Presidential campaign for the 1968 Democratic nomination and he attracted a lot of student supporters and volunteers. Many of us had beards and long hair; I certainly did. I don't remember when exactly the incident I'm recounting occurred, but it was probably the summer of 1968. I had been at a bar in Poughkeepsie, NY that evening, which featured a banjo band, beer, and peanuts everywhere. I was driving home alone to Newburgh, NY, (about 20 miles) and had a bag of peanuts in a brown paper bag sitting in the middle of the back seat. Some of you may see where this is headed.
Somewhere between Poughkeepsie and Newburgh, I was pulled over by police. I don't recall if they were State Troopers or local officers, but it doesn't really matter. I was questioned by one cop who stood outside the driver side window, and he asked what was in the paper bag on the back seat. I remember responding "peanuts," which must have been disappointing to the cop. As I responded to the one policeman, another cop opened the passenger door and sat down in the passenger seat. So here I am, a young college student, with a beard and long hair, driving a car plastered with McCarthy flowers, being questioned by one cop while another one starts going through the glove compartment. I had no idea what to do or say, so I kept my answers short. The cop inside the car, eventually discovered a Boy Scout sheath knife in the glove box, took it out, and asked "what's this?" I replied "a sheath knife." He asked "what's it for?" To this day, I have no clue what the cop expected me to say ("stabbing people?"), but I think I said, "nothing." After a few moments, the cop inside the car put the sheath knife back in the glove box, the cop outside my window didn't give me any sort of ticket (speeding, tail-light out, license issue, speeding) and I was allowed to leave. I almost immediately contacted the ACLU and described what happened. I was told that the stop and search was illegal, but that there was not much to be done about it in practical terms.
So here I am, 50+ years later, now an old, white man, and what I am left with is an understanding that no, not doing anything illegal does not necessarily lead to cops 'leaving you alone.' My example is not meant to be the equivalent of being beaten or killed because of my race. I assure you I am not making that claim. It is intended to demonstrate that each of us may have some experience in our life that if examined, may provide insight into the lives other people lead. My insight: here I was a white college kid who had a frightening encounter with police officers, for no apparent reason other than I had long hair and McCarthy stickers on my car, but eventually, I was sent on my way. It was nothing compared to what black Americans faced all the time. Nothing.
That insight can lead to EMPATHY, something that is in very short supply these days. That empathy may lead you to a place where you begin to understand someone else's life experience, including pervasive racial discrimination, and how racism is baked into this nation, despite all our songs and images telling us we're all equal and free. Because until you do gain this insight, you are doomed to be on the defensive, always feeling threatened by the "other," and seeing no way to get past the fear. And if you can't get past the fear, you can't make an intelligent decision on how to be part of the solution.
It makes me sad that despite all the years that have passed, the incident that happened to me is still nothing compared to what my black neighbors continue to face.
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