Why I Don’t Fear Police Encounters
By Stephen Bora
On Monday, Be Strong Families hosted attorney Roland Treviño for our daily webinar. He outlined the rights we have, not only as American citizens, but as people living in the United States. The presentation is based on our rights as we interact with law enforcement, a link to Treviño’s presentation can be found here. Given the current climate in America, this presentation serves as a useful reminder of our rights that have been earned through conflict, both at home and abroad. These rights were earned in the Revolutionary War, the Suffrage Movement, World War II, and the Civil Rights Movement, among others. As American residents, it is critical that we stay informed and knowledgeable of our rights to ensure we give ourselves the best opportunity to stay free and unharmed when dealing with law enforcement agencies. For many residents in this country, knowing these rights and how to properly advocate them can have a monumental impact.
While I found the webinar very useful and rewarding, I must concede that as a white male, I have never felt at risk to be harassed or harmed by law enforcement. In fact, I’ve even prided myself at how many violations I would be able to skirt with a smile and a “yes sir, no sir”. I’ve been pulled over in my vehicle in the neighborhood of 10 times, and the only time I’ve received a ticket was when I got pulled over for expired tags that were about 3 years out-of-date. This isn’t to say all my interactions with police have been pleasant. But I’ve never feared for my life. When I get pulled over and I place my hands on the wheel and keep them there throughout the duration of the traffic stop, I do so to demonstrate obedience so hopefully I can skate by with a warning. I’ve never done it because I was worried if I made the wrong movement the officer may shoot and kill me. Unfortunately, and I realize that is an understatement, this is not the case for people of color in America.
There is an old joke in which 2 young fish are swimming by an older fish, the older fish greets them, “hello boys, how’s the water?”. The young fish look at each other and one says, “what the hell is water?”. It is apt to say racism in America is like water. For many white people, racism can be difficult to see and engage with. But it’s there. While law enforcement mistreatment may be one of the most glaring examples of racism in America today, it is certainly not the only one. As a white male, I know I need to continue to research how I can best serve my fellow Americans that have been mistreated since the founding of our country so I can better understand the water around me. I realize simply “not being racist” is not enough, as I passively enjoy the benefits of a racist society. MLK Jr. warned Americans decades ago that the white moderate is the stumbling block to racial equity. Other than listening and understanding the lived experiences of people of color, I’m not sure what I should do next. So, I will start by patronizing the Semicolon bookstore in Chicago, a black owned business in Chicago and seeing what reading they recommend so I can be a more effective white ally to my fellow Americans.