TheWRITEaddiction.com

 

              Did he just say that a cop profiled him today?  

It took me a minute to collect myself.  Once I came to myself, I went into his room, sat down,cleared my throat and proceeded to ask, “I’mma need for you to repeat what you said about the police because I don’t think that I heard you correctly.”   This is how it went down.

 

My son went to assist my then Fiancee’ pack up his belongings since we would be getting married soon.  It took some time for my Fiancee’ to come to the door, especially if he worked a double shift.  His dog was also on the porch and he was crazy about my son.  Well, as he was playing with the dog, a police car passed the house.  My son thought nothing of it since he was not doing anything wrong.  He continued to play with the dog when he noticed the police car turn around and pull up into the driveway.  Arman said that he was a little nervous but he knew to stay calm and not to react and move slowly.  The young officer stepped out of the car and beckoned for my son to approach the police car.  My  son complied.  The officer asked to see his identification.  My son complied.  The officer asked if he had permission to be in that yard.  My son said “yes sir.”  The officer told him to stand there while he ran a check on him.  My son complied.  All the while the dog is barking like crazy because he wants Arman to come back and play with him some more.  My Fiancee’ still has not come to the door yet.  The foolishness continues.  The officer asked my son what business did he have at that house.  My son told him that it was his stepdad’s house and he was there to see him.  He also told the officer that he was just playing with the dog until he came to the door.  According to my son, the officer looked at him in a suspicious way and told him to get his stepdad to verify.  Arman explained that he would have to go around to the bedroom window, knock on it to get his attention.  The officer said alright and watched Arman go around the house, pound on the window, walk back to the front then up onto the porch.  My Fiancee’ came quickly out of the house, visibly upset and worried because he did not understand why a police car and officer was in his yard.  My Fiancee’ is totally deaf in one ear and hears barely above a whisper in the other so he must have his hearing aides on to at least get an idea of what is going.  The officer asked my Fiancee’ if he knew my son.  Looking confused, he looked at Arman and raised his has as if to say, what is he saying?  My son told him that the officer wanted to know why he, Arman,  was in his, Gary’s, yard.  Gary, who was angry at this point because he CLEARLY knew what was happening, told the officer that Arman is his son and he, Gary, wanted to know why he wanted to know.    The officer simply said that he apologized (to Gary) for the inconvenience, gave Arman back is identification card, got into his squad car and drove off.  Not once saying why he stopped in the first place or apologizing to Arman for making him feel like a criminal.

 

My son could see that I was very upset and asked me not to do anything.  “Mom, it is no big deal.  It happens all the time.  I am used to it.  I just stay calm.  Answer their questions.  Show them my ID.  Say yes sir.  Keep it moving.  Everything you told me to do.  Mom you know that this is not uncommon.”

 

Here my son was using my words to remind me that racism is alive and well and will always be so, just be as safe as you can and comply with what they tell you to do.  BUT I WAS ANGRY!!!!!  Not once did the officer give an explanation for questioning my son.  Not once did he ask to speak to his parent ESPECIALLY SINCE HE WAS A MINOR AT THE TIME OF THIS INCIDENT.  Not once did he give an apology to my son for HIS inconvenience.  In spite of these things, I am thankful that Arman kept a cool head, complied with all of the directions, and lived to see another day.

 

This is not uncommon!  Everyday, people of color are stopped for WWB (walking while black), DWB (driving while black), and BWB (biking while black).  If this is not your reality then you will probably say, “I wish they would stop playing the race card when things happened.”  Racial issues will be here until the world ends, no matter what your skin color.  People are people and they are prone to be fearful or suspicious when they see ANYTHING that may seem ‘out of the ordinary.’  You see, my Fiancee’ (now my husband) is Asian and my son and I are African American.  The neighborhood in which my husband lived was predominantly white.  I guess that since my son did not fit the demographic of that area, he must have been up to no good.  It is not uncommon.

 

My son was pulled over the other night what he was on his way from school.  He pulled over and the officer told him to put down his window.  My son told him through the glass that it was broken so he had to get out of the car.  The officer, hand on gun, told him to get out.  My son complied.  The officer asked for his license.  My son complied.  He told my son to stand there and wait.  My son complied.  The officer returned, gave him back his license, and said that he pulled him over because HE WAS DRIVING TOO SLOW!!!  It was night time and my son goes to school out of town.  He was tired so instead of driving 70 mph, he drove 55 mph. He was not in the passing lane either.  That was all.  He got back in his car and the officer returned to his vehicle and that was that.  DO YOU HEAR ME FOLKS?  THIS IS NOT UNCOMMON!

 

People have their own opinions of the Michael Brown case and many others like it and that is their right.  I have my position, however, I will keep it to myself.    What I will say though is that THIS IS NOT UNCOMMON for people (especially men of color) of color.

 

 

Don’t take life for granted.  Tell someone that you love them.  Have yourself a great Funkadelic Friday!!!!!!!

 

~ Malinda G.