On the recent publicity on police violence. Here is what they will never understand because it does not happen to them. They and them, in this piece being those folks who advise you to shut up and follow the officer’s commands. They tell us that if we do, then everything will be fine. What they never grasp is just how dehumanizing, degrading and disrespectful some of these encounters are. I understand and can relate to many of the people whom the police have brutalized and killed. It challenges your personhood to obey as some punk is in your face asking the most ridiculous questions and making the most incredible demands. I recall an incident several years ago with the New Jersey State Police. I’m driving with the flow of traffic, we were all speeding. A cop pulls behind me and puts his lights on. I pulled off the road. According to the officer, he stopped me for making an unsafe lane change. Meanwhile, I did not change lanes until I saw an asshole on my tail with flashing lights. After returning with my license, the officer gives me the, “you fit the description of a suspect line.” I was ordered out of the vehicle. We walked about twenty feet in front of the car and ordered to lie down on my stomach facing away from the vehicle. After about five minutes, two more troopers arrived. The first cop returned to ask for permission to search my vehicle, or I could wait there until they got a search warrant. As I lied there, holding my head up, watching cars slow down – to catch a glimpse of me, as if I were a criminal. They must have been wondering, “what did he do?” I had plenty of time to think about my options. I was down there for at least 30 minutes – completely exposed, vulnerable and angry as hell. What did I do to deserve this humiliation and disrespect? Here I am belly down, in the heat of July on the side of the highway. 30-40 minutes later, “ Mr. Bey, you can get up now. We didn’t find anything.” I’m now on my feet, a few yards away from the officers. As one returns my license and instructs me to be careful on the road, followed by “Have a nice day.” I remained silent - had I opened my mouth and said what was on my mind, I probably wouldn’t be here to write this. Did I do the right thing? Maybe. But I won’t do it again.
Posted on: Wed, 10 Dec 2014 14:24:13 +0000