Article.

They show up, there is a black man in the house who not only refuses to show I.D. but is argumentative with the officers called to the scene. They ask him to come out of the apartment and he starts this racists crap right off the bat.

I mean, let's be serious here, if you're a cop and get a call like this, then you show up and get talked to like these cops did, wouldn't you arrest him?

I realize he wasn't detained until after they knew he wasn't the robber, I get that and understand how it may be seen, but you can't just treat cops like this who are only there to help you. If the cops hadn't asked for his I.D. and tried to question him they wouldn't have been doing their jobs.

Any other thoughts on this?

They were actually breaking into the house according to the story so the police were right to I.D. him. If he just showed them and proved it was his house it would have been fine. They are right when they say this doesn't happen to white people but to blacks, when something like this happens to a white guy he doesn't start bitching "this is because of the colour of my skin!" and harassing the cops.

A summary of the facts:

• the home alarm was activated
• there is someone attempting to force the front door open
• police were called to a signal 25 investigation
• they were accused of racism for doing their jobs

Let's provide a different scenario. Someone actually was breaking into the home, but the cops failed to respond to the alarm. My guess is they would then be accused of racism because they know a black man lives there and they failed to respond.

It's a lose-lose situation for the cops. How about starting a voluntary sign-up for police service?

It reminds me when I bought my house. It came with an alarm system and was still active from the previous owners. I entered the code incorrectly three times which set the alarm off. The alarm company obviously couldn't call and get the password because the phone was disconnected. What do they do? Send out the cops. Three cruisers. I was actually impressed.

I already had my ID out and explained the situation; however, that was not good enough for them. They asked for mortgage paperwork. I promptly found it, handed it to them, they reviewed it, thanked me, I thanked them for their quick response (less than 2 minutes) and they were on their way.

They are just doing their job! Get over it. People like this are the ones who keep racism alive.

   He created this incident so that he could get up on his pedestal and preach to the masses about how evil we are.. I have been stopped by the police.. I gave them my id when asked, I said yes officer no officer, told him what I was doing where I had come from and was sent on my way... simple fact is if I had gotten in his face like that guy did I would STILL be sitting in a cell awaiting charges.

Originally posted by Trizic

They were actually breaking into the house according to the story so the police were right to I.D. him. If he just showed them and proved it was his house it would have been fine. They are right when they say this doesn't happen to white people but to blacks, when something like this happens to a white guy he doesn't start bitching "this is because of the colour of my skin!" and harassing the cops.

Funny story about myself.

I'm a white guy, I look a little native american, perhaps indian in my eyes, aside from that I'm a pale yellow.

I'm a white guy. 

I'm a white guy who locked his wallet/keys to house in a house I had just moved to a month prior.

I'm a white guy whoms neighbors called the cops because they thought I was breaking in.

I'm a white guy who had the cops come.

I'm a white guy who had the cops ask for my I.D and when given the response...

I'm a white guy who was detained until it was verified I was indeed the renter of the home and this was my abode.

I'm a white guy who sat in the back of a cop car with my best friend for 1 hour while they straightened it out.

I'm also a white guy who was thankful the fking police do their job. They apologized. Even though I was a week from the academy, I was still detained. I told them not to say sorry but thanked them. They did their jobs. Had I been a robber they'd of saved my home and my stuff from theft.

I'm a white guy who went on 30 hours of ride alongs with the same cop who detained me.

Moral of the story. Let the police do their jobs. In my case I couldn't verify the fact I was who I am.

This guy could but wouldn't. That's probable cause right there. Color or not. I agree racism is still powerful in America, it makes me sick. I saw some things in my second ride along officer that made me quit trying to be a justice bringer. I saw my friends be arrested and some not, some were black, some were white. Either way the justice system is often foul. But in this case the cop was doing his job.

Oh my this made me remember this one night when I had to be home by my curfew when I was a young teen.  We were less than a mile from my parents house when we were pulled over.  All White teenagers. 3 males under 17 and 2 females, me 14, and my friend 15. We were not speeding, we weren't doing anything wrong at all.  When mark pulls over they  draw their weapons and yell  for the driver to get out of the vehicle with his hands up. So mark did, then they made him lay face first on the ground , he asked them," What  did we do?!"  They replied," shut up and do as your told son."  then they yelled front passenger get out with your hands up and made him get on the ground as well. Then they came over and dragged all 3 of us from the back seat  and made us stand off to the side. They then proceeded to tear the car apart.  They threw all the contents of the car in the road, they tore the seats, and  pulled up some of the carpeting in the car.

During all this they kept asking mike ( the front passenger)," where is it? where is it?!" and he was clueless as to what they were talking about.  We had just come back from watching movies and getting a soda and icecream at the time.  When they were done dismantling th car, they told us we were free to go, leaving the contents of the car all over the road, and never telling mark or any of us why they did what they did, they just left.  I was  almost 2 hours past curfew when I got home because of this, and was grounded when I walked in because of this.

 I was amazed that police were just allowed to do this to people without them having any real recourse. Marks mother called the police dept. after the incident and questioned them about it, and they basically told her, "sorry there is nothing we can do about the damages." It would have cost  them more to get an attorney to fight it, than it cost to make the repairs themselves, so they didn't fight it further. I do not think that kind of treatment is limited to race. Though in the OP story it sounds as if they actually treated the guy well in comparison to how we were treated and we weren't even doing anything wrong.  They were actually responding to a burglary  call in that case and had probable cause to ask for ID.

EDited: I corrected my error on the OP story.

Originally posted by deviliscious

Oh my this made me remember this one night when I had to be home by my curfew when I was a young teen.  We were less than a mile from my parents house when we were pulled over.  All White teenagers. 3 males under 17 and 2 females, me 14, and my friend 15. We were not speeding, we weren't doing anything wrong at all.  When mark pulls over they  draw their weapons and yell  for the driver to get out of the vehicle with his hands up. So mark did, then they made him lay face first on the ground , he asked them," What  did we do?!"  They replied," shut up and do as your told son."  then they yelled front passenger get out with your hands up and made him get on the ground as well. Then they came over and dragged all 3 of us from the back seat  and made us stand off to the side. They then proceeded to tear the car apart.  They threw all the contents of the car in the road, they tore the seats, and  pulled up some of the carpeting in the car.

During all this they kept asking mike ( the front passenger)," where is it? where is it?!" and he was clueless as to what they were talking about.  We had just come back from watching movies and getting a soda and icecream at the time.  When they were done dismantling th car, they told us we were free to go, leaving the contents of the car all over the road, and never telling mark or any of us why they did what they did, they just left.  I was  almost 2 hours past curfew when I got home because of this, and was grounded when I walked in because of this.

 I was amazed that police were just allowed to do this to people without them having any real recourse. Marks mother called the police dept. after the incident and questioned them about it, and they basically told her, "sorry there is nothing we can do about the damages." It would have cost  them more to get an attorney to fight it, than it cost to make the repairs themselves, so they didn't fight it further. I do not think that kind of treatment is limited to race. Though in the OP story it sounds as if they actually treated the guy well in comparison to how we were treated and we weren't even doing anything wrong. He was burglarizing a home and tried to get away with it, then gets mad because he didn't? I don't get that.. LOL

 

How does one go about burglarizing their own home?

Originally posted by grunty

How does one go about burglarizing their own home?

 I was in error, I misread. I have edited my post accordingly. He was still treated wayy better than we were. LOL!  He should have shown his ID. They were actually trying to protect his home? He returns the favor by responding angrily rather than being grateful for them looking out for him? Oh wow!
 

This BS lost all credibility when one was elected for President. Everytime one of them pulls this crap we should pull a picture of Obama out and say try again.

Originally posted by Aetius73

This BS lost all credibility when one was elected for President. Everytime one of them pulls this crap we should pull a picture of Obama out and say try again.

The very fact that you say "when one was elected for President" shows that the credibility is not lost(although as i said, in this case it was totally uncalled for). Racism is far from dead, especially in America.

Originally posted by Trizic

Originally posted by Aetius73

This BS lost all credibility when one was elected for President. Everytime one of them pulls this crap we should pull a picture of Obama out and say try again.

 

The very fact that you say "when one was elected for President" shows that the credibility is not lost(although as i said, in this case it was totally uncalled for). Racism is far from dead, especially in America.

Your right. The liberals are so busy trying to make up for past injustices that the pendulum has swung so far the other way more capable white men are passed over for promotion to meet racial quotas.

Of course they will blame us that the tests are rigged etc.

What is the real truth is a culture that looks down on academic success as being too white suffers for it once they enter the work force and have to test for promotions. They are not less intelligent or less capable. These days its the thug culture that holds back the majority.

President Obama has proven that you can succeed to the ultimate position in the country no matter who you are. Everything else is just an excuse.

Incidentally back in my younger days before I finished my degree I was doing some pest control in the local housing projects office when a black lady very loudly accused another black lady of not giving her a free apartment because she was black (the project was 100% black btw). They even use it on each other its just a lame excuse to get preferential treatment. Their parents may have faced real discrimination but these days its all in their heads. The fact that they constantly demand preferential treatment has soured more of generation x than actual racial bias.

Originally posted by Aetius73

Originally posted by Trizic

Originally posted by Aetius73

This BS lost all credibility when one was elected for President. Everytime one of them pulls this crap we should pull a picture of Obama out and say try again.

 

The very fact that you say "when one was elected for President" shows that the credibility is not lost(although as i said, in this case it was totally uncalled for). Racism is far from dead, especially in America.

Your right. The liberals are so busy trying to make up for past injustices that the pendulum has swung so far the other way more capable white men are passed over for promotion to meet racial quotas.

Of course they will blame us that the tests are rigged etc.

What is the real truth is a culture that looks down on academic success as being too white suffers for it once they enter the work force and have to test for promotions. They are not less intelligent or less capable. These days its the thug culture that holds back the majority.

President Obama has proven that you can succeed to the ultimate position in the country no matter who you are. Everything else is just an excuse.

Incidentally back in my younger days before I finished my degree I was doing some pest control in the local housing projects office when a black lady very loudly accused another black lady of not giving her a free apartment because she was black (the project was 100% black btw). They even use it on each other its just a lame excuse to get preferential treatment. Their parents may have faced real discrimination but these days its all in their heads. The fact that they constantly demand preferential treatment has soured more of generation x than actual racial bias.

I like how you tout that 'racism is over', when you're own post just exudes it from ever sentence. Racism is far from over, as is sexism. There are still irregularites in both the public and private sector about how minorities are treated. Hell, take a gander at the number of hate groups that have popped up - the majority of them have shifted away from their anti-semtic view points, to an anti-black/anti-brown one. Perceived fear is a powerful tool.

President Obama, as much as a step forward that he's been, is not the be-all-to-end-all of racism.

He was not born in the ghetto.
He was therefore not surrounded by the ghetto culture.
He went to schools without funding issues and got a proper education.
He went to some of the best colleges/universities.
ect

If he had been born in the ghetto, surrounded by the crime, drug/gang culture, and poor education, do you honestly think that today we'd have an african-american president?

And please don't pigeon hole one racial/ethnic group. 'They'? Who is 'they'? There are millions of african americans in this country, and just like you white folk, we don't all march to one beat.

Edit: oh, re-reading your post, you seem to be stuck with an old notion of racism that is accompanied by men wearing white robes and lynching blacks. That form of racism is mostly dead, except with a few resurgrences nation wide (as I said, go read a little bit on the number of hate groups, it might surprise you /shrug). The forms of racism we see/deal with today, from a socialogical standpoint, are instututional and unintentional. It is not (maybe) planned by people, or even known by them as they commit it, but it's there.

It's the push of hollywood and the media to reincforce the sterotype of the gangbanger.
It's unequal laws that punish drug usage differently.
It's the constant cycle of poor funding to ghetto/low income schools (which poor whites also suffer from).

It's not just one thing, and many a time, racism is intertwined with it's cousins sexism and classism.

Some sociologists have defined racism as a system of group privilege'

You don't see it. It won't (98%) affect you. But it's there.

Originally posted by star

Originally posted by Aetius73

Originally posted by Trizic

Originally posted by Aetius73

This BS lost all credibility when one was elected for President. Everytime one of them pulls this crap we should pull a picture of Obama out and say try again.

 

The very fact that you say "when one was elected for President" shows that the credibility is not lost(although as i said, in this case it was totally uncalled for). Racism is far from dead, especially in America.

Your right. The liberals are so busy trying to make up for past injustices that the pendulum has swung so far the other way more capable white men are passed over for promotion to meet racial quotas.

Of course they will blame us that the tests are rigged etc.

What is the real truth is a culture that looks down on academic success as being too white suffers for it once they enter the work force and have to test for promotions. They are not less intelligent or less capable. These days its the thug culture that holds back the majority.

President Obama has proven that you can succeed to the ultimate position in the country no matter who you are. Everything else is just an excuse.

Incidentally back in my younger days before I finished my degree I was doing some pest control in the local housing projects office when a black lady very loudly accused another black lady of not giving her a free apartment because she was black (the project was 100% black btw). They even use it on each other its just a lame excuse to get preferential treatment. Their parents may have faced real discrimination but these days its all in their heads. The fact that they constantly demand preferential treatment has soured more of generation x than actual racial bias.

I like how you tout that 'racism is over', when you're own post just exudes it from ever sentence. Racism is far from over, as is sexism. There are still irregularites in both the public and private sector about how minorities are treated. Hell, take a gander at the number of hate groups that have popped up - the majority of them have shifted away from their anti-semtic view points, to an anti-black/anti-brown one. Perceived fear is a powerful tool.

President Obama, as much as a step forward that he's been, is not the be-all-to-end-all of racism.

He was not born in the ghetto.
He was therefore not surrounded by the ghetto culture.
He went to schools without funding issues and got a proper education.
He went to some of the best colleges/universities.
ect

If he had been born in the ghetto, surrounded by the crime, drug/gang culture, and poor education, do you honestly think that today we'd have an african-american president?

And please don't pigeon hole one racial/ethnic group. 'They'? Who is 'they'? There are millions of african americans in this country, and just like you white folk, we don't all march to one beat.

Edit: oh, re-reading your post, you seem to be stuck with an old notion of racism that is accompanied by men wearing white robes and lynching blacks. That form of racism is mostly dead, except with a few resurgrences nation wide (as I said, go read a little bit on the number of hate groups, it might surprise you /shrug). The forms of racism we see/deal with today, from a socialogical standpoint, are instututional and unintentional. It is not (maybe) planned by people, or even known by them as they commit it, but it's there.

It's the push of hollywood and the media to reincforce the sterotype of the gangbanger.
It's unequal laws that punish drug usage differently.
It's the constant cycle of poor funding to ghetto/low income schools (which poor whites also suffer from).

It's not just one thing, and many a time, racism is intertwined with it's cousins sexism and classism.

Some sociologists have defined racism as a system of group privilege'

You don't see it. It won't (98%) affect you. But it's there.

If we had a presidential candidate that had been from the ghetto, had been a struggling american family, had walked in the shoes of average americans, I would trust them much more than I trust the run of the mill politician,  brought to us by those that wish to screw the Amerian people over. Obama is just the same ol same ol lying politician to me. I do hope that one day we get someone that truly represents the people of this great nation, someone who puts the people first rather than their own agendas.

There are many in this nation that made lives for themselves that came from nothing. That is who we really need to bring our nation forward.

Originally posted by star

There are millions of african americans in this country, and just like you white folk, we don't all march to one beat.

Hmmm... Just like us "white folk" huh... So the black folk get the title African American but us of European decent get labeled "white."

I love how everyone who is not "white" gets a hyphen. Just had to throw that out there. If you claim to be a hyphen anything you should have to have been born there not have ties more than several generations ago. Heck I have more right to a hyphen than most of the black community.

I have no problem being proud of your heritage but I'm quite sick of minorities looking at me as if I have an advantage over them because of my skin color. My advantage was that my parents cared enough to move me to a good school district instead of having me go to the crap schools I was suppose to.

What's interesting is one of the arresting cops was black.

Originally posted by star

I like how you tout that 'racism is over', when you're own post just exudes it from ever sentence. Racism is far from over, as is sexism. There are still irregularites in both the public and private sector about how minorities are treated. Hell, take a gander at the number of hate groups that have popped up - the majority of them have shifted away from their anti-semtic view points, to an anti-black/anti-brown one. Perceived fear is a powerful tool.

President Obama, as much as a step forward that he's been, is not the be-all-to-end-all of racism.

He was not born in the ghetto.
He was therefore not surrounded by the ghetto culture.
He went to schools without funding issues and got a proper education.
He went to some of the best colleges/universities.
ect

If he had been born in the ghetto, surrounded by the crime, drug/gang culture, and poor education, do you honestly think that today we'd have an african-american president?

And please don't pigeon hole one racial/ethnic group. 'They'? Who is 'they'? There are millions of african americans in this country, and just like you white folk, we don't all march to one beat.

Edit: oh, re-reading your post, you seem to be stuck with an old notion of racism that is accompanied by men wearing white robes and lynching blacks. That form of racism is mostly dead, except with a few resurgrences nation wide (as I said, go read a little bit on the number of hate groups, it might surprise you /shrug). The forms of racism we see/deal with today, from a socialogical standpoint, are instututional and unintentional. It is not (maybe) planned by people, or even known by them as they commit it, but it's there.

It's the push of hollywood and the media to reincforce the sterotype of the gangbanger.
It's unequal laws that punish drug usage differently.
It's the constant cycle of poor funding to ghetto/low income schools (which poor whites also suffer from).

It's not just one thing, and many a time, racism is intertwined with it's cousins sexism and classism.

Some sociologists have defined racism as a system of group privilege'

You don't see it. It won't (98%) affect you. But it's there.

Ok, obviously you're black, so what do you think?  Do you think the police acted accordingly, or do you think it was racially motivated?

@almerel: I usually just say black if I have to describe someones race in that way.  I've never met a black person who took offense to that, as they are American, not African.  I don't expect to be called Eastern European -American.

Originally posted by Dekron

What's interesting is one of the arresting cops was black.

Laugh out Loud

Blue on Blue!! Check your fire!!

---

Originally posted by Aetius73

They even use it on each other its just a lame excuse to get preferential treatment.

---

Definitely written by a non-minority, lol.

Originally posted by clwoods

Originally posted by star

I like how you tout that 'racism is over', when you're own post just exudes it from ever sentence. Racism is far from over, as is sexism. There are still irregularites in both the public and private sector about how minorities are treated. Hell, take a gander at the number of hate groups that have popped up - the majority of them have shifted away from their anti-semtic view points, to an anti-black/anti-brown one. Perceived fear is a powerful tool.

President Obama, as much as a step forward that he's been, is not the be-all-to-end-all of racism.

He was not born in the ghetto.
He was therefore not surrounded by the ghetto culture.
He went to schools without funding issues and got a proper education.
He went to some of the best colleges/universities.
ect

If he had been born in the ghetto, surrounded by the crime, drug/gang culture, and poor education, do you honestly think that today we'd have an african-american president?

And please don't pigeon hole one racial/ethnic group. 'They'? Who is 'they'? There are millions of african americans in this country, and just like you white folk, we don't all march to one beat.

Edit: oh, re-reading your post, you seem to be stuck with an old notion of racism that is accompanied by men wearing white robes and lynching blacks. That form of racism is mostly dead, except with a few resurgrences nation wide (as I said, go read a little bit on the number of hate groups, it might surprise you /shrug). The forms of racism we see/deal with today, from a socialogical standpoint, are instututional and unintentional. It is not (maybe) planned by people, or even known by them as they commit it, but it's there.

It's the push of hollywood and the media to reincforce the sterotype of the gangbanger.
It's unequal laws that punish drug usage differently.
It's the constant cycle of poor funding to ghetto/low income schools (which poor whites also suffer from).

It's not just one thing, and many a time, racism is intertwined with it's cousins sexism and classism.

Some sociologists have defined racism as a system of group privilege'

You don't see it. It won't (98%) affect you. But it's there.

Ok, obviously you're black, so what do you think?  Do you think the police acted accordingly, or do you think it was racially motivated?

@almerel: I usually just say black if I have to describe someones race in that way.  I've never met a black person who took offense to that, as they are American, not African.  I don't expect to be called Eastern European -American.

 

You know what is funny about this, is that I am acually Native american, and every Black person I know, finds it more insulting to call them african american rather than just black. Since I could live on a reservation if I so chose to do so, I would rather just be called american, rather than native american, anglo saxon or anything else. I am an American, and I would think we should all consider ourselves that considering that is what we truly are. Dividing us up into groups is complete bs, you knw if any of us tried to go to africa and blend in, it would be impossible, we are americans, Just as it would be impossible for me to blend in and agree with all the native american customs. We like to call ourselves things until we actually get there, then when we do we realize how American we truly are.
 

Originally posted by deviliscious

Originally posted by clwoods

Originally posted by star

I like how you tout that 'racism is over', when you're own post just exudes it from ever sentence. Racism is far from over, as is sexism. There are still irregularites in both the public and private sector about how minorities are treated. Hell, take a gander at the number of hate groups that have popped up - the majority of them have shifted away from their anti-semtic view points, to an anti-black/anti-brown one. Perceived fear is a powerful tool.

President Obama, as much as a step forward that he's been, is not the be-all-to-end-all of racism.

He was not born in the ghetto.
He was therefore not surrounded by the ghetto culture.
He went to schools without funding issues and got a proper education.
He went to some of the best colleges/universities.
ect

If he had been born in the ghetto, surrounded by the crime, drug/gang culture, and poor education, do you honestly think that today we'd have an african-american president?

And please don't pigeon hole one racial/ethnic group. 'They'? Who is 'they'? There are millions of african americans in this country, and just like you white folk, we don't all march to one beat.

Edit: oh, re-reading your post, you seem to be stuck with an old notion of racism that is accompanied by men wearing white robes and lynching blacks. That form of racism is mostly dead, except with a few resurgrences nation wide (as I said, go read a little bit on the number of hate groups, it might surprise you /shrug). The forms of racism we see/deal with today, from a socialogical standpoint, are instututional and unintentional. It is not (maybe) planned by people, or even known by them as they commit it, but it's there.

It's the push of hollywood and the media to reincforce the sterotype of the gangbanger.
It's unequal laws that punish drug usage differently.
It's the constant cycle of poor funding to ghetto/low income schools (which poor whites also suffer from).

It's not just one thing, and many a time, racism is intertwined with it's cousins sexism and classism.

Some sociologists have defined racism as a system of group privilege'

You don't see it. It won't (98%) affect you. But it's there.

Ok, obviously you're black, so what do you think?  Do you think the police acted accordingly, or do you think it was racially motivated?

@almerel: I usually just say black if I have to describe someones race in that way.  I've never met a black person who took offense to that, as they are American, not African.  I don't expect to be called Eastern European -American.

 

You know what is funny about this, is that I am acually Native american, and every Black person I know, finds it more insulting to call them african american rather than just black. Since I could live on a reservation if I so chose to do so, I would rather just be called american, rather than native american, anglo saxon or anything else. I am an American, and I would think we should all consider ourselves that considering that is what we truly are. Dividing us up into groups is complete bs, you knw if any of us tried to go to africa and blend in, it would be impossible, we are americans, Just as it would be impossible for me to blend in and agree with all the native american customs. We like to call ourselves things until we actually get there, then when we do we realize how American we truly are.
 

My Grandparents both came here with their parents when they were very young, during WWII to avoid camps.  They were Romanian Roma, gypsies for those who don't know.  My grandfather was racist for many years of his life, and how he managed that I don't know.  Considering his family was spit on and thrown out of villages before coming here I would expect him to be a bit more open to different cultures, but he was raised around racist people, and I guess the influence of his parents wasn't enough to counter the effects of the other people he grew up around.

I really don't know what I'm getting at here, it's late so my head isn't working well.  I guess I'm just saying that I'm only one generation removed from being born in Europe, and I don't consider myself European, yet people who have had family here for hundreds of years want to act like they are something other than American.  If you were born here, you're American and that's that.

Originally posted by clwoods

Originally posted by deviliscious

Originally posted by clwoods

Originally posted by star

I like how you tout that 'racism is over', when you're own post just exudes it from ever sentence. Racism is far from over, as is sexism. There are still irregularites in both the public and private sector about how minorities are treated. Hell, take a gander at the number of hate groups that have popped up - the majority of them have shifted away from their anti-semtic view points, to an anti-black/anti-brown one. Perceived fear is a powerful tool.

President Obama, as much as a step forward that he's been, is not the be-all-to-end-all of racism.

He was not born in the ghetto.
He was therefore not surrounded by the ghetto culture.
He went to schools without funding issues and got a proper education.
He went to some of the best colleges/universities.
ect

If he had been born in the ghetto, surrounded by the crime, drug/gang culture, and poor education, do you honestly think that today we'd have an african-american president?

And please don't pigeon hole one racial/ethnic group. 'They'? Who is 'they'? There are millions of african americans in this country, and just like you white folk, we don't all march to one beat.

Edit: oh, re-reading your post, you seem to be stuck with an old notion of racism that is accompanied by men wearing white robes and lynching blacks. That form of racism is mostly dead, except with a few resurgrences nation wide (as I said, go read a little bit on the number of hate groups, it might surprise you /shrug). The forms of racism we see/deal with today, from a socialogical standpoint, are instututional and unintentional. It is not (maybe) planned by people, or even known by them as they commit it, but it's there.

It's the push of hollywood and the media to reincforce the sterotype of the gangbanger.
It's unequal laws that punish drug usage differently.
It's the constant cycle of poor funding to ghetto/low income schools (which poor whites also suffer from).

It's not just one thing, and many a time, racism is intertwined with it's cousins sexism and classism.

Some sociologists have defined racism as a system of group privilege'

You don't see it. It won't (98%) affect you. But it's there.

Ok, obviously you're black, so what do you think?  Do you think the police acted accordingly, or do you think it was racially motivated?

@almerel: I usually just say black if I have to describe someones race in that way.  I've never met a black person who took offense to that, as they are American, not African.  I don't expect to be called Eastern European -American.

 

You know what is funny about this, is that I am acually Native american, and every Black person I know, finds it more insulting to call them african american rather than just black. Since I could live on a reservation if I so chose to do so, I would rather just be called american, rather than native american, anglo saxon or anything else. I am an American, and I would think we should all consider ourselves that considering that is what we truly are. Dividing us up into groups is complete bs, you knw if any of us tried to go to africa and blend in, it would be impossible, we are americans, Just as it would be impossible for me to blend in and agree with all the native american customs. We like to call ourselves things until we actually get there, then when we do we realize how American we truly are.
 

My Grandparents both came here with their parents when they were very young, during WWII to avoid camps.  They were Romanian Roma, gypsies for those who don't know.  My grandfather was racist for many years of his life, and how he managed that I don't know.  Considering his family was spit on and thrown out of villages before coming here I would expect him to be a bit more open to different cultures, but he was raised around racist people, and I guess the influence of his parents wasn't enough to counter the effects of the other people he grew up around.

I really don't know what I'm getting at here, it's late so my head isn't working well.  I guess I'm just saying that I'm only one generation removed from being born in Europe, and I don't consider myself European, yet people who have had family here for hundreds of years want to act like they are something other than American.  If you were born here, you're American and that's that.

I understand exactly what you are getting at here, We are all Americans. Bottom line. I am Irish, Czech, Native American, French and Italian but 100% pure American. And what I have to say to mr. Hyphen this  is...  I grab my amkles , spread my  ass wide with muslce power alone and tell you to kiss my 100% American ass.  Hyphen that. LMAO ( now mr. Poopin whatever, quote that for future threads and be sure not to leave this out you pansy.) We all know how you love to stalk posts. LMAO.  My 100% American ass is telling you yes I have had quite a bit to drink tonight on my birthday, and yes, I am proud of it because it is my right to do so. Let freedom ring! And yes I am still drinking and it is almost 4 am.. anyone have a problem with that?  If so I could care less. LOL
 

Originally posted by deviliscious

I understand exactly what you are getting at here, We are all Americans. Bottom line. I am Irish, Czech, Native American, French and Italian but 100% pure American. And what I have to say to mr. Hyphen this  is...  I grab my amkles , spread my  ass wide with muslce power alone and tell you to kiss my 100% American ass.  Hyphen that. LMAO ( now mr. Poopin whatever, quote that for future threads and be sure not to leave this out you pansy.) We all know how you love to stalk posts. LMAO.  My 100% American ass is telling you yes I have had quite a bit to drink tonight on my birthday, and yes, I am proud of it because it is my right to do so. Let freedom ring! And yes I am still drinking and it is almost 4 am.. anyone have a problem with that?  If so I could care less. LOL
 

I got roughly half way through your post and realized you had definitely been drinking lol.  Happy B-Day chica!

In most of the stories posted, the police have given no explanation as to why they are doing what they are doing. This is, unfortunately, normal.  Sometimes they have to judge a situation, and decide if it could escalate, or not. If not, the officer shouldn't escalate it by his/her actions.

Like Devil, when I was a kid I was walking down the street one night on my way home when I was picked up by the police. They asked me several questions, then put me in the back of the car, no explanation. I listened to their police radio and heard about a liquor store robbery two blocks away. So, I started in by telling them that the suspect desrcibed on their radio was wearing a black leather jacket, I was wearing a blue windbreaker, he was a different height, and he had black hair, I didn't.  We got about 3/4ths of the way down the block before they pulled over, let me out of the car, and told me to go home. It took me listening to their radio and telling them the differences for them to realize they had the wrong guy.

Just two years ago I was pulled over by the Sheriff's Department. They used a flimsy traffic stop, citing something that didn't happen. Rather than lose my cool I just told them that's not the way it went down, and handed over my driver's license, told the officer to run it on LEIN (Law Enforcement Information Network), and consider letting me off with a warning. He did, and let me go. Later I learned that a woman's life had been threatened by her ex-husband, who just happened to drive a car like mine. The stop had nothing to do with my driving, they wanted to see if I was the ex-husband coming over to blow her ass away.

I can understand how this guy in Cambridge felt though. When I was just out of the Army I was a security guard at a bank. On Saturday our job was to check the drivers license of customers cashing/depositing checks, and okay the checks for the tellers. The drive up was remote, on the other side of the parking lot from the building, and the tellers couldn't visually identify the customer. One day a black man and his wife drove up, he handed me his drivers license and the check. I looked at both, and stopped. He looked at me, and, probably thinking it was a black/white thing, indignantly asked me if there was some sort of a problem. I replied yes, there was, that this was a legitimate Michigan license, the picture on the license was his, but the signature on the check did not match the signature on the license. He looked at me astonished, and said that his wife had signed his name to the check just like she always has, and that I was the first guard to catch it. I laughed, handed him back the check, and asked him to sign it in front of me. He did, the sgnatures matched, and I okayed the check.

The point of the third story is that, if you have been hassled before, and you think it is a black/white thing, you get a bit upset by it. However, if the officer explains the situation, and it makes sense to you, you are much more apt to cooperate to resolve it. I am wondering if the officer explained to the man in Cambridge, "Look, the home alarm has gone off, I have responded to find you here, and the alarm company hasn't called in a false alarm. Until that happens, I have to check this out. If you do live here, you really wouldn't want me to just go away in this situation without making sure, now, would you"?

Chances are the homeowner in Cambridge would agree with the officer and cooperate.

Anyway, the moral of these stories is that next time you are stopped by the police, slowly wave your left hand in front of yourself and say, "We are not the droids you are looking for".

The charges in this matter have been dropped and the professor wants to have a private talk with the arresting officer from whom he would like an apology. Well, more like demanding one.

Originally posted by deviliscious

I grab my amkles , spread my  ass wide with muslce power alone and tell you to kiss my 100% American ass.
 

Happy belated.

I more so interested how you can grab your ankles and spread your ass at the same time - that's some talent.