The beginning of this section in reading Coates explains an experience he has with the police. He was driving and was pulled over for no reason that he could tell. The police in this county were known to be brutal. Coates explained how he just sat there at the will of these police officers. He sat there afraid because he was helpless. There was obviously no other reason that he was pulled over besides his skin color.
I can't imagine having that be the case for me. I have been pulled over a couple times (no ticket yet ;)), but all for reasons that I could understand. I understood why and deserved it. My break light was out, and I was going a couple miles to many over the speed limit. I was not pulled over because my eyes were blue or because I had blonde hair or because my skin color was white.
Coming to college one of my favorite things was getting a fresh start. Nobody knew my past, and everyone could create their own image and opinion about me. What if I came to college and was treated so poorly because I reminded everybody of another white blonde girl that they hated? Nothing I did made that opinion of me only the fact that I reminded them of that one girl. That is often times the way people of color feel. I will never fully understand what that is like, but imagining that makes my heart ache for them.
I feel a big disconnect with this story he tells mostly because I haven't really experienced what big city cops are like. I've never been pulled over around a big city. All in all, I feel a disconnect because he's black and I'm white, but even more so because I don't know what big city cops are like.
ReplyDeleteI thought you did a really great job of placing yourself objectively with your physical attributes into his situation. It is interesting to think about and to shift one's thinking to that mentality. I have never thought or suspected that I was pulled over because of the color of my skin. There is a definite difference in perception of police officers between the culture that I come from and the culture that Coates comes from.
ReplyDeleteYes good empathy here Abby!
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