This past Sunday, my special person and I decided to take a drive up to Mt. Hood to the adventure park up there. She was the driver, in her economy car. By practice, she's a conservative driver. She doesn't speed or take any unnecessary chances behind the wheel. That's why we were both wondering what the deal was when an Oregon State Trooper vehicle pulled up closely behind us on Route 26 East - between the town of Sandy and the forest that gives way to Mt. Hood. Of course, no sooner did we trade expectations of being pulled over when the lights started flashing. She immediately pulled off and the patrol car pulled off, partially blocking the right lane. The officer trudged up towards us on the passenger side of the vehicle where I was seated. When he got to the window he leaned over, one foot in front of the other, with his rear leg being his gun side. He looked into the vehicle over his spectacles and under his troooper hat, and blurted out "good afternoon, I'm Officer Negro Piglet!" Obviously, that's not exactly how he introduced himself, but that's exactly what I heard after "good afternoon" because when I looked at this individual, I saw someone of African descent, about 5 foot 6, and probably 195 lb. With a very chubby face, his specs sat firmly in place over his pug nose which rested on a thick mustache. Taking all this in, I can say quite honestly that this man physically resembled a cartoonish version of a pig. This, coupled with his demeanor, which reeked of short man's complex, made the title of his name used in this post the most natural next thought that came into my mind as he spoke to us.
After introducing himself, he proceeded to inform us that his reasoning for pulling us over was my partner didn't change over into the fast lane as she passed him, which he huffed, is Oregon law. Her response was that she hadn't even seen him. I knew I hadn't seen him, but then I'm sure I had probably dozed off momentarily because I remember a dream about sitting on the street in West Africa eating a yummy plate of plaintains and mangos. Anyway, his immediate response to my partner's explanation was to tell her in the most haunting fashion that it's her responsibility to know all Oregon driving laws, after which he asked to see her license and registration. After checking around she realized she had forgot her wallet and license to which he tauntingly replied "that's not good!" Being as the atmosphere of us being severe criminals who were solely at his mercy had been firmly established, he then proceeded to tell my partner that he has the ability to properly identify her based on asking her questions that only she would know. Then he ended by telling her that he could take her to jail for driving without a license and if she lied to him he would take her to jail once he confirmed the lie. For my part, I had a very difficult time looking at this person so I kept my eyes pointed straight ahead, although I couldn't resist rolling them repeatedly at the drama induced statements he was making. I also couldn't help, but ponder the irony of the situation. Here was an African man, in the middle of a place where very few Africans existed, talking to persons of color as if they are criminals that need to be put in their place for the outrageous crime of forgetting a license and not moving over a lane on the freeway.
Look, we fully get it that municipalities are strapped for cash right now. Banks and major capitalist corporations are continuing to steal all the financial resources for their exploitative agenda while public services suffer. As a result, we know police are encouraged and even ordered to write tickets as often as possible since that's ready revenue for the public coffers. Since those coffers pay police salaries, they have incentive to cooperate. If we make a minor infraction and a cop sees it and his/her eyes go "chi ching" we get that, but save your sorry talkoff. We are not the scum of the Earth because we missed your minor BS. Besides, if you have such a strong method of confirming someone's identity when they forget their driver's license (as he made very clear to us) then what's the production in issuing threats to someone lying about their identity? Wouldn't it be better to take their information, run it through the system, and then if there are discrepancies, you have all the time and power to go into your rant about people being lower than roaches and rats for lying to you.
What's the point here? The point is the condescending way in which we were talked to illustrates why the vast majority of law abiding working people, of all nationalities, despise police and have absolutely no trust in them. People aren't stupid. We know it's highly unlikely that a rich white couple is talked too in the exact same manner when stopped. In fact, it's highly unlikely that such a couple is even stopped, regardless of what they do. I see plenty of people like that speeding past me all the time, yet I rarely see them pulled over and statistics bear out that they are much less likely to be pulled over, even when they should be. And, for all of you nazi police apologists, don't waste your time responding about how difficult a job the police have. Most of that difficulty they generate themselves by this type of systematic behavior, or don't you see the necessity for them to take personal responsibility and make the right decisions and stop prejudging and criminalizing everyone?
It's completely reasonable to me that I should not be expected to humanize and respect anyone who doesn't do the same for me. Therefore, when I'm talked to in that fashion, as I have been by police of every erk for decades, then you better believe I'm going to do the same to them - thus my characterization of Officer Negro Piglet. There he is, sitting by the side of the road, engaging in the most basic and low level behavior, just like his human contemporaries who sell out their people to represent this system and just like his animal relatives in the trough.
After introducing himself, he proceeded to inform us that his reasoning for pulling us over was my partner didn't change over into the fast lane as she passed him, which he huffed, is Oregon law. Her response was that she hadn't even seen him. I knew I hadn't seen him, but then I'm sure I had probably dozed off momentarily because I remember a dream about sitting on the street in West Africa eating a yummy plate of plaintains and mangos. Anyway, his immediate response to my partner's explanation was to tell her in the most haunting fashion that it's her responsibility to know all Oregon driving laws, after which he asked to see her license and registration. After checking around she realized she had forgot her wallet and license to which he tauntingly replied "that's not good!" Being as the atmosphere of us being severe criminals who were solely at his mercy had been firmly established, he then proceeded to tell my partner that he has the ability to properly identify her based on asking her questions that only she would know. Then he ended by telling her that he could take her to jail for driving without a license and if she lied to him he would take her to jail once he confirmed the lie. For my part, I had a very difficult time looking at this person so I kept my eyes pointed straight ahead, although I couldn't resist rolling them repeatedly at the drama induced statements he was making. I also couldn't help, but ponder the irony of the situation. Here was an African man, in the middle of a place where very few Africans existed, talking to persons of color as if they are criminals that need to be put in their place for the outrageous crime of forgetting a license and not moving over a lane on the freeway.
Look, we fully get it that municipalities are strapped for cash right now. Banks and major capitalist corporations are continuing to steal all the financial resources for their exploitative agenda while public services suffer. As a result, we know police are encouraged and even ordered to write tickets as often as possible since that's ready revenue for the public coffers. Since those coffers pay police salaries, they have incentive to cooperate. If we make a minor infraction and a cop sees it and his/her eyes go "chi ching" we get that, but save your sorry talkoff. We are not the scum of the Earth because we missed your minor BS. Besides, if you have such a strong method of confirming someone's identity when they forget their driver's license (as he made very clear to us) then what's the production in issuing threats to someone lying about their identity? Wouldn't it be better to take their information, run it through the system, and then if there are discrepancies, you have all the time and power to go into your rant about people being lower than roaches and rats for lying to you.
What's the point here? The point is the condescending way in which we were talked to illustrates why the vast majority of law abiding working people, of all nationalities, despise police and have absolutely no trust in them. People aren't stupid. We know it's highly unlikely that a rich white couple is talked too in the exact same manner when stopped. In fact, it's highly unlikely that such a couple is even stopped, regardless of what they do. I see plenty of people like that speeding past me all the time, yet I rarely see them pulled over and statistics bear out that they are much less likely to be pulled over, even when they should be. And, for all of you nazi police apologists, don't waste your time responding about how difficult a job the police have. Most of that difficulty they generate themselves by this type of systematic behavior, or don't you see the necessity for them to take personal responsibility and make the right decisions and stop prejudging and criminalizing everyone?
It's completely reasonable to me that I should not be expected to humanize and respect anyone who doesn't do the same for me. Therefore, when I'm talked to in that fashion, as I have been by police of every erk for decades, then you better believe I'm going to do the same to them - thus my characterization of Officer Negro Piglet. There he is, sitting by the side of the road, engaging in the most basic and low level behavior, just like his human contemporaries who sell out their people to represent this system and just like his animal relatives in the trough.
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