Thursday, September 29, 2005

My Editorial....and .05 cents

Thanks to everyoen that took the time to comment on this topic surrounding the movie Crash. This movie had several subplots and several issues that I could have spoken to, but I felt that I should narrow the field or we'd be here all day dialoguing and debating ;)

My .05 cents
In my humble opinion, if it were me that was in this situation, I would NOT have wanted to go to jail and would have preferred that my husband say NOT A DAMN THING. Hear me out on this. Though I would've been seething and as Danyel said "I would want him to stand still, though, so we could get home and plan (and execute) a horrible, long-lasting, tortuous demise for the cop in question.

I am coming froma different frame of reference than I think most people were when they commented. It's not that I believe wholeheartedly and blindly in the justice system, I feel quite the opposite actually. I however have a 15 month old child. And I CANNOT AFFORD for him to grow up without a Mommy OR a Daddy. Period. That cop was just ITCHING (like he had crabs) to FIND a sliver of a reason to JACK THEM UP!

I also would not let MY personal ego come into play when it comes to either me and hubby shutting the HELL up, or us potentially having an ugly situation go from bad to HORRIBLE in a flash. And I say "ego" because NO ONE wants to be embarrassed and disrespected and it takes a STROOOOOONNNNNG person to think of the consequences that could come out of a situation when you're IN the situation! Yes, I would want my husband to "protect my honor", but what have I gained if I go to jail or if me AND my husband go to jail???? Life is full of hard choices and the otpions before you are NEVER equally weighted. Of COURSE I would feel that my honor is worth protecting AND fighting for. But isn't my life and my family as well???? YES, would want to strangle the breath out of that cop if that were done to me, yes, I would want to damn near castrate him, BUT..... on the other hand, why should I let this ONE ASSHOLE ruin (well,potentially ruin...you never know WHAT could happen once you set the chain of events rolling) my life????? I work at a job where if you are CONVICTED of a crime, you are terminated. O.K., so, what happens when I then go to ANOTHER job and they run a background check and see a misdemeanor or a felony on my record??? I make a pretty decent salary and I can damn near GUARANTEE that as a black woman in America, if I had a "record" it would be EXCEEDINGLY and REDICULOUSLY difficult to get that back somewhere else. I would be branded thrice. Black. Woman.Criminal.

I am torn about this one. Because I feel that even with cops that ARE NOT racist and crooked, it only takes a COUPLE of "fuck you's" and "go to hell's " and "you can't do that to me's" to make MOST cops go OFF! They, in my opinion, have a God complex. They feel untouchable and for the most part..... when it comes to proving who was wrong, if they had "reasonable suspicion" to think whatever it is that they THOUGHT that made them do whatever it was that they DID, there's a good chance they'll get off. Reasonable suspicion. But I also would WANT to curse them from here to Sunday and have my husband slam him and pummel his forehead into the ground.

Now, I also know that in certain situations, the cops (like this one ) are just f**ked up and it doesn't really matter if you look well dressed or are well spoken. You MUST do EXACTLY what Terrence did (i.e.apologize and just try to get the hell out of the situation unharmed and unhandcufed.) I see the arguments of everyone, however, the risk is too great for the potential price that I would have to pay for letting his STUPID ass "take me there" . I would rather feel DISRESPECTED than be taken away from my family (in this particular situation...not in a more severe one such as him attempting to rape or something of the like). I would rather deal with his ass through the courts and such (like I said, I don't have faith in that shit either, truth be told, but it's better than doing a bid because shit got outta hand).

Because, just LET me get away and your ass is mine.....one way or another. That would NOT be the last, but this time there would be something that anonymously "happens" to your ass.... it would be dealt with, and NOT by my own hands.

So there ya have it. I would've shut the f**k up and wanted my husband to do the same in this partucluar situation. It would be dealt with later.

2 comments:

Knockout Zed said...

You gotta know there are a lot of women, both black and white, that have not had the experience of seeing police harassment CLOSE UP. I doubt that there are very many black men who can say the same. Not to get all bloggy up in this piece, but a nigga know betta than to start shit with a cop and not think that Joe Nab won't finish it. I've had police pull weapons on me 5 times starting at age 12 and I've been arrested twice. And I'm a fucking so called "upright citizen" and have been so all my life!

KZ

~ Eclectic Soul ~ said...

Sis, I have to agree with you on this one. I was pulled over once for speeding, and the officer asked where I was going. I stupidly answered that I was on my way to a prison (I ministered to a family friend there), and he promplty notified me that he'd SEEN me reach over and buckle my seatbelt, which he hadn't. I'd reached for my wallet with my ID and insurance card, which I was still holding in my lap. When I disputed it, his whole swagger became very threatening and I stfu because my sons were in the car with me. Of course he added the extra violation to the ticket.

You're right, the ego usually isn't worth the potential repercussions...