A strange but somehow ordinary thing happened to me on my commute to Columbia today. As I was passing the turnstile at the Church avenue B-Q station, people were exiting the Manhattan-bound platform, climbing the stairs. The stairs are only wide enough for about three people to walk in either direction. At the time, there were two lines of traffic up the stairs and one heading down the stairs. At the head of the downstairs traffic, a (white, only as important as you want to make it) woman was ambling slowly taking her time, as a she talked on the phone and clung on to the right rail. My initial instinct was anger or to tell her to hurry, but upon actually attempting to pass her I realized that maybe my anger should be directed at the members of the two lines of upstairs traffic, who have no real reason to be ambling slowly up stairs having already arrived at their destination. As I began to redirect my anger, I reconsidered and decided to be patient despite the sound of a second arriving train. I waited patiently until I could pass the woman walking downstairs. As soon as I was within a step of her, I noticed the true cause of her slow pace, she was extremely pregnant (by the very least 7 months along). I understood everything now, I adjusted my pace and waited for the moment I could pass her. This caused me to noticeably slowdown and another commuter to become slightly angry. A (black, again only as important as you want to make it) woman, a nurse in fact, sucked her teeth at either me or the pregnant (obviously not known by her) woman. I could not determine the gesture’s intended target. I again, had a minor moment of anger or annoyance, how could she be angry at either of us, even regardless of the not knowing she was pregnant. Would you berate an elderly person for clinging to the rail and advancing on the stairs at their most manageable pace? Or a parent with a young child? Or anyone who’s not able-bodied? Of course, not. So in a broader case why anyone at all?
I was taught not to suck my teeth for any reason, meanwhile my parents, among other adults in my family have done so at me, but mostly for trivial annoyances, (a 9th inning blown save by Betances or Miller, a wild pitch at a key moment, etc.) I looked back at her and could obviously tell she was upset with the woman by her gaze and the dismissive head shake directed at the clearly pregnant woman.
I was able to pass the pregnant woman and so was the nurse, the train doors opened only after all of three of us were on the platform near the last car. I turned back to the nurse to offer a smile, she returned one in kind. [Off to a good start.] Then I chose my words carefully: "Hello, I heard you suck your teeth just now." I didn't tell or ask her if she directed it at anyone. I said next, "I hope that you sucked your teeth at me, I can handle it. If not, however, I hope you understand this, that woman is pregnant. Also, where would you have liked me to go?" She looked to the pregnant woman as she, the pregnant woman, got on the train and then looked back at me. She apologized immediately, "I'm sorry I was so angry for no reason." I said, "it's okay." We sat down separately and went on about our days.
Most likely, we'll never see each other again, but at least from an initially toxic interaction, we achieved a mutual kindness. I mean, ultimately, neither of us were late, no one was hurt, emotionally or physically, so the fault of holding up someone’s commute was truly victimless. I hate to compare this to interactions between police, but what is really different about it. The nurse, most likely felt hard done because she would late for her work by the laziness, lack of consideration, or rude behavior of another civilian on a surface level, but perhaps even, digging deeper, a fellow woman, or even further, a white woman. This innocent, naive even, affront simultaneously caused her rudeness towards me. Now, I'll never say I would hit a person over something so trivial, it does remain an issue of perspective. For instance, if I were a completely different person or if I were so mad already and looked for someway to lash out and did so? Would it seem so different from recent police interactions in terms of non-compliance? Would my assault on the woman be viewed in the same light as the police's use of pepper spray of a girl already detained in the back of a squad car? Are there not already means for you to de-escalate a situation without the already inherent imposition of force that police already bear? Could you not have locked the door, contacted her either her parents, her school, a teacher, a mentor, a friend, brother, any member of her support unit? If the answer to this question is no, that's fine. But why? Is it because she's bereft of any of these?Now consider that my actions would be punished and extremely consistently police interactions resulting in harm or homicide have resulted in no punishment or even pay loss. There is clearly something wrong with this system.
I reflect on this question often, most times, I take for granted how fortunate I am, but perhaps the only way for me to leverage the advantage that either my education, circumstance of parenting or mentoring, or familial affection provide is speaking out in these ridiculous cases of injustice and highlighting the several ways in which the police could have handled it in spite of the girl's behavior. We don't expect our teachers or other school officials to administer heavy-handed lessons like these any longer...for the most part. Do we unleash these corporal punishments as parents still? Is the value of a life summed by the consistency in today's police casualties (remember they're rarely ruled murders or even indecent conduct)? Why then should we allow policemen, our complete strangers, the full and inexorable power of the law to discipline our children and even "reform" grown adults? Police are purposed for the enforcement of law not the upholding of moral values (question begs to answer in this case as to whose moral values they do choose to enforce). They are supposed to support the sense of community. They are first most purposed for our defense not ultimately their own. I apologize that the stakes are so high that police can even perceive a threat to their life. However, when their agenda reflected by their behavior predominately revolves around the protection of their own lives first, I can recognize a system that is fundamentally flawed.
I would like to parallel interactions with police (armed with guns) throughout the country, regardless of urban or suburban locale, and those with hired public safety officials at boarding school and university campuses. In the case of public safety, even as they are unarmed, there is a still a pause in the student body towards approaching them. They are often the ones busting up parties. Also, being caught in certain acts by them can lead to irreparable damage to one's academic integrity and academic prospects. So, yes, there can be a slight tension between students and PS officials. Think about it, they can ultimately upend your academic future on their word versus yours. However, any animosity between either group rarely reaches the level of indignation and disrespect we witness in these videos of police interactions. Respect is the prevailing currency in these interactions, because though loss of life is not at stake, misdirection in life reigns.
Let's consider the weight of force in police interactions, holding in mind that police carry not only pepper spray, a taser, handcuffs, and a baton (rarely, today, I have personally noticed until Officer Jairus Warren’s attacking in Houston), but also the ultimate terminator of life, a pistol. These are for the beat cops with limited experience. Now imagine that, as a student at one of these boarding schools or private universities,you got a taste of this lightly policed, morally reinforcing, golden rule implicating lifestyle and returned home to find your life at threat in these very casual interactions that were once a fabric of your life and remain so with far more dread consequences for let's say non-compliance, but realistically, non-compliance has been misconstrued and misapplied several times by police officers during arrest (e.g. Oscar Grant, Eric Garner, Darrell Gilles). Gilles case is poignant to discuss because of the recent decision to punish the officer in the violent video of the police brutality. One thing worth noting is Officer Warren’s attempt to awake Gilles prompts him to stand up quickly perhaps thinking that someone kicking him is attempting to attack him while he’s just waking up. This somehow prompted Warren to assault Gilles with his baton several times until the man could no longer stand for himself. These examples of police “interactions” are so foreign to you. The realization that this is the essence of life for everyone can be jarring.
I recognize a simile to Plato’s cave in the relationship of this false sense of security and the common perception of police brutality as infallible. Leaving the cave occurred for me upon graduating high school and returning home and also attending a university with public safety of two classes, one who bore firearms and another who did not. It was eye-opening, especially in some absolutely, ridiculous circumstances at school parties. I realized the freedoms promised to you, guaranteed in full, and supposed protected by these police are very much hollow. A wholesome, kind, responsible, and courteous protection force for all a bit untrue. I began to understand the world is completely different from anything I understood it to be even as those purposed to protect me can be appropriately or inappropriately violent at their own discretion with full immunity and impunity. Within this cave the false safe world is depicted, which many people just accept as they way things are and should be remain. A world where with no pretense as quick as a gun is drawn or a gesture mistaken for a threat, your world can never be the same, come to an end, Fin. All you see rolling over your eyes is the bright, stark truth, the worldview you now know to define the world, but how can you get others to leave the cave and believe as you do or even just begin to listen you as you do them? Using your voice is a good start. Illuminating the cave more significantly, allowing others to at once gain their own understanding of the world formed around them and being constructed for them. Allow them to see the trappings of this misshapen world view offered by the media, Facebook memes, the previously ill-informed views of others by personally engaging with non-biased material and developing an understanding of the world, their own critical perspective and worldview.
Still and even more unfortunately, police reluctantly use body cameras to this day (or footage disappears or is not recorded, yada yada) ideas like Google Glass fail in the interest of privacy and people's right to it while it promised to be a phenomenal tool for citizen advocacy, and still police officers investigate other police officer's wrongdoings. Even more, a separate body of investigation for police officers does not exist. By separate, I hope to suggest non-affiliation with the police themselves as well as the lawyers that prosecute cases supported by evidence obtained police. Deaths by guns are prohibited from study as an epidemic, which eludes all logic...gun's are purposed specifically to fire at least 6 bullets in the case of revolvers (not sure these are a thing or Dirty Harry policing is a thing, oh wait another police incident, vigilante policing is still a thing). That's at least six lives that can be ended in no less than unleashing a full magazine. Gun contr...I won't even bother. People ask for more evidence of this pervasive policing nature and the police seem to provide no lack of it on not only a yearly, monthly, weekly, or even daily basis. The scale is on a generational level, there are epic exhibits of these unjust "episodes" and vicious cycle of violence directed at especially black people, but other people of color in this country. Clearly, all this will fall on two audiences. Those deaf to these incidents, who fail to see injustice because they may have never suffered any or are even capable of feeling or expressing sympathy or empathy. Second, the already captivated audience, aware and purposed to righting these wrongs.
I hope most that it finds a third, more elusive audience among these two. This particular audience is undecided either way, feeling convictions drawing them between both positions yet keeping them from speaking their own understanding of the positions and engaging in conversation about these issues.