Enjoyed your accounts of those’easy encounters’ Kelly, but it immediately made me think of a Tecumseh police friend who died from gunfire in a ‘routine’ late night traffic stop a few years ago.
But I’m also thinking of all those readers ‘of color’ that might be thinking… “he got off bc he’s white”. Yes, we’re weary of the racial discussions (I certainly am) but, I’m reminded of this bc of a recent (Caucasian) game warden encounter with a young (black) fisherman.
Approached and asked for his fishing license, the young man calmly replied he didn’t have one but that he was only 16 yrs old. Upon request he produced an old drivers permit that showed he was really 20. The discussion turned into a ‘back n forth’ where the young man got louder exclaiming “so now I suppose you’re just going to shoot me like all you white cops like to do to us young black men?!”
Point is - you acted responsibly and enjoyed a taste of Americana where many citizens are having their outlooks poisoned by the media’s) inundation of ‘critical race drama’. Everyone’s lives (on both sides of a badge) are moving ever closer to a slippery edge but I’m glad (& appreciative) of how you handled the contacts and their outcomes.
Enjoyed your accounts of those’easy encounters’ Kelly, but it immediately made me think of a Tecumseh police friend who died from gunfire in a ‘routine’ late night traffic stop a few years ago.
But I’m also thinking of all those readers ‘of color’ that might be thinking… “he got off bc he’s white”. Yes, we’re weary of the racial discussions (I certainly am) but, I’m reminded of this bc of a recent (Caucasian) game warden encounter with a young (black) fisherman.
Approached and asked for his fishing license, the young man calmly replied he didn’t have one but that he was only 16 yrs old. Upon request he produced an old drivers permit that showed he was really 20. The discussion turned into a ‘back n forth’ where the young man got louder exclaiming “so now I suppose you’re just going to shoot me like all you white cops like to do to us young black men?!”
Point is - you acted responsibly and enjoyed a taste of Americana where many citizens are having their outlooks poisoned by the media’s) inundation of ‘critical race drama’. Everyone’s lives (on both sides of a badge) are moving ever closer to a slippery edge but I’m glad (& appreciative) of how you handled the contacts and their outcomes.
Kelly, Only you.
1st officer called 2nd and said I forgot to tell him light was out!