Laura's Corner

Confession; I have been pulled over for speeding a couple of times.  The first item the officer requests each and every time is my driver’s license.  Second would be my registration.  Without hesitation, I pull each out of my purse and hand them over to the OIC (Officer in Charge) and wait patiently until I receive my final verdict.  Whether I receive good news or bad news, I do not argue with the officer.  I do as I am told. 

Episodes of “Cops” regardless of city reflect very similar actions of Police throughout the United States.  The minute an Officer receives a call about a suspect he or she has to determine if the person they are confronting is innocent or guilty.  Given the fact that the lives of Officers are endangered on a minute by minute basis, I believe they take what most would consider the “low road.”  Officers appear to be rude, harsh and confrontational more often than not.

My mind wanders to my early years.  I was 16 and had come home from school.  I had walked past my sleeping mother and went directly up the stairs to take a shower.  My mother, not realizing I was home, notified my sisters that she wanted me to eat dinner “after I returned home.”  My sisters, not realizing I was home, heard noises upstairs, ran across the street and called the police.  As I stood under the water in our shower, I hear a loud knock on the bathroom door.  “I’m not done,” I shouted.  “Come out,” a voice demands on the other side of the door.  After a few moments of argumentation, I draped a towel in front of my body.  I open the door and there on the other side stood 6 Police Officers, just as shocked as I.  They asked if I lived in the home; I stated yes.  They request that I put on some clothing so they can identify me as a resident of the home. 

I am grateful the officers within my own personal story chose to assess the situation.  Because of them, I feel safer living in my home.  I know that if I was involved in an accident or believed a stranger was lurking outside of my home, they would not hesitate to make an appearance.  They go above and beyond for everyone, regardless of race.

The Oath of every man and woman on the Police Force is to Protect and Serve.  They are protecting us from others who wish to harm us.  They walk into violent situations on a daily basis.  As citizens, we know very little because we have not chosen that field of work.  We know very little about crime except what is in the media.  We can speculate about what “we would do in that particular situation” but honestly, how can we?  We receive bits and pieces yet will never view a full police report regarding the severity of the situation at hand. 

Regarding the reaction of the Police Officer who took Mr. Gates into custody, the officer was simply following the same protocol he has been instructed to do.  His job is to ensure that you and I, along with our personal belongings are safe.  For us to expect him to treat a college professor with kid gloves is beyond me.  Before the situation at hand was made public, I had no idea who Mr. Gates was.  I am not familiar with half of the Professors within my own higher education institution.  Even within the walls of my high school, one I attended for four years, I could not name 100% of the instructors. 

The officer should not apologize.  This situation was, once again, not about race.  The neighbor was doing his or her job and the officer was doing his job as well.  Let’s put a twist on the story.  How about the next time Mr. Gate’s neighbors view two men attempting to force their way into his home, they mind their own business, allow the home to be ransacked and robbed of its possessions.  I am sure, once again, Mr. Gates will utilize the race card.  He will state that his neighbors are prejudice.  He will mention that they did not call the police because he is a black man.   

Mr. Gates, an honest man with a high school education would have done as told without putting up a fight.  How in the world did you obtain a college degree and coveted position at Harvard when you cannot follow simple instructions?