Just watched #4. I don't get stopped as often now as when I was younger, but the last time I was stopped I did my standard actions. While he was running my plate and checking me out, I got my license, registration, proof of insurance and concealed weapons permit out. Rolled down my window and had the documents in my hand with both wrists…
Just watched #4. I don't get stopped as often now as when I was younger, but the last time I was stopped I did my standard actions. While he was running my plate and checking me out, I got my license, registration, proof of insurance and concealed weapons permit out. Rolled down my window and had the documents in my hand with both wrists on the top of my steering wheel. That was to make myself as non-threatening as possible. If you think that only black people need to do that you read too many Medium articles. He asked if I had a firearm with me. I told him there was one in the car and would tell him how to access it if he wanted to. I preferred to not touch it. He said he didn't need to. I will never understand why people think it's OK to give a cop a blast of shit.
Most of my friends who are black also are veterans and gun owners. I once saw a black man walking out the door of a Wall-Mart with an open carry Glock on his hip. Nobody was paying attention to him. Arizona before the great influx of "Oh my God, he has a gun" Californians. I won't do a rant on the issues with firearms and people who are black with the police. I think it more complicated than "race."
I'm influenced by personal experience more than anything I read. My last interaction with the police was not a good one.
I was pulling away from the curb, when a woman leaving the hotel across the street, tried to beat traffic. She was pulling a 20 foot trailer behind her F-350 and could not make the turn and slammed into my car in the parking lane. The woman stopped and flew out of her truck screaming and yelling and running straight at me. I locked my car doors and wound up the windows. That woman was crazed. The police showed up, took her down the street and calmed her down.
Eventually, the cop came to ask if I was okay. I was fine, but the woman had put a fright in me and I was shaking. Take your time, he said, she hit you pretty hard. I was confused when the cop asked how far my car spun around. I finally got out of my car, and he showed me the back of my car, where her trailer had hit me and stopped my spin. The crazy woman walked towards us, and I got back in my car and the cop walked over to her and told her to stay on the sidewalk.
He turned around and I rolled the passenger window down and he asked for identification and insurance card. That's when my boss drove up. The cop takes one look at the man exiting the truck, unsnaps his holster, puts his hand on the pistol grip, stands up, and backs up and tells the boss to stop where he is. He's my boss, officer, he's my boss, we work right there I say pointing down the street. That's his company. My boss is standing there, his arms held out to his side, and the cop is staring at him with his hand on his pistol. It was a frigging Mexican standoff I slowly got out of my car, walked towards my boss and wrapped my arms him. "ABC" says the boss, "ABC". The boss spent 20 years in the air force, and quietly de-escalated the situation.
Police officers bring their cars to our shop all the time. We service prison and game warden vehicles as well. This cop was young, and new to town, and he brought his lousy attitude with him.
A week later, my insurance company informs me that the cop had reported the accident was 100% my fault.
As you've probably guessed by now, my boss is a black man. Everyone I work with is black or Hispanic and like any other auto repair shop, their friends and families hang out at the shop. From kindergarten to high school, our kids went to school together. Our families have been friends for years. I don't need people on Medium telling me what happens to black and brown people in this country. I've spent seven years seeing it and hearing it with my own two eyes and ears. That was not the first standoff in our shop, not by a long shot. The only time the county sheriffs ever drive by our ranch, is when we're having one of our big picnics. Apparently, its okay when we're miles apart, but when a bunch of us gather together, they think they better check on us. Dave, a whole lot of country folk, are ex-military and ex-police and they carry guns. They also know HOW to behave around the police. They also know how to de-escalate bad situations.
You can't tell me that a man who spent 20 years as a homicide detective in Los Angeles, doesn't know a racist cop when he meets one. And yet, one of those Mexican standoffs between a cop and that black homicide detective happened right in front of me in the lobby of our shop. The cop walked in saw a black man and unsnapped his holster. One wrong move and Dex would have been dead. And yes, Dex was carrying.
Now back to the subject at hand. What is causing these mass-shootings?
Personal experience is a big influence on me, but I'm not statistically relevant, especially since my life has been somewhat atypical. But I get what you are saying.
If the "real" fix requires a change in perception of the relationship between violence and masculinity, it is one that will be agonizingly slow in coming, like other big issues where people want quick fixes now. Is there a way to speed the process if that really is the root cause? If we can't find that it will be denied as a root cause, and we'll be back to "gunz!"
Just watched #4. I don't get stopped as often now as when I was younger, but the last time I was stopped I did my standard actions. While he was running my plate and checking me out, I got my license, registration, proof of insurance and concealed weapons permit out. Rolled down my window and had the documents in my hand with both wrists on the top of my steering wheel. That was to make myself as non-threatening as possible. If you think that only black people need to do that you read too many Medium articles. He asked if I had a firearm with me. I told him there was one in the car and would tell him how to access it if he wanted to. I preferred to not touch it. He said he didn't need to. I will never understand why people think it's OK to give a cop a blast of shit.
Most of my friends who are black also are veterans and gun owners. I once saw a black man walking out the door of a Wall-Mart with an open carry Glock on his hip. Nobody was paying attention to him. Arizona before the great influx of "Oh my God, he has a gun" Californians. I won't do a rant on the issues with firearms and people who are black with the police. I think it more complicated than "race."
I'm influenced by personal experience more than anything I read. My last interaction with the police was not a good one.
I was pulling away from the curb, when a woman leaving the hotel across the street, tried to beat traffic. She was pulling a 20 foot trailer behind her F-350 and could not make the turn and slammed into my car in the parking lane. The woman stopped and flew out of her truck screaming and yelling and running straight at me. I locked my car doors and wound up the windows. That woman was crazed. The police showed up, took her down the street and calmed her down.
Eventually, the cop came to ask if I was okay. I was fine, but the woman had put a fright in me and I was shaking. Take your time, he said, she hit you pretty hard. I was confused when the cop asked how far my car spun around. I finally got out of my car, and he showed me the back of my car, where her trailer had hit me and stopped my spin. The crazy woman walked towards us, and I got back in my car and the cop walked over to her and told her to stay on the sidewalk.
He turned around and I rolled the passenger window down and he asked for identification and insurance card. That's when my boss drove up. The cop takes one look at the man exiting the truck, unsnaps his holster, puts his hand on the pistol grip, stands up, and backs up and tells the boss to stop where he is. He's my boss, officer, he's my boss, we work right there I say pointing down the street. That's his company. My boss is standing there, his arms held out to his side, and the cop is staring at him with his hand on his pistol. It was a frigging Mexican standoff I slowly got out of my car, walked towards my boss and wrapped my arms him. "ABC" says the boss, "ABC". The boss spent 20 years in the air force, and quietly de-escalated the situation.
Police officers bring their cars to our shop all the time. We service prison and game warden vehicles as well. This cop was young, and new to town, and he brought his lousy attitude with him.
A week later, my insurance company informs me that the cop had reported the accident was 100% my fault.
As you've probably guessed by now, my boss is a black man. Everyone I work with is black or Hispanic and like any other auto repair shop, their friends and families hang out at the shop. From kindergarten to high school, our kids went to school together. Our families have been friends for years. I don't need people on Medium telling me what happens to black and brown people in this country. I've spent seven years seeing it and hearing it with my own two eyes and ears. That was not the first standoff in our shop, not by a long shot. The only time the county sheriffs ever drive by our ranch, is when we're having one of our big picnics. Apparently, its okay when we're miles apart, but when a bunch of us gather together, they think they better check on us. Dave, a whole lot of country folk, are ex-military and ex-police and they carry guns. They also know HOW to behave around the police. They also know how to de-escalate bad situations.
You can't tell me that a man who spent 20 years as a homicide detective in Los Angeles, doesn't know a racist cop when he meets one. And yet, one of those Mexican standoffs between a cop and that black homicide detective happened right in front of me in the lobby of our shop. The cop walked in saw a black man and unsnapped his holster. One wrong move and Dex would have been dead. And yes, Dex was carrying.
Now back to the subject at hand. What is causing these mass-shootings?
Personal experience is a big influence on me, but I'm not statistically relevant, especially since my life has been somewhat atypical. But I get what you are saying.
If the "real" fix requires a change in perception of the relationship between violence and masculinity, it is one that will be agonizingly slow in coming, like other big issues where people want quick fixes now. Is there a way to speed the process if that really is the root cause? If we can't find that it will be denied as a root cause, and we'll be back to "gunz!"