“Police are here to protect the innocent,” asserts a recent letter writer. Many people of color might disagree.
Let’s use a traffic stop for an example. For most privileged white people, it’s an irritation. They think about the inconvenience of hiring an attorney to reverse the consequences that got them stopped in the first place. They may try to “charm” themselves out of the infraction.
But for many people of color it can be fraught with danger. Unlike their white privileged counterparts, they must be on high alert to prevent anything from triggering a sudden and possibly fatal response from the cop—who, seeing a black or brown skinned person, may be on high alert himself.
Doug Salerno
Foothills
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
