I was blessed to be raised in a solid, stable, two parent family in the military culture, trained since birth to stop and stand for the raising of the Colors, their retirement, and every by the book appropriate instance. I still do. I am an Eagle Scout, West Pointer, ordained pastor, husband and father. My wife is the only woman I have kissed with passion or slept with, all within the confines of marriage. I am anal about obeying the speed limit and obeying the law. With those credentials, EVEN I have been pulled over numerous times and had weapons pulled on me twice, including once on campus, in seminary when I was seen running from a dorm with a Bible - an action that was reported as a suspicious Black male running around campus with a dark object in his hand.
Good home training and possessing a generally calm personality helped me survive those encounters, but 1000 pages of Sowell doesn't explain that away and lets me know that there's a problem. For the majority of Black men I know, and I know a LOT of them, this is the case. That's why this these protests have traction. If I'm having these encounters, and others like me are, some that came close to going wrong, how much more someone with less breaks than me and less community support?
This does not excuse criminal activity, disrespect of authority or law breaking, but when numerous solid, law abiding citizens are themselves having close calls when going about daily business, concern is warranted and the reporting of such encounters is highly believable.
Let's all work together to lessen these close calls and enable freedom to ring unencumbered by controversy and missteps.
Respectfully,
Sam
1 comment:
Thanks Sam!
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