#BLM

Out of context: Reply #87

  • Started
  • Last post
  • 604 Responses
  • ben_4

    Shellie's points about the nypd remind me a little of growing up in a city where people of colour other than white were somewhat rare. Not abnormal in the early 90's for Canada.

    We had a little skate crew, and in that crew was our friend Dev who happens to be black. Every time we'd skate this particular spot in uptown the cops would get called regardless of who was there. But we noticed a trend that whenever he was there with us the cops would show up 5 minutes into the session as opposed to maybe 30-40 minutes if he wasn't there and sometimes we'd get extra lucky and have to leave only because we were tired. If here were there though, 5 minutes tops.

    Those same cops would also NEVER give tickets if we were there without Dev, they'd drive up, blip their sirens and more or less just watch us leave on our own accord. If Dev was with us it would be a whole thing, ID's out, boards confiscated, tickets, lectures, etc. If we proactively tried to leave like we would if he wasn't there they would force us all to stop and go through this routine of sitting on the curb and deal with their shit. They always singled him out and once even remarked that his name "could pass for Canadian".

    Eventually we just started running from them, and sure enough they'd run after Dev. Every single time they would take off after him, and once, we smashed their cruiser window when they took off after him, three of us got caught for that and charged - funny thing is that we appeared in court and only had to pay for the windshield of the cruiser. Dev had 6 months of community service and a trespassing fine for running from racist cops.

    I remember vividly when two guys in that crew started avoiding Devon when he was around, or they'd come out, see him and leave. They always claimed they weren't racist but they just didn't want to be around when the cops came. Rather than sticking up for a friend they just kind of faded into the backdrop and "became" racist... perhaps they always were.

    ben_ 4Permalink
    UpvoteDownvote
    Flag
    • sound like you were not very law abiding children. However some seemed to grow out of it and you call them racist?deathboy
    • can only take your story for what you say but is interesting you choose the racist part as growing out or maturing to avoiding copsdeathboy
    • Well we definitely broke laws as they applied to skateboarding. Have we grown out of it? I'm not sure, as a few of us still skate and from time to time copsben_
    • tell us to leave. Are we as hot headed as we were back then? Probably not, it would take a lot for me to smash any window.ben_
    • The cops (and there were multiples, not the same men/women every time) were adults, and so I'm judging them as racists becuase they were.ben_
    • The effect they had on kids were as figures of authority who acted out their racism, so they are indeed racist by any definition... maybe they had epiphaniesben_
    • since, I wouldn't know. As for the two guys in our crew who I called racist... perhaps they have too, events through highschool would indicate otherwise.ben_
    • Hope that helps you understand the context the story is told within. A memory of actions taken and their effects on people. Even if those cops are visionsben_
    • of equality now, that doesn't erase or minimize what they did. Just like I will always have broken that window, even if I became a police officer.ben_
    • i more cared about the friends you called racist. than the cops you said were racist.deathboy
    • nothing the cops did is exactly racist. you dont know. and than say action of friends also racist. i think you need take out the idea of racism and re picturedeathboy
    • the scenarios. Is there any reason besides arbitrary color of skin for such actions?deathboy
    • did your black friend run slower. more resistant. take the stupid running paths. did your friend get a bit smarter on actionsdeathboy
    • with what you said there is no reason to think race amongst a multitude of things. Perhaps, but highly not probable.deathboy
    • occams razor that shitdeathboy
    • Yeah those two guys did stuff all through highschool that at least illustrated they were bigoted. Having been there, there's really no simpler explanationben_
    • for what happened. Often the most obvious answer is the answer. For example I'm certain I was the slowest in the entire group. Never got chased. Hope it helps.ben_
    • so your friends who were bigoted but friends ... falling out with friends is normal. maybe you just werent cool. or just didnt want to do dumb shit?deathboy
    • you think of every reason out there it was racism... if im to guess you are easily motivated by the moment and ppl. 8 years ago did you think it was racism?deathboy
    • Hi DB! yes, we always thought it was racism, as I said they did other things in highschool to prove that much.ben_
    • Your schtick is to offer a contrary POV to everything anyone says as if it hasn't been considered or that it's more true than an actual lived experience.ben_
    • Respectfully it's as if you live your life as a moving hypothesis. You have no real point of view, no actual opinion, which is fine, but really offputting.ben_
    • And not "offputting" in a way that effects me personally, emotionally or intellectually either... just like "are you a robot—off putting".ben_
    • So take it all for what it's worth, nothing or something or in-between. All the best to you!ben_
    • i will but as you said 2 times they did other things without explicitly stating. what other things? u seem to want to convince but no details or explanations?deathboy
    • its unsual. and you also said we. so not a personal verdict a collective one amongst othersdeathboy
    • ill take what you gave and file it so far in a box. not confident, shy, repressed, sympathetic, no sense of self, looking for self, troubled backgrounddeathboy
    • desperatley needs to be seen.needs connections, before fighting for blm u think u have your own battles won?deathboy
    • I was never trying to convince you of anything, in fact 5 notes up I made it clear that you should take what I'm saying for whatever you find it's worth...ben_
    • Again, the contrarian shit... and LOL at your last two notes... who on earth has all their own battles sorted out man. Some of us seem to have more than othersben_
    • Have fun tackling yours!ben_
    Show [[ numHiddenNotes ]] more notesAdd Note
    SaveCancel

View thread