Keeping Things Simple: How & Why You Should Make Your Office Minimalist
November 5, 2016
5 Apps and Services to Simplify Your Life
November 9, 2016
The fact that black Americans are more likely to be pulled over by cops shouldn’t be breaking news. It’s long been recognized that there is a racial bias in police forces across America. Yet the level of inequality here is absolutely staggering. Recently, President Obama spoke of his experiences being stopped on the roads before he entered the White House. It’s important to understand that this is an issue, what it could mean when driving the roads and how to handle being stopped.
The Racial Inequality
This level of discrimination needs to be addressed directly by the police force. In certain areas of America, there are already training courses being set up to help deal with the epidemic level of racism. However, this type of proactive thinking isn’t widespread enough. It needs to be embraced by every police force across the country until the number of stops for blacks is equal to whites. Otherwise, traffic officers aren’t just accepting racist attitudes, they are embracing them.
History Is To Blame
Not too long ago there was a widespread level of segregation against black Americans. Blacks were seen as second class citizens. If a black person was seen driving an expensive sports car, it was assumed that the vehicle had been stolen. Believe it or not, it’s the exact same attitude that’s still present today. Traffic officers stop more black drivers because they suspect they might have committed a crime. Or, that the vehicle does not even belong to them. The idea of blacks being second class citizens never disappeared and is still present in the American police force. It is estimated that fifty percent of black people in prison are innocent, so the problem certainly extends beyond the roads.
What It Means For Black American Road Users
It’s quite simple, the roads are more dangerous than they should be. Black Americans don’t have to just worry about car crashes when they use the roads. They have to worry about being pulled over when they haven’t done anything wrong or being put in physical danger by the police. You might not have been drinking, and with the best representation from a DWI attorney, you could still end up with a DUI. This is the level of corruption and foul play that black Americans have to contend with.
Know How To Act
If you are pulled over by the police on the road, you must remain calm. You need to act carefully, ensuring that you don’t make any sudden movements. Follow all the instructions the police officer gives you to the letter, and you should be safe. As long as you are cooperating, you should not be in any danger when dealing with the police force. Although, as past accounts have shown us, this can never be guaranteed. That’s why many road users are now wearing cameras to record what happens once they are pulled over. At least then, if anything does happen, you should have evidence of the event.
Main Image: Image Link Source
