Being racially profiled is very scary. In fact I would say it is terrorism.Prof. Henry Louis Gates must not let this incident go as I did.
I, like Professor Henry Louis Gates have been racially profiled and I stat uenequivocally it is the same thing as terrorism.
I am an attorney, an upstanding citizen, and a woman. In 1991, I was driving down Interstate 95 outside of Glen Burney, Maryland. ( i may be spelling this incorrectly) I was the driver, and in the passenger seat was my boyfriend. I was 24 years old at the time.
We had rented a car to take him back down to visit friends in College Park, Maryland. The rental car was a peice of garbage as I recall and I had difficulty driving safely at more than 60 miles per hour. We both agreed that I would go no faster than 60 miles per hour. The speed limit was 55 mph.
Suddenly, a police car with loud sirens appeared in my rearview mirror. I looked at my speedometer and noted that I was driving 57 miles per hour, so I pulled over to the next lane in order to let the patrol car pass, because in my mind, he could not have possibly meant to pull me over. He pulled behind me in the next lane. I pulled over again into the slow lane, he pulled behind me again. It was then that the light bulb went off and I realized that I was being pulled over by the cops.
The police officer jumped out the car and from the way he ran over to my car, I knew trouble was brewing. He yelled at my boyfriend to get out of the car and to lay spread eagle on the ground. He called me a stupid bitch and ordered me into the patrol car. Strangely, he put me in the front seat and not the back. At the time, I was in Law School and I was interning in the local District Attorney's office. As such, I had a badge or identification that looked like a badge anyway, which inciated that I was an employee of the District Attorney. It was in my wallet which I had in my jacket pocket.
In the patrol car he accused my of going 2 miles above the speed liimt. Ydep, 2 miles above the speed limit people. He was right. Ok I thought this guy was going to molest me. Then he began to tell me how black kids peddle drugs up and down the I-95 corrdior and that I look suspicious. Suspicious of what I thought. Perhaps I was suspcious of DWB, "driving while balck" I thought.
The fear that took over was overwhelming. I have experienced it one other time in my life and that was on 9/11 when 1 block away from my office a plane flew into the twin towers and people began jumping out of windows from the 100th floor. I was as terrified being in this cop car. I thought well, he can rape me, he can plant drugs on me, or he can shoot me and claim that I went for his gun. And guess what, everyone would give this no count racist the benefit of the doubt and he would probably be exhonerated.
I know he was a racist and I know he profiled me and you know how I know...because there was no reason for him to pull us over. We did nothing. Also, why was my race a part of his discussion. Why didn't I get a tcket if I was traveling over the speed limit. Worse yet, what did I look suspicious of.
I asked him if I could show him my identification and he said that I could reach into my pocket but slowly and that I better be careful. Well, I showed him my "badge". At once, he said are you law enforcement, I said yes. He said then you have a good day and get out of my car. I jumped out of that car and he sped off. I was so stupid and flabbergasted that it never dawned on me to get the patrol car # or his name, or badge number. I was just a kid and I was happy to be safe.
I couldn't drive after that and I cried all of the way to College Park wondering why does this happen to us. I was the victim of a terrorist attack.. I know this sounds crazy, but I am still afraid of white, male cops. They make me nervous and freightened.
So, unless it happens to you, never deny what someone else has said happened. I believe whole-heartedly that Professor Gates was racially profiled and treated inhumanely.