Law and order – it’s the premise that the American justice system is built on. But what happens when the law is out of order? What happens when the law only sees the color of a man’s skin and not the concept of innocent until proven guilty? What happens when the law makes the judgment call of guilty before order can step in?
What happens is the death of people of color at the hands of overzealous law enforcers. What happens is a man is held on the ground by his neck until he stops breathing (George Floyd). What happens is a man is shot in the back over and over again while walking away from police for a simple probation violation (Jacob Blake). What happens is a man (innocent until proven guilty) violently pummeled by a law officer for refusing to present his ID (Roderick Walker). Mind you, Walker wasn’t even driving the car that was pulled over for a broken taillight.
Indeed, law and order is out of order, especially when it comes to people of color. But it’s nothing new, unfortunately. However, there are solutions, solutions, though that will take time and a concentrated effort to retool police departments that will actually protect and serve.
Many of these incidents of “guilty by color” are happening during traffic stops. As a result, we have put together a list of rules to help people of color not only avoid contact with police while driving but also to school them on how to conduct themselves during a traffic stop. It’s vital to not only understand your rights but also to understand the culture of law enforcement in present-day American. So here it is: (Driving While Black) DWB: Rules to Survive.
