I've written/deleted/rewritten a post about Sandra Bland a half dozen times since I saw her bullshit arrest video. I just can't wrap my head around it.
Yes, if she were nicer, the cop might have let her off with a warning for her traffic violation. But I am getting sick and tired of this notion that everybody should have to tiptoe around the police because you never know if the officer your dealing with is a psychotic asshole on a power trip that's going to escalate a minor infraction into an arrest just because he can.
Absolutely nothing Sandra Bland said made her deserving of the treatment she got. NOTHING. She was asked a question. She answered it. But even if she had told the officer to go blow himself, his only response should have been to either give her the damn ticket or let her go. There was no reason whatsoever for him to threaten to "light her up" or order her to extinguish her cigarette or even order her out of her car in the first place. If he's got a tiny penis and needs to aggressively order people around to feel like a big man, that's his fucking problem and he should leave that shit at home instead of forcing it on the people he's supposed to be serving and protecting.
Ugh.
I'm getting ready to explode all over again because of this never-ending cycle of out-of-control police brutality. But rather than erase yet another post, I'm just going to let Larry Wilmore take it from here...
Yes, yes, I know... most cops are good. Only a few cops are bad. Yadda yadda yadda.
But what does it matter when crap like this is even possible?
Make whatever excuse you want. Put all the blame on her you want. But ultimately Sandra Bland was jailed for three days and counting because she didn't kiss a police officer's ass enough.
And now she's dead because of it.
Where were those sworn to protect and serve her while she was in their care?
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Your post is spot on. And so was Larry Wilmore’s segment. This shit needs to be addressed. The victim shaming and blaming that goes on and on, with people supporting cops at any cost, regardless of their lack of professional behavior, bothers me on so many levels.
If I become aggressive at work with a customer, I’m sure I’m going to get written up for it and possibly fired. So why is it acceptable and passable for a tax-paid employee to treat people this way and get a pass for it?