Recently, I got pulled over for speeding for the first time. I’m 18, and was caught going 25 miles an hour over the speed limit (65 in a 40, oops). I was merely let go with a “slow down, be safe, have a nice day.” Last time I checked, 25 miles over the speed limit is pretty problematic, especially if you’re working a minimum wage job and can’t afford a $300 ticket.
Of course, the whole ordeal in itself was a little unnerving. Seeing the flashing lights in your rearview, having to hand over your papers and license, the nervous waiting period while the officer decides if you need a ticket or not. Wondering where the hell you’re going to get $300 to pay for such a huge ticket.
For me, however, it wasn’t nearly as scary as I expected. The officer saw an old citation in my glove box, and asked where and when I got it from. I told him it was a warning for something stupid, he laughed, and we had a brief conversation about which cops are understanding of our circumstances and which ones are not. I mentioned that my boss’ girlfriend is a cop, and he said he knew of her. Maybe it was the connection to my boss and her girlfriend, maybe it was the low-cut shirt I had on, but for whatever reason, the exchange between the officer and I went smoothly, even pleasantly, despite my speeding issues. In fact, he was so involved in our conversation that he forgot to give my license back, and had to stop me again, a few yards down the road, to return it. The fact that the insurance card I handed him had expired a year ago was never even mentioned, and neither was the expired inspection sticker on my windshield. I suppose it’s notable to mention that I’m a white female. Caucasian. Pale as they come. “Whiter than sour cream,” some would say.
Unfortunately, we all know that the same would not have happened had I been black, or Latinx, or Indian, what have you. If black youth are getting shot in the streets for walking, what’s going to happen to one who gets caught driving nearly double the speed limit? If children are getting forcibly dragged out of classrooms for normal adolescent behavior, what’s going to happen if they run the risk of hitting another car going as fast as I was? What if he had yanked me out of my car for “resisting” or for taking too long to get my license out? America’s disdain towards POCs is nothing short of problematic, and to dive into where that stems from, how it affects POC, and what consequences it has had over the course of our history is not my place to tell, given my light skin and fair hair.
What I can say, however, is that I’m sorry for what we’ve done. I’m sorry we’ve dehumanized every race but our own. I’m sorry for the Three-Fifths Compromise, I’m sorry that my ancestors ever considered you to be ‘three fifths of a person.’ I’m sorry that textbooks are being changed to say that all the Africans who were forced to come to America was “immigration for work” rather than unspeakably horrible inhumane slavery. I understand that white supremacy is a real thing, that reverse racism is not, and that systematic racism in America’s government is becoming a serious issue. I understand that saying #BlackLivesMatter is not enough, and that we need more radical change than a trending hashtag, that being and proclaiming publicly that we are allies is a good place to start but still not enough. I understand that white people as a whole, even queer white people have it infinitely better than queer POCs. I understand that we have messed up, royally.
I’m sorry that police officers don’t target me. I’m sorry that I was chatted up by a friendly cop, and that if it had been you, you may have been shot. I’m sorry that’s even considered a reasonable thing for police officers to do, in any circumstance. I’m especially sorry that white privilege still brings us (whites) as many unfair advantages as it does, as many passes for illegalities as it does, as many job opportunities and pay raises as it does. You would think that as time progresses, as society becomes more advanced and people find themselves capable of having more empathy for those around them, systematic racism and hate crimes would be on their way out. Unfortunately this is not the case, and with people like Trump running for president it may not be the case for quite a while.
This presents a sort of call to action for whites: we must present ourselves as allies and supporters and fight those who still believe that skin color dictates your place in the social hierarchy. #BlackLivesMatter is a good start, but obviously we need more. However this is shown in your school/home/workplace/community is up to you, of course, I can’t tell you how to present yourself and neither can anyone else. The bottom line, however, is that we need change and we need it now. Whites need to use their position in society to the advantage of anyone other than themselves, even with something as small as speeding tickets.
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