POTUS Obama may not address or challenge all the things the black community wants him to, but he does step up to the plate from time to time. Recently, he spoke to a room full of police officers and told them abou this experiences of being pulled over for ‘Driving While Black’.
President Obama was in Chicago speaking to the families of fallen police officers. There were approximately over 14,000 police chiefs in attendance, a very difficult room to speak truth in these days, but he did it anyway.
During the speech trying to express the need, appreciation for policing in communities across the world and fostering a more proactive, inclusive approach with the community to combat the violence, Obama got very frank when speaking about his experiences with the police.
This of course was before he had a Presidential motorcade escorting him everywhere he needs to go. He actually made mention to this, which was funny.
Obama Said:
“There were times when I was younger and maybe even as I got a little older, but before I had a motorcade — where I got pulled over. And I confessed… most of the time I got a ticket, I deserved it. I knew why I was pulled over. But there were times where I didn’t.
And as a report that came out just this week reminded us, there are a lot of African-Americans –- not just me — who have that same kind of story of being pulled over, or frisked, or something. And the data shows that this is not an aberration. It doesn’t mean each case is a problem. It means that when you aggregate all the cases and you look at it, you’ve got to say that there’s some racial bias in the system.
Now, problems of racial justice or injustice have been running themes throughout this country’s history, in every institution — in every institution. And, by the way, bias and stereotypes oftentimes go both ways. So eliminating bias is not something that falls on the police alone.
The good news is, our divides as not as deep as some would suggest. I will tell you I don’t know anybody in the minority community that does not want strong, effective law enforcement. I don’t know anybody who doesn’t want their kids to be safe when they’re walking to school or playing in a playground. Everybody should understand that police officers do a dangerous job.”
He did admit the job of police officers is a dangerous one and they need more resources, but something has to be done to bridge the gap between them and the community. Things cannot continue to happen as they are. We are losing too many young people to a force that is suppose to protect and serve.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gv3U7Q7FPW8
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