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Another black man has been murdered by a policeman after being stopped for a minor traffic violation. The unarmed victim, who had outstanding warrants due to unpaid child support, decided to resist the prospect of being arrested and while trying to escape, was brought down by gunfire. The question that continually arises in my mind is: WHY, with all of the publicity about how little value is placed on black lives by law enforcement officers with itchy trigger fingers and "take no prisoners" attitude, do black males who know they have targets on the their backs, confront or flee from the cops, risking a chance that they will be shot down like runaway slaves??? Maybe in the heat of the moment their lives don't even matter to them, and they decide to go down in a blaze of glory creating an incident that nowadays will elevate them to the martydom ranks. Becoming cannon fodder for policemen provides grist for the mill of a black population handcuffed by the frustration of being subjected to racism and injustice on a regular basis. I hate what America has become on so many levels. The only thing I'm grateful for is that I can withdraw from all of this BS into the sanctuary of my private world. Time to return to "Let Us Prey", the book I'm reading about yet another disillusioning thing in this world: religious enslavement.

About two weeks ago I was riding in the car with my son. We were pulled over by the cops. I could see in my rearview the dude was going to pull us over. I saw it as a great opportunity to teach my son about how to respond. As I pulled the car over I reached in my pocket and pulled out my Driver's License and Insurance card. I keep my stuff readily accessible when I'm driving. I had my son open my glove box (where I keep my registration right on top so I can get to it quickly, I explained why to him later) and I had all of my paperwork in my hand with both hands on the wheel with the window rolled down when the officer walked up. He didn't have to ask for anything, I didn't say anything smart and I didn't ask him why he pulled me over. None of that was important. What was important was 1. I knew I hadn't done anything wrong 2. I don't have anything on my record that would warrant any real drama I didn't say anything or make any strange eye contact with the cop so I minimized the interaction. The dude took all of the info to his car. I sat patiently. Had he said get out. I would have gotten out. Had he said turn around and put your arms behind your back, I would have done so. He didn't do any of this. He walked back up to the car, gave some bullshit excuse about why he pulled me over and gave me my stuff back. I pulled off and rolled the window back up. I explained to my son that your only job is to not talk unless asked a specific question. Have all of your paperwork ready when you're pulled over. You don't have to sir, but you say yes officer, no officer. Don't look at the cop sideways or with irritation, even if you know he is full of shit, just give the info. Keep your hands on the wheel and wait for him to finish. In short, don't resist, don't fight back, just keep it simple and straightforward. If it all goes to hell, it was going to anyway, but your job is to minimize the likelihood of it all going to hell. When I watch that video I see a dude who didn't have a dad who explained to him that the best thing you can do is be quiet and do what you're told. I explained to my son that my first priority is getting home to my family, not manning up to a guy with a badge and a gun.