My Conversation With A Union City GA Police Officer On The Eve Of A Martin Luther King Jr Day Protest March Over The Policy Shooting Of An "Unarmed Black Man"

(Early Sunday Morning)
 

I made a late night run to Wal-Mart after enjoying an evening out with some close family friends.
As I pulled up I saw two Union City GA patrol officers walking in to the Wal-Mart store.

As the K-9 officer left his vehicle his dog barked in protest of being left all alone, reminding me of how my dog used to do with me.  As I walked in the store I saw that they were sitting in the dining area of the "Subway" sandwich shop that was closed at the time, eating meals from McDonalds.  I went on about my business, shopping for the list of groceries that a house guest asked for so that she could "hook me up" with a dinner meal for tomorrow.

As I walked to the checkout area, despite having about 20 lanes only one was open at this time in the morning. As I pulled up to stand in line a middle-aged White man started talking to me about how inefficient this set up was.   "I am a business analyst and this makes no sense.  They can't open up a 'self-check out line' and allow this one guy run 4 registers?".

"What type of business analyst are you?", I asked him?
"I do ERP systems for mid-sized and small businesses.  We use Sage Software".
Hmmmmm.  I was just reading about Sage the other day for one of my clients.  I began to milk him for information.

He told me that many of his customers are purchasing Customer Relationship Management packages from his company (which was doing $100M in sales) and they are "buying these systems like crazy" in order to increase their sales efficiency.  He said that his company is a "Faith Based business".  I wan't quite sure what that meant.

As he went to check out with his purchase of 2 packs of Coke - he did not have his wallet.  After he searched I told him that I would take care of the bill, no problem.  (It was only $8).  He game me a hug and said "You're a good man.  Bless you."

I game him a piece of paper and asked him to write down his contact information.
This all worked out as I wanted to get his business card anyway in order to learn what his company was doing.
It is so obvious to me that the prime opportunity in today's economy is with automation to improve the efficiency of small and mid-sized businesses.  The large firms have an IT staff to service them.  These smaller companies need consultants to assist them in "business process re-engineering".

I gave me his contact information and promised to bring me by the office to show me what they do.
This was $8 well spent for me.
I just paid $8 for a "qualified lead" coupled with a bit of an obligation to "pay me back"

Engaging The Union City Policeman

As I walked out I saw that there was only one officer left in the Subway area.  It was the K-9 officer that I saw getting out of the SUV.  I turned my cart into the darkened area and asked him:  "Excuse me officer, what type of dog do you have out there?"

He said some breed that I had never heard of before.  I don't even remember what he said.

I asked him.  "Do you mind if I talk to you for a second? "  I started to pull a chair from the other table to sit between the two tables but he invited me to sit at his table.

I said something to the effect of: "I have been watching all of the news about the shooting that one of your officers was involved in a few weeks ago.  I hear the version of events in the news.  I hear your department's version.  I listen to Black people on the radio and holding rallies in Union City.  I want to understand more about what you see as a police officer in your interactions with the Black community.".

I won't go into details in trying to accurately reassemble what he said.  I was not recording his words.  I was less interested with his actual words but in understanding his mindset.  I wanted to talk as little about the specifics of the shooting as possible.  This was a discussion between "two equal men", not an interrogation". I had no "gotcha" questions or indictments in mind.

He said that Union City is a small, safe community.  They have domestic violence calls, shoplifting and those who choose to break into cars.
He pushed most of the "racial questions" that I asked back toward our commonality as "Children of God" and as "Americans". I sensed that he had the notion of a "universal, American" right and wrong.

"Can you tell me what a car thief looks like?"
"Can you tell me what a shoplifter looks like?"

As he talked about his upbringing - in response to my statements about how "Black talk radio" sees them as "White (racists), who have little understanding about the Black community and Black culture" - his reference was that of expecting a natural "respect for the law" from everyone.

When I made a statement regarding respect for HIM as an "officer of the law" - upon seeing a person who he asked to "stop" as they walked away from him - or asked to "pull up their pants" (pant's sagging), he corrected me - "No, respect for the law" - trying to remove himself from the equation.

He mentioned that the civilian population has a high set of expectations of the police.  When they as police run red lights (I assumed - turning on their lights to get through the intersection and then turning them off - I have seen this done several times) without cause, thus "violating the law", some civilians have it fused in their mind that they are no less corrupt than the common criminal.  "Some take pictures with their camera phones and send it in to the news if they could".

I got the sense that this officer - a White Christian male with conservative values of "right and wrong" had a particular world view that stemmed from his town in which (my words - "they kept their doors unlocked at night") and he sought to apply this norm to his patrol in Union City.   As such he enforced this high standard rather than showing willingness to dilute his worldview to fit the realities that are often present in a Black poor/middle class area.

My analysis is that it wasn't that "All Black people are criminals and we are looking for the exceptions" - as is the rhetoric that one might hear among some bomb throwers - it is more accurate to say that he and others have a particular world view, have "the law" spelled out for them and the "authority" to enforce it.  His assertion of how things should be in Union City with the elements listed above shaping his consciousness was his driving M.O..

He appeared protective of his police chief, affirming several times that he is an honorable man who would provide a report of the shooting incident that was fair.  He also mentioned that the officer involved in the shooting would "give anyone the shirt off of his back".     WE DID NOT TALK SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE CASE.  This was not my agenda.  I wanted to understand "the general consciousness" of this random patrol officer employed by the police department that is being focused upon because of this unfortunate and tragic situation.  

I noticed that as we were talking he said "Good evening" to most of the shoppers that were exiting the store, the majority of whom were Black females.  Though we was attentive to my discussion with him the motion of people walking by in the background triggered a response in the way of a greeting.

Also throughout the conversation he used several "parallels" to show that "We are not black.  we are not white - we are Americans" - using the white napkin and the black cellphone case to prove our real skin color is misaligned with the label.  Of course these simplistic examples can't cover the realities of our world.

He did talk about how when he had to confront young people on the "soft issues" (again pants sagging or seeking to investigate them in the context of suspicious behavior [note these are MY assumptions of his meaning]) the initial interactions with the "authority of 'the law' " dictated his response to the subject at hand.  Those who immediately protested his interaction with them merely amplified his curiosity.  [Again my insertion].

When 19 year old Ariston Waiters responded to the presence of a police officer by running - his actions made him an "interesting subject" in the context of a police officer pulling up on the scene.
It is also true that a police officer is required to note the context of the call that they are responding to.  Indeed it might be common for those in a particular community to evade the police because "the police mean trouble" for them.   Surely the presence of a dead body on the ground and the need to find the killer is a very different sub-plot than two females who were reportedly fist fighting on the streets.

Again I sensed the application of his own life experiences to these interactions.  In the realm of possible engagements from "the police as my friends" to the other extreme of "you (the police) are the problem" both he and the subject at hand wore the "uniform" of their race/class, social norms that were inculcated and their respective authoritative position.

He made it clear that beyond the badge that is issued to him is a human being that is also seeking to return home after his shift is over.

From my personal perspective the "pants sagging" fad, besides being the WORST EVER fashion statement EVER adopted en mass by (mostly) Black males - it also is an unspoken statement about rebellion and bucking authority.

This officer's consciousness was the antithesis of "sagging as a fashion statement".

Where are the churches in Union City on this matter of the shooting?
I asked him "Are the Black and White churches around the city working together to bridge any divide that this shooting my have brought forth?", I asked him.
"Oh, I don't know.  I don't attend a church in the city so I haven't been following this.

It is clear that in between the world of the "young people" in Union city and "The Law" that the police see themselves as the agent of enforcement the community needs an  intermediary that should be working on relationship building where more positive interactions can be synergized.

Analysis

The Casualty In The Long Running War WITHIN THE BLACK COMMUNITY

The honest citizens of Union City stand caught between two forces and they need to take the lead in establishing a long term vision for their community.

In the battle between "The Innocent, Hard Working People In Black Community - The Police -  The Street Pirates - The Civil Rights Pharisees"   it is the innocent people in the Black Community that always seem to bear the brunt of the burden.   In the case of Ariston Waiters - the 19 year old unarmed Black man, shot by a Union City police man he is just one more casualty in a long running battle of agendas.

I see little value in the "Angry Black Community Who Is 'Not Going To Take It Any More'" type of disposition with the police.   WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE PRIMARY VECTOR OF HOMICIDE FOR BLACK PEOPLE and assign EQUAL HUMANITY to the police officer and the young Black males who seem to be the subject of our stories - this "Angry Black Front" doesn't do a DAMNED THING to mitigate this primary vector of death for our people.   It merely ensures that this plague which has our Black population of 13% being represented as 50% of the homicides because of its DIVERSIONARY POWERS.

There is no doubt that the White conservative male police officer that I spoke with comes from a totally different culture than I -a self-proclaimed "Black (cultural) Conservator" comes from.   It is also true, however, that I come from a different cultural point of experience than did the late Ariston Waiters.  I have no plans to run from the police when they come on the scene.  (In truth I was more concerned that I had been drinking about an hour earlier just prior to going to the Wal-Mart).

I got the sense from the patrol officer that his task was to remain as the rather consistent agent of law enforcement, providing the "right or wrong" in the community - as authorized by the laws of the city of Union City and state of Georgia.

In the span between the family & community and "the law enforcement" is the void which fails to provide the proper "consciousness sculpting services" which allows so many of our young Black men to be derailed.   If this "White Conservative Police Officer" and those like him on the force were removed - must assuredly those who have an "angry front" would be made to comfort the "Black Women Crying On The Television News After Having Suffered A Loss Of A Loved One By A Street Pirate Who Was Not FINISHED". 

In watching this video about "Mass Incarceration" I hear the intent for  "Social Justice" ("work to let them all out" as the brother said ) but not community level HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT.

{Insert Video Here}

In fact I saw an instantiation of that which progressive-fundamentalist writer Christopher Hutchens was critical about the "White Religious Progressive" - but this time in Black face.

{Insert Video Here}

We  presently have the case where those who took political and cultural control over the Black Community are not quite ready to accept comprehensive responsibility of all of the outcomes that have transpired within.

When the "Cultural Development Function" supplants the need for the "State Sponsored Police Function" in the protection of the interests of the Black community then the incidents by which BOTH "Police Shoot Innocent Black People" in the extended aftermath of a police call AND the present over-representation of Black homicide victims in relation to our population numbers will be mitigated.

Those who like to DE-CONSTRUCT the streaming truth do so by having our people focused on INDIVIDUAL TRANSACTIONS that come before us each day.   They are expert in having our "Community Consciousness" focused on the 'OUTRAGE' that is most profitable to them.