Mayor de Blasio: " we tell our mixed race son about the "special care" he must take re: police"

[dixiegrrrrl]

At the exact same time today when NYC Mayor De Blasio called for calm protests, over the Eric Garner decision,
he said THIS at the same news conference:

At a news conference early Wednesday evening, the mayor said he and his wife, who is black, have spoken to their son for years
about the "special care" he must take when he meets police, who are there to protect the public.

He ADMITS the cops cannot be trusted to treat his son fairly, that they can be dangerous.

He KNOWS how widespread and serious the problem is, and has known, "for years".

Is he calling for a change in the NYPD??????
I have not heard of any.

My flabber is definitely gasted.

[LittleBlue]

1. My understanding is that many black mothers do this

for their sons. It might sound weird, but it isn't uncommon. He can change the NYPD all he wants, doesn't mean his son won't face relatively more danger when dealing with police than a white person.

[HappyMe]

2. The problem is is that he

can call for change in the nypd, but he can't change each officer's attitude. The brute cops will have to be weeded out and not protected by other cops and their superior officers.

[Indydem]

3. I just don't understand why this is a race thing.

My parents, from a very young age, stressed to me to always obey a police officer, no matter how stupid or petty their commands may be.

Never make sudden motions or act in a way that could be interpreted as threatening.

There is a time to complain about a police officers actions; that time is not while under suspicion or sitting along the side of a road at night.

I just don't get it. Aren't "white folks" teaching their kids that the police have lethal force at their disposal, and you should shut your smart mouth and do as they say?

[B2G]

4. I certainly did. nt

[ScreamingMeemie]

5. Why this is a "race thing."

Because, if I get stopped by a police officer in a gas station and he tells me to get out of the car and asks for my registration, he's not going to shoot me if I reach in to grab it.

Because, if my son is walking down the street with his hands in his pockets, he's not going to be questioned by a cop about it (9.5/10 times) merely because of his skin color.

I don't have to teach my son how to stand when talking to a police officer, how to use his hands, etc.


Two stories in my life, where I got away without getting shot:

I yelled at an airport cop who was telling us to move along when we had just pulled up to drop off my brother the day my grandpa died. I wasn't shot.

The day my husband died, I full-on punched a cop in the gut to get to my husband's car. No shots were fired that day either. If I was black, I'm not so sure the result would have been the same.

When a white kid "mouths off," he's probably going to get in trouble, but not in dead kind of trouble.

I cannot say the same for a black kid.

[HappyMe]

6. There it is.

I don't understand people that say that this isn't a race thing.

[JI7]

9. exactly, recognizing people are humans

a child with a gun, acting tough etc is most likely a child playing . anger after a horrible personal loss is about grief.

none of these things makes someone a thug, a threat , etc .

[noiretextatique]

7. you don't understand

that black males are targeted by police in a way that you are not? do you think "being polite" would have saved mike brown's life? or eric garner's? or tamir rice's?

[Indydem]

11. I DO Understand.

I understand that black males are targeted, and often times receive poorer treatment at the hands of police than whites.

However, I keep reading all of these stories (DeBlasio, Levar Burton) where parents of black children are telling their children to listen to police, be polite, do as they are told, don't make any sudden moves, as if they are an exception, not the norm. That blows my mind.

As for is "being polite" would have saved lives, yes, I do believe that.

Mike Brown - How many times have I read on this site that Mike Brown was killed because he pissed off Wilson by not showing proper deference, and that led to the conflict? So if you believe that, (I do not, but for the sake of argument) what set Wilson off? A plethora of politeness? No.

Eric Garner - I've watched the video. Eric Garner is angry and frustrated at the police. He has no interest or intention of acting politely and doing as they ask. Had he done as they asked, there would have been no need for a choke hold, and no need for him to die. I absolutely 100% believe that Eric Garner's death was unjustified and that police officer should have been charged. But politeness and patience may have avoided the situation.

Tamir Rice, John Crawford, and others - No. Politeness couldn't have avoided what are so clearly police overreactions as a result of dickbags calling in to 911 with trumped up threats. I mourn for them, and I genuinely hope that in Tamir's case that officer goes to jail for the rest of his life... 2 fucking seconds...

[arcane1]

14. There was no need for a choke hold AT ALL! That's why NYPD banned its use.

[noiretextatique]

8. a handy guide

[JI7]

12. you left out those that bring up al sharpton, jesse jackson, oj simpson

[noiretextatique]

17. that needs to be added eom

[steve2470]

10. I've walked around at 3 AM, when I could not sleep....

Last edited Wed Dec 3, 2014, 10:42 PM - Edit history (1)

If I was a black man, I'd be willing to bet serious money I WOULD have been stopped and questioned. No one said boo to me. At all. Middle aged white guy here.

[bhikkhu]

13. i do what they say, hoping I'll get a smaller ticket or just a warning

That's a different thing from doing what someone tells you because they might just kill you for no good reason. Real and justified fear for your life doesn't always lead to rational responses. Can you teach your kids to respect someone who has a gun in his hand and is looking for any excuse to use it?

[dixiegrrrrl]

15. I may be able to explain it to you

but I can't understand it for you.

[TheKentuckian]

16. What I don't understand is why this dynamic is acceptable.

What is the win other than for the select few?

Why the hell would this be okay?