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elleng

(131,144 posts)
Sun Nov 30, 2014, 07:43 PM Nov 2014

My Vassar College Faculty ID Makes Everything OK.

The fourth time a Poughkeepsie police officer told me that my Vassar College Faculty ID could make everything OK was three years ago. I was driving down Hooker Avenue. When the white police officer, whose head was way too small for his neck, asked if my truck was stolen, I laughed, said no, and shamefully showed him my license and my ID, just like Lanre Akinsiku. The ID, which ensures that I can spend the rest of my life in a lush state park with fat fearless squirrels, surrounded by enlightened white folks who love talking about Jon Stewart, Obama, and civility, has been washed so many times it doesn't lie flat.

After taking my license and ID back to his car, the police officer came to me with a ticket and two lessons. "Looks like you got a good thing going on over there at Vassar College," he said. "You don't wanna it ruin it by rolling through stop signs, do you?"

I sucked my teeth, shook my head, kept my right hand visibly on my right thigh, rolled my window up, and headed back to campus.

One more ticket.

Two more condescending lessons from a lame armed with white racial supremacy, anti-blackness, a gun, and a badge. But at least I didn't get arrested.

Or shot six times.

My Vassar College Faculty ID made everything okay. A little over two hours later, I sat in a closed room on Vassar's campus in a place called Main Building.

http://gawker.com/my-vassar-college-faculty-id-makes-everything-ok-1664133077

4 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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My Vassar College Faculty ID Makes Everything OK. (Original Post) elleng Nov 2014 OP
I read this earlier today and it's very much worth reading. CurtEastPoint Nov 2014 #1
Yes, will stay with me for a long time. elleng Nov 2014 #2
The old saying about walking in someone's shoes.... CurtEastPoint Nov 2014 #3
No such thing as white privelege? It can even be confired on another with a special ID.... marble falls Dec 2014 #4

marble falls

(57,275 posts)
4. No such thing as white privelege? It can even be confired on another with a special ID....
Mon Dec 1, 2014, 09:57 AM
Dec 2014

Thanks for posting this.

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