Routine Traffic Stops

How many of us have been pulled over by the police and felt that they were stopped for no reason? How many of us have been pulled over and proceeded to argue with the "officer" that stopped us? How many of us have been pulled over and lied to the "officer" about why we were speeding, failing to use a turn signal, etc? Well, I read this really "interesting" article on yahoo this morning where police offer some friendly advice on what not to say to them when you get pulled over.

Upon seeing those flashing lights in your rearview and/or sideview mirrors keep in mind these:

"Friendly Tips"
1. Don't Argue.
They say that arguing with them is the same as calling them idiots. Obviously they have caught you breaking the law so you should just accept it.

2. Don't Lie.
Officers are trained to detect "human characteristics of lying" and they also know how to ask questions to make you slip up and get caught in a lie. If you tell the truth you are more likely to be "set free."

3. Avoid calling them negative names (such as pig & oppressor) and avoid pet names (such as baby, sweetheart, honey, etc.)
Police like for you to remember that they are "Officer" to you.

4. Be Polite.
Don't talk over them and don't try to get the last word in.

5. Avoid Nervous Behavior.
Police are already on high alert to protect themselves so after being pulled over, don't reach in your pockets, glove compartment, under your seat, or arm rests until being asked to get your license, registration, and in some cases, proof of insurance.



I started writing this blog at about 7:30pm and I had planned on taking this topic in a direction that was completely opposite from the article on yahoo. The officers who volunteered their advice for that article came across as rude and mightier than thou which made fueled my intentions of being as much of a smart ass as I could. The truth is, I strongly dislike the police. If history has taught me nothing else, I've learned that the police and the government that establishes our departments place themselves on a pedestal high above the people they are supposed to serve and protect. Most of the police I have ever come in contact with are pricks who spend more time on traffic enforcement than they do working to lower our crime rates. That was my opinion of ALL police...

...but it is now 2:39am and I had the most coincidental thing happen to me about an hour ago which changed my point of view slightly. I was leaving a 7-11 around the corner from where I stay and after sitting at a red light (with a no turn on red sign) for almost 10 minutes, I decided to just make the right turn anyway. Hey, it was 1:30am and there was no traffic coming and I was just trying to get home. Well, right after I made that right hand turn I passed a police officer coming in the opposite direction who proceeded to make a U-turn and pull me over. Upon approaching my car, he asked me to place both of my hands outside of the vehicle, which I did, and at that point I thought this was going to turn into an ugly situation. He said thank you and approached the driver side window, where he asked me if I knew why he was stopping me. Of course, I knew why he did so I said yes and he asked me why I made the turn anyway. I told him that I had been sitting there for 10 mins and the person I was in the car with had gallstones and was in excruciating pain so I was just trying to get both of us back home safely. He asked if he needed to call an ambulance before he took my license and registration. He walked away and was gone for maybe 5 minutes before he returned and told me that if I had lied and told him I didn't know I couldn't turn or I didn't know why he was stopping me, he would have given me a ticket but because I was honest with him he was just going to let me go with a warning. He told me to wait next time and to have a goodnight.

This was the first time since I have been driving that I actually got pulled over by a pleasant cop. He didn't talk down to me, he didn't show any aggression, and he definitely didn't seem to be on that pedestal every other cop I've encountered had placed themselves on. The timing of that traffic stop amazed me so I was inspired to finish this entry before I went to bed.

MY ADVICE:
The next time you look in your mirror and see those flashing lights, do yourself a favor and follow the advice these officers gave you. You never know what you will encounter. I'm definitely not saying that my ONE encounter tonight will change my perception of law enforcement officials, but I can say that it opened my mind to the idea that not ALL cops are out to attack you. However, there will still be times when you get pulled over because of some stereotype, be it your race, how old you look, or the color of your car, so I do advise EVERYONE to know their rights in traffic stop situations because for every 1 legitimate traffic stop, there may be 10 illegitimate stops. In order to preserve your freedom and exercise your rights, you have to know what the police can and can't get away with. Check out www.lawfirms.com for more information.

*~Writers Ink.~*

Want to share a similar experience or voice your opinion on this blog? Feel free to comment, email me at writers_inkorporated@yahoo.com, or send me an IM!


SIDENOTE:
All pictures can be linked back to the original website they were found on by clicking on the photo & the orignal yahoo article can be found at http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/110666/what-not-to-say-when-pulled-over-by-a-cop

Quick Question...

Today is Labor Day....

But What Are YOU Celebrating?

"I have advocated and I still advocate revolutionary change"

I just finished reading Assata Shakur's book, Assata: In Her Own Words and since I was already an Assata supporter, this didn't take me long to get through. As always, her spirit and her words encouraged me to get involved with the movement. What movement you ask? The REVOLUTIONARY MOVEMENT.

This PEACE of literature is compiled of letters and memoirs that she has written over the years; many of which I believe are an attempt to uplift the community. She talks about her trial, the events that led up to her being arrested, and the aftermath of her escape from prison. She shines light on her side of the story and the inconsistent reports and testimony of the officers involved in the shoot out which left State Trooper Werner Forrester dead. The New Jersey State Government wrote a letter to Pope, hoping to get him to convince Fidel Castro to let the U.S. extradite Shakur back to the States to serve out her sentence during his trip to Cuba. Their letter was never made public, however, she wrote a letter to the Pope in response to what she assumes they said and that letter was included in the book. She does include a few statistics so if you're really interested in numbers for research purposes, then a pen and paper would come in handy.

Some of the information is repetitive, but that is to be expected when you have several writings that were done at separate times all combined into one book. Evelyn A. Williams wrote the "Statement of Facts in the New Jersey Trial of Assata Shakur" and that portion of the book, in my opinion, is wordy. She has a lot of sentences that seem to be rambling but if you can get past the intro then the rest of the book is smooth sailing.

I would recommend this book to everyone who is interested in educating yourself. The light she shines on the judicial system and the state of racism is remarkable. It is a must read!

Purchase The Book Here

Have you read the book? Do you have any questions? Please feel free to share your opinion or ask me any questions you may have!

*~Writer's Ink~*

5 Years Later

August 29, 2010 marked the 5 year anniversary since Hurricane Katrina devastated the southern states of Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Katrina was one of the strongest storms to impact the coast of the United States in the last 100 years. The strong winds, heavy rain, and minimum central pressure brought with it chaos and destruction that we will probably never forget.

Hurricane Katrina began as a tropical depression 175 miles southeast of the Bahamas on August 23, 2005 and turned into a tropical storm overnight. By the time it reached Florida on the 25th, it had become a category 1 hurricane with sustained winds of 80mph and gusts that passed 90mph. As it blew through Florida, it brought with it flooding and substantial damage and it took the lives of 14 people on its exit. After passing through Florida, it mixed with the warm water in the Gulf of Mexico, increasing wind speeds. On the 28th, wind speeds had increased to 175mph and the National Hurricane Center warned that coastal storm surge flooding could rise up as high as 28 feet and that some of the levees in New Orleans may not be able to withstand the pressure. On Monday August 29, its center was about 90 miles southeast of New Orleans and when it finally passed through the destruction it left behind was catastrophic. All factors of the storm is what caused a rise in Lake Pontchartrain and the strain the water pressure put on the levees is what finally caused them to fail on August 30, 2005. The events that took place after the levees gave way is what makes this natural disaster even more tragic; New Orleans was flooded which left the entire city virtually under water. (All information broken down and taken from www.ncdc.noaa.gov)

Monetary damages to homes an businesses caused by Hurricane Katrina are said to be over $125 billion and the death toll is around 1833 people and that number doesn't include the hundreds of people still unaccounted for (www.ncdc.noaa.gov pg 3).

Death Toll By State:
Louisiana - 1,577
Mississippi - 238
Florida – 14
Georgia – 2
Alabama – 2

The lack of response by our government to help their own people was appalling. Anyone looking in from the outside would think that these people were left to die. They went days without food, water, or medical help. Some spent days on rooftops and others spent days on rafts, boats, or any other item they could use as a flotation devices. People were being held at gun point by the police for "luting" when they were trying to get groceries out of the store. Thousands of people were moved to the Super Dome and held there without any kind of proper security measures. FEMA was given the job of checking all houses and business for bodies and many of those buildings marked as having no dead bodies found inside, had actually not been searched. What kind of government would label and treat their own citizens as refugees? The kind of government that always comes to the aid of countries devastated by natural disasters and the kind of government who will interfere in other countries conflicts. What happened to taking care of home first?

So here we are 5 years later and what is the progress like? Well, the population in many places have been cut drastically and many houses and buildings still have yet to be rebuilt. According to The Urban Times, Louisiana residents are located in more than 5,500 cities across the nation and tens of thousands of people are paying rent on places that are out of their budget because affordable housing is not available to them. A CBS news story which covered the 5 years after Katrina said that Plaquemines Parish, who felt the wrath of Katrina first, is the last to be rebuilt. CBS News correspondent Michelle Miller reported that 15,000 people occupied housing on the Parish's south and east ends before Katrina but now it is only 3,500; 700 of those people are still living in FEMA trailers or mobile homes. In fact, "the bulk of the more than $600 million in federal recovery money has gone to the more populated north section of the parish leaving those in the lower section feeling neglected," reports Miller (CBS Article).

While progress is still being made to rebuild these cities, many places still remain untouched. Government funding has fallen short on multiple occasions to support rebuilding of homes and businesses. For example, according to The Urban Times, Louisiana's "Road Home" project, which was designed to rebuild damaged homes, was short of $35,000 that was needed to fund rebuilding. Its seems to me that when the cameras and news reporters are gone disasters such as Katrina go on to be forgotten the longer they are out of sight.

I encourage everyone to remember the faces of despair that you first saw during the initial coverage because those same faces may be residents that still need our help to rebuild. There are still volunteer groups and projects that still need people to donate their time and help. Let's not forget our neighbors and fellow citizens because one day you could be in the same situation.

*For full length articles, statistics, and facts, all links can be followed by clicking on the highlighted areas! Pictures are linked to their original website, to visit the site, just click on the pictures*


Are you a Katrina survivor? Do you know someone who is? Maybe you just have a blog idea or want my opinion on something. Feel free to email me your stories at writers_inkorporated@yahoo.com, IM me, or comment directly on the blog!