Sometimes A Jerk Is On Duty

A few years back I was involved in a family dispute and the police was called. Initially the police determined that there was no need to escalate the incident and they left the scene. About one week later two detectives show up at my door stating they wanted to talk to me. It was a Thursday and I happen to be home from work. I answered the door and let the detectives in. We stood in my kitchen and I spoke with them openly about the incident that took place a week earlier. They informed me that I had to go to the station with them to be fingerprinted because I had a warrant. I obliged, I had nothing to hide and wanted to cooperate. Coincidentally my daughter forgot her keys when she left for school that day. I informed the officers that my daughter was at school, she did not have a key and I would be the only person available to let her in the house when she returned at around 3:30 pm. She was twelve, it was around 11am and the police station was a five minute drive from my house, since I was only going to get fingerprinted I felt confident I would be home in time. I got dressed and followed the officers as they led the way to the elevator and down the seven floors to the lobby. I was not in handcuffs and followed the officers willingly. Once we exited the elevator, and there were some neighbors standing in the lobby, one of the police officers said in a loud whisper right in my ear but loud enough for the neighbors to hear “you better not act up because you’re under arrest”. I was startled by the comments as I looked him in the eye, I could see how his actions could arouse a quick tempered person; he was clearly trying to spark a reaction from me. My mood began to change and I made a conscious decision to remain calm, I did not want to get shot I didn’t know if I had a trigger happy cop. I followed the officers to their car and was driven to the precinct station.

I was then placed in an interrogation room where I recounted the events as I saw them and answered countless questions for approximately one hour. I asked if I was going to be put into jail they said no they just wanted to check my fingerprints, get my version of events and give me a court date. They asked me to sign a statement and I told them I would not sign anything they had my verbal statement. I requested to have the fingerprints taken because the officers explain they would have to check to see if I had any outstanding crimes against my prints and that would take time, I told the officers again that I needed to be home by 3:30 pm to let my daughter in the house. The officers mouthed the words expressing they would be done in time for me to get home to my child but I could tell by their attitude they did not mean it.

Traveling To Negril Or Just Going Home

The feeling was always there to explore my origins. I lived in America but I was not American, as a matter of fact I came to America in the most peculiar way. A sister of my mother on a visit to Jamaica saw me and decided to take me to America—“opportunity” was the reason. They said I could get in the United States what was not available in Jamaica.

We flew American Airlines and I arrived in New York August 1977 with much anticipation. I remember the golden wings that the pilot gave me as I exited the plane, at the time it had no significant meaning they were just wings a souvenir for flying American. I can remember the luggage carousel, the drive home from the airport and being fascinated with the bright lights, tall buildings, crossing the Whitestone Bridge into the Bronx everything seemed spectacular.

I didn’t realize what I was giving up yet but it started to slip away the moment I walked in the door to my new residence. America was not all shiny and pretty. I wanted to go back home but it was very far away.  It was often used as a punishment or threat, “if you don’t behave I’m going to send you back to Jamaica", and from what was described I knew I didn’t want to go there. My own memories of Jamaica and happiness began to fade and thoughts of poverty, ugliness, and crime replaced them, it became a place I feared. It sounded dreadful, people with no shoes, living in huts.  I became ashamed. Not only did I not want to go there but I didn’t want to be from there.

Destroying America

What Cheney is doing right now is trying to create a toxic situation for the American people but a win win situation for himself. By being the mouthpiece of the Bush Administration he could have successfully made it impossible to prosecute him without creating speculation that the administration is just trying to get back at him for speaking out. What is Cheney doing, we all know that he is willing to see the country get attacked again so that he and the Republicans can say “we told you so”. It is clear that his steps during the time he and Bush were in office has made Americans less safe abroad, what he is doing now is making us less-safe at home. 

We have had several incidents since Obama has taken office and we know who their leaders and spokes people are: Glen Beck, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Sarah Palin, they are out there ramping up the militias, skin heads, “pro-life” , etc—all the radical groups. This is what they have in common, they are fanatics who want to create chaos and overthrow the government. They believe that America is for the white Christian people, and will do anything to see that happens including terrorist actions as we have seen in the past weeks. They are not labeled as terrorists because they are citizens, but they speak freely against the government and incite others into action. They hide behind free speech when one tries to tie their hateful rhetoric with some of these radicals. Talk about an abuse of the constitution.