> > > > > > > > ** > [image: Tyler > Perry]<http://my.tylerperry.com/page/m/489698f9/38d3505/37db4df/1118bc2c/222906156/VEsH/> > > > Hey guys, > > A few days before President Obama was supposed to speak at my studio, I > was leaving the studio, headed to the airport. Most times when I leave the > studio I have an unmarked escort. Other times I constantly check in my > rearview mirror to be sure that I'm not being followed. It’s a safety > precaution that my security team taught me. As I got to an intersection, I > made a left turn from the right lane and was pulled over by two police > officers. I pulled the car over and put it in park. Then, I let the window > down and sat in the car waiting for the officer. The officer came up to the > driver’s door and said that I made an illegal turn. I said, "I signaled to > get into the turning lane, then made the turn because I have to be sure I’m > not being followed." He said, “why do you think someone would be following > you?” > > Before I could answer him, I heard a hard banging coming from the > passenger window. I had never been in this position before so I asked the > officer who was at my window what was going on and why is someone banging > on the window like that. He said, “let your window down, let your window > down. Your windows are tinted.” As I let down the passenger window, there > was another officer standing on the passenger side of the car. He said, > “what is wrong with you?” The other officer said to him, “he thinks he’s > being followed.” Then, the second officer said, “why do you think someone > is following you? What is wrong with you?” > > Before I could answer the officer on the passenger side, the one on the > driver's side had reached into the car and started pulling on the switch > that turns the car on and off, saying, “put your foot on the brake, put > your foot on the brake!” I was so confused as to what he was doing, or what > he thought he was doing. It looked like he was trying to pull the switch > out of the dashboard. I finally realized that he thought that switch was > the key, so I told him that it wasn’t the key he was grabbing. I reached > down into the cup holder to get the key, not realizing that the key had a > black leather strap on it. As I grabbed it they both tensed up and I > dropped it as I heard my mother’s voice from when I was a little boy. > > My mother would always say to me, “if you get stopped by the police, > especially if they are white policemen, you say ‘yes sir’ and ‘no sir’, and > if they want to take you in, you go with them. Don’t resist, you hear me? > Don’t make any quick moves, don’t run, you just go.” My mother was born in > 1945 into a segregated hotbed town in rural Louisiana. She had known of > many colored men at the time who were lynched and never heard from again. > Since I was her only son for ten years, growing up she was so worried about > me. It wasn’t until after I heard her voice that I realized that both of > these officers were white. > > The officer on the driver's side continued to badger me, “why do you think > someone is following you?” I then said, “I think you guys need to just > write the ticket and do whatever you need to do.” It was so hostile. I was > so confused. It was happening so fast that I could easily see how this > situation could get out of hand very quickly. I didn’t feel safe at all. > But one officer stopped his questioning and said, “we may not let you go. > You think you’re being followed, what’s wrong with you?” At this point, I > told him that I wanted to get out of the car. I wanted the passersby to > see what was happening. > > As I stepped out of the car another officer pulled up in front of my car. > This officer was a black guy. He took one look at me and had that “Oh No” > look on his face. He immediately took both officers to the back of my car > and spoke to them in a hushed tone. After that, one of the officers stayed > near his car while one came back, very apologetic. > > I said all of that to say this: do you see how quickly this could have > turned for the worse? > > Now I know that there are many great officers, patrolmen and security guys > out there. I am aware of that. But although we have made significant > strides with racial profiling in this country, the world needs to know that > we are still being racially profiled, and until this situation has improved > greatly, I’m not sure how a murder in Florida can be protected by a “stand > your ground law.” > > And in another case that I have been screaming at the top of my lungs > about, also in Florida, is the case of Terrance Williams and Felipe Santos, > a young black man and a young Mexican man. Eight years ago, in Naples, FL, > they were both put in the back of Deputy Steve Calkins' police car and > never heard from again. > > They were never arrested, never brought to jail. They were put into the > back of Deputy Calkins' car and never heard from again. And to this day > Deputy Steve Calkins is a free man. > > I guess it's time to march in Naples now. > > RACIAL PROFILING SHOULD BE A HATE CRIME INVESTIGATED BY THE FBI!!! > > That way local government can’t make the decision on whether or not these > people get punished. > [image: Tyler] > > > > > > > > This email was sent to: *[email protected]* > > > <http://my.tylerperry.com/page/m/489698f9/38d3505/37db4df/1118bc2d/222906156/VEsE/> > <http://my.tylerperry.com/page/m/489698f9/38d3505/37db4df/1118bc2a/222906156/VEsF/> > <http://my.tylerperry.com/page/m/489698f9/38d3505/37db4df/1118bc2b/222906156/VEsC/> > >
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