Hey Sharrieff, Thanks for sharing this nightmare with us. As I heard one of those Duke lacrosse players say, there are a lot of innocent people sitting in jail cells. As wierd as it sounds, you were lucky.
It's good that people share these stories. Privleged folks refuse to believe that this sort of thing happens all the time. Remmember when the 39th district police scandal surfaced? Something like a third of the innocent people had pled guilty via plea bargains. Many folks that get pulled in like you, recognize that our brutal failing criminal justice system is designed to serve the elite. Poor folks often realize that they must confess to crimes they did not commit because poor people are guilty until proven innocent. I'm going to vote for the candidate with a proven record, Fattah. He is the candidate most likely to care about all Philadelphians and not just sit around with corporate monopolists scheming about their visions. However, as a second reasonable choice, I was impressed by Nutter when he worked to set up the police advisory commission. I was present the day the cops rioted and beat up the Act up activists in honor of Bush the first. It was scary. Thanks again, Glenn ----- Original Message ----- From: S. Sharrieff Ali To: UnivCity@list.purple.com Sent: Tuesday, May 08, 2007 3:47 PM Subject: [UC] Stop-N-Frisk, Racial Profiling and Law Enforcement Peanut Butter, Jelly, and Bread..they go together too. Growing up in West Philadelphia over 40 years ago, in the magical 60's and 70's I witnessed racial profiling at it's peak. I am referring to the Frank Rizzo years. Stop-N-Frisk was a way of life for black men, any given time of the day we were pulled over in our cars, stopped walking on our way to dates, dressed in suits, it really didn't matter. I was walking to meet my father at his equipment garage, looking to get a few bucks to spend, I was about 15 years old and a good kid..not a trouble maker like I am today. On my way I was stopped by the police and thrown into a "paddy-wagon" (police van), hand-cuffed and detained for an hour in the dark locked van. When the van door finally opened, my hopes of being released soon turned to disappointment when 2 other kids my age were locked in with me, hand-cuffed as well. We were in the dark and steamy van together for approximately 20 minutes when the engine started and were moving at a fair rate of speed..sliding from side to side and then onto the floor..I remember thinking of my ancestors ride on the slave ships and how terrifying it must have been, we really didn't know what to expect next. We were taken to the 55th and Pine Street Police station and put into different cells. I sat in the cell for 2 hours without knowing why, not allowed to make a single phone call. I was then moved to an interrogation room where I asked my name, address and phone number. I was introduced to an officer who presented a report he asked me to sign, the report said I confessed to breaking into and robbing a local bar of cash! I asked if I could call my parents and I was told "Yes, after you sign this", I refused. I was left alone in the room for an hour and finally the door opened and I was told I could go free. When I stepped outside I found my brother, a Philadelphia Police Officer, and my mother waiting for me. Obviously there was a mistake, and I am sure as soon as my mother was contacted she called my brother. I will tell you, for a while, I thought I would be taken away and killed or somehow sent to jail for a very long time. For 20 years, this was a way of life for me, a loss of civil liberties reinforcing the idea that I was a 2nd-class citizen. Do we really want to see the "good ole days" come back? S ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.467 / Virus Database: 269.6.5/793 - Release Date: 5/7/2007 2:55 PM
