A Traffic Stop
GMB for April 2023 Newsletter
A sign like this one may help to explain the concept of privilege. As a part of “oncoming traffic” you could be oblivious to the fact that you and the drivers headed in the same direction are enjoying a benefit. You still have to stop at this intersection at times. You still cope with construction and concerns about being late. There’s no sign explaining the advantage you get from your side either. If, however, you come at it from the other direction or just count the seconds, it’s obvious. No one would argue the point then.
Waiting for the light to change delays our progress. Having to do it less often offers the opportunity to go a greater distance in the same time. Those who are disadvantaged by being held back are keenly aware of the disparity. This type of privilege, however, is reversed for most travelers on their return trip, as they then wait for others.
Being the subject of a traffic stop, also inconveniences a driver. It’s easy to regard policing as uniform and fair when such stops are described as “random.” It was, that is, until in many places police officers were required to wear body cameras. After that, on an alarmingly frequent basis, we began to see footage of fatal encounters with unarmed black motorists across the country. From the perspective of those who have been disproportionately stopped and suspected, and for whom these are far from isolated events, it’s obvious that it isn’t fair. What would be a rare inconvenience for one driver becomes a repeated, potentially life-threatening experience for another.
The Privilege built into White Supremacy results in unjust systems, corrupt institutions, no matter how honorable the intentions of many who work within them. The opportunity for abuse of power is inherent. The phrase, “a few bad apples” attempts to divorce the actions of individuals from the institution. But authorities charged with “policing” their own rarely do so unless forced to by the glare of publicity. Whether in the priesthood, law enforcement, or the judiciary, the primary concern is for the image of the group, sympathy for group members, and retaining power. This overrides the need for transparency and accountability again and again. It must stop. Most changes require us to do more than wait.
