Racism.

Last night i finally got the first shock of my life. I am used to people staring at me and my boyfriend like we are ruining the world. I am used to cops following us around grocery stores because they assume we are criminals. I am used to people telling me i am going to hell because i am dating a black guy. I am especially used to the people who pretend they accept it when they actually don't. But last night was the first time that we actually got harassed because we are together. And, little do the cops know, this is leading to a lawsuit.

Me and my boyfriend went to a gas station around 1 am this morning because he wanted some nachos and i was thirsty. We go to this gas station all the time because it has the best snacks, we go so much we actually know the people that work there. When we pulled up, there were three cop cars in the parking lot. Two of them were leaving as we were walking in. The whole time we were in there, the chief of police (that's who the last cop car was for) stared my boyfriend up and down like he was the worst person on the planet. When we left, we went to the light by the gas station to wait for the green light so we could go home. As we sat there, we saw the two cop cars that had just leave actually come all the way down back the street and pull into the shopping center right across the street from us, they parked on either side of a taco bell that's in the parking lot and just sat there. As i got my green light, i pulled onto the street in between us and one of the cop cars pulled out behind us. We both knew then something was up. Then, i got into a turn lane (that doesn't really turn it just merges onto the road?) and waited for the green light before going, and as soon as i did they turned on there lights and pulled us over. I pulled into the shopping center and then the other cop car drived across the parking lot and pulled in front of my car. The cop car behind us immediately shined a ridiculously bright spotlight on my car and told me to step out. I did, and then the lady who was driving proceeded to ask me all these ridiculous questions. She asked for my information, and i gave her my license but told her i didn't have time to get my registration or insurance because she told me to get out of the car. She said it didn't matter, she didn't need it. (Since when on a routine stop DON'T you need that?) I asked her why we got pulled over, and she just kept asking me questions. She asked were i lived, who's car it was, were i was going, were i was coming from (as if they didn't know we were JUST at the gas station), etc. The whole time though, two guy cops were kind of near my boyfriend who was just sitting in the passengers seat. One of the cops actually was black, but he left once he talked to my boyfriend for a second, and once he left, the other White guy cop asked my boyfriend to step out of the car. The lady asked if i had anything in the car and i told her no, why would we? She asked to search it, and i told her no, i knew i had the right to say no, but i really didn't see how using any of my rights would help me out in this situation. I asked her if they had something against my boyfriend and she said no, it was routine!?! She asked if i had anything on me, but but i told her no so she left me alone and started looking in my car. Then i saw my boyfriend get put up against my car, legs spread wide, and saw him searched so thoroughly that they even made him take off his shoes. They asked for his ID (and i knew why, to see if he was in any trouble so they could take him in. GUESS WHAT! HE DOESN'T!!) but he didn't have it. Didn't think he needed it since we were just making a quick run to the gas station. Then, after being searched like we were crack dealers, he put my boyfriend in the back of the cop car! I gave the man a funny look, he asked me what was wrong and i said i wanted to know why they put him in the back seat, he said for precautions. (Really? They just searched him, and he was nice to the cops the entire time.. since when did he give them any reason to get harassed like this?) and then they finished searching my car. Then she said that the reason i was pulled over (finally I'm getting an answer since they didn't find shit in my car!) was cause i didn't use a turn signal? So all this for a turn signal? Really ? Then why didn't she care about the insurance or registration? Whatever. I said okay and then turned and didn't move until they let my boyfriend out of the back seat. We both got in the car, and all my boyfriend could say was he felt violated. Really, i felt violated for him. I don't think me or my boyfriend have ever been treated like that. Getting looks from random people is one thing, getting harassed like this is an ENTIRELY different. Later my boyfriend told me that the white cop asked him what was wrong before pulling him out of the car, he told him that we didn't have money to pay for a ticket since we have a baby on the way. The white cop goes "why do you think your getting a ticket" and he goes "well, we did just get pulled over."

When i told my mom about it the next day, i almost started crying because of the whole thing. I felt violated, not just for me but for my boyfriend. Why should we have to deal with this in our lives just because we are together? How am i supposed to raise a mixed baby and teach him that race doesn't matter when to so many people it still does? How am i supposed to teach him to not look at peoples color when in the end it affects the whole entire world. It really hurts me, and that is why i am suing the BR police department, not because of what we had to go through, but also because if i stand up for me and my boyfriend then this world will change a little, and that way my child can grow up knowing to keep his head up and fight for his rights. I can't completely change the world, but i can make a little of a difference.

I just wish i had gotten there badge numbers, but there always at that gas station, so i plan on getting them. My parents are so mad because they see my boyfriend as family, so my mom has talked to people at a law firm and my dad has already made plans to call the BR police department and get the tape of the whole thing as evidence. You see, these cops obviously didn't realize who they were messing with. Not just me and my boyfriend, but also our family's, our friends, the people my parents work with, and everyone else who is behind is making it in this world. And my parents are the ones they really have to be worried about it. My dad See's my boyfriend as family, and he sees that everyone in his family is protected. So he really, messed with the wrong people.

So i guess i don't have to be worried, my boyfriend will grow up around a bunch of strong people who will teach him race matters to others, but to forget all of them and just learn that race isn't anything but a way to make people look different just as someone with curly hair does. :) And, in the end, he will grow up keeping his head up from beginning to end, even if i have to hold it up for him sometimes.