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True story: 5 years ago, this brown fella (me) was driving my mom's Honda cross-country (she had just moved to the East coast) when I was pulled over by the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, where 3 response vehicles and a dog proceeded to turn her car inside out. Why? 1/ https://twitter.com/Filmatelist/status/590659113505394692
They were 100% convinced I had drugs in my possession. How convinced? They lied about how fast I was going, proceeded to try to coerce me into a confession, and attempted to frame me with "evidence" they claimed to have found in the car. All completely untrue. 2/
I was lucky. I stared right into the lead cop's eyes and told him I had no idea what he was showing me and had never seen it before in my life (all true). This was inside his vehicle where I was being detained as they executed their (futile) search. He knew he had nothing, 3/
...and threw the "drugs" away on the shoulder. But I knew that if I had tried to film him during the encounter or refused his "request" to search the car, I would have made my life exponentially worse, just by asserting my constitutional rights. Even though he had zilchola, 4/
...he was unwavering in his attempt to "catch" me, not because of any proof but because I was a darker shade than his entire team. So when I see all the graphic displays of police abusing protesters and assaulting the press, I am not sympathetic to the argument about... 5/
"good" cops. Because I'm sure there were "good" cops on the shoulder with me that afternoon, but if their colleague had been successful in falsely implicating me, they would have had his back, not the guy being railroaded. I'm glad there are genuine good cops out there, 6/
but hearing all the conflicting testimony circulating about these protests, some of which have sadly escalated into violence and injuries, I think back on that day (and other times I've been profiled by LE) and I know in my heart that presented with 2 versions of a story, 7/
99% of the time, I will believe the journalist over the police spokesman and will believe the aggrieved protester over the officer. Because the police, even the "good" ones, will have more to lose with transparency and are more likely to unite and lie as a result. 8/
My life could have been completely destroyed (or worse) because their power would easily outweigh my principles if they wanted it to. And my heart aches for the country I love and all those fighting for justice against many hostile and reactionary forces right now. 9/
To everyone representing on the front lines and to all allies defending truth in the face of cruelty and institutional bigotry in every forum available, I want to thank you. I'm with you. We are fallible but voices in unison have force & weight & power. Be strong & be safe. /end
