COLUMN: A car that fits the criminal profile

From David Brown's, "How It Works," Fall '97 From David Brown's, "How It Works," Fall '97 It's 12:45 a.m. Sunday morning. The base of the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge heading back to Philly. Driving a 1977 green four-door Oldsmobile. Pulled over. As my heart beat rapidly, the officer cautiously approached my car. "License and registration." "Uh, what seems to be the problem?" "Well, you were all over the road? and you were going over the 45 m.p.h. speed limit." "I was watching the speedometer the whole time, and I was going between 40 and 45." "Insurance please? where are you going?" "Well we just saw a movie, and were on our way back to school in Philadelphia." "You been drinking tonight?" "No." He then goes back to his car to finish checking me through the computer. He comes back five minutes later and says, "Have a good night." So, what was the deal? Any moving violation was probably fictitious. The officer looked at my car, his watch, and saw me blazing down the empty road toward Philadelphia early Sunday morning. We could have been running drugs or guns, or driving a stolen car. There might have been a warrant out for one of us in the car. He was just doing his job, right? Unfortunately, yes. However, the stark reality is my car fits "the profile." Put on some hydraulics, neon lights, tinted windows, a phat system and a set of Daytona rims and I may have been asked to slowly step out of the car. Fortunately, none of us inside the car fit the stereotypical criminal group -- just two Jews and an Asian American. If any of us had been African American or Hispanic, we may have been there longer. I might have been frisked, subjected to a breathalizer and my friends might have been checked through the computer. Although everything would have cleared up, I could have been ticketed for speeding or reckless driving. Why? Because my identity would have been wrong in the blue eyes of this white officer. Fortunately, I rarely fit any criminal profile. That night, I drove home afterward and just laughed it off, unlike others who are harassed, beaten and then arrested. Those victims of racism face persistent stereotypes and must prove themselves to get respect. These racial stereotypes pervade the Penn community and minorities continually have to battle against them. Last semester, Chris Crawford was automatically incriminated for shooting College senior Patrick Leroy once Crawford's picture hit the television news. In a filled classroom or in 1920 Commons, the last seats available are always next to African Americans. And there have been other situations such as the Water Buffalo incident, which only brings back other dim memories. Even in Philadelphia, there have been recent high-profile cases of non-whites moving into white neighborhoods, and staying only a couple of weeks after being throughly intimidated. Although some students may think their lifestyle and outlook is different from others, they are likely deceiving themselves. Many attended schools and lived in neighborhoods in which almost everyone was of the same race or religion. Racial tolerance at Penn is low, as several students shiver when walking at night and see a group of African Americans, even if the African Americans are members of Penn Escort or Spectaguard. If a Penn student sees an African American driving in a nice car, it seems obvious to the student the car is stolen or he deals drugs. It is impossible the black man may be driving through West Philadelphia to his home on the Main Line or visiting family. However, propose this preposterous idea to almost any white student and he may agree this argument is plausible -- although deep inside he will not let his racist, rash conclusion be altered by reason. With every block driven on campus, students' stares are easily read by the driver. He must always live through the intimidation, looks and accusations of crime. The reason for his inferior treatment is the persistent result of society's spread of images incriminating African Americans, leading to ingrained beliefs. The white-black separation is like a game of two small steps forward and one large step back as some attempt to mend the ridges. They try to resolve differences and experiment with new levels of tolerance. However, a highly publicized issue such as the present Grays Ferry racial tension reminds us this is a problem far from over. This incident like many others stemmed from the actions of a few, but now millions are witnessing the details. It is always possible on this campus for any small conflict to develop into major racial or religious friction. The annual white and black Flings are a month away (a.k.a. Spring Fling and Penn Relays, respectively) and the good weather often brings people outside. However, when an African American or other minority sits down on College Green, it is not necessary to double-check where your pocketbook or backpack is. That might be your first inclination, however it is a small move that only further aggravates society's racial rift. Even if you think you are not obvious in your actions, you are. Try to experiment with some extra tolerance, and if your bookbag ends up stolen, it is probably because you left it unattended, not because you sat near an African American.