Many of us live in bubbles, and I am no different. My bubble is the life of a comfortable, upper-middle-class, white guy who gets a wake-up call every so often.
It happened to me last month at the Portage County NAACP’s Martin Luther King Jr. breakfast at Kent’s United Church of Christ. At each place setting was a handy, 4- by 9-inch, glossy card. The blue-and-gold card, paid for by the Portage County NAACP, read: “GUIDELINES FOR INTERACTING WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT.”
“Your rights and responsibilities may not always be clearly defined by persons acting in their capacity as law enforcement officials,” the card explained. “If you are stopped by law enforcement, politely ask, ‘Why am I being stopped?’ ”
“If you are stopped on the street, answer all questions about your identity,” the card continued. “You are not required to make statements against yourself because you have a right to remain silent.
“Do not walk away from the officer. If an officer has a reasonable suspicion that you may be carrying a weapon or illegal substance, you may be subjected to a ‘pat-down’ search. Do not resist the search.”