1 00:00:05,160 --> 00:00:07,200 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Bridget and this is Annie, and you're 2 00:00:07,240 --> 00:00:21,479 Speaker 1: listening the stuff Mom never told you. Okay, this is 3 00:00:21,480 --> 00:00:23,200 Speaker 1: gonna be a heavy one. M This is the one 4 00:00:23,200 --> 00:00:26,840 Speaker 1: that's been burning in my mind for a very long time, 5 00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:29,080 Speaker 1: and I wrestled with whether or not it was something 6 00:00:29,080 --> 00:00:31,360 Speaker 1: i'd bring to the podcast. But I'm bringing it to 7 00:00:31,400 --> 00:00:34,239 Speaker 1: the podcast. She's bringing it, I'm bringing it. This is 8 00:00:34,280 --> 00:00:38,720 Speaker 1: my plea white people, please stop calling the police on 9 00:00:38,760 --> 00:00:44,720 Speaker 1: every little thing. Please, Yes, we are begging you. Okay, 10 00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:48,040 Speaker 1: let's take a step back. Okay. Recently, there have been 11 00:00:48,280 --> 00:00:51,519 Speaker 1: very high profile instances of white people, a lot of 12 00:00:51,520 --> 00:00:54,520 Speaker 1: whom are white women my dad, calling the police on 13 00:00:54,680 --> 00:00:57,720 Speaker 1: black and brown folks who have literally done nothing wrong. 14 00:00:58,680 --> 00:01:00,920 Speaker 1: Quick recap. This is very deviated. If we were going 15 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:02,520 Speaker 1: to do all of them, even if in the last 16 00:01:02,560 --> 00:01:04,720 Speaker 1: couple of weeks, we'd be here all day. Yeah, you 17 00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:08,600 Speaker 1: probably heard the first one Starbucks in Philadelphia. Two black 18 00:01:08,600 --> 00:01:11,920 Speaker 1: men were arrested after a Starbucks store manager called the 19 00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:13,560 Speaker 1: police because they were sitting in the store with that 20 00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:16,800 Speaker 1: place in order. The two men so they were waiting 21 00:01:16,800 --> 00:01:19,040 Speaker 1: for a friend who would literally justiized as they were 22 00:01:19,040 --> 00:01:22,240 Speaker 1: being taken away in handcuffs, Now, the two men, both black, 23 00:01:22,560 --> 00:01:25,000 Speaker 1: didn't even know the manager had called the police. They 24 00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:26,760 Speaker 1: said they had only been in the shop a few 25 00:01:26,760 --> 00:01:29,880 Speaker 1: minutes before they were summoned by police officers. A bystander 26 00:01:29,959 --> 00:01:32,800 Speaker 1: got video. The barista said, oh, that you know they 27 00:01:33,520 --> 00:01:35,679 Speaker 1: had been sitting here and have made a purchase. They 28 00:01:35,680 --> 00:01:37,080 Speaker 1: were like oh. One woman was like, oh, I've been 29 00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:40,240 Speaker 1: sitting here for hours and have bought anything. They apparently 30 00:01:40,280 --> 00:01:42,680 Speaker 1: had asked with a bathroom code and they said, oh, 31 00:01:42,720 --> 00:01:45,440 Speaker 1: you haven't bought anything. But someone else had said, oh, 32 00:01:45,480 --> 00:01:48,040 Speaker 1: I also got the code and I'm white and didn't 33 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:50,600 Speaker 1: buy anything and it wasn't a problem. So it seems 34 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:53,880 Speaker 1: pretty obvious what was going on. Yeah, I mean they 35 00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:58,760 Speaker 1: were in public, put in handcuffs and taken away, which 36 00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:04,600 Speaker 1: is more and awful. Another ridiculous one Yale University. A 37 00:02:04,640 --> 00:02:07,120 Speaker 1: white female student called police and a black student for 38 00:02:07,640 --> 00:02:10,120 Speaker 1: falling asleep in the common room while working on a paper. 39 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:13,160 Speaker 1: Now the police showed up. They questioned the black student 40 00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:15,600 Speaker 1: for fifteen minutes. She showed the police the key to 41 00:02:15,639 --> 00:02:17,919 Speaker 1: her room and her ID and basically it sounds like 42 00:02:17,919 --> 00:02:20,200 Speaker 1: these cops were kind of harassing her. She says, I 43 00:02:20,280 --> 00:02:22,440 Speaker 1: deserve to be here, she said in the video. I 44 00:02:22,560 --> 00:02:25,480 Speaker 1: paid tuitions like everybody else. I'm not going to justify 45 00:02:25,560 --> 00:02:28,640 Speaker 1: my existence here. It's not even a conversation. So again, 46 00:02:28,800 --> 00:02:30,920 Speaker 1: you know, this was someone who had every right to 47 00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:35,080 Speaker 1: be in a common space of her dorm being questioned 48 00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:38,240 Speaker 1: by police in her own on her own campus, which 49 00:02:38,240 --> 00:02:42,640 Speaker 1: is absurd. Absolutely, And I mean uamongas has not fallen 50 00:02:42,639 --> 00:02:45,400 Speaker 1: asleep in the common room if you've gone to college. Yeah, 51 00:02:45,520 --> 00:02:48,560 Speaker 1: that's just kind of that's like the lead, like of 52 00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:50,160 Speaker 1: all the things that go down in the common room 53 00:02:50,160 --> 00:02:52,920 Speaker 1: with the dorm, sleeping is like the one you was like, 54 00:02:52,919 --> 00:02:55,359 Speaker 1: oh thank god she was sleeping. All things that could 55 00:02:55,400 --> 00:02:59,919 Speaker 1: go down there. Bob Marley's granddaughter and her friends were 56 00:03:00,040 --> 00:03:02,679 Speaker 1: taking luggage out of her Airbnb when they are met 57 00:03:02,680 --> 00:03:06,640 Speaker 1: with a huge, oversized police presence, including being tracked by 58 00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:09,640 Speaker 1: a helicopter. Attorneys for the group say that a neighbor 59 00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:12,920 Speaker 1: called nine to one one because the group refused to 60 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:16,480 Speaker 1: smile or wave at her. Oh wow. So basically, if 61 00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:21,000 Speaker 1: you're black in America, you are obligated to smile and 62 00:03:21,040 --> 00:03:24,480 Speaker 1: way if someone looks at you. Otherwise you got you 63 00:03:24,480 --> 00:03:26,800 Speaker 1: gotta they got to involve the police. Dandom choice. What 64 00:03:26,919 --> 00:03:31,000 Speaker 1: kind of nightmare world where everyone's smiling everybody? I mean, 65 00:03:31,040 --> 00:03:32,680 Speaker 1: you're not allowed to have a bad day, or like 66 00:03:33,240 --> 00:03:38,560 Speaker 1: you wanna, you know, not acknowledge knowledge a stranger forbid. 67 00:03:38,600 --> 00:03:42,520 Speaker 1: We do not get that option. It gets worse. Police 68 00:03:42,560 --> 00:03:45,160 Speaker 1: were called on a group of black women golfing at 69 00:03:45,160 --> 00:03:48,800 Speaker 1: the Grand View golf Course in York County, Pennsylvania. Now, 70 00:03:48,960 --> 00:03:53,480 Speaker 1: this story is just really exhausting. When I read it, 71 00:03:53,520 --> 00:03:58,160 Speaker 1: I was just like, are homie, homie, are you kidding me? 72 00:03:59,440 --> 00:04:03,760 Speaker 1: Stee Crawned Teischer, I don't know if I'm saying that right. Frankly, 73 00:04:03,800 --> 00:04:06,600 Speaker 1: I hope I'm saying it wrong, because you Steve, he 74 00:04:06,640 --> 00:04:09,160 Speaker 1: co owns this golf course. Now he called nine to 75 00:04:09,160 --> 00:04:11,960 Speaker 1: one one because these women. Can you guess what they 76 00:04:11,960 --> 00:04:17,000 Speaker 1: were doing wrong golfing? They were golfing too slowly. They 77 00:04:17,560 --> 00:04:19,840 Speaker 1: of older women who were rust They said they were 78 00:04:19,920 --> 00:04:22,719 Speaker 1: rusty at playing golf. They were goffing too slowly. He 79 00:04:22,760 --> 00:04:25,320 Speaker 1: says that the women were not meaning the time guidelines 80 00:04:25,400 --> 00:04:28,000 Speaker 1: and delaying tea times for other golfers. So he called 81 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:31,840 Speaker 1: nine on one twice. Bernersty called nine one one, and 82 00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:34,840 Speaker 1: he said, oh, these women are goffing too slowly. Then 83 00:04:35,400 --> 00:04:37,719 Speaker 1: I guess they'd pick up the pace. Then they started 84 00:04:37,760 --> 00:04:41,160 Speaker 1: going slowly again. He came outside to talk to them, 85 00:04:41,360 --> 00:04:43,719 Speaker 1: and I guess the conversation didn't go well. He called 86 00:04:43,800 --> 00:04:46,440 Speaker 1: nine one one. He wanted to have the women remove 87 00:04:46,480 --> 00:04:49,320 Speaker 1: from the golf course. When the cops showed up, they 88 00:04:49,480 --> 00:04:53,040 Speaker 1: pretty quickly realized, oh wait, this is not a police matter, 89 00:04:53,440 --> 00:04:55,960 Speaker 1: and they left and the women kept goffing. I wouldn't 90 00:04:55,960 --> 00:04:57,640 Speaker 1: be surprised if they were like, well, we're picking our 91 00:04:58,800 --> 00:05:00,440 Speaker 1: but they eventually just left on their own, and once, 92 00:05:00,560 --> 00:05:02,080 Speaker 1: you know, the police came and they thought this is 93 00:05:02,120 --> 00:05:04,480 Speaker 1: not we shouldn't. Like, why are you called for this? 94 00:05:04,480 --> 00:05:07,760 Speaker 1: This is ridiculous, and it is ridiculous. Another in my 95 00:05:07,839 --> 00:05:11,680 Speaker 1: hometown of Washington, DC, a white woman called park security 96 00:05:11,920 --> 00:05:14,280 Speaker 1: when she saw a black father pushing his son in 97 00:05:14,360 --> 00:05:17,080 Speaker 1: a park in a stroller. She called to report a 98 00:05:17,160 --> 00:05:20,159 Speaker 1: quote suspicious man walking the bike path of the baby. 99 00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:24,560 Speaker 1: Now this is broad daylight. Yeah, just a guy, were they? 100 00:05:24,839 --> 00:05:27,520 Speaker 1: I mean, guess how the picture that the stroller is fancyish, 101 00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:30,320 Speaker 1: Like I did not see that and be like, oh, 102 00:05:30,400 --> 00:05:32,359 Speaker 1: I mean maybe she thought the stroller was stolen. I 103 00:05:32,360 --> 00:05:35,640 Speaker 1: don't know, in what world this constitute has suspicious behavior 104 00:05:35,920 --> 00:05:38,359 Speaker 1: someone walking a child in a park and a stroller 105 00:05:38,400 --> 00:05:42,320 Speaker 1: and broad daylight. But whatever reasons, woman felt threatened, felt 106 00:05:42,320 --> 00:05:44,880 Speaker 1: it was suspicious, called nine one one. The police came. 107 00:05:45,279 --> 00:05:48,640 Speaker 1: Uh told the man, what have happened? They said, a 108 00:05:48,680 --> 00:05:51,640 Speaker 1: woman calls to report you, I think I'm obligated to 109 00:05:51,640 --> 00:05:53,159 Speaker 1: come check it out. I just want to let you 110 00:05:53,200 --> 00:05:55,559 Speaker 1: know what happened. You know, he wasn't arrested or anything, 111 00:05:55,560 --> 00:05:58,680 Speaker 1: and he describes the encounter as being very polite and 112 00:05:59,800 --> 00:06:02,520 Speaker 1: you know, by the book, but still that someone encountered 113 00:06:02,560 --> 00:06:06,279 Speaker 1: him and needed to call authorities is wild and my 114 00:06:06,360 --> 00:06:09,440 Speaker 1: personal favorite. You've probably heard about this because it sort 115 00:06:09,440 --> 00:06:11,600 Speaker 1: of took over the internet the last week or so. 116 00:06:12,279 --> 00:06:15,520 Speaker 1: A white woman called nine one one to report that 117 00:06:15,600 --> 00:06:17,840 Speaker 1: a group of black friends and families were breaking the 118 00:06:17,920 --> 00:06:21,000 Speaker 1: law by barbecuing with a charcoal grill in a public park. 119 00:06:21,320 --> 00:06:22,839 Speaker 1: While she was on the phone with the police, she 120 00:06:22,839 --> 00:06:25,280 Speaker 1: accused one of the men of trespassing in a public park. 121 00:06:26,040 --> 00:06:29,320 Speaker 1: I love this story because one this woman became a 122 00:06:29,400 --> 00:06:33,839 Speaker 1: really hilarious beam where pictures of her calling the police 123 00:06:34,080 --> 00:06:39,400 Speaker 1: were photoshopped over pictures of Obama. Pictures from Black Panther 124 00:06:39,920 --> 00:06:44,480 Speaker 1: pictures of like any black person doing anything. She's in 125 00:06:44,560 --> 00:06:46,960 Speaker 1: the background on the phone call on the police. And 126 00:06:47,360 --> 00:06:49,400 Speaker 1: another great thing about how this story went down is 127 00:06:49,440 --> 00:06:54,120 Speaker 1: that a week later, the Oakland community kind of celebrated 128 00:06:54,480 --> 00:06:58,960 Speaker 1: her munification by throwing what looks like the biggest, blackest, 129 00:06:59,360 --> 00:07:02,880 Speaker 1: most lit barbecue in that same part. The next week 130 00:07:03,080 --> 00:07:06,360 Speaker 1: they had swagsurfing and the electric slide. I'm sure all 131 00:07:06,440 --> 00:07:10,360 Speaker 1: kinds of charcoal grilled just to say, hey, we're allowed 132 00:07:10,360 --> 00:07:13,360 Speaker 1: to grill in public, you can't call the police. We exist, 133 00:07:13,440 --> 00:07:17,000 Speaker 1: we're allowed to take up space. So here's why these 134 00:07:17,040 --> 00:07:20,480 Speaker 1: situations are so troubling to me. All of them are 135 00:07:20,520 --> 00:07:23,680 Speaker 1: instances that just did not need to happen. One, the 136 00:07:23,680 --> 00:07:26,160 Speaker 1: people who called nine one one could have all just 137 00:07:26,480 --> 00:07:28,600 Speaker 1: minded their business, to be frank with you, but they 138 00:07:28,600 --> 00:07:30,760 Speaker 1: could have just not done that. They could have said, oh, 139 00:07:30,920 --> 00:07:35,000 Speaker 1: there's someone using a barbecue and then just lived their lives, 140 00:07:35,480 --> 00:07:40,960 Speaker 1: you know, yep, just got perfectly and not become memes 141 00:07:41,120 --> 00:07:44,240 Speaker 1: right and like not have spent a full forty eight 142 00:07:44,240 --> 00:07:46,600 Speaker 1: hours being made fun of by the entire Internet. But 143 00:07:46,720 --> 00:07:49,840 Speaker 1: that's one way that could have gone down, or it 144 00:07:49,840 --> 00:07:53,120 Speaker 1: could have been solved by a simple conversation. Right, the 145 00:07:53,160 --> 00:07:56,040 Speaker 1: instance of the woman with Airbnb, she could have come 146 00:07:56,120 --> 00:07:58,520 Speaker 1: out and said, you know, I think she probably should 147 00:07:58,560 --> 00:08:00,880 Speaker 1: have minded her business. But if she was really that pressed, 148 00:08:01,160 --> 00:08:05,160 Speaker 1: she could have said, hey, you know, hello, I'm the neighbor, 149 00:08:05,280 --> 00:08:07,400 Speaker 1: just saying hi. You know, she could have used her 150 00:08:07,440 --> 00:08:13,000 Speaker 1: words and solved it via this simple tool called communication. Oh, 151 00:08:13,080 --> 00:08:14,400 Speaker 1: I've heard of that. Have you heard of it? It 152 00:08:15,400 --> 00:08:18,680 Speaker 1: can really solve problems. You don't actually need to involve 153 00:08:18,720 --> 00:08:21,680 Speaker 1: the police. You can actually use this tool first in 154 00:08:21,760 --> 00:08:25,480 Speaker 1: a lot of instances, or just do nothing right. Again, 155 00:08:26,040 --> 00:08:28,960 Speaker 1: in any of these cases at Yale, if she just 156 00:08:29,040 --> 00:08:31,920 Speaker 1: let that girl sleep, you know, probably would have just 157 00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:34,080 Speaker 1: kept sleeping, like it probably would have been fine. But 158 00:08:34,160 --> 00:08:36,120 Speaker 1: I could you just mind her business and like gone 159 00:08:36,120 --> 00:08:39,080 Speaker 1: back to her dorm and lived her life and forgot 160 00:08:39,120 --> 00:08:42,280 Speaker 1: about it. And the worst thing that could happen is 161 00:08:42,280 --> 00:08:44,440 Speaker 1: this person will be sleeping on a couch. Yeah, Like, 162 00:08:44,760 --> 00:08:48,520 Speaker 1: all right, minding your business is always a choice. So 163 00:08:48,760 --> 00:08:51,680 Speaker 1: let me be very clear. I am not saying never 164 00:08:51,800 --> 00:08:54,440 Speaker 1: call the police. There are times the police are needed. 165 00:08:54,440 --> 00:08:57,120 Speaker 1: If someone is hurt, there's an emergency, you know, there's 166 00:08:57,120 --> 00:09:00,160 Speaker 1: an accident. Definitely definitely call the police. If you on 167 00:09:00,280 --> 00:09:03,280 Speaker 1: faith someone's being threatened. I'm not saying never call the police. 168 00:09:03,559 --> 00:09:07,959 Speaker 1: What I am saying is not every interpersonal interaction requires 169 00:09:07,960 --> 00:09:10,840 Speaker 1: a call to nine one one. People use like, use 170 00:09:10,880 --> 00:09:14,200 Speaker 1: your heads. Yeah, think about it. So this is my 171 00:09:14,280 --> 00:09:19,600 Speaker 1: plea use discretion before calling nine one one, Like, think 172 00:09:19,640 --> 00:09:23,680 Speaker 1: about it. Is there a better way to handle the situation? 173 00:09:24,520 --> 00:09:27,320 Speaker 1: Do you need to summon armed guards of the state 174 00:09:27,800 --> 00:09:31,400 Speaker 1: over a barbecue? You know, I would say no, but 175 00:09:31,559 --> 00:09:34,360 Speaker 1: that's me. I would say no unless the barbecue is 176 00:09:34,440 --> 00:09:39,040 Speaker 1: like got fireworks and explosions attached to it, some kind 177 00:09:39,080 --> 00:09:42,840 Speaker 1: of death machine. For the most part, Yeah, barbecues tend 178 00:09:42,840 --> 00:09:47,200 Speaker 1: to be pretty yeah, unless it's some sort of evil barbecue. 179 00:09:47,640 --> 00:09:53,240 Speaker 1: If it is an evil, malicious barbecue, then maybe maybe 180 00:09:53,440 --> 00:09:56,199 Speaker 1: maybe you could just try throwing hot dogs or hamburgers 181 00:09:56,200 --> 00:09:58,360 Speaker 1: at it. Okay, there's other options, or do you've got 182 00:09:58,400 --> 00:10:01,600 Speaker 1: other options? That's a good point. So, yeah, this is 183 00:10:01,640 --> 00:10:04,320 Speaker 1: something that has been weighing on me, and I think 184 00:10:04,960 --> 00:10:07,319 Speaker 1: because it's in the news a lot, it's just something 185 00:10:07,360 --> 00:10:09,920 Speaker 1: that is I'm seeing it again and again and again, 186 00:10:10,200 --> 00:10:12,800 Speaker 1: and I realized I don't actually know if people know 187 00:10:12,920 --> 00:10:15,320 Speaker 1: that you don't need to call the police. For every interaction. 188 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:17,360 Speaker 1: You know, I don't know that that's a thing that 189 00:10:18,000 --> 00:10:20,640 Speaker 1: people have internalized at this point. I feel like we 190 00:10:20,720 --> 00:10:23,440 Speaker 1: are so averse to just having a conversation with somebody. 191 00:10:23,720 --> 00:10:26,560 Speaker 1: Yeah that you know, if you're thinking my first line, 192 00:10:26,679 --> 00:10:28,680 Speaker 1: you're calling nine one one should be your last line 193 00:10:28,679 --> 00:10:31,960 Speaker 1: of defense. Even law enforcement officials say that calling nine 194 00:10:31,960 --> 00:10:34,200 Speaker 1: one one for every little thing is actually making their 195 00:10:34,280 --> 00:10:36,200 Speaker 1: job harder. And so if you're someone who cares about 196 00:10:36,480 --> 00:10:41,120 Speaker 1: public order and public safety, calling nine one to report, like, 197 00:10:41,240 --> 00:10:43,880 Speaker 1: using it like it's task Rabbit is not actually making 198 00:10:43,920 --> 00:10:49,240 Speaker 1: people safer, it's making people unsafer. Yeah. Absolutely, And I 199 00:10:49,240 --> 00:10:55,079 Speaker 1: would just think about what other actual emergencies they could 200 00:10:55,120 --> 00:10:58,600 Speaker 1: be dealing with. Especially, I mean, even if you take 201 00:10:58,640 --> 00:11:04,240 Speaker 1: away the the cop aspect of it, we're so understaffed 202 00:11:04,280 --> 00:11:06,560 Speaker 1: when it comes to people who answer the calls. Even 203 00:11:06,880 --> 00:11:10,760 Speaker 1: there's a lot of ripple effects that are happening that's 204 00:11:10,800 --> 00:11:15,559 Speaker 1: going to impact it could really negatively impact someone else 205 00:11:15,559 --> 00:11:20,600 Speaker 1: who needs actual help. Well. According to Ty Wooton, educational 206 00:11:20,640 --> 00:11:23,880 Speaker 1: director of the National Emergency Number Association, also known as 207 00:11:23,920 --> 00:11:26,480 Speaker 1: the nine to one one Association, you should follow this 208 00:11:26,520 --> 00:11:29,560 Speaker 1: general rule. Dial nine to one one anytime there's a 209 00:11:29,559 --> 00:11:32,439 Speaker 1: threat to life or property such as an accident, a crime, 210 00:11:32,520 --> 00:11:36,280 Speaker 1: a fire, or a medical emergency. But you know, none 211 00:11:36,280 --> 00:11:41,080 Speaker 1: of these things fit into that category. Yeah, while while 212 00:11:41,160 --> 00:11:43,320 Speaker 1: if you're in a small town while the police force 213 00:11:43,360 --> 00:11:48,360 Speaker 1: is out investigating somebody, you know, just like breathing on 214 00:11:48,400 --> 00:11:52,360 Speaker 1: the street, there could be a real crime going on. Yeah. Absolutely, 215 00:11:53,280 --> 00:11:57,760 Speaker 1: And I just don't understand for me personally, calling nine 216 00:11:57,840 --> 00:12:01,440 Speaker 1: one one is such a a big step that you 217 00:12:01,480 --> 00:12:08,599 Speaker 1: are saying this is an emergency. I can't imagine personally. 218 00:12:09,520 --> 00:12:11,120 Speaker 1: And that actually goes along with the data that we 219 00:12:11,160 --> 00:12:14,160 Speaker 1: have around people's feelings around calling nine one one. I 220 00:12:14,160 --> 00:12:17,560 Speaker 1: think most marginalized folks have an understanding that calling the 221 00:12:17,559 --> 00:12:20,720 Speaker 1: police in a situation won't necessarily make it any safer, 222 00:12:21,240 --> 00:12:23,760 Speaker 1: even for the person who called the police. According to 223 00:12:23,800 --> 00:12:26,320 Speaker 1: The Atlantic, black people are less likely than white people 224 00:12:26,360 --> 00:12:28,560 Speaker 1: to call the police. The data actually hints at this 225 00:12:28,600 --> 00:12:31,480 Speaker 1: idea that I think most marginalized folks kind of innately 226 00:12:31,600 --> 00:12:34,760 Speaker 1: know whether involving police will help a situation or make 227 00:12:34,760 --> 00:12:37,880 Speaker 1: it worse. Marginalized communities do not feel confident that reaching 228 00:12:37,920 --> 00:12:40,480 Speaker 1: out to the authorities that are supposed to protect them 229 00:12:40,559 --> 00:12:44,400 Speaker 1: will actually do so. And I think that's absolutely accurate. 230 00:12:45,520 --> 00:12:47,960 Speaker 1: The last time that I called nine one one, this 231 00:12:48,080 --> 00:12:50,520 Speaker 1: was a couple of years ago. I was going to work. 232 00:12:50,559 --> 00:12:51,880 Speaker 1: I was walking to work, and I was walking right, 233 00:12:51,880 --> 00:12:53,440 Speaker 1: I was like very late for work, and so I 234 00:12:53,480 --> 00:12:56,520 Speaker 1: was leaving my apartment and I saw as I was 235 00:12:56,559 --> 00:12:59,720 Speaker 1: walking toward it, what was It looks like a domestic 236 00:12:59,760 --> 00:13:01,160 Speaker 1: dis you to some kind It was a man and 237 00:13:01,240 --> 00:13:04,880 Speaker 1: a woman having a really loud public argument on the street. 238 00:13:04,880 --> 00:13:06,400 Speaker 1: So I kind of thought, like, I'm gonna walk behind 239 00:13:06,440 --> 00:13:09,040 Speaker 1: them for a little bit, see what happens. Then it 240 00:13:09,120 --> 00:13:12,520 Speaker 1: got physical, and so it turned into the guy punching 241 00:13:12,559 --> 00:13:16,840 Speaker 1: the girl. It turned into it turned into a physical situation, 242 00:13:16,920 --> 00:13:18,920 Speaker 1: so I ran over. It was me and a couple. 243 00:13:19,120 --> 00:13:21,800 Speaker 1: The couple was very old, so they really couldn't do 244 00:13:21,880 --> 00:13:23,760 Speaker 1: a lot because they were very very old. And we 245 00:13:23,880 --> 00:13:27,040 Speaker 1: sort of physically got in the middle of the of 246 00:13:27,080 --> 00:13:30,440 Speaker 1: the couple, and so the older couple took the guy 247 00:13:30,440 --> 00:13:32,280 Speaker 1: aside and they were talking to him and they were like, 248 00:13:32,640 --> 00:13:35,480 Speaker 1: you know, don't do this, just talk it out or 249 00:13:35,520 --> 00:13:37,280 Speaker 1: just like take a pack of breath. Yeah, And while 250 00:13:37,320 --> 00:13:38,959 Speaker 1: they were doing that, I was sort of with the 251 00:13:39,320 --> 00:13:42,000 Speaker 1: girl who had been hit in the face and what's 252 00:13:42,040 --> 00:13:43,959 Speaker 1: weird is that this was I lived on a busy street, 253 00:13:44,000 --> 00:13:45,520 Speaker 1: and so we were the only people who were physically 254 00:13:45,520 --> 00:13:47,480 Speaker 1: getting involved. I'm sure people were watching or looking, but 255 00:13:47,559 --> 00:13:49,160 Speaker 1: we were the only people who were like, we need 256 00:13:49,200 --> 00:13:52,880 Speaker 1: to do something. So it seemed like this older couple 257 00:13:53,400 --> 00:13:56,559 Speaker 1: was sort of taking care of him, and I was 258 00:13:56,600 --> 00:13:59,040 Speaker 1: walking with the woman away and I was like, gonna 259 00:13:59,040 --> 00:14:00,840 Speaker 1: put her on the metro or get cab and like 260 00:14:01,160 --> 00:14:04,120 Speaker 1: figure it out. So we're walking in different directions, the 261 00:14:04,160 --> 00:14:07,600 Speaker 1: guy and the older couple and her. Then the guy 262 00:14:08,200 --> 00:14:10,439 Speaker 1: just starts running at us. And this couple who was 263 00:14:10,480 --> 00:14:12,400 Speaker 1: with him, they're elderly, so it's something they could have 264 00:14:12,920 --> 00:14:15,160 Speaker 1: stopped him. Yeah, they really didn't have a lot of choices, 265 00:14:15,200 --> 00:14:20,640 Speaker 1: and he stabbed her in the arm and it was terrifying. 266 00:14:20,960 --> 00:14:23,280 Speaker 1: And of course at this point I was like, well, 267 00:14:23,400 --> 00:14:25,480 Speaker 1: we need to call nine on one. So I pick 268 00:14:25,560 --> 00:14:27,200 Speaker 1: up my phone and she's like, are you calling the police? 269 00:14:27,200 --> 00:14:32,120 Speaker 1: Please don't, And I was like, I took a breath, 270 00:14:32,120 --> 00:14:34,480 Speaker 1: and I thought, this is the person, the victim in 271 00:14:34,520 --> 00:14:36,600 Speaker 1: the situation is asking me not to call nine on one, 272 00:14:37,160 --> 00:14:42,520 Speaker 1: but she needs immediate medical attention, And you know, I 273 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:46,320 Speaker 1: just didn't feel right about not doing it, and so 274 00:14:46,600 --> 00:14:48,320 Speaker 1: I called that on one. We were just a few 275 00:14:48,320 --> 00:14:50,320 Speaker 1: blocks in my apartments. I brought her inside to my apartment. 276 00:14:51,520 --> 00:14:54,400 Speaker 1: My landlord was inside. He came out of his unit 277 00:14:54,440 --> 00:14:57,360 Speaker 1: and was like, there's a heavily bleeding person on the floor, 278 00:14:57,360 --> 00:15:00,800 Speaker 1: and I was like, yeah, I know. You know, I 279 00:15:00,880 --> 00:15:04,120 Speaker 1: quickly saw why she asked me not to call nine 280 00:15:04,120 --> 00:15:09,280 Speaker 1: on one. When the authorities arrived, they were frankly more concerned, 281 00:15:09,320 --> 00:15:11,200 Speaker 1: but the fact that this woman was drinking a beer 282 00:15:11,240 --> 00:15:13,240 Speaker 1: on the street like she had. She had an open beer, 283 00:15:13,280 --> 00:15:14,680 Speaker 1: and so they were like, oh, is this your beer? 284 00:15:15,240 --> 00:15:17,040 Speaker 1: And I was like, and I ended up saying, oh, 285 00:15:17,080 --> 00:15:21,000 Speaker 1: it's mine, because I didn't want them to right and think. 286 00:15:21,080 --> 00:15:22,440 Speaker 1: She had her bag with her that was open, and 287 00:15:22,480 --> 00:15:23,880 Speaker 1: they were I could tell they were kind of nosing 288 00:15:23,960 --> 00:15:26,680 Speaker 1: through it. And bear in mind she had just been stabbed, yeah, 289 00:15:26,800 --> 00:15:29,840 Speaker 1: multiple times. They were, you know, they weren't life threatening stabs, 290 00:15:29,880 --> 00:15:33,480 Speaker 1: but she was profusely bleeding, and they just seemed more 291 00:15:33,480 --> 00:15:35,960 Speaker 1: interested in being like, are you have drugs in your bag? 292 00:15:36,040 --> 00:15:39,600 Speaker 1: You know, what what are you doing? And I quickly 293 00:15:39,640 --> 00:15:42,280 Speaker 1: saw why she did not want me to call nine 294 00:15:42,280 --> 00:15:44,720 Speaker 1: on one, because they did not treat her with respect. 295 00:15:44,960 --> 00:15:47,080 Speaker 1: And I think had I had I, had I not 296 00:15:47,200 --> 00:15:49,800 Speaker 1: been there and made it clear that I mean, I 297 00:15:49,800 --> 00:15:52,800 Speaker 1: hate to say it. I think that they pegged her as, 298 00:15:53,520 --> 00:15:56,680 Speaker 1: you know, a low income person, and they pegged me 299 00:15:56,960 --> 00:15:59,280 Speaker 1: as someone who was not low income. And I think 300 00:15:59,440 --> 00:16:01,600 Speaker 1: had I not been there to be like, no, that's 301 00:16:01,640 --> 00:16:03,440 Speaker 1: my beer, and I live here and I'm twenty one, 302 00:16:03,640 --> 00:16:06,920 Speaker 1: I'm older than twenty one, so move on, or no, 303 00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:09,360 Speaker 1: that's my bag so and no, you can't go through it, 304 00:16:09,520 --> 00:16:12,640 Speaker 1: move on. If I had not been there, and had 305 00:16:12,680 --> 00:16:15,640 Speaker 1: I not known what to say to signal to them 306 00:16:15,720 --> 00:16:18,880 Speaker 1: that one I know my rights, two I will make 307 00:16:18,920 --> 00:16:21,440 Speaker 1: trouble for you, and three this is my house and 308 00:16:22,120 --> 00:16:24,600 Speaker 1: I'm you know, you know you can't do anything to me. 309 00:16:24,600 --> 00:16:26,520 Speaker 1: I've done nothing wrong and I'm not afraid of you. 310 00:16:26,600 --> 00:16:29,120 Speaker 1: And you know, if I had not known the things 311 00:16:29,120 --> 00:16:31,400 Speaker 1: to say to signal that, and if I had been 312 00:16:31,440 --> 00:16:36,200 Speaker 1: in any way like vulnerable, right, if I was not 313 00:16:36,240 --> 00:16:38,520 Speaker 1: a legal resident of the United States, right, or if 314 00:16:38,560 --> 00:16:40,960 Speaker 1: I was a sex worker, right, if they if they 315 00:16:41,000 --> 00:16:43,400 Speaker 1: had something on me, or they sensed they did, that 316 00:16:43,440 --> 00:16:45,200 Speaker 1: would have been a very different experience. And I could 317 00:16:45,200 --> 00:16:46,880 Speaker 1: tell that. I could tell by the way they were 318 00:16:46,880 --> 00:16:49,840 Speaker 1: treating her that they felt that about her and they 319 00:16:49,880 --> 00:16:51,800 Speaker 1: didn't feel it about me, And I was very I 320 00:16:51,840 --> 00:16:54,320 Speaker 1: wanted to be very clear with them, like, you can't 321 00:16:54,320 --> 00:16:56,640 Speaker 1: play either of us, Like I get what's going on here. 322 00:16:56,800 --> 00:16:59,960 Speaker 1: She's bleeding into my conscious so she's you know, she's 323 00:17:00,040 --> 00:17:01,920 Speaker 1: down for the count. But I understand what's happening, and 324 00:17:01,920 --> 00:17:04,040 Speaker 1: you're not going to play either of us. And I 325 00:17:04,040 --> 00:17:05,679 Speaker 1: remember when I was like, when they were putting her 326 00:17:05,720 --> 00:17:07,639 Speaker 1: in the ambulance, I was like, oh, let me give 327 00:17:07,680 --> 00:17:09,040 Speaker 1: you Let me give you my number so you can 328 00:17:09,080 --> 00:17:10,919 Speaker 1: give to her in case she needs a witness or 329 00:17:10,920 --> 00:17:13,640 Speaker 1: a ride home or whatever. And he said to me, ma'am, 330 00:17:13,720 --> 00:17:16,680 Speaker 1: she's from Anacostia, and if you know DC, Anacostia is 331 00:17:16,720 --> 00:17:19,080 Speaker 1: sort of considered quote unquote the hood. It's across the river. 332 00:17:19,480 --> 00:17:22,080 Speaker 1: And basically what he was saying was I mean, it 333 00:17:22,160 --> 00:17:25,640 Speaker 1: just was very clear to me the situation was perceived 334 00:17:25,760 --> 00:17:29,040 Speaker 1: race and class lines in a way that was immediately 335 00:17:30,000 --> 00:17:34,159 Speaker 1: very tense, and I completely understood why she didn't want 336 00:17:34,160 --> 00:17:36,760 Speaker 1: me to call nine one one. Immediately I was like, oh, 337 00:17:37,080 --> 00:17:39,760 Speaker 1: this is how you experience a call to nine one 338 00:17:39,880 --> 00:17:42,200 Speaker 1: one when you are the victim. You've done nothing wrong. 339 00:17:42,240 --> 00:17:44,560 Speaker 1: You are bleeding, like you're semi conscious on a floor, 340 00:17:44,640 --> 00:17:46,719 Speaker 1: a stranger's floor right now, and this is how they 341 00:17:46,760 --> 00:17:49,160 Speaker 1: treat you. And so I immediately was like, oh right, 342 00:17:50,240 --> 00:17:53,119 Speaker 1: this is how it is. And so, yeah, that experience 343 00:17:53,160 --> 00:17:57,000 Speaker 1: did not fill me with you know, warm fuzzies. I'm 344 00:17:57,040 --> 00:17:59,800 Speaker 1: at the police and it made it makes me what 345 00:18:00,000 --> 00:18:04,760 Speaker 1: when I see people calling nine one one for anything 346 00:18:04,840 --> 00:18:06,960 Speaker 1: less than an emergency. And I don't regret calling nine 347 00:18:07,000 --> 00:18:09,560 Speaker 1: one because I couldn't give her the medical attention that 348 00:18:09,560 --> 00:18:13,560 Speaker 1: she needed. She was she needed, she needed help. But 349 00:18:13,560 --> 00:18:15,680 Speaker 1: when I see people who call them for any old thing, 350 00:18:15,840 --> 00:18:17,919 Speaker 1: I think about that, and I think about what that 351 00:18:18,000 --> 00:18:21,199 Speaker 1: experience is like. And I'm someone who's very privileged, right like, 352 00:18:21,400 --> 00:18:23,200 Speaker 1: I have a good job, I have a college degree, 353 00:18:23,320 --> 00:18:26,600 Speaker 1: I lived a gentrified part of DC, all of those things, right, 354 00:18:26,640 --> 00:18:28,960 Speaker 1: I know how to code switch all of that, And 355 00:18:29,600 --> 00:18:33,359 Speaker 1: that experience was still very negative for me. And I 356 00:18:33,400 --> 00:18:36,880 Speaker 1: can't imagine people who are more marginalized what that experience 357 00:18:36,960 --> 00:18:38,239 Speaker 1: is like for them. But I saw a little bit 358 00:18:38,280 --> 00:18:40,040 Speaker 1: of it, and I only saw a tiny bit, and 359 00:18:40,080 --> 00:18:43,800 Speaker 1: I saw the version they give when there's a property 360 00:18:43,840 --> 00:18:45,800 Speaker 1: owner in the mix because my landlord was there and 361 00:18:45,840 --> 00:18:47,639 Speaker 1: he's older and he's a man, right, So, like I 362 00:18:48,000 --> 00:18:50,840 Speaker 1: saw the version they were giving when there was the 363 00:18:50,920 --> 00:18:53,479 Speaker 1: certain class markers were met, and so I can't imagine 364 00:18:53,480 --> 00:18:59,240 Speaker 1: what it's like when those those people are not around, right, right, yeah, 365 00:18:59,280 --> 00:19:01,640 Speaker 1: and yeah, just it makes me I think if people 366 00:19:01,720 --> 00:19:04,560 Speaker 1: understood what those experiences are like, they would not call 367 00:19:04,640 --> 00:19:07,679 Speaker 1: nine on one over a barbecue, right, you know, and 368 00:19:07,720 --> 00:19:13,000 Speaker 1: look at experiences like John Crawford who was shot after 369 00:19:13,680 --> 00:19:16,720 Speaker 1: someone saw him in a Walmart picking up a gun, 370 00:19:16,560 --> 00:19:19,639 Speaker 1: an air pellet gun that he was intending to buy, 371 00:19:19,880 --> 00:19:22,320 Speaker 1: you know, picking it up that was being sold at Walmart, 372 00:19:22,920 --> 00:19:25,240 Speaker 1: walking around casually holding it under his arm while talking 373 00:19:25,280 --> 00:19:27,760 Speaker 1: on my phone. Someone called down on one and the 374 00:19:27,760 --> 00:19:30,000 Speaker 1: police just shot him and killed him. And it's I 375 00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:32,679 Speaker 1: think that if people understood what the experience is like 376 00:19:32,840 --> 00:19:36,879 Speaker 1: when police are involved in a marginalized person's life, they 377 00:19:36,920 --> 00:19:38,720 Speaker 1: wouldn't just be so quick to call them and they 378 00:19:38,800 --> 00:19:41,359 Speaker 1: and they shouldn't be. That situation could have been solved 379 00:19:41,480 --> 00:19:44,960 Speaker 1: any number of ways, and the last resort way should 380 00:19:45,000 --> 00:19:46,720 Speaker 1: be nine one one, because now he's dead and he 381 00:19:46,960 --> 00:19:49,840 Speaker 1: did nothing wrong. Yeah, I mean, I don't have to 382 00:19:49,880 --> 00:19:51,560 Speaker 1: say it, but I will say it. It's very upsetting. 383 00:19:51,600 --> 00:19:54,119 Speaker 1: It's upsetting that these people that that we want to 384 00:19:54,119 --> 00:19:56,880 Speaker 1: protect us and they don't and we can't trust them too. 385 00:19:57,000 --> 00:19:59,199 Speaker 1: And if you don't have an advocate for you, if 386 00:19:59,240 --> 00:20:03,479 Speaker 1: you hadn't been there for that woman, I don't know. 387 00:20:04,800 --> 00:20:07,040 Speaker 1: I think about her a lot. I think about her 388 00:20:07,040 --> 00:20:10,160 Speaker 1: a lot. And again, I'm a black woman, but I'm also, 389 00:20:10,200 --> 00:20:12,600 Speaker 1: like I said, I'm very privileged, and so I don't 390 00:20:12,640 --> 00:20:14,800 Speaker 1: like with the police either. Like a like, it has 391 00:20:14,840 --> 00:20:16,359 Speaker 1: to be life for death for me to call the police. 392 00:20:16,400 --> 00:20:22,080 Speaker 1: But if me as a educated, decently but moderately well off, 393 00:20:22,480 --> 00:20:24,960 Speaker 1: you know, person who sort of knows how to talk 394 00:20:25,000 --> 00:20:27,760 Speaker 1: to the police or whatever, knows how to code switch. Yeah, 395 00:20:27,840 --> 00:20:30,600 Speaker 1: if the experience is bad for me, imagine what it's 396 00:20:30,640 --> 00:20:33,800 Speaker 1: like for people who are not like me. And I 397 00:20:33,800 --> 00:20:37,480 Speaker 1: think people are not thinking that through. They're not understanding 398 00:20:37,520 --> 00:20:40,600 Speaker 1: that you could be you could be signing someone's death warrant, 399 00:20:40,720 --> 00:20:42,439 Speaker 1: right Like the person who called nine one one on 400 00:20:42,560 --> 00:20:45,280 Speaker 1: John Crawford. He probably didn't understand that calling nine on 401 00:20:45,320 --> 00:20:48,200 Speaker 1: one was going to lead to his death. But that's reality. 402 00:20:48,240 --> 00:20:50,119 Speaker 1: I mean, look at the data here. According to the 403 00:20:50,119 --> 00:20:53,680 Speaker 1: police violence report one one hundred and forty seven people 404 00:20:53,680 --> 00:20:56,600 Speaker 1: were killed by police in twenty seventeen. Now, black folks 405 00:20:56,640 --> 00:20:58,760 Speaker 1: were more likely to be killed by police, and more 406 00:20:58,880 --> 00:21:01,439 Speaker 1: likely to be unarmed and less likely to be threatening 407 00:21:01,520 --> 00:21:03,440 Speaker 1: someone when they were killed. And on top of that, 408 00:21:03,880 --> 00:21:07,240 Speaker 1: police recruits spend seven times as many hours training to shoot, 409 00:21:07,240 --> 00:21:09,760 Speaker 1: and they do training to de escalate situations. So that 410 00:21:09,880 --> 00:21:12,120 Speaker 1: just tells you right there. You know, when you call 411 00:21:12,160 --> 00:21:14,959 Speaker 1: these people in, you need to be damn sure you 412 00:21:15,040 --> 00:21:18,600 Speaker 1: understand what you're doing. Yeah, And I don't want to 413 00:21:18,600 --> 00:21:20,840 Speaker 1: come down hard on police here, although I think my 414 00:21:20,840 --> 00:21:23,760 Speaker 1: feelings about police are probably obvious and probably don't need 415 00:21:23,760 --> 00:21:26,600 Speaker 1: to say them. But a lot of time police officers 416 00:21:26,880 --> 00:21:29,080 Speaker 1: are dealing with situations that they really have no business 417 00:21:29,119 --> 00:21:32,160 Speaker 1: dealing with. Somebody who's having a mental health crisis. The police, 418 00:21:32,280 --> 00:21:34,560 Speaker 1: I mean, they should be trained and how to deal 419 00:21:34,560 --> 00:21:36,960 Speaker 1: with someone who's having a mental health crisis, but calling 420 00:21:37,080 --> 00:21:38,919 Speaker 1: nine to one one on somebody who is having a 421 00:21:38,920 --> 00:21:41,280 Speaker 1: mental health crisis, it should not be the first side 422 00:21:41,280 --> 00:21:43,119 Speaker 1: of defense. And so I feel for the police in 423 00:21:43,160 --> 00:21:45,360 Speaker 1: a kind of way which will probably shock people to hear, 424 00:21:45,880 --> 00:21:48,720 Speaker 1: because they are being tasked to deal with situations that frankly, 425 00:21:49,200 --> 00:21:52,840 Speaker 1: we should have better services and people who are trained 426 00:21:52,840 --> 00:21:54,880 Speaker 1: better to deal with these things, and they're being called 427 00:21:54,880 --> 00:21:58,360 Speaker 1: in to deal with them. But people should understand what 428 00:21:58,400 --> 00:22:01,119 Speaker 1: you are doing when you are involving, When you are 429 00:22:01,119 --> 00:22:04,240 Speaker 1: summoning armed agents of the state to deal with someone 430 00:22:04,280 --> 00:22:07,199 Speaker 1: because they're having a loud party, you should understand what 431 00:22:07,240 --> 00:22:14,080 Speaker 1: that means. Yes, absolutely, I mean I don't know it 432 00:22:14,119 --> 00:22:17,840 Speaker 1: should be the last line for many reasons, but just 433 00:22:18,760 --> 00:22:20,399 Speaker 1: I know we're on the same page on this. But like, 434 00:22:20,440 --> 00:22:24,880 Speaker 1: introducing a gun or a weapon into any situation automatically 435 00:22:25,040 --> 00:22:27,760 Speaker 1: like raises the stakes of it. So I mean, I 436 00:22:27,760 --> 00:22:30,520 Speaker 1: don't know, someone's barbecuing outside of my house, let's add 437 00:22:30,520 --> 00:22:34,200 Speaker 1: a gun to the mix. It just doesn't the first 438 00:22:34,200 --> 00:22:36,520 Speaker 1: line of yeah, exactly. I can see if you went 439 00:22:36,560 --> 00:22:40,680 Speaker 1: over there and they physically threatened you, they costed you, 440 00:22:41,000 --> 00:22:43,560 Speaker 1: that's you know. Yeah, even I might be like, well, 441 00:22:44,160 --> 00:22:47,040 Speaker 1: oh I get I would get that. But just seeing 442 00:22:47,080 --> 00:22:50,880 Speaker 1: someone barbecuing, and that's some says and I'm going straight 443 00:22:50,920 --> 00:22:53,800 Speaker 1: to nine on one thing. Yeah, no, do not do that. No, 444 00:22:53,880 --> 00:22:55,879 Speaker 1: do not do that. There are times to call the police, 445 00:22:55,880 --> 00:22:58,200 Speaker 1: and there are times to just really, honestly, does mind 446 00:22:58,200 --> 00:23:00,560 Speaker 1: your business. That's like the Yeah, the first rule of 447 00:23:00,600 --> 00:23:02,560 Speaker 1: living in a city, I feel like is no one 448 00:23:02,600 --> 00:23:04,760 Speaker 1: to mind your business. And a lot of these people 449 00:23:04,760 --> 00:23:07,120 Speaker 1: could have just mine up their business. Gene Demi wrote 450 00:23:07,160 --> 00:23:10,760 Speaker 1: it Slate. I thought this was perfectly put to your point, Annie. 451 00:23:11,040 --> 00:23:14,040 Speaker 1: The police were called into this situation, as a colleague said, 452 00:23:14,400 --> 00:23:17,080 Speaker 1: to mediate a misunderstanding, like they were always in a 453 00:23:17,119 --> 00:23:19,800 Speaker 1: dorm room, not armed agents of the state with a 454 00:23:19,840 --> 00:23:23,400 Speaker 1: broad discretion to use violence and detain people. The police 455 00:23:23,600 --> 00:23:26,399 Speaker 1: are not your personal grievance task force. No, They're not 456 00:23:26,560 --> 00:23:31,440 Speaker 1: there to sort out any interpersonal misunderstanding that you have. 457 00:23:31,960 --> 00:23:34,480 Speaker 1: We are adults. We can do that, right, Like you 458 00:23:34,480 --> 00:23:37,399 Speaker 1: can use your mouth and say, hey, do you know 459 00:23:38,280 --> 00:23:41,320 Speaker 1: I'm so and so. I mean, okay, here you can 460 00:23:41,600 --> 00:23:44,080 Speaker 1: if you really feel I need to get involved, you 461 00:23:44,119 --> 00:23:51,879 Speaker 1: can do that. I might say, just your business. Yeah, yeah, 462 00:23:52,080 --> 00:23:56,879 Speaker 1: maybe we need like a a mediating task force just 463 00:23:56,880 --> 00:24:00,000 Speaker 1: goes around, No need to call the police. Have you 464 00:24:00,240 --> 00:24:03,280 Speaker 1: tried just minding your business and just like living your life. 465 00:24:03,480 --> 00:24:08,280 Speaker 1: But I'm just I see like it's like, I know, 466 00:24:08,320 --> 00:24:09,720 Speaker 1: we should take a break, and I'm getting on my 467 00:24:09,800 --> 00:24:11,960 Speaker 1: high horse. I know, I'm sorry. People are gonna be like, 468 00:24:11,960 --> 00:24:13,879 Speaker 1: this is one of Bridget's ranty episodes, and it is, 469 00:24:13,920 --> 00:24:17,240 Speaker 1: but it's upsetting me. I think it's related to gentrification 470 00:24:17,320 --> 00:24:20,320 Speaker 1: in public space and being a black person who has 471 00:24:20,359 --> 00:24:22,679 Speaker 1: lived in a lot of gentrifying cities. I think it's 472 00:24:22,720 --> 00:24:25,320 Speaker 1: about who is and who is not allowed to feel 473 00:24:25,320 --> 00:24:28,439 Speaker 1: okay in public, and who kind of always has to 474 00:24:28,440 --> 00:24:30,760 Speaker 1: have their guard up when they're in public. A perfect 475 00:24:30,760 --> 00:24:33,560 Speaker 1: example is myself. I was once locked out, locked out 476 00:24:33,560 --> 00:24:36,320 Speaker 1: of my own apartment, and I was in my apartment 477 00:24:36,320 --> 00:24:38,119 Speaker 1: at the time, had a way of getting into the 478 00:24:38,200 --> 00:24:40,600 Speaker 1: window that was kind of like we had a way 479 00:24:40,600 --> 00:24:43,240 Speaker 1: of getting in, and I remember being afraid. I remember 480 00:24:43,280 --> 00:24:46,480 Speaker 1: thinking like someone, if someone calls, if someone sees me 481 00:24:47,119 --> 00:24:50,240 Speaker 1: going into my own apartment, they could call nine on one. 482 00:24:50,760 --> 00:24:52,080 Speaker 1: And I was just like, I don't want to deal 483 00:24:52,119 --> 00:24:53,480 Speaker 1: with that. I don't want to deal with that. And 484 00:24:53,520 --> 00:24:57,600 Speaker 1: so rather than going into my own building, I just 485 00:24:57,680 --> 00:25:00,000 Speaker 1: waited and waited and waited and waited and waited for hours. 486 00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:01,919 Speaker 1: Simple someone came and let me in because I was 487 00:25:01,960 --> 00:25:05,400 Speaker 1: too afraid. And again, I'm someone who is who is privileged. 488 00:25:05,800 --> 00:25:07,720 Speaker 1: I have a situations where I'm sitting on my own 489 00:25:07,760 --> 00:25:10,760 Speaker 1: stoop and someone who does not even live there will 490 00:25:10,800 --> 00:25:12,879 Speaker 1: walk by and be like, can you not sit on 491 00:25:12,920 --> 00:25:16,040 Speaker 1: this stoop? And I'll say, oh, I live in the 492 00:25:16,040 --> 00:25:17,720 Speaker 1: building to you and they're like, no, I live in 493 00:25:17,720 --> 00:25:23,440 Speaker 1: the neighborhood, and I say, well, I'm I live so again, 494 00:25:23,680 --> 00:25:27,199 Speaker 1: minor business. Now, I think that it's about who is 495 00:25:27,240 --> 00:25:31,480 Speaker 1: allowed to exist in public spaces. And I just feel 496 00:25:31,520 --> 00:25:34,640 Speaker 1: that so acutely living in gentrified neighborhoods, especially, And it's 497 00:25:34,640 --> 00:25:37,000 Speaker 1: like no surprise to me that this charcoal grill business 498 00:25:37,000 --> 00:25:40,760 Speaker 1: happened in Oakland because Oakland is a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood. 499 00:25:40,800 --> 00:25:44,760 Speaker 1: And I think that, you know, people if they see 500 00:25:44,800 --> 00:25:47,760 Speaker 1: black folks having a good time, turning up, being loud, 501 00:25:47,800 --> 00:25:52,479 Speaker 1: all of that can often signal something that's not supposed 502 00:25:52,480 --> 00:25:55,320 Speaker 1: to happen is happening. And what's also very ironic is 503 00:25:55,400 --> 00:25:57,520 Speaker 1: that a lot of these neighborhoods are places where black 504 00:25:57,560 --> 00:25:59,680 Speaker 1: folks have historically lives. Like in Brooklyn, I lived on 505 00:25:59,720 --> 00:26:02,199 Speaker 1: the app to the Puerto Ricos, and like like when 506 00:26:02,240 --> 00:26:04,120 Speaker 1: they had the Puerto Rican parade, it was very very 507 00:26:04,200 --> 00:26:06,479 Speaker 1: loud and festive, and people would move in and call 508 00:26:06,520 --> 00:26:10,879 Speaker 1: the police, and it's like you moved onto the avenue 509 00:26:10,880 --> 00:26:13,760 Speaker 1: of the Puerto Ricos on days are important to Puerto 510 00:26:13,800 --> 00:26:15,920 Speaker 1: Rican heritage. Of course they are going to be loud. 511 00:26:16,200 --> 00:26:17,920 Speaker 1: It's like moving to the beach if you don't want 512 00:26:17,920 --> 00:26:19,880 Speaker 1: to see sand and do not get it, like why 513 00:26:19,880 --> 00:26:21,560 Speaker 1: are you calling them? Like why did you move here? 514 00:26:21,960 --> 00:26:24,080 Speaker 1: I will never understand it. But I think it's about 515 00:26:24,119 --> 00:26:27,880 Speaker 1: policing public space. Yeah, so let's take a quick break 516 00:26:28,880 --> 00:26:32,040 Speaker 1: and talk more about why the subsets be so much 517 00:26:41,320 --> 00:26:44,920 Speaker 1: sander back, thank you, sponsor. So Annie, we feel like 518 00:26:44,920 --> 00:26:48,680 Speaker 1: I've been ranting this whole time. I think that what 519 00:26:48,760 --> 00:26:52,119 Speaker 1: we need in this situation is just a rethinking of 520 00:26:52,160 --> 00:26:55,920 Speaker 1: how we deal with interpersonal problems in public. I think 521 00:26:55,920 --> 00:26:59,800 Speaker 1: we have to train people to not call nine on 522 00:26:59,800 --> 00:27:01,800 Speaker 1: one for every little thing. I think we have to 523 00:27:01,800 --> 00:27:05,080 Speaker 1: trade people that people of color, marginalized people are allowed 524 00:27:05,119 --> 00:27:08,040 Speaker 1: to exist in public. I'm going to need to have 525 00:27:08,080 --> 00:27:12,120 Speaker 1: a real conversation about what it means and the consequences 526 00:27:12,200 --> 00:27:15,399 Speaker 1: for calling one on one to report something that's not 527 00:27:15,440 --> 00:27:18,880 Speaker 1: a violent or an emergency. And I think that this 528 00:27:18,920 --> 00:27:20,720 Speaker 1: is the time. I think that we are at a 529 00:27:20,720 --> 00:27:23,120 Speaker 1: critical moment where we've had all of these instances of 530 00:27:23,640 --> 00:27:25,480 Speaker 1: you know they called the police for this, call the 531 00:27:25,480 --> 00:27:27,240 Speaker 1: police for that. I think we have to have a 532 00:27:27,320 --> 00:27:30,560 Speaker 1: national dialogue about what this means, because something's up, you know, 533 00:27:30,640 --> 00:27:34,639 Speaker 1: this is this is not okay. Yeah, I completely agree, 534 00:27:34,640 --> 00:27:37,440 Speaker 1: and I think that that is a really great idea 535 00:27:37,440 --> 00:27:40,399 Speaker 1: of BRIGID. I think that there is a lot of 536 00:27:42,119 --> 00:27:44,120 Speaker 1: I don't know if it's confusion. I think people don't 537 00:27:44,200 --> 00:27:48,480 Speaker 1: understand what what constitutes when they should call. We don't 538 00:27:48,520 --> 00:27:51,040 Speaker 1: really get properly trained on it. You just know, calling 539 00:27:51,119 --> 00:27:55,479 Speaker 1: an emergency. So maybe having a dialogue of when you 540 00:27:55,520 --> 00:27:59,320 Speaker 1: do it, here's the consequences of what happens when you 541 00:27:59,359 --> 00:28:03,440 Speaker 1: do it, Here's all of these other issues that surround it. 542 00:28:03,760 --> 00:28:07,560 Speaker 1: And I think it could be even expounded upon beyond that, 543 00:28:07,880 --> 00:28:10,800 Speaker 1: because I mean, I'm a very privileged person, but I 544 00:28:10,880 --> 00:28:14,200 Speaker 1: honestly don't know how to handle the police. A lot 545 00:28:14,200 --> 00:28:16,800 Speaker 1: of times I've been in I've been in situations where 546 00:28:16,840 --> 00:28:19,399 Speaker 1: I've just had no idea what my rights were. I 547 00:28:19,400 --> 00:28:22,679 Speaker 1: don't know. So starting with this, yes, I think we 548 00:28:22,720 --> 00:28:25,960 Speaker 1: should have a conversation when do you call nine one 549 00:28:26,000 --> 00:28:28,800 Speaker 1: one and what does it mean? I think that's so 550 00:28:28,800 --> 00:28:32,000 Speaker 1: so important. It's actually an activist named Aaron Rose, who 551 00:28:32,040 --> 00:28:34,800 Speaker 1: was sort of doing just that. Aaron actually created a 552 00:28:34,800 --> 00:28:37,760 Speaker 1: public resource called what to do instead of Calling the police? 553 00:28:37,800 --> 00:28:40,240 Speaker 1: So in that resource, he writes, so, what do you 554 00:28:40,280 --> 00:28:43,160 Speaker 1: do when you see harm being done, when you worry 555 00:28:43,160 --> 00:28:45,520 Speaker 1: for your safety, when you feel your rights are being violated? 556 00:28:45,960 --> 00:28:47,880 Speaker 1: What do you do instead of calling the police? How 557 00:28:47,880 --> 00:28:50,200 Speaker 1: do you keep yourself safe without seeking protection from a 558 00:28:50,240 --> 00:28:53,080 Speaker 1: system whose deep bault is still surveillance and a rature 559 00:28:53,120 --> 00:28:56,440 Speaker 1: of others? He says, we start by shifting our perspective. 560 00:28:56,760 --> 00:28:59,160 Speaker 1: We start by learning about the racist history of the police. 561 00:28:59,240 --> 00:29:01,440 Speaker 1: We start by saying that an alternative to the system 562 00:29:01,520 --> 00:29:04,640 Speaker 1: should exist. We start by pausing before we downline on one. 563 00:29:04,760 --> 00:29:06,840 Speaker 1: We start by making a different choice where we can. 564 00:29:07,360 --> 00:29:09,480 Speaker 1: We start by getting to know our neighbors and asking 565 00:29:09,520 --> 00:29:11,560 Speaker 1: them to be part of this process. And it's a 566 00:29:11,560 --> 00:29:13,560 Speaker 1: great place to start. I mean, I'm not saying never 567 00:29:13,640 --> 00:29:16,960 Speaker 1: call nine on one, but I am saying it's okay 568 00:29:17,200 --> 00:29:22,320 Speaker 1: to rethink how nine to one one is, how we're 569 00:29:22,400 --> 00:29:24,239 Speaker 1: using it, And clearly a lot of people are out 570 00:29:24,280 --> 00:29:26,800 Speaker 1: there are using it incorrectly. For a lot of people, 571 00:29:26,880 --> 00:29:29,360 Speaker 1: it could be life and death. Right In the instance 572 00:29:29,400 --> 00:29:32,240 Speaker 1: that I talked about earlier, with the father who was 573 00:29:32,320 --> 00:29:35,280 Speaker 1: walking his son and a stroller. He writes that if 574 00:29:35,280 --> 00:29:37,520 Speaker 1: it was a different kind of police officer that showed up, 575 00:29:37,880 --> 00:29:41,360 Speaker 1: that situation could have gone terribly bad for him. We 576 00:29:41,480 --> 00:29:44,280 Speaker 1: got to be mindful of that, and that's it sucks 577 00:29:44,280 --> 00:29:46,520 Speaker 1: that that it's on us to have to figure out, 578 00:29:46,600 --> 00:29:48,560 Speaker 1: but it is. You know. I wish it wasn't the case, 579 00:29:48,600 --> 00:29:52,000 Speaker 1: but it is. And I think not acknowledging that reality 580 00:29:52,040 --> 00:29:56,040 Speaker 1: is not doing anybody any favors. Yeah. Absolutely, And it's 581 00:29:56,120 --> 00:29:59,320 Speaker 1: really easy to just ask yourself before you dial nine 582 00:29:59,320 --> 00:30:02,200 Speaker 1: to one on one, especially like if you have enough time, 583 00:30:02,240 --> 00:30:05,280 Speaker 1: if it's not that urgent, it's easy to ask yourself, 584 00:30:05,520 --> 00:30:10,240 Speaker 1: why am I doing this? What else could I do? Yeah? 585 00:30:10,480 --> 00:30:12,600 Speaker 1: I mean it's such a simple step. Now what else 586 00:30:12,600 --> 00:30:15,680 Speaker 1: could I do? I think for so many issues, just 587 00:30:15,720 --> 00:30:19,640 Speaker 1: taking a beat, taking a breath is important. I feel 588 00:30:19,640 --> 00:30:21,160 Speaker 1: this in myself because I have a lot of I'm 589 00:30:21,160 --> 00:30:24,719 Speaker 1: an impulsive person and I'm trying to teach myself that 590 00:30:24,760 --> 00:30:27,600 Speaker 1: in situations where I want to act impulsively, what if 591 00:30:27,600 --> 00:30:30,920 Speaker 1: I just took a minute and thought it through. And 592 00:30:31,040 --> 00:30:33,040 Speaker 1: I think I think we could all use a dose 593 00:30:33,040 --> 00:30:35,480 Speaker 1: of that, you know, and you don't want it to 594 00:30:35,520 --> 00:30:37,800 Speaker 1: be a split second choice that you made to call 595 00:30:37,880 --> 00:30:40,640 Speaker 1: nine on one ends with someone dead and that shouldn't 596 00:30:40,640 --> 00:30:43,800 Speaker 1: be on you to grapple with. But that's the reality. 597 00:30:43,840 --> 00:30:45,240 Speaker 1: I mean, look at those stats that we started the 598 00:30:45,240 --> 00:30:51,480 Speaker 1: show with. That's the reality. Yeah, I I don't know. 599 00:30:51,520 --> 00:30:55,280 Speaker 1: I'm just this to me is so it doesn't make 600 00:30:55,280 --> 00:30:58,320 Speaker 1: any sense to me. And I'm personally a person that's 601 00:30:59,160 --> 00:31:03,280 Speaker 1: terrified of phone one. I won't do anything to avoid 602 00:31:03,360 --> 00:31:08,560 Speaker 1: talking on the phone, so things like seamless and postmade. 603 00:31:09,440 --> 00:31:11,320 Speaker 1: I had to call the dentist today and it was 604 00:31:11,400 --> 00:31:15,320 Speaker 1: like such a stressful thing and like calling nine one one. 605 00:31:16,240 --> 00:31:20,240 Speaker 1: The times I've done it has been like I'm shaking 606 00:31:20,960 --> 00:31:23,520 Speaker 1: having to like answer these questions. And for me, it's 607 00:31:23,520 --> 00:31:28,640 Speaker 1: mostly been reporting car accidents that I saw, especially in 608 00:31:28,640 --> 00:31:32,000 Speaker 1: the South when snow hits, we have very bad We 609 00:31:32,080 --> 00:31:34,800 Speaker 1: have a lot of car accidents. I just can't imagine 610 00:31:35,240 --> 00:31:39,040 Speaker 1: why you would go to that right away that we 611 00:31:39,200 --> 00:31:44,280 Speaker 1: need to move away from that, and yeah, have a 612 00:31:44,400 --> 00:31:48,240 Speaker 1: national conversation, even if you're someone who is saying listen, 613 00:31:48,400 --> 00:31:50,640 Speaker 1: the reason why I call the police for these situations 614 00:31:50,680 --> 00:31:53,280 Speaker 1: is because I care about law and order and I 615 00:31:53,320 --> 00:31:55,760 Speaker 1: want to have a community that is free of crime, 616 00:31:55,960 --> 00:31:59,120 Speaker 1: free of even low level crime. I can understand that. 617 00:31:59,520 --> 00:32:03,120 Speaker 1: But even when police officers are complaining, even police officers 618 00:32:03,160 --> 00:32:06,840 Speaker 1: are saying, you are making our job more difficult. Yeah. 619 00:32:06,880 --> 00:32:09,640 Speaker 1: A police officer started a thread that went viral on Reddit, 620 00:32:09,680 --> 00:32:12,400 Speaker 1: complaining that someone called nine to one one to report quote, 621 00:32:12,440 --> 00:32:14,120 Speaker 1: it was two black males who were jumps starting a 622 00:32:14,120 --> 00:32:15,600 Speaker 1: cart and nine thirty in the morning. That was it. 623 00:32:15,800 --> 00:32:20,080 Speaker 1: Nothing else. Someone called it in people, people, people. If 624 00:32:20,120 --> 00:32:23,120 Speaker 1: you're going to be a racist, stereotypical jerk, keep it 625 00:32:23,160 --> 00:32:26,880 Speaker 1: to yourself. Another said someone called nine to one one 626 00:32:26,920 --> 00:32:30,400 Speaker 1: to report someone fishing at a community pond. He continued, 627 00:32:30,760 --> 00:32:32,960 Speaker 1: once I arrive, I see a middle aged black man 628 00:32:33,000 --> 00:32:35,160 Speaker 1: fishing in the pond. He looks over when I pull 629 00:32:35,240 --> 00:32:38,320 Speaker 1: up and immediately approaches me, he said. Let me guess 630 00:32:38,480 --> 00:32:41,440 Speaker 1: my racist neighbors called again, saying that I didn't live here. 631 00:32:42,320 --> 00:32:44,640 Speaker 1: A former nine one one dispatcher said that lots of 632 00:32:44,640 --> 00:32:47,640 Speaker 1: people rang in to report a suspicious person, and when 633 00:32:47,680 --> 00:32:50,920 Speaker 1: asked for clarification as to what was suspicious about the individual, 634 00:32:51,720 --> 00:32:55,360 Speaker 1: most would mumble, stumble, or even whisper he or she's 635 00:32:55,480 --> 00:33:00,520 Speaker 1: black or Muslim. Looking this person added, ma'am, it's not 636 00:33:00,560 --> 00:33:03,120 Speaker 1: illegal to be black or Muslim or Mexican, et cetera. 637 00:33:03,720 --> 00:33:07,800 Speaker 1: Usually worked. I mean, when you have law enforcement officials 638 00:33:08,280 --> 00:33:12,360 Speaker 1: coming out with little ways of telling people, Hey, you're 639 00:33:12,360 --> 00:33:15,080 Speaker 1: being racist by calling that one right now, I should 640 00:33:15,080 --> 00:33:17,920 Speaker 1: tell you all you need to know it should And yeah, 641 00:33:18,280 --> 00:33:23,040 Speaker 1: if you are interested in making your community safer, wasting 642 00:33:23,080 --> 00:33:25,680 Speaker 1: the time of law enforcement officials, it does not sound 643 00:33:25,720 --> 00:33:28,240 Speaker 1: like is the way to do that. No, I would 644 00:33:28,280 --> 00:33:31,520 Speaker 1: say that is the opposite of what you should be doing. 645 00:33:32,440 --> 00:33:35,719 Speaker 1: I agree, and I want to talk more about some 646 00:33:35,800 --> 00:33:38,480 Speaker 1: different solutions to how they can sort of tackled this 647 00:33:38,520 --> 00:33:49,520 Speaker 1: problem together after this quick break and we're back, Thank 648 00:33:49,560 --> 00:33:52,240 Speaker 1: you sponsor. So, somebody that ill MT be thinking, if 649 00:33:52,240 --> 00:33:55,400 Speaker 1: we're trying to call the police only when in times 650 00:33:55,440 --> 00:33:59,880 Speaker 1: of actual emergencies, what does that look like? Well, according 651 00:33:59,880 --> 00:34:02,760 Speaker 1: to Aaron Rose that activists we talked about earlier, he 652 00:34:02,760 --> 00:34:04,200 Speaker 1: says that first of all, you should be getting to 653 00:34:04,200 --> 00:34:07,160 Speaker 1: know your neighbors. He writes, many situations that you might 654 00:34:07,160 --> 00:34:09,440 Speaker 1: feel compelled to call the police can be resolved by 655 00:34:09,440 --> 00:34:11,759 Speaker 1: knowing your neighbors. Knock on people's door, leave a note 656 00:34:11,800 --> 00:34:15,040 Speaker 1: with your number, have a conversation. Are we to talk 657 00:34:15,080 --> 00:34:17,360 Speaker 1: to each other before calling nine on one. This is 658 00:34:17,360 --> 00:34:20,120 Speaker 1: particularly helpful for things like loud music, smoke, or mental 659 00:34:20,120 --> 00:34:24,239 Speaker 1: health issues. I think that's really important, particularly as you 660 00:34:24,239 --> 00:34:27,319 Speaker 1: know our space has become more gentrified. When you move 661 00:34:27,360 --> 00:34:29,960 Speaker 1: into a place, I think it's important to make a 662 00:34:30,080 --> 00:34:32,359 Speaker 1: good faith effort to get to know folks. And you know, 663 00:34:32,880 --> 00:34:34,719 Speaker 1: if you don't get to know your neighbors, like, how 664 00:34:34,760 --> 00:34:36,640 Speaker 1: do you know what's going on in your community? And so, 665 00:34:36,680 --> 00:34:40,480 Speaker 1: I think just starting there, starting with having a conversation 666 00:34:40,600 --> 00:34:42,839 Speaker 1: with the people who you live around. So, you know, 667 00:34:43,080 --> 00:34:44,680 Speaker 1: like so and so lives here, so and so lives here, 668 00:34:44,719 --> 00:34:47,200 Speaker 1: So and so lives here. Like if so and so 669 00:34:47,320 --> 00:34:49,160 Speaker 1: is playing loud of music, I won't just call nine 670 00:34:49,160 --> 00:34:50,759 Speaker 1: one one. I'll go over and tell them to ask 671 00:34:50,760 --> 00:34:53,080 Speaker 1: them to stop. If so and so is blowing smoke 672 00:34:53,120 --> 00:34:55,880 Speaker 1: and my and it's you know, smelling at my apartment, 673 00:34:56,280 --> 00:34:58,480 Speaker 1: I'll come down and have a conversation with them. I 674 00:34:58,520 --> 00:35:00,680 Speaker 1: won't just summon nine to one one to do this 675 00:35:00,760 --> 00:35:03,920 Speaker 1: for me. I can handle this as an adult. Yeah, 676 00:35:03,960 --> 00:35:08,040 Speaker 1: And also I would add have that conversation as an adult. 677 00:35:08,640 --> 00:35:12,800 Speaker 1: Do not go yelling in someone's face. It always bothers 678 00:35:12,800 --> 00:35:16,160 Speaker 1: me when people wait, and I understand that impulse absolutely, 679 00:35:16,239 --> 00:35:18,760 Speaker 1: Like you're angry, you want to act on it now, 680 00:35:19,400 --> 00:35:24,160 Speaker 1: But it's better for everyone if you can take that breath, 681 00:35:24,160 --> 00:35:28,040 Speaker 1: take that beat, and just be an adult about it, 682 00:35:28,080 --> 00:35:30,839 Speaker 1: have a conversation, don't go yelling in someone's face, if 683 00:35:30,840 --> 00:35:32,960 Speaker 1: at all, if you can help it at all. Some 684 00:35:33,000 --> 00:35:37,759 Speaker 1: situations weren't it, but generally for things, smaller things, I 685 00:35:37,800 --> 00:35:41,200 Speaker 1: would say, try to try to keep your cool. And 686 00:35:41,239 --> 00:35:44,080 Speaker 1: also if you're someone like me that's very I'm one 687 00:35:44,080 --> 00:35:47,400 Speaker 1: of those weird people that's both very outgoing and very shy. 688 00:35:48,160 --> 00:35:51,480 Speaker 1: So when I moved into my new neighborhood, I got 689 00:35:51,480 --> 00:35:54,000 Speaker 1: to know everyone in my building by name. But that 690 00:35:54,120 --> 00:35:57,520 Speaker 1: was it. But I'm not going to call anybody. I'm 691 00:35:57,560 --> 00:35:59,319 Speaker 1: not going to call police on anybody. I didn't make 692 00:35:59,320 --> 00:36:02,480 Speaker 1: the effort. And if there's ever an issue, I'll go 693 00:36:02,640 --> 00:36:04,839 Speaker 1: make the effort, you know what I mean. Yeah, but 694 00:36:04,880 --> 00:36:07,240 Speaker 1: if you are a person who perhaps is a little worrier, 695 00:36:07,440 --> 00:36:11,000 Speaker 1: you're more prone to calling the police or like just 696 00:36:11,520 --> 00:36:14,319 Speaker 1: I don't want to say nosy, but almost nosy. Just 697 00:36:14,360 --> 00:36:17,000 Speaker 1: if you're on the body, a busy body. Yeah, if 698 00:36:17,040 --> 00:36:18,560 Speaker 1: you're on the other side of the spectrum than me. 699 00:36:19,480 --> 00:36:22,280 Speaker 1: Then yes, take that effort and get to know people, 700 00:36:23,000 --> 00:36:26,080 Speaker 1: and hopefully it'll be an enjoyable experience. I mean, hopefully 701 00:36:26,080 --> 00:36:28,920 Speaker 1: you'll make friends and get to know folks. Yeah, definitely, 702 00:36:30,200 --> 00:36:33,160 Speaker 1: I'm such an advocate of that. You know, I'm I 703 00:36:33,200 --> 00:36:35,960 Speaker 1: am not a busy but I'm a busybody in some ways, right. 704 00:36:35,960 --> 00:36:38,960 Speaker 1: I love, I love my community. If you spend any 705 00:36:38,960 --> 00:36:41,000 Speaker 1: time talking to me, you will know that nothing. There's 706 00:36:41,040 --> 00:36:43,160 Speaker 1: something I love more than where I live in DC. 707 00:36:43,239 --> 00:36:45,680 Speaker 1: And I love the youth of my community. I love 708 00:36:45,800 --> 00:36:50,040 Speaker 1: the elderly folks. I love living in a diverse, exciting, 709 00:36:51,000 --> 00:36:54,279 Speaker 1: multifaceted place. It's I love it. I go to all 710 00:36:54,280 --> 00:36:57,480 Speaker 1: the community events. It's my It's I really rep hard 711 00:36:57,520 --> 00:37:00,160 Speaker 1: for where I live and I want my community need 712 00:37:00,200 --> 00:37:02,920 Speaker 1: to be safe and healthy, just like anybody else. But 713 00:37:02,920 --> 00:37:04,919 Speaker 1: that does not mean calling up police all the time. 714 00:37:04,920 --> 00:37:07,560 Speaker 1: What that means is getting some of my neighbors talking 715 00:37:07,560 --> 00:37:10,799 Speaker 1: to people, you know, saying hello to people when I 716 00:37:10,800 --> 00:37:13,520 Speaker 1: see them in the street. I've often thought that when 717 00:37:13,560 --> 00:37:16,160 Speaker 1: people move into communities with the one that I live in, 718 00:37:16,600 --> 00:37:19,520 Speaker 1: the inclination can be to not meet anybody because you 719 00:37:19,520 --> 00:37:22,000 Speaker 1: don't know them, and they've lived here forever and they're 720 00:37:22,239 --> 00:37:25,320 Speaker 1: that weird old black woman upstairs or whatever, and that 721 00:37:25,440 --> 00:37:28,520 Speaker 1: I get that inclination, but it is absolutely incorrect. I 722 00:37:28,520 --> 00:37:32,080 Speaker 1: remember once living someplace where we had a package thief 723 00:37:32,080 --> 00:37:34,680 Speaker 1: who would steal packages. And there was a very very 724 00:37:34,680 --> 00:37:37,120 Speaker 1: old woman who was a shut in who you could 725 00:37:37,200 --> 00:37:39,480 Speaker 1: she would she would collect your packages that you were 726 00:37:39,600 --> 00:37:42,360 Speaker 1: basically nice to her. And somebody who lived in my 727 00:37:42,400 --> 00:37:46,080 Speaker 1: building they were like, well, you know this neighborhood, we 728 00:37:46,120 --> 00:37:48,520 Speaker 1: can't even get our packages delivered. She should get all 729 00:37:48,560 --> 00:37:51,560 Speaker 1: the packages for the whole building. And I was like, oh, well, 730 00:37:51,719 --> 00:37:54,279 Speaker 1: I shovel her walk when it snows because she can't 731 00:37:54,320 --> 00:37:57,360 Speaker 1: do it, and I bring her, you know, her groceries 732 00:37:57,400 --> 00:37:59,239 Speaker 1: sometimes when she needs to do. You and I and 733 00:37:59,280 --> 00:38:00,920 Speaker 1: like I smile at her and say hello, do you 734 00:38:00,920 --> 00:38:03,319 Speaker 1: do those things? And he was like no, And I thought, oh, 735 00:38:03,320 --> 00:38:06,280 Speaker 1: so you want to be able to have the works 736 00:38:06,480 --> 00:38:08,560 Speaker 1: of writing in a community where everyone knows each other. 737 00:38:08,880 --> 00:38:10,600 Speaker 1: You don't want to do any of the work of 738 00:38:11,239 --> 00:38:14,760 Speaker 1: saying hello to her, you know, shoveling her walk, checking 739 00:38:14,760 --> 00:38:17,680 Speaker 1: in on her, getting the occasional quarter milkause she needs it. 740 00:38:17,880 --> 00:38:21,759 Speaker 1: You want her. It's her responsibility to make your stay 741 00:38:21,760 --> 00:38:24,360 Speaker 1: in this neighborhood nicer. You need to do nothing in 742 00:38:24,400 --> 00:38:26,480 Speaker 1: return for her. And he was like, well, when you 743 00:38:26,520 --> 00:38:29,960 Speaker 1: put it that way, I like to think that he's like, 744 00:38:30,000 --> 00:38:34,040 Speaker 1: shovels her walk every winter. Since then, I hope so too, Vegi. Yeah, 745 00:38:34,040 --> 00:38:36,160 Speaker 1: I mean, this is this is my thing. It's like, 746 00:38:37,160 --> 00:38:39,160 Speaker 1: the reason why I love where I live is because 747 00:38:39,160 --> 00:38:41,520 Speaker 1: of the people that live there and my neighbor My 748 00:38:41,560 --> 00:38:43,799 Speaker 1: neighborhood is full of a colorful cast of characters, and 749 00:38:43,840 --> 00:38:46,120 Speaker 1: I love every one of them. And I think that 750 00:38:46,920 --> 00:38:51,120 Speaker 1: we need to remember what it means to be a community, 751 00:38:51,400 --> 00:38:53,200 Speaker 1: and remember what it means to be a good neighbor, 752 00:38:53,520 --> 00:38:58,440 Speaker 1: and remember that it's okay to have interpersonal conflict, and 753 00:38:58,480 --> 00:39:01,800 Speaker 1: it's okay to use our words to solve that conflict. 754 00:39:01,960 --> 00:39:03,799 Speaker 1: Nobody else needs to if it's if it's not a 755 00:39:03,920 --> 00:39:07,200 Speaker 1: violent or emergency situation, you don't need to have somebody 756 00:39:07,239 --> 00:39:09,320 Speaker 1: else do it for you. You can do it yourself. 757 00:39:09,400 --> 00:39:13,680 Speaker 1: And I think that really it starts there. You know, 758 00:39:14,120 --> 00:39:16,040 Speaker 1: give it a try, Give it a try, Give it 759 00:39:16,080 --> 00:39:17,960 Speaker 1: a try. That's all I'm saying. So I'm saying, I'm 760 00:39:18,000 --> 00:39:22,000 Speaker 1: not saying never call the police. I'm not saying if 761 00:39:22,040 --> 00:39:25,520 Speaker 1: you feel threatened by someone, it is your duty to 762 00:39:26,239 --> 00:39:28,080 Speaker 1: go up to them and put your you know, if 763 00:39:28,080 --> 00:39:29,560 Speaker 1: you feel like you're putting your life on the line 764 00:39:29,560 --> 00:39:31,640 Speaker 1: to do that. I am not saying that. It's not 765 00:39:31,760 --> 00:39:34,239 Speaker 1: the takeaway. Yeah, all I am saying is that a 766 00:39:34,320 --> 00:39:38,320 Speaker 1: safer future is possible for everybody. And I truly, truly 767 00:39:38,360 --> 00:39:41,479 Speaker 1: believe that we can have a future where we are 768 00:39:41,840 --> 00:39:45,680 Speaker 1: so much less dependent on armed police. And that is 769 00:39:45,719 --> 00:39:48,000 Speaker 1: a little bit of a radical notion, but I think 770 00:39:48,000 --> 00:39:51,240 Speaker 1: that we could get there, and other communities are already 771 00:39:51,280 --> 00:39:56,959 Speaker 1: exploring different ways of you know, restorative justice and keeping 772 00:39:57,000 --> 00:40:00,560 Speaker 1: communities safer through community based programming. You know, wait where like, 773 00:40:00,600 --> 00:40:03,200 Speaker 1: if something happens, there is someone else to call that 774 00:40:03,280 --> 00:40:05,920 Speaker 1: is not the police, there is a community based solution 775 00:40:06,440 --> 00:40:08,640 Speaker 1: that can tackle it. And I think we should be 776 00:40:08,640 --> 00:40:16,240 Speaker 1: figuring out how we scale back from involving, frankly, people 777 00:40:16,280 --> 00:40:19,920 Speaker 1: with guns who seem to use them with impunity. I 778 00:40:20,000 --> 00:40:23,000 Speaker 1: think we should be figuring out ways of depending less 779 00:40:23,000 --> 00:40:26,200 Speaker 1: on them to sort out situations that really we have 780 00:40:26,280 --> 00:40:29,040 Speaker 1: the skills. I believe in us we have the skills 781 00:40:29,080 --> 00:40:34,640 Speaker 1: to tackle ourselves. And that's my plea. It sounds like 782 00:40:34,680 --> 00:40:37,680 Speaker 1: a beautiful world, and I believe we can do it too. 783 00:40:39,000 --> 00:40:44,560 Speaker 1: We can build this better, healthier community together. Let's do it. 784 00:40:44,680 --> 00:40:48,840 Speaker 1: Let's do it, sminthy listeners, Sorry, this episode was just 785 00:40:48,880 --> 00:40:52,280 Speaker 1: me my high horse. Really, I'm interested in knowing your solutions. 786 00:40:52,360 --> 00:40:54,440 Speaker 1: You have an idea of what we can do to 787 00:40:55,880 --> 00:40:58,920 Speaker 1: rely less on police. What do you think? What do 788 00:40:58,960 --> 00:41:00,680 Speaker 1: you think about this idea? If not calling nine one one? 789 00:41:00,719 --> 00:41:02,160 Speaker 1: Do you think these people who are calling nine one 790 00:41:02,200 --> 00:41:05,040 Speaker 1: one for every little thing are as absurd as I do? 791 00:41:05,400 --> 00:41:07,799 Speaker 1: Please let us know. I really want to know. Yes. 792 00:41:08,680 --> 00:41:13,000 Speaker 1: You can find us on Twitter at moms Stuff podcast 793 00:41:13,200 --> 00:41:15,279 Speaker 1: or on Instagram at stuff Mom Never Told You, or 794 00:41:15,320 --> 00:41:17,719 Speaker 1: you can always email us at mom Stuff at HowStuffWorks 795 00:41:17,760 --> 00:41:28,160 Speaker 1: dot com