"Burn" Documentary

[nathanm]

Again, if you watch it, one would think North Tulsa had been cordoned by armed Klansman.

As I've said in the past, seemingly color blind policies can be racist in effect. Sort of how a law can be unconstitutional as applied to a given set of facts. Our criminal justice system is racist, not because people set out to imprison more minorities as a goal, but because perfectly reasonable policies like concentrating patrols in higher crime areas leads to minorities and the poor being arrested and imprisoned on drug charges far out of proportion to actual drug use.

I can understand how, from the perspective of those on the receiving end, it may be cold comfort that society did not set out with the goal of imprisoning minorities more than whites. After all, that is what is happening. If you're a white drug user, you're a lot less likely to go to prison and lose your right to vote than you are if you are a black drug user. I don't have a solution, only the observation.

[AquaMan]

Good comments. I haven't seen the documentary and probably won't. It has succeeded though if it made someone angry enough to start discussions like these. I would like to share a conversation I had with a co-worker recently. Draw your own inferences.

I said to him that I wouldn't feel afraid to walk through any neighborhood in Tulsa during reasonable hours. All four corners including Turley and Oakhurst. I am a native and did just that in my teen years. He said he felt the same way. He came to Tulsa from New Orleans after Katrina. He commented that the worst areas of north Tulsa were an improvement over where he grew up. He loves our city. His whole congregation moved here and set up far north.

"But you need to be more careful of that than I do," I told him. "When I walk thru a neighborhood no one pays much attention. I am a slight, white, middle aged male. They figure I work for the government, own rental property, am looking for drugs or women. At any rate, not much of a threat. In fact I have always been treated with respect. But you are a 6'3" 350lb young black man whose pants sag a bit. I assure you that if you walk the neighborhoods between 91st and 101st, Memorial and 169, you will be considered a threat and patrol cars will be dispatched to chat with you." I observed that personally when I worked in that area.

He smiled and said, "yeah, probably right."

[Red Arrow]

But you are a 6'3" 350lb young black man whose pants sag a bit. I assure you that if you walk the neighborhoods between 91st and 101st, Memorial and 169, you will be considered a threat and patrol cars will be dispatched to chat with you." I observed that personally when I worked in that area.

He smiled and said, "yeah, probably right."

I truly hope there would be a zero probability of him being shot.

Calling the police over a perceived threat is a reasonable course of action.  I have occasionally seen vehicles cruising slowly in our area that are obviously not from the neighborhood.  I give anyone a free pass once or twice.  Too many repeats will cause a phone call.

[AquaMan]

I truly hope there would be a zero probability of him being shot.

Calling the police over a perceived threat is a reasonable course of action.  I have occasionally seen vehicles cruising slowly in our area that are obviously not from the neighborhood.  I give anyone a free pass once or twice.  Too many repeats will cause a phone call.

I couldn't speak to the probability of him being shot. I'm sure its small. I'm just commenting on how paranoid we've all become. Walled in communities, security services that can over react to justify their presence and profiling that comes from media portrayals are causing some aberrations in our behavior. There is nothing inherently wrong in driving slow or walking/biking thru an interesting hood. I would do that if I were looking to see if a neighborhood had any garage sales or homes for sale. Calling a cop is overkill. Monitoring, being alert and making notes are prudent.

Truth is the picture I painted is just a guy walking thru a hood. He is likely perceived as a threat, whereas I probably would not be.

[Red Arrow]

There is nothing inherently wrong in driving slow or walking/biking thru an interesting hood.

Which is why I give anyone a few free passes.

Truth is the picture I painted is just a guy walking thru a hood. He is likely perceived as a threat, whereas I probably would not be.

Unfortunately true.