LETTER: An older white woman understands her privilege

I was recently stopped by police for a traffic infraction. Fortunately, I am a 60-something white woman. The officer politely approached my vehicle; he was almost apologetic as he wrote my citation. And off I went.

I’d like the two recent letter writers from Pahrump — and others who blame Tyre Nichols’ murder on his “failure to comply” — to imagine this: I’m pulled over for an unknown infraction and two officers, yelling and screaming, rip open my car door, wrench me from my seat as I am trying to exit and throw me to the ground, yelling “get on the ground, get on the ground,” laced with unprintable expletives. I’m on the ground. My hands are visible. They have my hands. But they continue to shout — “Ground!” “Hands!” — while physically restraining me, beating and tasing me.

Would I run, given the chance? Honestly, as a potentially vulnerable woman in the grip of two out-of-control bullies, I hope I would. But I don’t know. Because I don’t need to know. I don’t need to be mentally prepared for such a scenario — the chances of police treating me that way, for a traffic infraction, being slim to none. I’m privileged.

Did young Tyre resist at some point? Of course. From the beginning the body cam video clearly shows this was not going to end well for him. And he knew it. So, he ran for his life. Tragically, only yards from home, he was captured by a mob of hyped-up, enraged cops and another young Black man’s fate was sealed.

That the worst offenders in this case are Black in no way suggests racism is not involved. Racism is so baked into our society and police culture that it can easily bleed across racial lines.

Watch the entire videos, from body cam and light pole SkyCop. Watch them without someone on TV telling you what to think. Put yourself in that young man’s shoes, if you can. Then tell us who is to blame.