One member of a group or organization can sometimes perpetuate an image or stereotype, painting others with the same brush. I had an incident with a Baltimore city cop yesterday that really pissed me off. I was standing on the median strip with my sign requesting help.." HOMELESS....PLEASE HELP....NEED A ROOM, WILL WORK FOR RENT!!...
THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS " when a cop stops in front of me, blocking traffic, and gets out of the car and starts making comments (to another cop in another car, stopped behind her's) about how I am " Right in her face " and to " get out of here, I don't want to see you again" {direct quotes} and how I am disrespecting her? by aggressive panhandling [which I WAS NOT] and generally being poor and homeless, {paraphrase}. This is the same cop who ignored the old black drunk on the opposite side of the street who was actually going up to vehicles and knocking on the windows!! ( and she could not have not seen him as she sat right next to him as the light changed.) This is the same cop who gave me a criminal citation that was thrown out of court back in July for being an unjustified citation!!. I have been told by other officers to "watch out " for her. I have been given gifts of food and treated to hot coffee on freezing days by other officers on duty and been handed donations of cash by Balto. City, M.T.A., School System, both City and County Sheriffs, State Police and City officials in City cars and Trucks, and their private vehicles. I have been asked to move on occassionaly by other City Police, when traffic or weather warranted, and I have always been treated with dignity abd respect, or at the very least simple but curt politeness. In a city with such a violent crime rate, where there has been a killing/homicide a DAY for the past week(!), why is this woman singling out a peaceful homeless person for harassment? OK, that's enough bitching for today, I am heading out now to try and make enough money for my Meds. for the 4 day holiday weekend. ..Happy Thanksgiving...........Dave
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