Here's my story about being beaten by a cop back in the early 1970s...

[GReedDiamond]

In 1973, I was pulled over by the cops in my All White western suburb of Chicago and subsequently beaten, pistol whipped on the back of my head, and when I collapsed to the ground on top of the curb, the cop bashed my head against the curb, repeatedly.

All of this for touching and being in possesion of one ounce of "marijuana," (the racist term for cannabis), as I had dropped the untouched/unsmoked baggie 'o' weed down the sewer grate I happened to be on top of.

I had not smoked even a pinch, it was a virgin OZ.

The fuckers went into the sewer and pulled the "lid" (as we used to call it) out of the sewer.

It was soaked with wet sewage, so it weighed 56 grams (so they claimed) instead of the 28 it really was.

I was charged with felony "marijuana/drug" posession, felony assault and battery on a police officer, resisting arrest - there were 6 total charges, whatever they were - all of which, if found guilty, had the potential for a couple of decades in prison.

My favorite aunt, Aunt Mary, was, at the time, the personal secretary to the VP of Sears Roebuck, a Mr. Kelstadt, IIRC.

Aunt Mary got one of the Sears corporate attorneys to represent me in court at my arraignment.

He was not a criminal defense attorney, but he did know the judge, personally, who was assigned to my case.

They had gone golfing before the arraignment, and my attorney convinced the judge that I was a good lad (I was 18), and it was all just a "youthful indiscretion," if you will.

At the arraignment, the arresting officer was present when the judge accepted my plea-bargained guilty plea for misdemeanor weed possesion, and fined me $500.

I heard the cop's jaw hit the ground when the judge passed his sentence. No probation or anything else.

The lawyer's fee was $1000 (approx $6600 adjusted for inflation today).

I was the recipient of All-American White Privilege In Action!

[KS Toronado]

1. I'm thinking All-American White Privilege

wouldn't get a person beaten, & pistol whipped.

[GReedDiamond]

2. Back then, "Marijuana" - even in all white communities, like mine...

...was enough to get your (mine) ass kicked.

Do you think I am lying?

[KS Toronado]

3. No, not at all.

[GReedDiamond]

4. "I'm thinking All-American White Privilege wouldn't get a person beaten & pistol whipped"

...the beatings and pistol whipping and curb bashings, for which I was hospitalized overnight, OBVIOUSLY happened before I could engage my well-connected Aunt to hire the lawyer Friend of the Judge.

[KS Toronado]

8. Right before the beating, did they see you was white?

My last comment on this thread. Have a nice day.

[GReedDiamond]

9. There were zero people of color involved in this...

...not sure what you are on about.

My last comment to you, too.

[littlemissmartypants]

5. I'm so sorry that happened to you. I had a boyfriend that did time for dealing.

He wasn't as connected as your Aunt Mary, in community college at the time and definitely not a dealer.

It completely derailed the plan he had for his life and he came out of it angry and bitter. I can't say I didn't blame him. The whole thing was very heartbreaking.

Thank goodness you had a better outcome.❤️

[GReedDiamond]

7. Yes, that is my whole point, being a recipient of this type of PRIVILEGE...

...which I was, lucky for me, BORN into.

Yay for me!

[moniss]

12. I hear you

about how it was. People who were never around Chicago and the suburbs have no idea. It was a whole weird deal all it's own.

[greatauntoftriplets]

6. The brother of a guy I went to grade school with was beaten to death by cops...

in the now gone Summerdale police station in Chicago. I don't know the back story, but it was in the 1970s or early 1980s.

He was white.

[GreenWave]

14. Sort of like the grins they had when they took Fred Hampton outside dead.

One cop looks like Lindsey Graham

[moniss]

10. Back in

the mid '70's I talked to a student who was facing major time for being busted for his third time. First two times were for stems and seeds in his car. The third time was for residue in a pipe. I never knew how it turned out but most of the younger folks here have no idea how it really was. Our modern media of course would never think to do a documentary about draconian sentences from that period for simple possession of pot. Afraid to hold a light to the dark past. Besides it might interfere with their slotted air time for documentaries on Prince Harry.

[GReedDiamond]

11. Yes, thank you...nt

[Kali]

13. even more privileged here

all they did to us was shake the weed out all over the ground, same for our beer. I suppose if the weed was better, they would have stolen it.

[highplainsdem]

15. God, what a horrifying story! I'm so sorry that happened to you.

So many stories of police brutality never get told.

[panader0]

16. I've been busted twice for possession. The first time I attempted to flee.

I was tackled when I slipped on some gravel and the cop got on my back and put his nightstick under
my neck and pulled up hard. I couldn't breath at all so I was trying to get my hands on it to pull it down.
He kept shouting "Stop resisting!" So I was charged with possession and resisting arrest and thrown in
jail.
So I definitely benefitted from being white. If I had been black, I probably would have been shot instead
of being tackled. Now weed is legal here--go figure.