My name is Matt Ralston. I was born and raised in the enclave of Fairbanks Alaska. I am a white guy. I have never struggled. My parents paid for my college education, and in times of need have even sent me checks. After college I moved to Los Angeles where I live now.
These are a few of my stories, and the reasons why I am inherently troubled by the events currently unfolding. This problem doesn’t know any boundaries.
When I was a junior in high school my salt of the earth friend Drew Olson’s parents went out of town for the weekend. He had some friends over and the party grew to a sizable gathering that certainly wouldn’t be classified as Raging. We were chilling and drinking Rainier beer and up until the moment the Highway Patrol kicked in the door I still remember it warmly. The city of Fairbanks had assembled an Underage Drinking Task Force for reasons unknown but it came right after Columbine. Since then I have been suspicious of reactionary police behavior towards national tragedies.
As many of us were student athletes, we feared for our eligibility. An Underage Drinking Ticket went on your driving record and it was open to the public to view this infraction on your Driving Record. Even if it had nothing to do with driving. Unconstitutional obviously. A good friend of mine lost a college scholarship this way when he was popped with a ticket for being beer buzzed.
I ran and hid in the closet with my friend. Next thing I remember a guy with a bulletproof vest was pointing a 9mm in my face and told me to Get The Fuck Into The Living Room with a smirk on his broken face.
Years later, after being pissed about seat belt tickets, jay walking tickets, HOV tickets, and whatever else, I saw this theme repeat itself. I’ve always driven looking in my rear view for these fuckers who are supposed to be looking out for me.
I was in Hollywood hanging out at a friend’s house. I got in a cab with a buddy to head to a party at the W.
I know, I’d come a long way.
When the cab driver asked for the $12 dollars I reached for my wallet and realized I’d left it at my friend’s house. My “friend” in the cab with me jumped out and ran inside leaving me to fend for myself. I said I was sorry, I didn’t know what to do. Cab drivers are very ornery.
I held out my palms and said I wasn’t expecting the situation. My phone was in my hand. The cab driver snatched it and said “I’m keeping this.” My adrenaline was rushing, and I was in the wrong, so I said “Fine, keep the phone, we’ll call it even.”
At that point I walked across the street and saw sirens flashing. The LAPD said to Commere. I was handcuffed and put into a cruiser. I told my story. The cop said “Have you been drinking?” I said yes, lightly, because that’s still legal in the United States of America. He asked for my I.D. and I provided my license number since my ID was still at my friend’s house and it is still legal to travel without identification in the United States of America. He was incensed when it turned up no record.
“You’re going to jail tonight fucker” he said.
Why the fucker? What was he resentful of?
I asked if I was being detained or not and what crime I was being suspected of. I asked if the cab driver wanted to press charges or if I could work it out with him amicably. Then I asked to call my lawyer.
This incensed this yellow haired LAPD community college dropout. He hemmed and hawed, then flipped a U-Turn in the middle of Hollywood Boulevard for no apparent reason and threw on his flashers. He took me out of the car and then slammed my face into the car on purpose. Then he hit me in the arm with a nightstick and threw me onto the ground, digging his knee into my back. As I gathered myself I saw several people filming the episode with their cellphone cameras.
When the cuffs came off I staggered away. Someone asked me if I was okay but I was just so glad to have escaped the wrath of these pigs I wasn’t listening. I walked home and had a bruise on my arm that looked like a turnip for weeks.
It should be noted I’ve never had a bruise before or sense because I don’t bruise, like a gentleman.
This is what happened to me. Its a far cry from the communities these thugs occupy with more consistent force.
If this has never happened to you consider yourself lucky or be grateful for being painfully sheltered from the country you claim to love. I heard Crate and Barrel just released a new day bed.
Apply the aggression that I as a white dude have experienced to the communities where this is a constant threat. Where people aren’t safe from this bullshit and don’t write futile blogs about it. If you aren’t on the side of Ferguson take a look around because this scourge will find you at some point, and at that point you can’t chalk it up to those people because you’re now one of them.
Pull your heads out of your asses.
Peace.