(Linda) Graham: Every black man in America 'feels threatened' when stopped by cops

Fox News ^ | 16 Jun 2020 | Marisa Schultz

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Sen. Lindsey Graham kicked off a Senate hearing Tuesday on police brutality by contrasting his experience with police with that of his fellow South Carolina GOP colleague Sen. Tim Scott to illustrate the problem with policing today and to make the case for federal reform legislation.

Scott, the Senate's lone black Republican, revealed in an emotional 2016 speech that he was stopped seven times in one year by law enforcement and experienced discrimination even on Capitol Hill as a sitting senator.

“Tim and I have completely different experiences with the cops," Graham, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said in his opening remarks. "There is no getting around that. It is now time to have an honest conversation about why is that? How can it be that if you're a United States senator from South Carolina, and you're black, you get stopped five or six times? And you're white, you never get stopped?”

Graham said he's learned to understand the fright black men have of police and how getting pulled over can be a "traumatic experience."

“Every black man in America apparently feels threatened when they're stopped by the cops," Graham said. "It's not 99 percent. It's like 100 percent."

"I've never been stopped," Graham, R-S.C., continued. "And when I see a cop behind me, the first thing I think about is 'what did I do wrong and can I talk myself out of this ticket.' There's literally no fear. And I wouldn't like to live in a country where I'd be afraid to be stopped."

[GOPJ]

Every white person is afraid of a car breakdown in a black ‘community’...

[Elsie]

Not Clark Griswold!

[ballplayer]

So what’s the freaking point Linda?

[Elsie]

Back in 65, my wife and her two brothers were on a trip to Chicago to see the museums and aquarium and such when we managed to get into a 'neighborhood where we didn't belong'.

A cop pulled us over, came up to the window and said, "I'll bet you folks are lost. Where ya going?"

I told him and he replied, "Follow me; I'll lead you there."

To this day I cannot tell if he was white, black or even green.

[Dr. Sivana]

Not as far back, around 2005, Brent, a co-worker was going on a sales call in Chicago in the company car. He noticed as he was heading into the city proper that he was dangerously low on gas, and took the first exit. It was “the wrong neighborhood”. And there was no reentry ramp in the same direction.

Everyone at the gas station was staring at him. Seriously staring at him. The attendant inside where Brent paid told him he should clear out.

Brent was 35, was fit, dressed professionally (tie, dress shirt, khakis), and was driving a white Mercury Grand Marquis, which looked just like the Ford Crown Victoria cop cars at the time. The locals wanted to know what “the cop” was up to. Whether they were deciding to scoot, or take him out, he will never know.

The attendant inside told him he better clear out. You see,