Mark Longley: Sight of a police car still instills fear for many blacks

To The Daily Sun,

Having blond hair, blue eyes and nordic features, I'm as lilly-white as they come. But from my life's experiences I think I can understand the fear that many minority folks face every day of their lives — the type of fear perfectly portrayed in the cartoon in Thursday's paper. You see I lived in a Southern city in the late 60s/early 70s — in what felt like a police state. My crime? Long hair and the vestments of the counterculture at the time. I grew to fear the police. In fact, coming from a rural northern town, my friends had to give me "the talk" — the same talk every black parent gives their kids on relating to police. Consider this: A Floridian policeman actually said to me: 'In my book, you're just one step above a (you know what).

That was a long time ago. I cut my hair. I live in a rural New Hampshire town. I'm accepted as part of the local majority culture now. I'm with the "in crowd" — but I remember. I have nothing but supreme respect and admiration for our local police for I know they are dedicated in fulfilling their mission of protecting us and helping solve problems. But the experiences of my youth taught me to remember that life in America is not so wonderful for everyone. I cut my hair but my black friends in that Southern city I know so well still have dark skin. They still live in ghettos. And the sight of a police car coming down the street still instills a fear and apprehension like that I'll never forget — and captured so well in the cartoon.

To the outraged readers of The Laconia Daily Sun: I'm sorry that your life's experiences haven't allowed you to understand that there is an alternate reality for folks who don't fit the mold. To the editors of this paper: Please don't be cowed by an uninformed readership and please continue to present society's uncomfortable and inconvenient truths.

Suggested Title: Outraged cartoon readers don't "get it."

Mark Longley

Sandwich