The New Abolitionist

Zero Tolerance
by Lara Johnson, Oakland

Lately, the Oakland Police Department (OPD) has been making a lot of noise about its new "zero tolerance" crime policy. "Zero tolerance" sound inclusive. However, in reality, it is yet another Orwellian code word for polices designed to reinforce institutionalized whiteism by intensifying the repression of people of color and the poor.

Perhaps I can prove my point by way of two examples:

ONE
On Sunday morning of June 21, 1998, I was casually sitting outside Barnes and Noble in Jack London Square, smoking a cigarette (I quit not long after) waiting to meet a friend. A few feet away from me sat a small, polite, African American gentleman (I later found out his name is George Jenkins) also having a cigarette. He nodded and smiled, as if to share our status as "locked-out-smokers" while watching the morning shoppers.

An Oakland police car rolled ominously to a stop right in front of me. Two white uniformed officers got out and walked right up to George and demanded identification. Their demeanor was so threatening and George"s so gentle, I immediately went to ask the officers what the problem was. I was abruptly and rudely told that it was "none of your business" and to move at least 10 feet away.

Repeating my request for information I was informed by Officer Clarence W. Mabanag (badge number 7638P) that he was arresting George for "littering." I laughed and said "where?" He bent down and pointed to ash that had fallen from George"s cigarette, whereupon he seemed to assume that I should be content with his reply, and got visibly angry and irritated when I was not.

While the officers continued to attempt to interrogate George, asking and searching him for identification and verification of where he lived (in order to write out a docket for littering), I attempted to stop passers-by, informing them of what was happening. Most did not care, and made every effort to avoid any eye-contact with me. One gentleman stopped, said it was "awful" and gave me a pen and a piece of paper to write down the officers" numbers.

By this time they had handcuffed George and were dragging him away. I had enough time to ask George what his name was and to yell that I would file a complaint and do what I could. Asking the officers if they had any conscience did not elicit any response.

I drove down to the Oakland Police Department and asked two African-American officers sitting outside what to do. They said that as far as they were concerned it was simple "discrimination" and "happens all the time" and to file a complaint with the "Professional Standards Division."

The next day I filed a complaint to Sgt. Paniagua at the Professional Standards Division (PSD), who said that the complaint could only be logged into the daily entry log and unless George made a complaint, the matter would not be taken further. I wrote a letter to Mayor Harris, Mayor-Elect Jerry Brown, called every newspaper and TV station in the Bay area and emailed every newspaper I could find on the internet, including many internet chat groups and email discussion lists.

The Miami Herald (in Miami, Florida) investigated and were told that George had "dropped a match." They wrote an editorial on July 4: "Police Action Harms Image as Protectors." KPFA Radio News called the police department and were told that George had "probably failed the "attitude test."" Mayor Harris forwarded my letter to Mr. Nisperos, the Manager of the Citizen"s Police Review Board.

Mr. Nisperos wrote me an email stating, among other things, that I could only file a complaint with the Citizen"s Police Review Board (CPRB) after it had been investigated by the Oakland Police Department (OPD) resulting in an unsatisfactory result to the complainant; or if the OPD had not completed the investigation after 90 days; and that in his opinion "[he does] not see a claim of explicit bias against any of the constitutionally protected classes (age, race, sex, etc.)."

Five months have passed since this incident and I am told by the Professional Standards Division that the investigation is "almost complete." The only thing left is for the Chief of Police to "sign off" on it. However, Sgt. Wood was concerned when he heard that the investigation was "complete" but the "prime witness" had yet to be questioned. Sounds like a "serious" investigation to me; why not get Donald Duck to conduct it?

TWO
On 17 December 1998, I attended an anti-Iraq-war rally outside the Federal Building in downtown Oakland, where one group of approximately 25 European-Americans, including me (a European South African) proceeded to dump a coffin and three large trash bags of dirt and rubble (probably about the size of 30 cartons of cigarettes and ash) onto the pristine marble floor of the rotunda entrance to the Federal Building, with a couple of policemen viewing our protest.

We did not stop there, but proceeded to lay down on the floor in front of the two security entrances, refusing to move for the next two hours, thereby effectively closing down the Federal Building for two hours, while Oakland Police watched and debated with Federal Marshals as to when and how to arrest us, if ever.

We were finally arrested with the cordiality and respect accorded to so-called whites when they are arrested: "Your name please, Sir/Madam." "Please spread your arms." etc.

What part of "zero tolerance" maintains that people with white skins may be arrested and treated as humans while others who do not meet the color/class requirements are treated with disdain and derision?

One can begin to understand how this system works when one understands the rules of membership in the white club. As Noel Ignatiev of the New Abolitionists says, "The white race is a club. Certain people are enrolled in it at birth, without their consent, and brought up according to its rules. For the most part they go through life accepting the privileges of membership, without reflecting on the costs."

With membership in the white club comes many privileges. They include receiving more respectful treatment from the police, enrollment in better schools, less difficulty securing a loan for a car or home, catching a cab with ease, finding a job, access to better food, residence in less polluted neighborhoods, etc.

The only difference between "zero tolerance" and "apartheid" is their rating on the whiteness oppression index, and the reason that both are sustained is because many whites who do not approve of these policies do not publicly and privately, day in and day out, oppose them for fear of losing their white privileges. As soon as enough whites are prepared to attack the system of privilege - that is, as soon as enough whites are willing to commit racial suicide - then there will be no reason to maintain it. For me, the "race issue" is no longer a matter of shades of gray but of black and white. I am no longer prepared to subscribe to the white club, spouting confused "anti-racism" rhetoric while still partaking of white privilege. I will no longer stand by and collaborate or "look away" while policemen, mayors, bosses, friends and family enjoy their subscriptions to the club. I shall be a race traitor, following the mantra of "Treason to whiteness is loyalty to humanity."