I don't ever want to hear that the field Negro doesn't advocate for white folks from time to time. Because it's just not true. Unlike some other folks, I will always speak out against injustice no matter where I see it, or who it happens to hurt.
Take, for instance, the case of Thomas Strain. Poor Thomas is a police officer in the-predominantly black- 35th District here in Philly. He is a five year veteran and from all indication is a fine police officer.
Unfortunately for Thomas, he was recently ordered off the street and assigned to desk duty. Why? Did Thomas have a questionable shoot? No. Did Thomas violate some perp's civil rights? No. Is Thomas an unreliable partner? No. Thomas wore cornrows to work. Oh, did I mention that Thomas is white? Yes, that's not some light skinned brother in the pic, that's a white man.
"They pulled him out of roll call and took him right up to the inspector's office," said an officer who asked to remain anonymous." That's a shame, Philly's finest can't even do their job without having to worry about the fashion police -literally speaking-.
"Oh field, stop it, rules are rules. What is Thomas doing wearing cornrows? What rules? There are no rules against wearing corn rows, Thomas just has to have a neat hear cut that can fit comfortably under his hat. Wait, let me give you another quote from Dana DiFilippo's article:
"Police policy requires officers to have "clean, properly trimmed and combed hair" that doesn't prevent them from wearing their uniform hat "in a military-manner," Vanore said.
The policy prohibits "unnatural" hair colors such as blue, purple or green but doesn't ban specific styles, such as cornrows, mohawks, dreadlocks or bouffants."
The policy prohibits "unnatural" hair colors such as blue, purple or green but doesn't ban specific styles, such as cornrows, mohawks, dreadlocks or bouffants."
So what's the problem Lt. Vanore? I am looking at that pic of old Thomas and his hair looks pretty neat to me. And now look what you caused, dissension in the ranks. Now, of course, Strain's white colleagues are crying reverse discrimination. "It's absolutely discriminatory," said one officer. Strain's cornrows 'do "was neat. It was above his collar. It's not like he shaved a Nazi sign or something anti-black or anti-Hispanic on his head. It's just cornrows. I don't know what the problem is." I hear you officer. It's a disgrace! A white man can't even get his Allen Iverson on? Come on, how soon do we forget? Does the name Bo Derek mean anything to anyone?
Poor officer Strain, I sure hope they put him back on the street where he belongs. It certainly seems like he is a good cop.
".. friends describe him as a hardworking cop who hails from a family of police officers and who adores police work. The former Marine served in Iraq, where he twice survived explosions when his Hummer hit roadside bombs in 2006, co-workers said. 'He's a guy that, when things go bad, you want him there,' one officer said."
Yep, especially if they go bad in one of the neighborhood braid shops.
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