this post was submitted on 10 Nov 2023
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20-some years ago I lived in a precarious situation in the back of an old Black Panther karate dojo (I know). Newly-minted urban white boy that I was, it was, culturally, quite a learning experience.
I remember one of the guys (an outdoorsman from Louisiana) told me that he was always armed when he went hiking or camping. I didn't get it at the time, but now I do. It wasn't bears or mountain lions he was afraid of. It was this shit.
Police checking your papers for a couple minutes and leaving?
No. The resolution of this specific circumstance in this specific location is not what I mean by this shit.
By this shit I mean the general danger of being the wrong color in nature.
In Europe, there's nearly zero chance of running into serious, life-threatening, interpersonal trouble on a hike, no matter your color. That is less certain in parts of the United States.
If only all police were honorable and law-abiding and the laws were written to benefit the ordinary person. That would be an amazing world, wouldn't it? Ah well, it's important to have dreams.
No I'm sorry I don't get it, what's the plan here? Shoot at the cops? Threaten the racists with a gun? There must be a better answer to systemic racism than suicide by cop. A blank card with the words "not talking without lawyer present" would probably be a more sensible choice - against cops, not against mountain lions.
I believe this is the same issue with the other comment, taking what I wrote as a specific solution to a specific problem.
This issue of getting the police called is emblematic of a problem that dark-skinned people have, where they're considered to be inappropriate for natural areas.
What I was getting at is that there are specific rural areas, with unhinged residents and poor policing, where no outsider should go. If I choose to go, I should expect to provide my own personal protection. Those locations would be vastly multiplied if I had dark skin, to the point that it might become more expedient to just always carry.
I'm certainly not saying it would be appropriate for anyone to arm themselves while hiking in the Alps, or when dealing with police or benign racism.