In what can only be described as a breath of fresh air in the debate over race relations in America today, Will Stack, a 22-year-old African-American man put together a 2-minute video to describe an encounter he just had with a white South Carolina police officer who pulled him over for a moving violation.
The video, which was posted to YouTube, went viral and not for the reasons you might expect.
In the video, Stack explains that he was pulled over for “improper use of the median.” Always polite, Stack said he handed over his license and registration to the officer. After a short time had passed, the officer returned and explained what Stack did wrong – that he drove over the median, which is reserved for emergency vehicles and must remain clear.
Then the officer returned Stack’s documents, gave him a warning and sent him on his way. Stack’s encounter with a police officer inspired him to share his experience. In the video, Stack says:
“People need to understand that not all officers are crooked…” “Not all officers are racist, bad people. And not all people who get shot or tased or arrested by officers are innocent victims.”
“Just because you’re black doesn’t mean you’re a victim, just because you’re white doesn’t mean you’re a racist, just because you’re a cop doesn’t mean you’re a bad person…”
“The world really needs to stop putting labels on people and things and see them as who they are – people doing jobs, doing things. Ignorance has no color. God doesn’t see color. Why should we?”
In an interview with “Fox and Friends” cohost Brian Kilmeade, Stack said:
“There’s no doubt that there are a lot of injustices going on in America. Everybody can agree with that…” “What I’m saying is: Not all people are bad. You’re not automatically a bad person because of the color of your skin or because of the profession that you do.”
Echoing Martin Luther King, Jr., Stack said all people should be judged by the content of their character and given a fair shot.
Stack did say that he has experienced racism multiple times but he said that he tries his best not to let his past experiences affect his future experiences with new people he may meet. It was a lesson he learned not only from his parents but also from his service in the military.
“When you’re in the military, you work with people of all different races, of all different backgrounds. None of that matters when you join, because our uniform is the same color. We all serve the same purpose and we’re all protecting the same freedom.”
