A Profile of Freedom
Civil liberties inside and outside the classroom
When I was in 11th grade, my AP US Government and Politics teacher repeatedly disappointed us. In some cases, this was just with facts, like how Ronald Reagan served two full terms as President, but in other cases, it was with compromises with the calendar. We were told several times that a member of the Maryland State Legislature would come talk to us, but this only happened after four or five no-shows.
When he arrived, then-Republican Senator P.J. Hogan had us jump right into an activity. He had us discuss how we could reduce the number of traffic accidents in the D.C.-Metro area, acting like legislators ourselves. Other students proposed stricter standards for driver’s licenses and more police enforcement of traffic laws (I proposed extending the Metro in order to do away with rush-hour in the first place). Allowed to vote for more than one proposal, the class ended up selecting both my idea along with another one.
Democracy in action.
The next semester, a different politician, this one a Delegate from the state’s lower chamber, visited another class. I was serving as an aide then and asked if I could sit in on his presentation. While I have since forgotten his name, I very clearly remember what we did. Like Senator Hogan, he started off by making mock legislators of the class. We were to debate and vote on a proposal that went something like this:
Law enforcement has the right to stop and question any person appearing to be of Middle Eastern descent or origin.
Did I mention that this was after September 11, 2001?
***
One of the first things you’re told about living in Russia is that “Police do not need to show probable cause in order to stop, question, or detain individuals.” In fact, the State Department sends email notices regularly, telling Americans to leave the country immediately. Barring that, Americans ought to mind themselves while in public and not engage in any acts of protest or free speech.
My own experiences with these practices are limited, but not non-existent. When I was a student in the Fall of 2005, I was asked for my papers just 2–3 times during my semester abroad. The police were (more or less) professional, humoring my attempts to speak Russian and handing back my student card without incident.
Since 2015, though, I’ve been stopped more frequently. I used to live in the north of the city, where plenty of migrants from Central Asia are also present. While Uzbeks and Kazakhs are the main targets of extra attention, I often came under the state’s gaze, too. Usually, though, officers were simply curious seeing an American passport in real life and patient with my language skills.
Of course my papers were always in order, and there was never a problem. However, I can attest to the fact that it does cause a small spike in anxiety to see law enforcement and feel the 50/50 odds that they’ll stop you, based solely on your appearance. It’s normal practice, after all. Everyone is expected to carry their domestic or international passport with them at all times, and they are used at security desks at the entrance to many public places.
***
Discussion about this stop-and-question policy went around for a while until one young man, a disabled Black student, shouted out:
That’s racial profiling!
The Delegate called on him, and he stood up, taking a moment to steady his crutches, and explained why such a law would harken back to the not-so-long-ago days of Jim Crow and violate the civil liberties of our fellow citizens.
We should vote no on the bill, he concluded.
Maybe 19 or so students did so; 2 or so voted Yes; and one girl didn’t vote at all.
The people had spoken.
The motion failed.
A white male student asked the Delegate how he would vote on such a measure if it came to the House. The Delegate unequivocally said that he would vote against such a proposal.
The student then asked for his party affiliation.
“Democrat,” the Delegate said.
***
Since then, I’ve lived in a country where foreigners, real and imagined, are regularly targeted by law enforcement. By contrast, American teenagers smelled a rat, even just months after 9/11, when confronted with a similar idea. Having grown up in a place where such deliberation was de rigeuer, these kinds of activities were hardly alien. However, seeing my slightly younger peers reason through issues fundamental to liberty left me feeling everything but disappointed.
