Turns out you can’t even be a politician while black in these American streets. A black Oregon state representative, who was out canvassing and checking in on her community had the cops called on her by one of her constituents.
It be your own people.
But seriously, Rep. Janelle Bynum, a Democrat, who is running for a second term in the state House of Representatives this fall, was knocking on doors and chatting to the residents for about two hours in Clackamas, when a deputy pulled up on her, Oregon Live reports.
Bynum had been taking notes on her cellphone from a conversation she had just had with someone at her second to last stop of about 30 homes when she was on her list that day when she saw the patrol car and immediately saw it for what it was.
“I don’t believe this,” was her first thought, she told the news station.
The deputy asked Bynum if she was selling something. Bynum introduced herself as she was, a state legislator just trying to find out the best way to serve her community.
The deputy confirmed that someone had called and reported Bynum because she was spending too much time at houses in the area and appeared to be “casing” the neighborhood, and making notes about it on her phone.
I think these white moms been reading too much John Grisham or James Patterson or something because what the hell?
Mind you, Bynum, who represents District 51, which includes Portland, Gresham, Boring, North Clackamas, Damascus and Happy Valley—had campaign fliers with her at this time, so girl, I guess.
That being said, Bynum acknowledged that this is the first time that someone has called the cops on her, and she’s knocked on plenty of doors over her years of campaigning.
But perhaps that’s what makes the report even more absurd.
“It was just bizarre,” Bynum told OregonLive. “It boils down to people not knowing their neighbors and people having a sense of fear in their neighborhoods, which is kind of my job to help eradicate. But at the end of the day, it’s important for people to feel like they can talk to each other to help minimize misunderstandings.”
It also shows that people apparently don’t know who they are voting for, given that she won her election in Nov. 2016.
Bynum asked the deputy to meet with the woman who called 911 on her, but the deputy claimed that she wasn’t home. (How she making calls then, sir?) Bynum didn’t know the caller’s race ... but, come on guys.
At any rate, Bynum managed to get the deputy to call the woman so she could speak to her. The woman apologized but said she called 911 for the safety of the neighborhood. The woman declined to confirm where she lived to Bynum.
As for the responding deputy, Bynum said that he was very kind and professional and agreed to take a selfie with her. She informed him that “when people do things like this, it can be dangerous for people like me,” the deputy responded by saying he hoped he didn’t instill that feeling.
In the meantime, Bynum, showing that she is truly gracious, understood the woman’s concerns, but added that she felt like the woman could have tried talking to her first, or even checking in with a neighbor before immediately dialing 911.
“We all know that we’re not in a society that is perfect, and we have wounds that still need to heal, but at the end of the day, I want to know my kids can walk down the street without fear,” she said.
Bynum, in the meantime, remains largely unfazed. “I hope everyone gets a good look at my face,” she said. “Because I’m coming to your door.”