Birtherism and driverism
Exclusive: Marylou Barry has advice for Obama when dealing with law enforcers
Accusing state officials who want to see Barack Obama’s actual, hardcopy birth certificate of “birtherism” is like accusing the cop who wants to see your driver’s license of “driverism.” They’re both non-words that up until now have been non-concepts, and one makes just about as much sense as the other. Both officers making the requests are impelled by valid concerns for personal or societal safety, have the moral and legal right to inspect the documents they ask for and shouldn’t be ridiculed for just doing their jobs.
But the success rates they’re experiencing are different because only one has a gun.
May I see your license, Mr. Obama?
I had the dubious honor of being pulled over by a law-enforcement officer a few years ago. At first I assumed the siren and flashing lights were for someone else, so I moved to the shoulder of the road to get out of the way.
“May I see your license, Ma’am?” was the first thing out of his mouth.
“Have I done something I shouldn’t have?” I asked, totally puzzled.
“Your license, please?” he repeated.
“OK, but I have to reach into my purse for it,” I said. I had seen enough cop shows to know not to startle an officer with a gun on his hip. He nodded. I pulled it out slowly and handed it to him.
“Your registration?”
I handed that over, too.
“Do you realize you are driving with an expired registration?” he asked.
No, actually the snow had caked thick on my bumper since I thought I had mailed my renewal check in, so I didn’t realize that at all. But I took the ticket home, sent the city its money – and cleaned off the pesky bumper.
The same thing no doubt happens to thousands of other drivers each year, and most respond in exactly the same way. In fact, if that officer, himself a low-ranking civil servant, got pulled over and asked for his I.D. on his way home from work, I have no doubt he’d produce it and send in his fine just the same as the rest of us.
In an ideal world …
What if the rich and powerful were held to obeying the law just like regular folks instead of getting high-priced, taxpayer-funded lawyers to twist it to suit their needs? What if they had to be as accountable to their law-enforcement officers as we are expected to be to ours?
For one thing, we’d see a lot fewer autocrats with imaginary permission to govern by decree, aka “executive order.” A president would have to learn how to work with an elected Congress to get things done, rather than fly into a snit like a 2-year-old in a checkout line when things don’t go his way. For another, people might develop some genuine respect for their leaders, and when they hear the word “politician,” “crooked” might not be the first adjective that comes to mind.
Until that happens, however, I have a few tips for the nation’s most famous alleged victim of birtherism on how to prevent driverism. If he follows them, he could make the whole inevitable legal process he has brought upon himself and the country a lot easier for everyone, and we’d all have a much smoother trip.
Tips for the person of interest
1) Pull over. You’re being cited by the law of the land, so quit pretending it doesn’t apply to you. Despite your pre-eminent position, the law has more manpower and better communications than you have, as well as fuller community support. Trying to outrun or outmaneuver it creates much larger criminal issues than a simple traffic stop would, and it looks a lot worse on your record.
2) Relax. If you have proper identification and have done nothing illegal, you won’t be in trouble. Accepting a citation is not an admission of guilt, and you will have the opportunity to contest it in court, enter the plea of your choice and be represented by legal counsel.
3) Listen to the citing officer and comply with the instructions you are given. They are the same for everyone, so if this is a case of mistaken identity, you’ll be on your way as soon as the misunderstanding is cleared up. Keep your hands visible and don’t make any sudden moves that could be interpreted as deceptive or threatening. As for concealing or destroying evidence, don’t even think about it.
4) A subpoena is a legal summons to appear in court, not an optional amusement for your spare time. Ignoring it is foolish and self-destructive, makes you look guilty, potentially places you in contempt and negatively impresses other jurisdictions that might subpoena you in the future.
5) Any attempt to bribe, threaten or unduly influence either the officer at the scene or the judge assigned to your case is a very, very, very bad idea.
Marylou Barry is a blogger and the author of a series of children’s books. Visit her website at Marylou’s America and her bookstore at House with the Light Books.
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