--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For an ordinary citizen, what is the…" description: "\"For an ordinary citizen, what is the common interaction you have with a police officer? When they pull you over for speeding, or when they write you a ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ae/ted-rall-13770_army_for-an-ordinary-citizen-what-is-the-comm_1266476.png" --- # For an ordinary citizen, what is the common interaction… ![“For an ordinary citizen, what is the common interaction you have with a police officer? When they pull you over for speeding, or when they write you a ticket for parking. The rest of the time is patrolling minority neighborhoods like an occupying army. It's suppression of blacks, and it's revenue…” quote by Ted Rall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ae/ted-rall-13770_army_for-an-ordinary-citizen-what-is-the-comm_1266476.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ae/ted-rall-13770_army_for-an-ordinary-citizen-what-is-the-comm_1266476.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ae/ted-rall-13770_army_for-an-ordinary-citizen-what-is-the-comm_1266476.png) > “For an ordinary citizen, what is the common interaction you have with a police officer? When they pull you over for speeding, or when they write you a ticket for parking. The rest of the time is patrolling minority neighborhoods like an occupying army. It's suppression of blacks, and it's revenue enhancement. Surveillance is a Band-Aid. That's like saying, "Let's surveil the SS." No! Let's get rid of the SS!” [Ted Rall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-rall/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote argues that routine police interactions are limited to traffic enforcement, while broader policing targets minority neighborhoods, serving as social control and revenue generation rather than public safety. **In simple terms:** Police focus on traffic stops, but broader policing targets minorities for control and profit. Key Takeaway Recognize and challenge systemic bias in policing. Themes police reform racial justice surveillance public safety Mood critical concerned Type political social commentary When to use this quote - traffic stops - community policing - policy advocacy - legal challenges Key Concepts systemic racism state power economic incentives Questions to Reflect On - How can communities hold police accountable without compromising safety? - What alternatives to revenue-driven policing could be implemented? A Different Perspective The claim may overgeneralize all officers and ignore legitimate law enforcement duties. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Army](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/army/) [Common](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common/) [Neighborhood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neighborhood/) [Patrolling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patrolling-141102/) [Patrolling Minority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patrolling-minority-4044034/) [Police](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/police/) [Police officer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/police-officer/) [Suppression Blacks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suppression-blacks-4044035/) [Surveillance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surveillance/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I commanded a naval gunboat patrolling the Mekong Delta. 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In the state of Texas, if you come into our state and you kill one of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-perry/i-ve-never-struggled-with-that-at-all-in-the-state-of-texas-if-you/) [Rick Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-perry/) > [There was a man named Robert Dear who in court said he was a warrior for the babies, whose ex-wife talked about his Christian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hayes/there-was-a-man-named-robert-dear-who-in-court-said-he-was-a-warrior/) [Chris Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hayes/) ## More by Ted Rall > [I was reading through all these NSA programs that Snowden has revealed, and one of the ones that fascinated me was that smart TVs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-rall/i-was-reading-through-all-these-nsa-programs-that-snowden-has/) [Ted Rall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-rall/) > [What people don't seem to ever understand is that any infrastructure that exists under your regime, in your current government, will be appropriated and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-rall/what-people-don-t-seem-to-ever-understand-is-that-any-infrastructure/) [Ted Rall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-rall/) > [“What you read at Columbia is Plato's Republic and Homer's Iliad. 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When they look at something they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-rall/when-you-have-birds-you-stare-at-them-a-lot-and-their-eyes-are/) [Ted Rall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-rall/) > [Anyone should be able to read comics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-rall/anyone-should-be-able-to-read-comics/) [Ted Rall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-rall/) > [The best thing about being a cartoonist is to walk into a bar or someone's apartment and they don't know you, but they've taped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-rall/the-best-thing-about-being-a-cartoonist-is-to-walk-into-a-bar-or/) [Ted Rall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-rall/) > [The experts who managed the original Marshall Plan say Afghanistan needs a commitment of at least $5 to $10 billion over 5 to 10…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-rall/the-experts-who-managed-the-original-marshall-plan-say-afghanistan/) [Ted Rall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-rall/) > [Up until 1995, I still had a day job that I hated. 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Prescott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-prescott/) > [Thanks to all members of the military around the world for giving me the ultimate motivation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalya-neidhart/thanks-to-all-members-of-the-military-around-the-world-for-giving-me/) [Natalya Neidhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalya-neidhart/) [Browse all 3,919 Army quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/army/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "For an ordinary citizen, what is the common interaction you have with a police officer? When they pull you over for speeding, or when they write you a ticket for parking. The rest of the time is patrolling minority neighborhoods like an occupying army. It's suppression of blacks, and it's revenue enhancement. Surveillance is a Band-Aid. That's like saying, \"Let's surveil the SS.\" No! 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