this post was submitted on 16 Feb 2026
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Cops had a less intense sense of identity back then. It wasn't until the late 60s and 70s that it really solidified, and has been getting worse ever sense. Back in the 50s, cops were just locals with power - most of whom were racists and untrustworthy thugs, mind you, but because most people were racist and most people are untrustworthy thugs when given power.
Now there's a whole bizarre siege-mentality subculture that cops have embraced which includes an even more racist view than your average American, who is... not typically entirely free of racial prejudice themselves. Nowadays, cops don't see a 9 year old Black kid at the library checkout - they see a 'civilian', 'Black male, about 16 or 17'. Another self-feeding statistic about 'dangerous' suspects who 'cause trouble' and 'resist arrest'. Not only that, but most cops don't live near their precincts anymore - these people aren't their neighbors. They're 'outsiders' who they don't need to imagine as human beings. In the 1950s, most cops lived closer to their precincts, and so might sometimes feel a pang of conscience for people who were often their literal neighbors.
The average cop nowadays might be less racist, on the whole, than the average 1950s cop. But the average cop nowadays is more racist compared to the average American than the 1950s cop.
... though considering how horrifically racist 1950s Americans in general were, that may be not much more than damnation by faint praise.
most cops don't live near their precincts anymore - these people aren't their neighbors. They're 'outsiders' who they don't need to imagine as human beings.
This can be a little bit of a double-edged sword. Working in social services, I’ve heard numerous cases of children disclosing parental abuse to a cop who says words to the effect of “I know your Dad, he’s a good man and wouldn’t do that. Let me take you home and tell him everything you just disclosed to me” or women who try to report domestic violence only to be faced with a similar outcome.
I don’t think there’s an optimal distance for cops to live from their precincts. The only panacea seems to be defunding them.
Could also honestly just have been "man I don't wanna do the paperwork for something like this." Never underestimate the laziness of the average man.
Of course, that too XD
Explanation:
https://www.npr.org/2011/01/28/133275198/astronauts-brother-recalls-a-man-who-dreamed-big
Ronald McNair was one of the astronauts killed 25 years ago on Jan. 28, when the space shuttle Challenger exploded. As his brother recalls, McNair's life was all about exploring boundaries — and exceeding them.
McNair was only the second African-American to visit space. He'd been there once before, aboard a Challenger mission in 1984. On that trip, he played his saxophone while in orbit.
As his older brother, Carl, recalls, McNair started dreaming about space in South Carolina, where he grew up. And he wanted to study science. But first, he needed to get his hands on some advanced books. And that was a problem.
"When he was 9 years old, Ron, without my parents or myself knowing his whereabouts, decided to take a mile walk from our home down to the library," Carl tells his friend Vernon Skipper.
The library was public, Carl says — "but not so public for black folks, when you're talking about 1959."
"So, as he was walking in there, all these folks were staring at him — because they were white folk only — and they were looking at him and saying, you know, 'Who is this Negro?'
"So, he politely positioned himself in line to check out his books.
"Well, this old librarian, she says, 'This library is not for coloreds.' He said, 'Well, I would like to check out these books.'
"She says, 'Young man, if you don't leave this library right now, I'm gonna call the police.'
"So he just propped himself up on the counter, and sat there, and said, 'I'll wait.' "
The librarian called the police — and McNair's mother, Pearl.
When the police got to the library, Carl says, "Two burly guys come in and say, 'Well, where's the disturbance?'
"And she pointed to the little 9-year-old boy sitting up on the counter.
"And he [the policeman] says, 'Ma'am, what's the problem?'
By then, the boys' mother was on her way, Carl says.
"She comes down there praying the whole way there: 'Lordy, Jesus, please don't let them put my child in jail.' And my mother asks the librarian, 'What's the problem?' "
"He wanted to check out the books and, you know, your son shouldn't be down here," the librarian said, according to Carl.
"And the police officer said, 'You know, why don't you just give the kid the books?'
"And my mother said, 'He'll take good care of them.' "
So, the librarian reluctantly handed over the books. And then, Carl says, "my mother said, 'What do you say?' "
And Ron answered, "Thank you, ma'am."
Eventually, Ronald McNair graduated from North Carolina A&T State University. And in 1976, he earned a Ph.D. from MIT, in physics. Soon after that, he applied to join NASA's astronaut program.
You missed the part where they eventually renamed the library after him.
The library is now named after him.
There needs to be a bronze statue of that little boy sitting on that library’s front desk.
Didn't think it left much of an impression on me, but I was explaining Challenger to the kiddo recently and couldn't stop choking up.
Dude, I still remember sitting in class and crying my eyes out. I don't think anyone around at the time didn't get hit by that pretty hard
I told my wife, who is a librarian this story and she threw up in her mouth a little.
Context please
Asked just as I was posting the article! XD