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Report: Charges dropped against Sikh-American and his kirpan
From an anti-discrimination blog, comes this story: Last December Mr. Sahadur Singh, a Utah resident, was driving in Kern County, California, when a police officer stopped him for a normal traffic violation. The police officer spotted the kirpan underneath Mr. Singh’s clothing and immediately arrested him for violating the State’s concealed weapon law and for resisting arrest when Mr. Singh tried to explain the significance of the kirpan. You can read the whole story here, and find out what a kirpan is here. Hard to believe that local law enforcement would be accused of cultural insensitivity. However, according to News Blaze, the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund "thanks the Kern County Prosecutor's office for being receptive and understanding about the significance of the Sikh kirpan and deciding not to prosecute this case." 14 comments from 9 users
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posted by
timec
on Apr 23, 2008 at 08:35 AM
Kern County needs to post a sign when you enter the county that reads...
IF YOU ARE NOT WHITE YOU ARE NOT RIGHT!
This way you can enter at your own risk.... posted by
randomfactor
on Apr 23, 2008 at 08:40 AM
And now the well-justified lawsuit... posted by
catpaw
on Apr 23, 2008 at 09:07 AM
As I recall some time ago, Sikh h.s. students had to relent and not wear their knives to school. It's understandable that a cop doesn't know about obscure religions. The verbal abuse and disrespect wasn't necessary. Does this mean I can found a religion and carrying an automatic firearm is a religious conviction? I have to admit carrying concealed weapons and calling it religion is a stretch. So is raping children and calling it marriage. posted by
antiextremism
on Apr 23, 2008 at 10:55 AM
A knife is a knife but......you'd think that lawmen, even in Utah, might know the difference between an Indian and an Arab. It's sorta like asking a Mongolian if he had anything to do with Pearl Harbor. posted by
sagefever
on Apr 23, 2008 at 11:27 AM
You'd have to be hiding under a rock after 9/11 not to know the difference between a Sikh and the Taliban. They went out of their collective way everywhere~ and especially here with festivals and general info meetings~ to point out they are not "them". There are some 25 million world wide and some 100,000 here in the U.S. posted by
Maggiepoo
on Apr 23, 2008 at 11:37 AM
Alot of rocks in Bakersfield Sage, I was stopped ( walking out of a family dinner downtown) by a BPD officer, he said I matched a discripion of a robbery suspect? Demanded my ID, Only had my US passport and he said """ This will not pass as a ID"""!!!!!!!!! Welcome to the world.... posted by
sagefever
on Apr 23, 2008 at 11:40 AM
That's hilarious! And terribly sad. posted by
Maggiepoo
on Apr 23, 2008 at 11:51 AM
Terribly sad...Even a local part-time traffic cop in bun-fart mongolia knows what a "Passport" is...terrible posted by
ChicoEsquela
on Apr 23, 2008 at 12:36 PM
Maggie -- Did he axe you if you had any ID? Did you then say: "Bout Whut?" I have to think that is what evoked his reaction -- not the passport posted by
nicksno
on Apr 23, 2008 at 02:51 PM
Kern County needs to post a sign when you enter the county that reads...
IF YOU ARE NOT WHITE YOU ARE NOT RIGHT!
This way you can enter at your own risk.... U Stupid racist The Kirpan (IPA: [kɪrˈpɑn]) (Punjabi: ਕਿਰਪਾਨ kirpān) is a ceremonial sword or dagger that must be worn by all baptised Sikhs (Khalsa), after a mandatory religious commandment given by Guru Gobind Singh (the tenth posted by
catpaw
on Apr 24, 2008 at 06:25 AM
Love this site because I learn something new all the time. Next time I play scrabble, I'll know what a kirpan is. posted by
ChicoEsquela
on Apr 24, 2008 at 07:18 AM
Ever had an international driver's license Maggie? They are one step below a passport. They are issued upon request and are meaningless. We used to joke that the Arabic on them might do you some good when facing the firing squad. Hold it up and point to it. Like a Chieu Hoi pamphlet in VN! As an ID to a police officer in CA, the passport is actually NOT as good a form of ID as a CDL. There is more information they require in a readily accessible place on that ID they are used to than on your passport. It also has something to do with ascertaining certain things about you that might relate to something 1035'd about the suspect in the robbery. Something he knows and you don't need to. Vapidity is thy name................ posted by
Lingtaowoo
on Apr 24, 2008 at 01:47 PM
Instead of walking around with a .44 strapped to my hip, maybe a jawbone of an ass will do...religious freedom, right? posted by
sagefever
on Apr 24, 2008 at 02:29 PM
The new passports have a ton of encoded info on them,but they also advise you to carry a drivers license or ID card with you,and carry only the copies around,leaving copies at home and in a safe at your hotel.
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