Miguel Torrez will never forget his first day of college. Eager
to finally begin working toward a goal he’d been nurturing
since the age of seven, he bounded down the concrete steps
of his family’s center-city row house; a house not unlike those
that had served as launching pads for so many young urban
dreamers before him.
Throwing his backpack into the backseat of his beaten but
babied 1993 Ford Taurus, he took one last look in the
rear-view mirror ensuring the tilt of his New York Yankees
cap would not bring dishonor to to his beloved Joe Torre,
the Yankees manager.
Honor restored, Miguel Torrez, fighting butterflies of
excitement, pulled away from the curb that glorious
summer morning not knowing he would face the biggest
test of the semester before he ever made it to campus.
Three block from his home, Torrez was pulled over by no
fewer than seven police officers and a K-9 unit. Probably
not what he was expecting since the only thing he could
possibly be guilty of was obsession with professional
sports.
After answering some basic questions and complying with
the standard request for license, registration, and
proof of insurance, Torrez was told to “get out of the car”.
That’s when the insults started.
“You can’t be going to college, people from your street
don’t know how to read”. “Sure you’re not going to a
gang-bang”?. There were other slurs too. Despite his full
cooperation, Torrez was stunned by the casual contempt they
couldn’t seem to hide as they tore apart his car and trunk
hoping the dog would alert on something; anything.
When it became embarrassingly obvious there was nothing
to find. The officers and dog silently retreated to their
cars. The officer who’d been playing “good cop” gave a weak
apology and blurted a halfhearted “good luck in school”.
Torrez was left standing on the sidewalk looking in at
the disheveled interior of his car. Alone, angry, heart
racing, he had a big decision to make. What would
he do about what had just happened.
Suddenly his future seemed in doubt. Three blocks
earlier anything seemed possible. Before he’d left home
that day he’d planned to major in “Criminal Justice”
Miguel Torrez was certain that day would be “his” first
step towards “his” dream of becoming a cop.
Unsure what to believe about anything, he drove to
school.
If Miguel Torrez were a average young guy, the rest of this
story would read … “young Puerto Rican man, disrespected
by Racist White Police Officers, majors in Criminal
Justice. Goes on to law school. Joins ACLU. Tirelessly goes
to work to reelect Barack Obama in hopes of being appointed
to Geoffrey Holder’s Equally Racist, Justice Department”.
But Miguel Torrez is NOT an average young guy.
Even as a child, Torrez was able to see beyond his lower
class, urban reality. Although he loathed his homework,
he would often independently study “American History”.
Particularly fond of presidential biographies, he was
fascinated by the unique leadership styles of
each Chief Executive, imagining he himself could one
day hold a leadership position.
Obsessed with the uncomfortably realistic cop-show
“The Wire”, Miguel reasoned that from where he was
sitting, the best way to become a “leader” would be
to become a policeman. This way he could have a positive
impact on the kids who’d come after him. Incredibly, his
desire to inject some positivity into his neighborhood had
grown so strong, that the shameful incident on his first
day of college, only served to refuel his desire for a law
enforcement career.
So there he was four years later, shaking hands with
the dean, accepting his BS in Criminal Justice. Still
intent on becoming a cop.
After graduation, Torrez immediately began taking the
police exams for every small, medium and large police
force throughout five different states. The year was 2008,
and when he wasn’t working, or checking into the next
available “police test”, Miguel was closely following
the presidential election campaigns.
Growing up in an extended family of Default-Democrats,
Torrez “thought it through” and determined that the
best candidate “for America” was Hilary Clinton. As it
turned out, he would cast a “less than euphoric” ballot,
for Barack Obama.
With Obama in office, Torrez continued working full-time
and began wondering if a stint as an Army Officer,
would enhance his chances of becoming a cop. But
personally dealing with three dozen different police
departments turned out to be a crash course in
“Bureaucracy 101″. Torrez marveled at the “detached
mediocrity” with which many of the “public servants”
handled his paperwork, correspondence, and inquiries. He
also found the political correctness laughable.
About this time, a certain president, was spending money
as if he’d had his own printing press. Having never known
the joys of unchecked, recalcitrant spending, Torrez
instinctively balked at Obama’s casual side-arming of the
public largess.
The epiphany was gradual to be sure. But Miguel Torrez,
the inner city kid, from a broken home, who’d been
harassed by “white police officers” and a dog, now
considers himself a “CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICAN”. How
could this happen ?? Even now, shouldn’t he be running
to Attorney General Holder, with a perfectly viable
claim to victim-hood.
The difference of course is that early-on, Miguel had
“educated himself” as to what it means to be an American.
Uniquely able to see beyond his own circumstances,
Miguel’s gut always told him the problem WAS NOT the
“Constitution” or the system. Problems came when
people acted unconstitutionally within the system, or
behaved as though they were above the law.
Through the years Torrez saw many abuse their
freedom, abuse the system, and abuse each other. He’d
also watched helplessly as seven policemen “abused
their power”. His experience has taught him that a
commitment to personal integrity is the only sure-fire
way to curb abuse of any kind.
He’s figured out, the moral responsibility of
individuals is the only thing that can maintain
the delicate balance of freedom and power under
the constitution. That insight, and his own commitment
to personal integrity alone should probably qualify
him for almost any entry level leadership position.
I wish I could tell you Miguel Torrez is now a cop.
But sadly, no luck yet. He has pretty much given up
on being an Army Officer, because he’s not very
impressed by Obama’s leadership style as Commander
in Chief.
So for now he works full-time at a job he’d rather
not, checks on the results of his “police tests”,
and watches the presidential campaigns. Although
he’s now a registered Republican, he’s still amazed
how often they sound an awful lot like the Democrats.
Only 26, Torrez is beginning to think that a run
for local political office could be in his future.
He’s noticed there is definitely one pro-constitution,
politician who’s leadership style he definitely admires;
conservative Florida Senator Marco Rubio.
So in about a dozen years or so, American Conservatives,
just may have finally found some worthy successors to
Ronald Reagan !!
Rubio/Torrez .. Can’t get much more All-American
than that !!
*** The above story is TRUE … However, the name
Miguel Torrez must for now remain fictitious !!