When we had the boat in Deltaville, I had shouted over one of my neighbours for a beer. It was a hot day and we'd both been working on the boats.
He didn't really know me and was shocked. I could see it on his face as he climbed aboard and I cracked open a couple of beers.
We drank and chatted. I told him stories of when I was in the army and he told me stories of when he had served in the US army. I remember it well. first tour was south Korea before serving in Iraq.
He was glancing at the sky nervously, before asking, "Shall we go have a drink on my boat? I got AC on there"
So we did.
We drank some more and I could tell he was nervous so I had to ask.
"You going to be late home for the missus?"
"Looks like I'm here for the night Simon but no worries, we got a fridge full of cold ones."
So we drank and chatted some more.
Then the story came out..
He loved his boat and loved working on it but he always set off before dark.
If he stayed after dark he would sleep on the boat.
I had to ask why of course.
Simple. He was black.
Going home after dark guaranteed he would be pulled by the cops and spend a night in the nick just for driving whilst black.
At no point is this acceptable.
At no point should anybody feel they are not equal under American law or any other country's law.
I'll stand shoulder to shoulder with Errol so he can go home whenever he bloody well likes.
