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Trauma Trivia
Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
21 Apr 2021
Trauma Trivia
Trauma Trivia

We play America’s longest running game, 
Trauma Trivia—gambling blue—
Daily, weekly, monthly, annually—decades, 
Centuries at a time…We play it again and 
Again and again and again… and… again…

We play: Legal Lynching Blues For 10:
Name the cop whose tatted arm snuffed out Eric 
Garner’s life—boot heel grinding cigarette butt in-
to sidewalk? Name the  executioner cop who kneeled for 9 min. 
naturalizing the apartheid state’s Knee-o-Teen.

We play: Blue Steel Police Gang Names For 20:
Why do police gangs claim names like “Benevolent”
and “Fraternal?”
Name the police gang whose initials rhyme with
slop.

We play: Navy Blue Nicknames For 40:
NYPD officer Williams was nicknamed “Clubber”
because he frequented NYC Jazz clubs: True or False?
True or False: Oakland officer Vasquez was nicknamed
“Choker” because he missed free throws in pickup basket-
ball games? 
Chicago officer Davis was nicknamed “Gloves” because he
battled cold hands throughout his career: True or False?
True or False: Oakland cops nicknamed “The Riders” drove

low-income West Oakland seniors to medical appointments?
Why was Oakland officer Siapno was nicknamed the “Foot
Doctor?” 

We play: Thin Blue Mistakes For 10:
Name the first cop to top the charts with, “I Mis-
took My Taser—Ooops—My Gun For My Taser…”
Name the cop who had a hit covering it…
Which cop charted with the hit “I Shot The Black
Intruder Who Lived In The Apartment I Believed 
Was Mine?”
Name the cop who mistook Mike Brown for Hulk
Hogan and gunned him down?
Name the cop who mistook Walter Scott’s back
for a bullseye and commenced target practice? 

We play: Blue Impersonators Matter For 5:
Name the Florida police impersonator that executed 
a teen for snacking while Black. 
What father and son police impersonator duo had a
hit covering Junior Walker and The Allstars’ “Shotgun?”

We play America’s longest running game, 
Trauma Trivia—gambling blue—
Daily, weekly, monthly, annually—decades, 
Centuries at a time…We play it again and 
Again and again and again… and… again…
And only you… And you… And you… And
You… can end our deadly addiction….

© 2021. Raymond Nat Turner, The Town Crier. All Rights Reserved.

poetry

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