President Al Sharpton

[Viva Las Espuelas]

he tends to speak pretty diligently despite knowing the facts. i guess he found it right to meddle in this situation.



do as i say not as i do..............

it's not if you win or lose it's how you look doing it............





(CNN) -- President Obama said that police in Cambridge, Massachusetts, "acted stupidly" in arresting a prominent black Harvard professor last week after a confrontation at the man's home.
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"I don't know, not having been there and not seeing all the facts, what role race played," Obama said Wednesday night while taking questions after a White House news conference.
Cambridge authorities dropped disorderly conduct charges against Henry Louis Gates Jr. on Tuesday.
Obama defended Gates on Wednesday night, while admitting that he may be "a little biased," because Gates is a friend.
"But I think it's fair to say, No. 1, any of us would be pretty angry; No. 2, that the Cambridge police acted stupidly in arresting somebody when there was already proof that they were in their own home; and, No. 3 ... that there's a long history in this country of African-Americans and Latinos being stopped by law enforcement disproportionately."
The incident, Obama said, shows "how race remains a factor in this society." http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/img/2.0/mosaic/tabs/video.gif Watch the president address the incident » (http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/07/22/harvard.gates.interview/index.html?eref=rss_topstories#cnnSTCVideo)
The mayor of Cambridge said she is going to meet with the city's police chief to make sure the scenario that caused Gates' arrest does not happen again.
"This suggests that something happened that should not have happened," Mayor E. Denise Simmons said on CNN's "American Morning." "The situation is certainly unfortunate. This can't happen again in Cambridge." http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/img/2.0/mosaic/tabs/video.gif Watch how the mayor plans to handle the situation » (http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/07/22/harvard.gates.interview/index.html?eref=rss_topstories#cnnSTCVideo)
Gates said Simmons called him to apologize.
He told CNN on Wednesday that although charges had been dropped, he will keep the issue alive.
"This is not about me; this is about the vulnerability of black men in America," Gates told CNN's Soledad O'Brien. Have race relations improved since Obama's election? (http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2009/black.in.america/community/politics1.html)
Gates said he'd be prepared to forgive the arresting officer "if he told the truth" about what the director of Harvard's (http://topics.cnn.com/topics/Harvard_University) W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research said were "fabrications" in the police report.


The officer, Sgt. James Crowley, told CNN affiliate WCVB earlier Wednesday that he will not apologize.
"There are not many certainties in life, but it is for certain that Sgt. Crowley will not be apologizing," he said.
Gates said the mayor of Cambridge, Massachusetts (http://topics.cnn.com/topics/Cambridge_Massachusetts), called him to apologize about the incident, in which he was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct. http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/img/2.0/mosaic/tabs/video.gif Watch Gates talk about his arrest » (http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/07/22/harvard.gates.interview/index.html?eref=rss_topstories#cnnSTCVideo)
CNN could not confirm Wednesday night that an apology was made. Cambridge Mayor E. Denise Simmons did not respond to requests by CNN for comment.
Crowley wrote in the Cambridge police report that Gates refused to step outside to speak with him, the police report said, and when Crowley told Gates that he was investigating a possible break-in, Gates opened the front door and exclaimed, "Why, because I'm a black man in America?" the report said. http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/img/2.0/mosaic/tabs/video.gif Was the professor profiled? » (http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/07/22/harvard.gates.interview/index.html?eref=rss_topstories#cnnSTCVideo)
The report said Gates initially refused to show the officer identification, but eventually produced a Harvard identification card, prompting Crowley to radio for Harvard University Police.
"While I was led to believe that Gates was lawfully in the residence, I was quite surprised and confused with the behavior he exhibited toward me," Crowley said, according to the report.
Gates (http://topics.cnn.com/topics/Henry_Louis_Gates_Jr) was arrested for "loud and tumultuous behavior in a public space" and was released from police custody after spending four hours at the police station.
He said Wednesday that he and his lawyers were considering further actions, not excluding a lawsuit.
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Gates said that although the ordeal had upset him, "I would do the same thing exactly again."
Earlier this week, a prosecutor dropped the charge against Gates and the city's police department recommended that the matter not be pursued.

[SonOfAGun]

Dude was a dick to a cop and got clowned on his own property.

I had some sympathy for him until I read the police report.

[sam1617]

Cop coulda certainly handled it better, but so could the Professor, but if it was a white dude, right or wrong, we wouldn't be hearing about the arrest...'

Hell, I have a buddy who got his motorcycle confiscated from him the other day, cause they thought it was stolen (it wasn't), and he didn't make a huge scene. The cops wouldn't even give him a ride home...

[Bender]

yeah, I first thought the cops were in the wrong completely... but now it seems like they actually went by the book...

gates just wants to further his agenda

[Geezerballer]

Apparently those cops don’t watch the same Home Security commercials that I see. It’s always a white guy in a watch cap breaking into peoples homes.

[sam1617]

I would like to know why none of the articles I've read have contained any quotes from Ms. Lucia Whalen, who was the witness to the whole escapade. It seems fishy to me that no one would attempt to get her quote on the situation, unless perhaps it turns out that the media is unbiased, and wants to make this look worse towards the police than it is.

By the way, the police report is located here (http://www.samefacts.com/archives/Police%20report%20on%20Gates%20arrest.PDF). Its interesting reading.

[DarrinS]

I think they have policies where only a female officer can search/frisk a female suspect (because of possible sexual assault allegations).


I wonder if there will come a day when the police have to call on a black officer to question, search, etc. a black suspect.

[Viva Las Espuelas]

I think they have policies where only a female officer can search/frisk a female suspect (because of possible sexual assault allegations).


I wonder if there will come a day when the police have to call on a black officer to question, search, etc. a black suspect.

truth is stranger than fiction

[DarrinS]

I don't know about this. If somebody arrests me at my home, they better have a DAMN good reason too. Not too mention, it is the law he had to step out of his house to get arrested for something like that. I really doubt the validity of the police report. It sounds like a cop acting on pure emotions.


Did you read the statement of fellow officer, Carlos Figeroa?

[sam1617]

I think they have policies where only a female officer can search/frisk a female suspect (because of possible sexual assault allegations).


I wonder if there will come a day when the police have to call on a black officer to question, search, etc. a black suspect.

From there, they are going to have to ask permission from the suspect to actually arrest them. ;)

[florige]

I think Obama should had remained neutral on the matter until he found out the REAL facts. Like "I don't know the full details yet or something" He also shouldn't had bought up the race card imo either.

[DarrinS]

I think Obama should had remained neutral on the matter until he found out the REAL facts. Like "I don't know the full details yet or something" He also shouldn't had bought up the race card imo either.


And was this story even important enough to be discussed in a presidential press conference? I thought the whole thing was a bit odd.

[florige]

And was this story even important enough to be discussed in a presidential press conference? I thought the whole thing was a bit odd.



Yeah I thought he was supposed to had been fielding questions on health care?

[doobs]

And was this story even important enough to be discussed in a presidential press conference? I thought the whole thing was a bit odd.

It seemed awfully rehearsed to me. He even nearly passed over another reporter to get to her . . . then realized his mistake, let the passed over reporter ask his question, and answered it in, like, fifteen seconds . . . and then moved on because he wanted time to answer her question about Gates.

[nkdlunch]

Dude was a dick to a cop and got clowned on his own property.

I had some sympathy for him until I read the police report.

keywords: POLICE report

[sam1617]

keywords: POLICE report

Oh, obviously the police are the most evil, lying people ever. A man could never get mad and yell and scream at them for an extended period of time.

They have a witness to the entire event in Ms. Lucia Mahen, don't you think that if it happened differently, she would have stepped forward in the media by now?

[SnakeBoy]

Officer says he'll 'never apologize' for Harvard professor arrest
(CNN) -- A Cambridge, Massachusetts, police officer said Thursday he will "never apologize" about how he handled the arrest of prominent black Harvard University professor Henry Louis Gates Jr.


Sgt. Jim Crowley said he has nothing to apologize for in regards to the arrest of Henry Louis Gates Jr.
"That apology will never come from me as Jim Crowley, it won't come from me as sergeant in the Cambridge Police Department," Sgt. James Crowley told Boston radio station WEEI. "Whatever anybody else chooses to do in the name of the city of Cambridge or the Cambridge Police Department which are beyond my control, I don't worry about that. I know what I did was right. I have nothing to apologize for."

Crowley also said he was exercising caution and is clearly not a racist based on his previous actions.

Those actions, Crowley told the Boston Herald, include giving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to former Boston Celtics star Reggie Lewis, who suffered a fatal heart attack in 1993 at Brandeis University when Crowley was a campus cop.

"I wasn't working on Reggie Lewis the basketball star. I wasn't working on a black man," Crowley told the Boston Herald. "I was working on another human being."

Gates was arrested last week at his home after a confrontation with Crowley. Cambridge authorities on Tuesday dropped disorderly conduct charges against Gates.

Crowley also told WEEI that when he asked Gates to come out of his home, he thought a break-in had occurred or was still happening.

"I didn't know who [Gates] was. I was by myself. I was the only police officer standing there, and I got a report of people breaking into a house," Crowley told WEEI. "That was for my safety first and foremost. I have to go home at night, I have three beautiful children and a wife who depend on me. So I had no other motive than to ensure my safety."

Responding to a reporter's question on Gates' arrest, President Obama said Wednesday night that the Cambridge police "acted stupidly."

Obama defended Gates while admitting that he may be "a little biased" because the professor is his friend.

"But I think it's fair to say, No. 1, any of us would be pretty angry; No. 2, that the Cambridge police acted stupidly in arresting somebody when there was already proof that they were in their own home; and, No. 3 ... that there's a long history in this country of African-Americans and Latinos being stopped by law enforcement disproportionately."

The incident shows "how race remains a factor in this society," Obama said.


Crowley told WEEI that he was "disappointed" that Obama interjected himself into the situation.

"He's the president of the United States, and I support the president to a point," Crowley told WEEI. "I think it's disappointing that he waded into what should be a local issue and something that is -- really that plays out here. As he himself had said at the beginning of that press conference, he didn't know all the facts. He certainly doesn't based on those comments. I just think it was very disappointing."

[SonOfAGun]

keywords: POLICE report

lol yes, but still...I'm more inclined to take the word of a policeman over an enraged race baiting gentleman.

Homeboy needs some balls to lie on a police report that might be taken into court against a Harvard Law prof. friends with the president.

________

The plot thickens!

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D99KBEAO1&show_article=1

[doobs]

On the plus side, at least we have a post-racial president.

[LnGrrrR]

Dude, I gotta say, if a cop comes to arrest me in my house, I'd be pretty pissed off too. Especially if it's for being drunk and disorderly in a public place... when I'm in my home.

I mean, if I tell the officer that I'm the owner of the house, and he doesn't believe me and he's worried about a break-in, I'd get my ID. But does the cop REALLY think the robber has the cojones to break in, and then act like he's the owner of the place? :lol

If you're in your house, I think you should be allowed to be disorderly :D

[Wild Cobra]

President Al SharptonNever happen. Too many people hate race-baiters.

[Viva Las Espuelas]

I'd get my ID.
thing is, according to the police report, he didn't do that. decided to be an ass instead. bravo for the cop standing his ground. if he gets fired i can guarantee he will have plenty of other offers. stupid thing for the president to say despite knowing all the facts. no wonder he "decided" not to pursue law after he got his degree.

[florige]

thing is, according to the police report, he didn't do that. decided to be an ass instead. bravo for the cop standing his ground. if he gets fired i can guarantee he will have plenty of other offers. stupid thing for the president to say despite knowing all the facts. no wonder he "decided" not to pursue law after he got his degree.



I think the officer is right. And I'm not just saying that because I am one. But the officers reluctance to give an apology just tells me in my gut that the guy must had done something to get himself arrested.

[Wild Cobra]

thing is, according to the police report, he didn't do that. decided to be an ass instead. bravo for the cop standing his ground. if he gets fired i can guarantee he will have plenty of other offers. stupid thing for the president to say despite knowing all the facts. no wonder he "decided" not to pursue law after he got his degree.
That is if the police report is accurate. Like I said, without being there, hard to make a valid assessment.

[Wild Cobra]

I think the officer is right. And I'm not just saying that because I am one. But the officers reluctance to give an apology just tells me in my gut that the guy must had done something to get himself arrested.
I would tend to believe that myself. It seems that the friend of Obama are instigators of racial actions anyway. I just wouldn't bet anything of value on it.

[florige]

I would tend to believe that myself. It seems that the friend of Obama are instigators of racial actions anyway. I just wouldn't bet anything of value on it.



I'm just shocked that Obama played the race card too. If he found it necessary to critisize the officer would had been one thing. But there was no need for him to bring up the race card thing period. Especially without knowing what really happened. Obama should apologize to that officer if it comes out that his boy was a dick and got himself arrested.

[Winehole23]

Obama should apologize to that officer if it comes out that his boy was a dick and got himself arrested.Is it really an arrestable offense to be a dick? I mean really. It's not immoral. it probably isn't even unethical to be a dick, unless it is accompanied by dangerous or disorderly behavior.

Rly?

They can arrest you just for being a dick, in your own house, when no other crime is happening? That's what they're trained to do?

Numerous posters seem to be suggesting that was the right thing for the Cambridge PD to do. Arrest a man in his own house, for being a dick when he's done nothing wrong. Unless it is now a crime to break into your own house.


Wow.


Rly?

[Wild Cobra]

Numerous posters seem to be suggesting that was the right thing for the Cambridge PD to do. Arrest a man in his own house, for being a dick when he's done nothing wrong. Unless it is now a crime to break into your own house.

Problem is, how do you balance probable causer with the 4th amendment. If the officer asked him for ID and he decided to be an ass instead of showing he lived there... What if the officer then left, and it really was a break in?

This is not an easy (excuse the pun) black and white issue.

Like I said. Without being there, I will not take a solid side... unless one side says something showing they were in the wrong.

[florige]

Is it really an arrestable offense to be a dick? I mean really. It's not immoral. it probably isn't even unethical to be a dick, unless it is accompanied by dangerous or disorderly behavior.

Rly?

They can arrest you just for being a dick, in your own house, when no other crime is happening? That's what they're trained to do?

Numerous posters seem to be suggesting that was the right thing for the Cambridge PD to do. Arrest a man in his own house, for being a dick when he's done nothing wrong. Unless it is now a crime to break into your own house.


Wow.


Rly?


Say if I came to your house and I don't know if it is your house or not, and I see you trying to break into it. You tell me that it is your house and to basically fuck off. It is my duty as an officer to demand to see ID whether or not you want to or not just for verification. Now if you showed me ID and it showed that you lived there and I still tried to take you in, then that is a different story. My whole thing was that the facts are still unclear as to what actually happened. Unless Obama knew the FACTS yesterday from several witnesess or something. You have to realize man what officers go thru and the bs that we have to contend with daily.

[Winehole23]

Say if I came to your house and I don't know if it is your house or not, and I see you trying to break into it. You tell me that it is your house and to basically fuck off. It is my duty as an officer to demand to see ID whether or not you want to or not just for verification. Now if you showed me ID and it showed that you lived there and I still tried to take you in, then that is a different story.This is the case, I think.

At some point, Dr. Gates established his right to be there, though it appears he did not do so promptly. It also appears he was a dick about it. I think that is allowed; you apparently, do not.


My whole thing was that the facts are still unclear as to what actually happened. Unless Obama knew the FACTS yesterday from several witnesess or something. You have to realize man what officers go thru and the bs that we have to contend with daily.Obama's remarks were impolitic and ill-considered. I doubt he did his homework, and I don't carry his brief. He stood up for his buddy, without really thinking it through. US officials shouldn't do that.

[LnGrrrR]

I think WH23 has the genreal facts of the case right. Eventually, he established his ID, and the guy radioed (sp?) it in, but then he was arrested anyways. Seems off to me.

Also, I don't think the whole "have to show ID" thing to a cop is completely settled by law on whether it's Constitutional to demand such. Last I checked, the only precedent is that a person, when pulled over by a cop, must give at least his name. Any board lawyers want to clarify?

[Wild Cobra]

He stood up for his buddy, without really thinking it through. US officials shouldn't do that.
Shows his lack of leadership rather well if you ask me. (I know... You didn't...)

[Wild Cobra]

Also, I don't think the whole "have to show ID" thing to a cop is completely settled by law on whether it's Constitutional to demand such. Last I checked, the only precedent is that a person, when pulled over by a cop, must give at least his name. Any board lawyers want to clarify?
Consider this.

A police officer catches a burger breaking into your house. The burglar says "but it's my house." So the police officer walks away saying "try not to lock your keys in the house again." You come home with all your valuables taken. Would you fault the cop?

[Winehole23]

Shows his lack of leadership rather well if you ask me. (I know... You didn't...)You're welcome to think that, Wild Flaco. It doesn't bother me so much.

[Winehole23]

All charges against Gates were eventually withdrawn, eh?

[Winehole23]

A police officer catches a burger breaking into your house. The burglar says "but it's my house." So the police officer walks away saying "try not to lock your keys in the house again." You come home with all your valuables taken. Would you fault the cop?Of course there is some highly contrived, completely counterfactual yet somehow plausible scenario, that justifies your preformed conclusion to a tee.

Of course there would be.

[Pistons < Spurs]

http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20090721/capt.0fb799e524bc46ddab7ba290713aec51.aptopix_harv ard_scholar_disorderly_ny133.jpg?x=400&y=307&q=85&sig=Rp8I84FK0cztm.QdBsJLAQ--

[Winehole23]

They were protecting Dr. Gates from his own ill-advised actions, no doubt.

[ChumpDumper]

Great, now every thief who is caught in a home is going to say he teaches at Harvard.

[Winehole23]

Ostensibly, Cambridge PD was protecting Dr.Gates from the serious consequences of being a dick. But it turns out the charges against the Harvard Don weren't so serious after all. Cambridge set them aside.

I don't guess it has been determined that Gates's detainment was either erroneous or irregular, if we grant you may be arrested in your own home for mere dickish banter, when no other crime is taking place.

[Winehole23]

Basically if LE ever feels insulted, arrest is discretionary. Even though danger and disorder be nowhere close.

[Jacob1983]

The guy was an idiot. You should always treat cops with respect and don't talk shit to them. That's common sense. Cops have guns and hand cuffs. They will arrest your ass for anything especially if you're a dick to them and piss them off.

[Winehole23]

The guy was an idiot. You should always treat cops with respect and don't talk shit to them. That's common sense. Cops have guns and hand cuffs. They will arrest your ass for anything especially if you're a dick to them and piss them off.You can still assert yourself civilly. You don't have to be nasty. You just ask straightforward questions. And you don't let em lean into your car.


Why did you pull me over, officer (Texas DPS are troopers)?


I don't consent to any searches.


Are you detaining me, officer/trooper or am I free to go?

[Winehole23]

On topic:
Are you detaining me in my own house, Sir, or am I free to go now?

And also,


please leave my property now, Sir.

[LnGrrrR]

Consider this.

A police officer catches a burger breaking into your house. The burglar says "but it's my house." So the police officer walks away saying "try not to lock your keys in the house again." You come home with all your valuables taken. Would you fault the cop?

Uhm... how would I find out that the cop was even there? Do I have a videocamera on my house, or am I psychic? :D

[LnGrrrR]

Being a dick, even to law enforcement, is not a crime.

Due to the dickishness of many police officers, the majority of society thinks it is.

[doobs]

Read the police report.

It's pretty clear.

[resistanze]

Why were the charges dropped?

[Spurminator]

1. Obama shouldn't have commented on this matter.

2. Once ID was established, that should have been the end of it.

3. This story is going to be way overblown and where people will side is going to be as predictable as the end of a Sandra Bullock romantic comedy.

[sam1617]

I think WH23 has the genreal facts of the case right. Eventually, he established his ID, and the guy radioed (sp?) it in, but then he was arrested anyways. Seems off to me.

Also, I don't think the whole "have to show ID" thing to a cop is completely settled by law on whether it's Constitutional to demand such. Last I checked, the only precedent is that a person, when pulled over by a cop, must give at least his name. Any board lawyers want to clarify?

He wasn't arrested for being obnoxious in his house. If you actually read the police report, you would see that he was arrested for disturbing the peace after he went outside, continuing to scream at the officer.

And if he doesn't show his ID, how exactly are they supposed to know that it is really him in the house? Its not like the police know anything beyond that the guy gave the appropriate name, if he was a thief, he could have found that information anywhere from the mailbox, to paperwork inside. I would think the guy would have been perfectly capable of settling this quickly and calmly, if he had just provided the ID, explained the situation, and waited patiently.

[DarrinS]

Is this about race or about being elite?

Skip Gates, please sit down (http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2009/07/24/gates/index.html)




July 24, 2009 | The Ivy League is not real life. College in general is not real life, and the Ivy League is a more fantastic version of college. The amenities are better, the rules are flexible, and everyone, student and faculty alike, is well aware that the realities of life as most people know it are merely a peculiar footnote to the day-to-day of campus life. I do not speak out of turn when I say this. I know because I am in and of that world.

As a black Ivy Leaguer, something funny happens as you become ensconced in ivy. You’re smart enough to understand that race and racism are a reality you deal with on a daily basis, but you also know that your university ID sets you apart. Does this mean you are kept from hurtful incidents? No, but it is to say that much of the outrage felt at a racial slight is replaced by outrage at a class slight. Sure, we get pissed, knowing we’re getting hassled because we’re black, but the real indignation comes from being hassled as members of an elite group. How dare you hassle me? I go to school here. I go to work here. That second part of the thought is always present. I go to school here. I go to work here. When the Ivy League Effect is going full tilt, our black compass gets confused; the realities we know to exist become other people's problems.

True story: One night, years ago, many of the black students at school were throwing a party in a dormitory common area when three police officers arrived, flashlights searching the crowd. Nobody moved, nobody left, nobody did anything but keep dancing as three police officers walked through the crowd, flashlights in faces. I didn’t run either. In fact, I wondered if they were chasing someone on foot and wondered if the person they were chasing had run into the party.

That could only happen in the Ivy League. Three cops come into a party and nobody, surreptitiously or otherwise, made for an exit? It seems like the beginning of a joke. On one hand, you could argue that this is a sign of progress; a sign that we’ve moved past the days of fearing police presence. I say that that quasi-luxury is brought on by the muscle backing these students (and, by extension, the faculty) -- the school. All the lessons about dealing with police as a black person seem to have no place in the ivory tower. We can forget those lessons because, more than we’re black in America, we’re Ivy Leaguers.

Which brings me to Skip Gates. He isn’t outraged because he feels he was the victim of racial profiling by the police (that dubious honor goes to his foolish neighbor) [in fact, the woman who called the police is not a neighbor, but works nearby]. He’s outraged because he was the victim of class profiling. He didn’t resent being identified as black; he resented being identified as that kind of black, the kind of black that can be hassled and pushed around by simpleton cops. How dare you hassle me? I’m Skip Gates: Harvard professor!

Skip has fallen victim to the Ivy League Effect. Check out his articles -- you can definitely go to the Root -- the Web site he is editor in chief of -- if you want to see a repository for the whole masturbatory display. He all but says, “Do I look like that type of (black) person? I was wearing a blazer and a polo shirt!” Gates is Ivy League pissed with a dash of black anger. Not the other way around. Is this to say the police weren’t in the wrong? Hardly. As a person who is familiar with the Cambridge/Boston P.D., I can say that the prospect of some procedural malfeasance on their part is entirely believable, if not an abject certainty.

But I’m also sure the good doctor was talking some shit. The Ivy League Effect, when it’s potent, wouldn’t allow otherwise. It made Gates forget that, no matter what, even when you’re right, you don’t talk shit to the police. And that’s not a matter of manhood or pride; it’s a question of survival. Why? Because you’re black before you’re a Harvard professor. Because, in an extreme case, you can’t tell your side of the story if you get shot reaching for your ID. As a black man and a Harvard professor, Gates’ thought process should have been: “Wow. I am so thoroughly pissed right now. When this current situation is resolved and I am out of harm’s way, I’m going down to the station and I’m going to use my considerable influence to make heads roll. But right now, I need to be the smart one, remember all the details and not give him any reason to escalate this situation.” That’s what many of my colleagues have done, guns drawn on them at night in the middle of campus by the police. They didn’t get loud; they got smart. They defused the situation, then got pissed and did something about it. And, I assure you, they did so with much less juice than Dr. Gates.

I remember when I heard about the story, I couldn’t help thinking: Wow, that Ivy League Effect has washed out his healthy fear of the police. Yikes.

Can he be outraged? Absolutely. The circumstance should outrage any person that happened to. But why is he outraged? Because he didn’t think the black tax applied to him anymore. In his mind, he was Skip Gates, well-regarded Harvard professor who was being treated poorly in his home by the police. Believe me, if this took place at North Carolina State his sense of indignation would be far different and his ability to garner attention would be much less. And if he was just a working-class stiff? Forget it.

But this didn’t happen anywhere else. It happened in Cambridge on Ivy turf and now his story has taken on Paul Bunyan-esque qualities. If you didn’t know better, you’d think a lynch mob was waiting outside Gates’ door with the rope and the hitching wagon before Ving Rhames came along and saved the day.

Skip Gates thought that he’d worked hard enough, achieved enough, become Harvard enough that this sort of treatment did not apply to him. And now, rather than channel that outrage in a way that is subtle but effective, he’s very publicly suffering the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, having "joined the ranks of the million incarcerated black men in America." That’s laughable. He does not see those million men as kin and he doesn’t, by and large, give a damn about those guys. He’s merely annoyed that such an irritation as police misconduct found its way into his home. If he read about this story happening to a plumber in Roxbury, he’d shake his head in disappointment and then go on with his life.

So before we heed the call of racism, let’s be mindful of the tower from which that call came. This has something to do with race. But it has a lot more to do with messing with Skip Gates.

The Ivy League Effect, people. The Ivy League Effect.

[SnakeBoy]

Being a dick, even to law enforcement, is not a crime.


True but that isn't the issue. The issue that Obama brought up is discrimination/racial profiling. Maybe the cop should have just walked away but I don't see anything racism/profiling here.

Maybe next time they can send this cop...

WwEl0I2p9yQ

[sam1617]

True but that isn't the issue. The issue that Obama brought up is discrimination/racial profiling. Maybe the cop should have just walked away but I don't see anything racism/profiling here.

Maybe next time they can send this cop...

WwEl0I2p9yQ


Holy crap, that officer has more patience than Jesus Christ and Buddha's love child.

[Viva Las Espuelas]

more pie in the face.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The white police sergeant accused of racial profiling after he arrested renowned black scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. in his home was hand-picked by a black police commissioner to teach recruits about avoiding racial profiling.
Friends and fellow officers — black and white — say Sgt. James Crowley is a principled police officer and family man who is being unfairly described as racist.
"If people are looking for a guy who's abusive or arrogant, they got the wrong guy," said Andy Meyer, of Natick, who has vacationed with Crowley, coached youth sports with him and is his teammate on a men's softball team. "This is not a racist, rogue cop. This is a fine, upstanding man. And if every cop in the world were like him, it would be a better place."
Gates accused the 11-year department veteran of being an unyielding, race-baiting authoritarian after Crowley arrested and charged him with disorderly conduct last week.
Crowley confronted Gates in his home after a woman passing by summoned police for a possible burglary. The sergeant said he arrested Gates after the scholar repeatedly accused him of racism and made derogatory remarks about his mother, allegations the professor challenges. Gates has labeled Crowley a "rogue cop," demanded an apology and said he may sue the police department.
On Wednesday, President Barack Obama elevated the dispute, when he said Cambridge Police "acted stupidly" during the encounter.
Obama stepped back on Thursday, telling ABC News, "From what I can tell, the sergeant who was involved is an outstanding police officer, but my suspicion is probably that it would have been better if cooler heads had prevailed."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

[doobs]

This rogue cop is a racist. He probably let Reggie Lewis die on that basketball court.

[DarrinS]

F Skip Gates


15 minutes of fame are over


</>

[doobs]

F Skip Gates


15 minutes of fame are over


</>

Your mama.

- Skip Gates

[DarrinS]

your mama.

- skip gates


lol

[florige]

What?! No Gates trolls yet? :lol

[resistanze]

Is this about race or about being elite?

Skip Gates, please sit down (http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2009/07/24/gates/index.html)

The article doesn't coincide with what you're saying. The article is basically saying that it does have to do with race, but argues that Gates is more angry by the fact that he was harassed moreso because his is member of the elite.

[Wild Cobra]

Uhm... how would I find out that the cop was even there? Do I have a videocamera on my house, or am I psychic? :D
I don't know. It's a "what if" scenario. Maybe your neighbor noticed the police leaving, then you call the station to find out what happened.

My whole point is that it appears the police officer was responding to a call, and you act as if you want them to ignore such calls.

Last night In heard some details of this on the radio on my way to work. I still won't say that it wasn't a racist cop, but it doesn't look good for the proff. There were several police officers and witnesses before it was over. He was absolutely uncooperative if what I heard is correct. I have seen enough examples of bad police officers that I am only playing devils advocate with what I have been posting. I do acknowledge it is also possible the officer simply used any reason to arrest a black man. I just see that chance diminishing.

[Wild Cobra]

Read the police report.

It's pretty clear.
If you believe the words of a police officer that you don't know, then I have a bridge I'll sell you...

[Wild Cobra]

1. Obama shouldn't have commented on this matter.

2. Once ID was established, that should have been the end of it.

3. This story is going to be way overblown and where people will side is going to be as predictable as the end of a Sandra Bullock romantic comedy.
I agree. But was identity established before the arrest?

[doobs]

If you believe the words of a police officer that you don't know, then I have a bridge I'll sell you...

I believe the words of a police officer I don't know . . . when his words can be corroborated by several other people, which is the case here. Read the report.

[clambake]

yes, by all means, read the report that they all agreed to submit.

[clambake]

a white man, the same age, in his own house........none of this would have happened.

[sam1617]

a white man, the same age, in his own house........none of this would have happened.

You saying a white man wouldn't have had the police called if someone saw him forcing entry into a home? Or are you saying that a white man would have reacted in a reasonable manner? Or are you saying that he wouldn't have been arrested for disorderly conduct, even if he followed the officer outside and continued yelling?

[Viva Las Espuelas]

a white man, the same age, in his own house........none of this would have happened.
he probably would've remembered his keys.

[DarrinS]

a white man, the same age, in his own house........none of this would have happened.

What if the white man had behaved like Professor Gates?

[ChumpDumper]

he probably would've remembered his keys.I didn't read that he was locked out of the house; but that the door had swelled shut.

Do you have some other information about that?

[Viva Las Espuelas]

I didn't read that he was locked out of the house; but that the door had swelled shut.

Do you have some other information about that?
then why would you need to break into your own house.

[ChumpDumper]

then why would you need to break into your own house.You might need help forcing the door open. That was the version of events I heard and read.

Again, did you actually read or see or hear something different or are you just talking out of your ass?

[George Gervin's Afro]

then why would you need to break into your own house.

he didn't

[DarrinS]

When I've been stopped by a black officer, it never occured to me to start yelling about racial discrimination. Maybe I should try that.

[SnakeBoy]

Again, did you actually read or see or hear something different or are you just talking out of your ass?

What your not listening to your man anymore?

GvYTNYPDmgQ

[ChumpDumper]

When I've been stopped by a black officer, it never occured to me to start yelling about racial discrimination. Maybe I should try that.Poor, oppressed whitey.

[DarrinS]

Poor, oppressed whitey.


Dambass. Can't you pick up on sarcasm. I wouldn't be disprespectful to any officer, regardless of their color. Doing so is an act of utter stupidity.

[ChumpDumper]

What your not listening to your man anymoreThanks, I don't listen to everything all the time.

Was that in the police report?

[ChumpDumper]

Dambass. Can't you pick up on sarcasm. I wouldn't be disprespectful to any officer, regardless of their color. Doing so is an act of utter stupidity.Just as not apologizing to this man and leaving quickly when they found out they were completely in the wrong were acts of utter stupidity.

They seriously thought cuffing him and parading him in cuffs in public and incarcerating him were great ideas?

They were wrong.

[Viva Las Espuelas]

he didn't
then why were the police called

[SnakeBoy]

Was that in the police report?

I don't remember. I do remember that it seemed pretty clear what happened. Gates was being a dick and insulting the officer. Officer got pissed and asked Gates to come outside, Gates went outside and continued yelling insults so the cop arrested him for disorderly conduct. Pretty sneaky of the cop to get him to come outside so he could get him for disorderly conduct. I would guess that there is probably a verbal assualt on an officer law that he could have used also.

I actually agree with you that the cop should have just walked away but they're human and 9 times out of 10 if your a big enough dick to a cop they're gonna fuck you over.

NONE of that is the issue in this case though. The issue is that Gates, Sharpton, and THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES are making the claim that this is a case of racism and racial profiling. The evidence doesn't back them up and actually contradicts that IMO.

[Winehole23]

He wasn't arrested for being obnoxious in his house. If you actually read the police report, you would see that he was arrested for disturbing the peace after he went outside, continuing to scream at the officer.Was there a separate complaint related to this, or did Cambridge PD determine all on their own that Gates was being too loud in his own front yard?

[ChumpDumper]

I don't remember. I do remember that it seemed pretty clear what happened. Gates was being a dick and insulting the officer. Officer got pissed and asked Gates to come outside, Gates went outside and continued yelling insults so the cop arrested him for disorderly conduct. Pretty sneaky of the cop to get him to come outside so he could get him for disorderly conduct. I would guess that there is probably a verbal assualt on an officer law that he could have used also.

I actually agree with you that the cop should have just walked away but they're human and 9 times out of 10 if your a big enough dick to a cop they're gonna fuck you over.

NONE of that is the issue in this case though. The issue is that Gates, Sharpton, and THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES are making the claim that this is a case of racism and racial profiling. The evidence doesn't back them up and actually contradicts that IMO.I didn't see Obama calling this a direct case of profiling by the police -- but I can understand your confusion.

[SnakeBoy]

I didn't see Obama calling this a direct case of profiling by the police -- but I can understand your confusion.

Why are you so far up Obama's ass? Seriously, it's pathetic.

BTW, Obama just gave his apology press conference. :lmao

[ChumpDumper]

Why are you so far up Obama's ass? Seriously, it's pathetic.

BTW, Obama just gave his apology press conference. :lmaoRight. He didn't call it a direct case of profiling and I understand your confusion. Simple folk like you couldn't make the distinction since, as I said, it wasn't a great idea to connect the two in the same answer.

So clarification and nonapology apology it is.

[Wild Cobra]

I just heard today the Police Officer is thinking of suing Gates!

[ChumpDumper]

I just heard today the Police Officer is thinking of suing Gates!So you are against tort reform now, too.

[Winehole23]

Read the police report.

It's pretty clear.If it's so clear, why did Cambridge drop the charges? If they were bona fide, they'd be obligated to prosecute, wouldn't they?

[doobs]

If it's so clear, why did Cambridge drop the charges? If they were bona fide, they'd be obligated to prosecute, wouldn't they?

Are you kidding me? Have you ever heard of prosecutorial discretion?

Prosecutions cost money, resources are scarce, so prosecutors offices must make these kinds of decisions all the time. I wonder what the actual rate is of disorderly conduct arrests resulting in prosecution.

[Winehole23]

Are you kidding me? Have you ever heard of prosecutorial discretion?Sure. I wish the Cambridge PD had been as considerate of scarce LE manpower/resources as the DA.

[doobs]

Sure. I wish the Cambridge PD had been as considerate with scarce LE manpower/resources as the DA.

The point of prosecutorial discretion is to manage resources and to reflect the view of the state regarding its view of justice and it penological objectives. Police don't have that same mission. Police have a stronger duty to enforce the law when they see the law being broken. And I doubt it cost a whole lot to haul Gates in and keep him away from home for a few hours.

Look, the cop could have ignored him and gone home. And Gates could have stayed indoors when the cop left. But he didn't, he caused a scene, broke the law, and got arrested. Like so many others arrested for disorderly conduct, he won't get prosecuted. BFD.

[ChumpDumper]

So what was the point of arresting him?

[SnakeBoy]

So what was the point of arresting him?

Go up to a cop and start yelling insults towards him and his momma. You'll see the point then.

[ChumpDumper]

Go up to a cop and start yelling insults towards him and his momma. You'll see the point then.What would be the point of my being arrested in that case?

[SnakeBoy]

What would be the point of my being arrested in that case?

Try it and find out. Go on do it.

[ChumpDumper]

Try it and find out. Go on do it.Explain to me what would be the point of arresting me and booking me and jailing me in that case. What purpose would it serve?

[Yonivore]

Explain to me what would be the point of arresting me and booking me and jailing me in that case. What purpose would it serve?
Arresting Gates ended the disturbance he was creating.

[ChumpDumper]

Arresting Gates ended the disturbance he was creating.As would simply leaving -- with the added benefit of not making things worse.

[Yonivore]

As would simply leaving
That's not guaranteed.


-- with the added benefit of not making things worse.
You don't know what Gates would have done if the officer had simply ignored him and walked away. I could see that exacerbating the situation.

[ChumpDumper]

That's not guaranteed.


You don't know what Gates would have done if the officer had simply ignored him and walked away. I could see that exacerbating the situation.Why not give it a shot?

Just tell him you are leaving the acoustically dangerous kitchen and if you have any complaints you can come down to the station of your own accord and make them.

Why invite him into an area where he could then be arrested for the same behavior he was exhibiting in the acoustically dangerous kitchen with no risk of arrest?

[SnakeBoy]

Explain to me what would be the point of arresting me and booking me and jailing me in that case. What purpose would it serve?

I think it would be more educational for you to excercise your right as a freedom loving american to be a dick towards a police officer. Go on do it.

[ChumpDumper]

I think it would be more educational for you to excercise your right as a freedom loving american to be a dick towards a police officer. Go on do it.I think you are afraid to continue this conversation.

I don't blame you.

[Yonivore]

Why not give it a shot?
Well, for a variety of reasons.

I'm reminded of a story where an old man harangued a cable repairman all the way out to his service vehicle and, then, when the cable repairman got into the van and tried to leave, the old man lurched at the vehicle and got himself run over.

Unreasonable people do unreasonable things.



Just tell him you are leaving the acoustically dangerous kitchen and if you have any complaints you can come down to the station and make them.

Why invite him into an area where he could then be arrested for the same behavior he was exhibiting in the acoustically dangerous kitchen with no risk of arrest?
You're forgetting the officer still hasn't established the location or identity of the second alleged burglar. He doesn't know who is in the house or what is transpiring. He wanted Professor Gates to follow him outside because it was safer for everyone involved.

[clambake]

Well, for a variety of reasons.

I'm reminded of a story where an old man harangued a cable repairman all the way out to his service vehicle and, then, when the cable repairman got into the van and tried to leave, the old man lurched at the vehicle and got himself run over.

Unreasonable people do unreasonable things.

handicapped old men that need a cane to walk, don't lurch.



You're forgetting the officer still hasn't established the location or identity of the second alleged burglar. He doesn't know who is in the house or what is transpiring. He wanted Professor Gates to follow him outside because it was safer for everyone involved.
:lmao

[ChumpDumper]

Well, for a variety of reasons.

I'm reminded of a story where an old man harangued a cable repairman all the way out to his service vehicle and, then, when the cable repairman got into the van and tried to leave, the old man lurched at the vehicle and got himself run over.

Unreasonable people do unreasonable things.Right, Gates was going to try to commit suicide by flinging himself (using his cane to propel himself) under a police cruiser. It's all in the report, right?



You're forgetting the officer still hasn't established the location or identity of the second alleged burglar. He doesn't know who is in the house or what is transpiring. He wanted Professor Gates to follow him outside because it was safer for everyone involved.The report says he wanted to go outside because he claimed he couldn't hear the radio in his kitchen. He never said anything about searching the entire house and never had anyone search the entire house after Gates was arrested. You are making shit up now.

[Yonivore]

Right, Gates was going to try to commit suicide by flinging himself (using his cane to propel himself) under a police cruiser. It's all in the report, right?
The old man wasn't trying to kill himself either. Like I said, unreasonably people do unreasonable things and, Professor Gates (by all accounts) was being unreasonable.


The report says he wanted to go outside because he claimed he couldn't hear the radio in his kitchen. He never said anything about searching the entire house and never had anyone search the entire house after Gates was arrested. You are making shit up now.
The officer asked Professor Gates to come outside to begin with, and he refused. That was the only reason he ended up inside with a belligerent Gates in the first place.

[ChumpDumper]

The old man wasn't trying to kill himself either. Like I said, unreasonably people do unreasonable things and, Professor Gates (by all accounts) was being unreasonable.By all accounts he was just yelling. He was not considered a danger to himself or anyone else by the officers. You are making that up.


The officer asked Professor Gates to come outside to begin with, and he refused. That was the only reason he ended up inside with a belligerent Gates in the first place.That's a funny way of trying to avoid admitting you just made up the part about searching the whole house.

[Yonivore]

By all accounts he was just yelling. He was not considered a danger to himself or anyone else by the officers. You are making that up.
By all accounts he was on the officer's ass, yelling, and generally out of control. I don't know what might have happened but, I do know it was possible, in that state, Professor Gates was capable of doing something unexpected that could have resulted in someone getting hurt.

From descriptions, it sounds like the tapes of the event will pretty much demonstrate how out of control Gates was.


That's a funny way of trying to avoid admitting you just made up the part about searching the whole house.
I never said he wanted to search the house. I said he hadn't established the whereabouts of the second alleged burglar, didn't know who else was in the house, and didn't know what the hell was going on in the house.

It was safer outside. And, as you point out, quieter.

[ChumpDumper]

By all accounts he was on the officer's ass, yelling, and generally out of control. I don't know what might have happened but, I do know it was possible, in that state, Professor Gates was capable of doing something unexpected that could have resulted in someone getting hurt.

From descriptions, it sounds like the tapes of the event will pretty much demonstrate how out of control Gates was.I think it was an old man yelling. You are trying to make it out like he was insane. There was nothing in the report that said he was a potential danger to anyone. You really need to quit making shit up.


I never said he wanted to search the house. I said he hadn't established the whereabouts of the second alleged burglar, didn't know who else was in the house, and didn't know what the hell was going on in the house.

It was safer outside. And, as you point out, quieter.Wait, wasn't his entire reason for being there making sure the house was safe? There never made sure the house was safe according to your twisting of the story.

You are now accusing the police of leaving a potential crime scene unsecured and criminals free because an old man yelled at them. I simply don't think they are as incompetent as you do.

[Yonivore]

I think it was an old man yelling. You are trying to make it out like he was insane. There was nothing in the report that said he was a potential danger to anyone. You really need to quit making shit up.
I'm willing to wait for the tapes.


Wait, wasn't his entire reason for being there making sure the house was safe? There never made sure the house was safe according to your twisting of the story.
Because Gates immediately went into his tirade -- during which the officer determined he was the rightful occupant -- and precluded a normal progress of events.


You are now accusing the police of leaving a potential crime scene unsecured and criminals free because an old man yelled at them. I simply don't think they are as incompetent as you do.
I think it became apparent, to all present, sometime during the fiasco that Gates was the "burglar" and that there was no crime. However, I don't think Gates would have given the officer an opportunity to do that -- check the premises to make sure everything was okay. Do you?

[ChumpDumper]

I'm willing to wait for the tapes.He was an old man yelling from his porch. You want to make it seem like he was running all over the place putting people in fear of their lives. You simply made that up.


Because Gates immediately went into his tirade -- during which the officer determined he was the rightful occupant -- and precluded a normal progress of events.But you just said the house was still potentially dangerous. Are you going back on that now since you realized there was absolutely nothing in the police report to support that contention?


I think it became apparent, to all present, sometime during the fiasco that Gates was the "burglar" and that there was no crime. However, I don't think Gates would have given the officer an opportunity to do that -- check the premises to make sure everything was okay. Do you?There was no indication in the report that any further investigation was interrupted, and no further investigation was made once after he was arrested. You simply made up your story that the police considered the house to be dangerous.

[Yonivore]

He was an old man yelling from his porch. You want to make it seem like he was running all over the place putting people in fear of their lives. You simply made that up.
Okay, I never said that. And, putting people in fear of their lives isn't an element of disorderly conduct.


But you just said the house was still potentially dangerous. Are you going back on that now since you realized there was absolutely nothing in the police report to support that contention?
Nope, I don't think the officer(s) on the scene finished the job. Of course, we don't know what they did after the arrest. I know they helped secure the residence before they drove away, though.


I don't see why not -- he actually did let the officer inside and produced ID.
I think the officer entered when Gates refused to come outside.


There was no indication in the report that any further investigation was interrupted. You simply made up your story that the police considered the house to be dangerous.
Responding to a burglary in progress call makes the house potentially dangerous.

Who knows, they may have checked the premises after the arrest but, I somehow think they were satisfied by the asshole's explanation that his door had been jammed and it was him that broke in.

[ChumpDumper]

Okay, I never said that. And, putting people in fear of their lives isn't an element of disorderly conduct.You were saying they had to fear he would do something like jump in front of their cars if he left because you heard some guy did that some time.



Nope, I don't think the officer(s) on the scene finished the job. Of course, we don't know what they did after the arrest. I know they helped secure the residence before they drove away, though.Wrong, they let a maintenance worker from Harvard do it. It's in the report. Again -- why do you insist on flat out lying?



I think the officer entered when Gates refused to come outside.So it was still dangerous then and he just stayed in the dangerous situation with the resident of the house. You are accusing him of leaving a potential victim in a dangerous situation.


Responding to a burglary in progress call makes the house potentially dangerous.Right, and you are accusing the officer of leaving the potential victim in the dangerous house.


Who knows, they may have checked the premises after the arrest but, I somehow think they were satisfied by the asshole's explanation that his door had been jammed and it was him that broke in.Actually I know, because it's in the report. You are now accusing the police of lying in the report now on top of your accusations of their being incompetent and reckless.

[Yonivore]

You were saying they had to fear he would do something like jump in front of their cars if he left because you heard some guy did that some time.
No, I didn't say that. I related the story of an unreasonable old man that accidentally got himself run over because he was being unreasonable.


Wrong, they let a maintenance worker from Harvard do it. It's in the report. Again -- why do you insist on flat out lying?
They helped in that they asked if Professor objected to letting the maintenance person fix the door. I'm betting an officer stayed behind until the job was done.


So it was still dangerous then and he just stayed in the dangerous situation with the resident of the house. You are accusing him of leaving a potential victim in a dangerous situation.
I've said that it became apparent some time during the incident that the probability of a burglary in progress occurring was remote.


Right, and you are accusing the officer of leaving the potential victim in the dangerous house.
I'm pretty sure that before he left the house he was convinced there was no longer a danger.


Actually I know, because it's in the report. You are now accusing the police of lying in the report now on top of your accusations of their being incompetent and reckless.
What was in the report? Because, I've read it too.

Look, some time after the officer arrive, I believe he became convinced there was no burglary. Professor Gates' disorderly conduct was "separate and apart" from the original call.

[ChumpDumper]

No, I didn't say that. I related the story of an unreasonable old man that accidentally got himself run over because he was being unreasonable.And the only reason you brought it up was to intimate that Gates would do it.


They helped in that they asked if Professor objected to letting the maintenance person fix the door. I'm betting an officer stayed behind until the job was done.They didn't check for potential burglars, which is what you said made the home dangerous.



I've said that it became apparent some time during the incident that the probability of a burglary in progress occurring was remote.You said the policeman left the house because it was dangerous. The police said no such thing in the report. You simply made it up.


I'm pretty sure that before he left the house he was convinced there was no longer a danger.You said he left the house because it was dangerous. You can't keep track of your lies.


What was in the report? Because, I've read it too.Then you shouldn't be making shit up about it.