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Biden attacks Romney tenure as venture capitalistBill Clinton to U.S., Europe: quit bickering over spendingObama raises $44 million for campaign, Dems in MayAmericans split on Obama's gay marriage decisionObama walks fine line in bashing Romney, courting Wall StreetFlorida governor takes aim at firms with ties to Cuba, SyriaNo boost for Obama from gay marriage decisionPaul hopes to influence Republican agenda at conventionNo boost for Obama from gay marriage decisionEx-Senator Edwards didn't know of payments, confidante testifies
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Frankly, blacks are anti-law enforcement. When crime occurs in their community, they close ranks and don't tell anyone what happened. They would rather boohoo over the crime and the supposed lack of assistance from law enforcement expecting law enforcement to read minds to figure out what happened and who did it.
Blacks want it every which way and it's getting tiresome.
You're right many blacks and some whites are anti-law enforcement.
They don't like it when they get arrested..... and it is always for what color they are or what color the police officer is not the CRIME THEY JUST COMMITTED!!!
The answer for these dim bulbs is simple: STOP BREAKING THE LAW MORONS!!!!!
Take away Mr. Obama's teleprompter, and look what happens.
He spoke without thinking, one, and two not editorialized his personal opinion, and three he did not have all the facts.
LMFAO! Nice job at these cops spinning this to be something about Barack Obama.......FAIL!
ms-85, uh, it was about obama and the nasty remark he made about the arresting cop acting "stupid". what part of that isn't clear to you?
Obama simply let his true motives and racist beliefs he learned from 20 years of attending the racist, hateful, Rev. Wright's church ooze out.
This is who he is folks!!!
Um, did you see the news conference? This IS from the 'teleprompter' golden boy himself. YOU FAIL!
I think Obama was stupid telling his opinion to the press and I'm a Obama supporter but I do think these cop did act stupid and probably was on a power trip I think everybody has dealt with a cop on a power trip before by getting pulled over something else lets face it some cops (not all) can be real jackasses this cop could of handled this alot better and so could have Obama and Mr. Gates
his book must not have been selling to well he is probly up to his eye balls in debt and has no money for retirement besides any idiot knows you dont follow a cop out your door yelling racist! racsist! black or white once you take the fist steps out the door and on the porch you have committed assault dumbass.
You are wrong. Retail stores who hire retired police officers, do not want them to always side with the white women 'calling the black people thieves.'
The retail store would be bankrupt with all the lawsuits, from black employees who were going their job, moving and lifting furniture in the store.
I guess the cops should refrain from arresting blacks entirely lets see how far that goes ??
The policemen tried to calm down Dr. Gates, which led to the arrest; why, because Dr. Gates was irate in HIS own home TRYING to explain to these cops, the house is his. I have every reason to believe that one of the cops provoked the incident, causing Dr. Gates to become upset. Some of these bad apples (2% of cops) who have a badge get really sassy with the public and use their position to manipulate and twist the story and to what REALLY did happen. I agree with our president Obama, these cops "acted stupidly"!
The cops are probably right on this one but they have to admit that they have had more than their fair share of incidents when they were doing wrong. If I was a cop I'd fear the black man, if I were a black man I'd be petrified of cops. I doubt this will ever go away, as evolution goes we are slow to adapt. We like hanging on to our old fears and fanatic beliefs, this is why most Muslims hate Americans and vice verse.
If you got arrested you'd be angry too. Who says even after a speeding ticket, "I really wanted that to happen". After the ID was verified the cops should have left and ignored the man's anger. Let the old fart be angry by himself. IN HIS OWN HOME! Especially if he asked them to leave after verification. Just wrong, black or white.
They arrested this man for breaking into his own home and showed them his ID. When I drive down the highways in Texas where I resside, it is always blacks and hispanic people that are pulled over and handcuffed, not the white good ole boys. I am lily white and I know the police racially profile ethnic people, and it is not right.
Does everyone realize this cop was picked, by a black police chief, to teach how not to get caught up in racial profiling. He teaches the class with another black officer. Everything you hear and read about this guy is he is exemplary and we would wish all cops were like him.
I'm not about to suggest that racial profieling doesn't go on, but not this time.
Gates thinks he is above the law, like a lot of well known people. When anyone uses the term, "Do you know who you are dealing with?", they are either drunk or power mad. Gates is a typical, arrogant, Harvard professor, who thinks he is above everyone else. He's not. He blew his cool and got called on the carpet for it and is now trying to save face with the racial profiling claim. Sorry, Professor Gates, I'm not buying your story.
racial profiling = using your common sense and experience
On edit: The Drudge Report has an easy to read police report of the incident.
Keep talking O Dumbo. Every time you open your mouth without your puppeteer you bite yourself in the ass.
O Bomb Ya will be a 1 term pres.
President Obama has every right to speak out about the harrassment in this country to minorities from the law enforcement. I live in NYC and do you know how many innocent Blacks are killed by these hot headed white racist cops? I can not understand why some whites feel Blacks should not speak out about the blatant injustices against Blacks in this country. Amazing that whites feel Blacks should just stand by and continue being harrassed by white cops. Why should we believe what a white cop says anyway? Most likely he wrote the report to clear his self. He had no right to disrespect Mr. Gates. Mr. Gates does not fit the MO of a criminal commiting a B&E. An elderly man with a cane who is tired and weary from a long trip from China? Where is the sensitivity of this cop? He obviously needs to go back over his classes of racial profiling. We Blacks are within our rights to protest the unbalanced injustices of us in this country and I applaud President Obama for what he says. It is time for people to say what they feel in the face of adversity.
Dr. Gates is an African American who, not only, is well aware of the disparities in police actions but also has done compelling research about environmental dumping in areas where people of color live in the US. I say that with some certainty because I know his work. I believe an unexplored part of the issue is the person who called in the supposed break-in. I suspect there was some profiling going on there as well. I too want a quick police response to a call that someone is breaking into my home. And, if I present ID and proof that I have a right to be in that house, that should be the end of it. Dr. Gates deserves an apology. President Obama was correct in pointing out institutional discrimination when he saw it.
"....It is time for people to say what they feel in the face of adversity."
OK, I'll do it! I am sick and tired of blacks belly-aching and crying racism!
Nanner, balderdash. The blacks will not cooperate with the cops they come to their neighborhoods to investigate crimes, then complain because the cops don't respond or don't catch criminals. Why should the cops come question people who refuse to tell them anything because they don't snitch on "their people." You can't have it both ways.
Gates is a well known race baiter and the cop does not have to apologize to him for anything. I'm sure the woman who called the break-in to the police wishes she had never picked up the phone. I feel very sorry for her if some news show tracks her down and asks why she called the police. I will never get involved if I see any black or Latinos breaking into a house, noninvolvement will be my policy.
Obama shot himself in the foot last night - this will not be forgotten.
That remark shows the utter ignorance of some people. This is so tired and expected. Talk about your own community, just because it is not televised doesn't mean that you wonderful white folks don't have the same amount of death in your communities as blacks do. You just hide it and most of us know this all too well.
(Obama) "...there is a long history in this country of African-Americans and Latinos being stopped by law enforcement disproportionately, and that's just a fact."
Does anyone stop to think that MAYBE it is because a "disproportionate" amount of crimes are being committed by African-Americans and Latinos? Maybe whites should start committing more crimes to bring things into "proportion". I agree with Smart-Voter above, QUIT COMMITTING CRIMES and you'll stop getting arrested.
Gates was not arrested for breaking into his own house,he was arrested for disorderly conduct when he began berating the police officer who ask for identification.
This same incident happened near where I live a few years back only the players involved were all white, ,,,,being three sheets to the wind,the man had misplaced his keys so he broke out his own window to gain entry to his house,a neighbor called it in after hearing glass breaking and when the police did arrive the inebriated occupant became beligerant and combative with the police resulting in an overnite stay at the local jail.
No apology was demanded,and the only one who felt stupid was the home owner for breaking his own window when he discovered his back door had been unlocked the whole time.
Hey ozzy - Are you really as ignorant and racist as your comment suggests? hmm... yeah and you probably believe that the 44th President of the United States of America is uhh not an American? You are an a-hole.
after Dr. Gates presented his proof of residency in his own house it became totally apparent that sgt. Crowley was acting under a false report and even within his restricted wisdom he should have concluded that he is the one who was intruding on Dr. Gates' right to reside peacefully in his own dwelling and go after this white person who filed this report (which might be illigal even in Cambridge). The fact that sgt. Crowley refused to provide to Dr. Gates his name and the badge number confirms that he was not acting in the compliance with his department's policies which does not make him as perfect as described by his supporters. Also, the fact that the charges against Dr. Gates have been dropped the very next day proofs again that sgt. Crowley had no legitimate reason to arrest Dr. Gates. For Dr. Gates I believe he knows now that the best way to learn about the racial issues is to try to interact with a white policeman.
"Get all the facts before criticizing one of our own." That's so telling - cops up in arms because someone [Obama] jumped the gun on them right after they did it themselves. Hurts don't it? Now, two wrongs don't make a right, but we can sure see the cops don't like it any more than the gentleman who got assaulted at his OWN house.
Last time I checked this entire event happened because someone DIDN'T GET ALL THE FACTS before jumping in.
Really, who among all of us would take kindly to this sort of action when entering OUR OWN HOUSE? If you put yourself smack dab in the scenario you might be surprised that you'd react the same way - increduous with hostility/panic/fear/anger.
It has nothing to do with being black. It's amazing how in our country, it is acceptable for a law enforcement officer to call a suspect "stupid", "Ignorant", so on and so forth, but when a derogatorry comment is made in there direction they start asking, "how is it we can do our job if our own president questions our actions?" It's about time someone did. Many officers have gotten away with beating, and killing innocent people for something as small as running a red light. I APPLAUD OUR PRESIDENT FOR HAVING THE STRENGTH AND COURAGE TO MAKE THE COMMENTS THAT OTHER PRESIDENTS HAVE HELPED IGNORE. NO I AM NOT A BLACK PERSON EITHER.
What a ridiculous statement by a ridiculous person! Going by your ignorance its the white man that is lawless and weak. Look how many of you have killed your entire family because you lost your job or the dog told you to. The portrait of a serial killer, a white man. Worst person to divorce or breakup with, a white man because you'll end up in body bag. So Mr. Bigot if you are ever in trouble and a Black cop arrives to assist you, practice what you preach, tell him to let you fend for yourself.
Is the messiah going to micro manage our police departments along with our schools, health, auto, Is this guy for real......now he is going to determine every racial incident and personlly comment on the goings on in our cities and states. we will be luck not to return to the 50's and 60's with civil fighting going on started from the United Stated potontate himself........
You sound like a fool. Ass for the article, If you don't know who Gates is, it also shows your ignorance in Sociology, he is renowned. Obama was correct to comment, you did, didn't you. The Officer's should have known who he was and is. But your a bigot and you wouldn't have known that either, huh?
good for you because Obama is not black either....he is not white either. One thing he may be responsible for is the country may never vote for another man of color or minority group .....
Obama was half right. It isn't racial profiling though, it is gestoppo like tactics being taught to the police to trample on the civil rights, knowing that once it's in court the prosecutor will try to bankrupt the accused or if the accused has a public defender then civil rights won't be brought up anyways. And once in court the officer will lie anyways and say nothing happened. And the judge will eat up every word of the officer as the gospel. Don't matter your color, just who you may know.
HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA, Hows that loafer taste?
Too bad you sound like an idiot without someone TELLING you what to say! Are you the President, or an actor?
Are you kidding? Your words are those of a person from the stone age. It's time for micro-management, George W. showed you what free reign will get you. Are you five years old where one incident is now "every racial incident"? If you were in the shoes of the man involved you'd have a different take on this. You weren't there ,you don't know but yet you comment on this "goings on ". Who do you think you are? If the President of this country can't comment on what goes on in each and every state of this country, neither can a nobody like you.
Have ANY of you read the report, the officer TRIED to leave, but Gates continued with the accusations and caused a scene. The officer did exactly as any good cop would do! If he had not he would have been suspended and the force would not have backed him, especially against the President!
Well Khila, kind of funny how he WILL comment on this, but where is his comment or contribution to releasing the POW held by the Tliban in Afghanistan?
The real issue is the cop did not make a 'good' arrest. After determining Prof Gates was the homeowner, he was simply flexing his muscles [i.e. ego] by arresting him. Was it an effective use of the cop's time to haul Gates in, while real crime in his city needed attention? Folks, the moral of the story is,' just because you can, does not mean you should'. And for the record, most human beings have a bad day, unfortunately these two guys clearly had one.
It is interesting to observe that this comment must have come from a non-black person. Otherwise where is it that you have been living all this time? It is that attitude that has perpetuated the conditions that still exist in this country. As if you want something different to take place. Blacks and every other race have only wanted what every White person feels that they are entitled to. And admittedly, in many ways, Blacks have paid the cost. You probably cheat on your taxes too and try to get everything you can for yourself. Shame on you.
So much depressing racist ranting here.
The cop was wrong. They dropped the charges because he was wrong. And now he doesn't want to admit he was wrong. Those are not the actions of a good cop.
And police wonder why people don't respect them and support them in the community. They wonder why people don't want to talk to them and cooperate. This is exactly the reason the police have lost credibility with common citizens. They are not there to protect and to serve anymore. They simply treat everyone like a criminal.
Any rascist rantings going on here are from those who don't seem to think that ALL people should be treated equally. The police officer was doing his job. Any police officer will tell you that the most dreaded call they recieve is for domestic violence. This officer acted in the same manner he would with any other such call of this type. This story is rascist in itself in that if the man had been white or if the police officer had been black this never would have been news. Obama has already closed his mind and ears to the people now he needs to shut his mouth.
GREAT POST Berry!!!!!!
Leah, after he seen Gates' Harvard Identification (why he didn't just give him a drivers licence I don't know) the officer called Harvard Campus police (just as he should) and then TRIED to leave. Gates was arrested on "disorderly conduct", NOT on "breaking and entering". This should have NEVER should have made national news, but then again look at who Gates is friends with.l
Mr. President, I am white and I voted for you. Please thank the police officers (black and white) for doing their duty and encourage your friend Mr. Gates to do the same, because he (Gates) is on all the news channels "acting stupid" by calling all white police officers racists. There is much more important work be done than to get involved with this silly little incident. wlh
You must be a white man. I do not expect anyone of you, not to find some justification for wrong you do.
Oh Brother. I AM SO SICK OF SNIVELING PEOPLE! Mr. Gates, like the rest of America is required to do, needs to climb down out of his ivory tower and when he's asked to show his ID, SHOW HIS ID AND SHUT UP! What happens if I mouth off to a police officer? Am I right? NO! I'm either drunk, angry and lost my bearings, or STUPID! Since I don't drink, and I believe in authority, it's usually angry and lost my bearings, at which point I APOLOGIZE and comply. If there's a mistake it will be ironed out! Gates is an American citizen, and pulling the race card makes me sick. The policer officers are right that this set race relations back years. Now, the black man will feel that he can scream "RACIAL PROFILING!" and get all the media attention and possibly a lessening or dropping of charges. One thing I hate is lying. It's so pervasive in this world. I get lied to and lied about by my boss. I get lied to and lied about by a few of my coworkers (and this isn't paranoiah or dodging responsibility talking) who don't like the fact that I'm a Christian. I can accept that..I mean they hated Jesus too... And I HATE it when people lie and pull the race card to avoid responsibility and try to justify bad behavior.
The devil is a liar, and the father of lies. Isn't it interesting that of the few special groups mentioned in the Revelation (last book of the Bible) that are cast into the lake of fire, one of them is "all liars" ? Why do we suppose that is?
Gates has lost face and self-respect in this incident, and the NAACP and everything from Black Police Officers Association to the Black is Beautiful club of Moose Lake will try to capitalize off of this incident, and get political mileage from it.
And who put himself in the middle of this swamp? Our precious President. Seems everywhere he turns he's stepping in it. It's interesting. I have never before been so angry at a President. Part of me is afraid we'll all need to learn Arabic and Spanish, and thank God that we still get to live in America where at least most everybody speaks English, and another part of me is pretty angry and sees our President acting the fool. And 88 percent of Cambridge Law School voted for this clown? Maybe it is time to emigrate. Law students that cheat well enough and don't drop out or flunk out, and the few that are actually smart enough to excel, are our future judges, politicians, and perhaps President. What are they teaching at Cambridge? How to not support your armed forces? If my boss badmouthed me to the public I would be livid.
Couldn't have said it better myself.
For one many of you people here have no idea how it feels to be harassed by a cop for nothing other than being black. I've been harassed by cops for doing nothing at all. One case in particular a cop pulled me over hoping to find something wrong, when he realized I wasn't a criminal and he could get in trouble for illegally pulling me over he tried to say my registration was the wrong registration, which was current and correct. When you're harassed and treated like a criminal when you have done nothing wrong and your treated poorly you feel like less of a human. I understand Mr. Gate's anger, while its agreed he could have just complied but sometimes you get tired of always being on the receiving in of cops and their power trips (Oo I had a bad day or a bone to pick lets go pick on the black guy he's more than likely guilty.) Till you have been in the situation you have NO IDEA…. Let's not forget Ryan Moats, who was rushing to his dying mother-in law's bedside and was detained where the cop went as far to point his weapon at him. You don't hear this happening with other races. Obama was right in what he said.
The police had alienated themselves long before this particular issue arose.
The problem is there are a lot of bad leos on the beat. When good officers protect bad officers in the force ( the blue code of silence) these decent cops then are no better than the criminals they protect.
Too many officers with planet sized egos.
When they start firing officers who abuse their authority instead of giving them paid vacations and slaps on the wrist for crimes like statutory rape, aggravated assault, etc. Then the public will start having more faith in the police.
Anthony Abate, Chicago SOS, Sgt. Kuehnlein, Phil Rees, David Brame I could go on and on and on.
It's absolutely astonishing how many sh*t heads are on our police forces.The police do themselves no favors defending these a$$holes simply because they managed to get into a uniform.
Cops who abuse their wives rarely pay
The fact that everything you posted is stated about "blacks" shows you for who you are.I doubt you even know any "blacks" and I doubt you could last two seconds as an African American in this country before you'd be crying foul like a punk."Some" people in this country are so dillusional about the way the world really works, it's laughable.The police in this situation did act stupidly.You explain to me how an affluent ,articulate man ends up arrested after he proves he is in fact the owner of the home.How many home intruders do you hear about that bring their canes and work papers to the break in?You explain to me what rational and intelligent police officer doesn't apologize for the mistake and walk away.I have family members who are police officers and from what we have heard it's obvious these officers took this to a place it didn't need to go."Some" people in this country were under the impression that just because the President is black it was suppose to plicate and create a reason for them to not get called on their BS anymore.Think again,racism is alive and well in America and when it happens you are going to hear about it so just like you want "blacks" to get over it...you can do the same.
This is clearly a case of racism. Black racism against white police officers. If the officer in question had been black this would have never made the news.
HAHA... Obama is already working on his second campaign with this BS! All ready trying to get the black and hispanic vote. He is using you. What is he doing for you right now? What promises is he making good on that he promised you during the campaign?
He did nothing for law enforcement in this country except make a public announcement that is basically ok to defy anyone of authority AS LONG AS YOU ARE BLACK. Because you were mistreated in the past and all.. Well.. my ancestors were Irish and were treated like Sh*t when they came to this country.. by EVERYONE.. including law enforcement authorities.. guess I'll go rob the bank tomorrow.. AFTERALL.. this country owes it to me right??
OBAMA IS A JOKE. Let's see.. he makes fun of "special olympic" kids, he used disgust at the "Iraq War" as a political platform just to get votes and then sends more troops to Afghanistan, He thinks it's ok to break EVERYONE'S bank account.. yet he and his wife fly around the world and shop on tax payer's money, he acts as though veterans, the backbone of this country disgust him; he would rather play golf with Tiger or give his predictions on the NCAA basketball tourney than run the country.. Oh.. and let's not forget that he thinks it's ok to kill late-term fully developed fetuses.. Yes.. he's a real gem!
Why don't we settle this once and for all......
There was a black cop there. What does he say? What if he says it was handled correctly? Then what can Gates say? He's racist??? Oh, wait.. he would be an Uncle Tom right??? For being black and not siding with a black?
"Obama's public criticism that Cambridge officers "acted stupidly" when they arrested black Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. could make it harder for police to work with people of color, some officers said Thursday."
No kidding. What Obama appears to be saying is "If you're a black man being questioned by a policeman about a possible crime, it's OK to refuse to provide identification, call the officer names, accuse him of racism and refuse to cooperate in any way, and if the officer reacts by charging the black man with failure to comply with a lawful order, the officer is "acting stupidly".
Great lesson for helping out police officers who put their lives on the line every day.
It's obvious who was the racist in this case - the professor who considered himself above the law. I have to wonder what he teaches in his classes - it would be interesting to hear from one of his white students.
I was not there nor do I know what happened however...
When Reggie Lewis collapsed on a Cambridge basketball Court this is the same Police Officer that gave Mouth to Mouth as long as possible. Unfortunately Reggie Lewis passed away.
That to me proves the Officer was not about Race. This seems to be a sitauation that has been made into racism by the media and trumped by the professor.
When the President made his remarks, everyone ignores the fact he said he was a personal friend.
The President then based his facts on knowing the Professor personally and speaking from his heart and not doing what he should have done and spoken to the American Public.
I do not give a free pass to anyone involved but this is getting blown out of proportion.
Worst part is this professor will be made Czar of Racial Profiling.
What do you know? Are you black? Until you walk a mile in our shoes you shouldn't speculate either. I am an educated black WOMAN and it's still the same crap. It just isn't as obvious as it is with black men. People always have an opinion about things they know nothing about. We have the media to thank for that.
I meant to add in my post above the Professor had every right to be angry once he identified himself.
and have you ever walked in the shoes of white people? Latinos? Asians? Any other shoes other than those than yours?
What is it we do not know about it? Walking in any shoes regardless of sex/race/religion is hard. Life is hard.
Why not explain why it is harder for yourself than it is for anyone else? If we as a community would just address issues concerning everyone, including specific ones we would become much stronger as a community.
So are law abiding whites such as myself. They are out of control.
Chris and berry. Shut up you white trash bigots. The fact is you do not know what or how the cop was interacting with Mr. Gates. I would be very angry too if I was harrased in my own home. Is there no place left to get away from these bullies? If the police are here to serve and protect then why is traffic enforcement the largest department in the cities? I know because all other crime has been solved. Not!
Sgt. Crowley needs to sue old Barry in civil court for public slander for millions. He can then call the Treasury and print up some more cash to throw away...
Six months in office and I'm disappointed already. I keep telling myself to have patience, it takes awhile to change things. This comment that the police "acted stupidly" has me wondering if he fooled all the white folks that voted for him.
I won't make that mistake again in 2012. He keeps up these kinds of statements without knowing all the facts, time will work against a second term.
This so-called problem can be solved very easily. Since it seems that the African American public sees every white policeman as a racial profiler, let's take all the white officers off of the streets and place them in administration jobs where they can't make respond to calls and make arrests. That would put an end to racial profiling, at least against the AA community.
My biggest question about this whole thing is, there was an AA officer on the scene of Mr.Gates arrest. Why has he not spoken out? Why has the media not pursued his opinion or his view of what happened? Why isn't he all over the media?
Odumbo's comments about the incident...uncalled for. So now he is going to comment on every arrest made on every AA? I realize Mr.Gates was his friend and friends tend to defend friends, however, Odumbo himself even admitted he didn't know all the facts leading to Mr.Gates arrest. So it makes me wonder, how many other things is Odumbo commenting on that he doesn't have all the facts on?
I am no fan of the police but I am sick of this poor me poor me its my race s#it all the time!!! The cops have there hands tied, with this racial crap.. If blacks were not doing that homie gangsta sh!t all time they wouldn't be put into any category!!!!
A bunch of stuff restored. 1, 1.19, 1.48 not so much, stereotyping.
Khila, you're suspended for a day for violating #1 and #5 of the Code of Honor. Don't post like a racist, don't attack other users:
kjx630, this is your second post on Newsvine. Get familiar. Don't post like a racist, you're suspended for a week for violating #1 and #5 of the Code of Honor.
diane-488628, next violation of #1 gets you a suspension.
Looks like GatesGate is bringing in new users, but you have to read the rules. gazaar, you're suspended for a day for violating #1. Get familiar.
Maybe white police officers should just stop interfering in black on black crime. Let them rob, rape and kill each other at will for a while. Oh that's right, they pretty much do anyway. We had a black on black murder here a while back. Unsolved to date. Mother of the victim upset because of a white officers comments on a blog while off duty, not about her son getting killed. Typical. Lets just let the blacks police themselves (except when it becomes crime against a non-black) and see what happens. Any guesses?
bob5ford: they allready do, its called the "drive & wave" program. It originated in LAPD after a number of high profile race baited incidents where our officers were crucified by the media and city officials and even the FBI. We soon realized that being a proactive and agressive officer out patrolling to locate street thugs and criminals and protect the citizens and business just got you into trouble. You were always a racist or brutal and it just is not worth risking years of service and schooling and training, along with your pension, mortage payment and other income. So the first thing we learned was NEVER live in Los Angeles. Always live in a nice area preferably patrolled by a Sheriff or small department like Simi Valley. Then you drive into Lost Angeles work and make your money and go home to a nice life. Drive around drink coffee and yes donuts too, never see anything never do anything and if a citizen trys to flag you down on the street you drive by real fast and "wave" back at them and swear you thought they were just waving to be nice, thus the term drive & wave. If you get a computer dispatched 911 call you drive within the speed limits always use your siren to announce your presence several blocks away and by the time you arrive there are no bad guys to fight with and cause a RACE issue over, so you just take a report and move on. That way you are a model officer and not a "racist" officer. What ever happens in the ghetto stays in the ghetto its not your home and they are not your people so who cares. They will just call you a racist and file complaints against you anyway. Thats why so many inner cities are becoming so bad. many cops are learning this and the choice is either get out/retire or hide out and keep the check protected. People always end up with the police and government they deserve. Where I live now we love our Sheriff and his deuties, and know many of them by name and sight and always welcome seeing them in our area. That encourages them and makes for a nicer community.
cant say i blame the police when you hear it from that perspective
OBAMA has made a bad situation a lot worse He should have kept his big mouth shut turns out he aint nothin but a Black man.
And so all black people are the cause of all the crime in this country? If cops started picking up whites unfairly more crimes would be blamed on them.
tri harder - check the statistics on crime before you post. Explain why 3 out of 4 black males over 40 have felony records. Most violent crime in the U.S. is committed by blacks - against other blacks. The numbers speak for themselves.
Yeah right. And let whites continue killing their families with their serial killers and pedophiles. Also let whites continue stealing taxpayers money. You idiots talk about Black on Black crimes, Italians have been killing each other for centuries. The most vile murderers in the history of this country have been white. You fools continue thinking that black commit all the crimes. Once again shows how ignorant you are.
Azrancher your comment is disgusting. So you seriously believe that Blacks commit all the crimes? How ignorant you sound. I hope you feel good stealing taxpayers money because that is exactly what you are doing. You are not better than the criminals you leave on the street. If you are so afraid of being a cop, quit. If Crowley was such a great cop then he would have known upon arriving at the house that Mr. Gates did not have the MO of a burglar commiting a B&E. An old man with a cane.
KLuib, sorry but you are the ignorant one. None of the people you are attacking deserve what you are saying to them. You misread their posts. As far as the serial killers all being white - did you forget about the 2 black men who were the DC killers a few years ago? Likely, there are black and Latino serial killers, but no one in those communities will talk to the cops, so we'll never know.
Yeah I got a suggestion, Shut up with the stupid comments.
Can I go out on a limb and suggest that most violent crime is committed by the poor, i.e. those who grew up in these self-sustaining poverty-stricken neighborhoods which may often happen to be populated primarily by nonwhites. Correlation does not indicate cause, scientifically speaking.
It may be easy to ask why people born into that kind of life don't do something about it, and the sociological reasons why it's so difficult are many. One is that we live in a capitalist society, which specifically depends on there to be some percentage of jobless and homeless. If everyone could afford everything, then capitalists would raise prices until the poorest couldn't once again. It's necessary to maintain the balance. And I support this system over socialism, because there's no way in hell I want anyone who works less hard than I do to earn the same rewards.
And so the poor, many of whom happen to be nonwhite, because of lingering racism and because they still are born into neighborhoods where they're subject to crime and poverty, commit crimes not only in the interest of self-sustenance but in the image of the lifestyle they grew up with.
I'm not defending either the police or the professor in this situation, just offering a more big-picture possible explanation that I haven't yet read here.
I don't understand this mind-frame. Why is it that we can't comment negatively of the actions of a "white man", but the "white man" has plenty to say about everyone else and that is "acceptable".
This is life, we are here to live it peacefully regardless of our skin color. We live in a great nation; however no longer "united" and that is why we so easily have fallen.
Think about that: " UNITED WE STAND, DIVIDED WE FALL", and fallen we have. What happened to loving thy brother? Did God say, "only not the black ones" ? Our skin color does not dictate our worth, our actions do! Wake up AMERICA! We are a great nation! Don't show the contrary!
KLuib, nobody made any claim that blacks commit ALL the crime. They just bitch about getting busted for it and start playing the race card. Yes, whites commit a lot of crime, too. But when they get arrested by a black cop, or any other color cop, the rest of the whites don't jump all over the police department and start making racial claims. Like bob5ford said, check the stats. If cops work in a predominately black or latino neighborhood, doesn't it stand to reason that a majority of the crimes committed will be by a black or a latino?
Yes, sometimes police need to be policed. And sometimes they overreact to circumstances. If they do, get an attorney. But given the crap they have to deal with on a DAILY basis, I'd give them a little leeway.
What Azrancher was saying in a nutshell was, 'we get a call for help, then get bitched at for showing up.' I'd get fed up, too.
Kraut dog, very well said. And very accurate. I might add that the person that called the police described Mr. Gates as "a black man" breaking into a home (or so it appeared). How and why did this become a racist issue? Why hasn't the caller been called racist? And why does anyone get offended when being described by the color of their skin, but not by their gender, hair color, height, weight, etc...?
I have to say that "whites commit the WORST crimes on Americans"! Our politicians are the BIGGEST criminals out there! They steal, lie, bribe, and murder all the time! Old Teddy Kennedy practically admitted to murder on his deathbed, and yet still sits in his office destroying America. Thought there was no statue of limitations on murder!
I am right with you Excuse Hater! Was it racist to celebrate Obama as the first BLACK President?
magsby47- Over 80% of serial killers are white males in their 40s. Look it up..... that's the thruth. I think it wa Times or maybe Newsweek that had an article on the subject. They actually had pictures of the cream of the crop.
Does anyone have a statistic on how many of the young black men in this country are arrested by white cops?
Well, DUH! Do you really need the statistics. The majority of police are white. A disproportionate amount of crimes are committed by black and other minorities. Do the math yourself.
Hey KYLuib: I dont know where you learned to read but I never, I repeat NEVER stated anything remotely close to believing BLACKS comitt all the crimes. I as a matter of fact know better as I have busted many many whites and mexicans and others I could not even identify. Criminals are criminals and predators do NOT abide by color codes for your information. I was stating a little known inner police fact that when you work in South Central Lost Angeles where the population demagraphic is 95% black, guess what people get arrested most often?? Yea genius its blacks, not because cops are racist or they pick on blacks, its because most of the residents are black. And it was innocent black families, mothers and fathers and young kids fighting against drugs and gangs that we helped and fought for as our friends because they where good decent people. But then politics changed and race pimps like sharpton and jackson began making every white cop out to be a racist klansman so you could not even get out of your car with out dozens of complaints filed against you and false allegations and lies against you so the police adapt to it and learn not to get involved. If you work a predominatly white area guess what you arrest a lot of whites. You work the asian beat guess who you end up arresting???Yea rocket scientist its asians. What is so funny though is when some college idiot who has never been in a inner city or evr got his hands dirty at a crime scene questions a south L.A. copper on if he stops two black men does he also stop an equal portion of white men or other. Yea dumbo, for every black man we stop we then drive 75 miles north just to stop a white guy to make our stats look fair. Me I got fed up with the whole game..retired and took my pension, my money and moved back to sunny Arizona and went back into family ranching.
I dont blame anyone for not wanting to get involved in these political mess's. Most policemen just want to do a good job, but when you keep hitting them on the head with a race card they soon learn to just drive by. See how many cops respond to this nutty proffessors house from now on. I would hate to be him and dial 911 for an emergency. You could measure the response time with an hourglass.
Hey Chris Kurz, you mean politicians like Marion Berry? There may be truth to the socio-economic forumula that places non-whites at the top of the who's who of crime. That would explain why poiliticians lie, cheat and steal. 44 arrested in New Jersey! Of course five were rabbis. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Perceived absolute power creates an illusion of absolute power which corrupts absolutely.
The media needs to ask officers how they feel about this. Seriously, it is a problem when upon approach a black man will call an officer a racist. Happens all the time across the board in law enforcement and is a serious problem. Mr Gates is a great example of this and Mr Gates needs sued for slander. This officer to be labeled as a racist is sad and all he did was ask Gate for his ID. Mr Gates is an example of a great problem in law enforcement and all too often officer become victims of this type of slander and unfortunately the media will support racists like Mr Gates on face value. Mr Gates is a great tragedy in American and sets our race relations back a notch every time he opens his mouth. We need to stop Gates types who cry wolf to manipulate the system to their desire. Please media ask the right questions and you will see what most of us sees that the true victim here was this officer and his family.
There is no question that racism and improper conduct exists in law enforcement but I find nothing in this or other articles I've read on this that suggests that this is such a case. The real question here is Obamas remark on the subject. It was totally irresponsible of him to answer that question the way he did. First he admitted that he didn't have all the facts then turns around and calls the policeman's actions stupid. That's what happens when he tries to answer questions that aren't pre-planed with the answer on the teleprompter. At least George Bush knew when to say "no comment" and keep his mouth shut.
maybe Bob you should shut up with your racist attitude altogether. It's idiotic perceptions like yours that excuse the bad cps to make bad decisions which are clearly racially biased as it this case. Yelling at a cop is no crime- particularly when a SERGEANT is acting like he's a chuckleheaded rookie . Yelling at a cop who refuses TO GIVE HIS BADGE NUMBER UPON REQUEST is no crime. The cop acted in a way he'd fear to do with a white elderly intellectual. All you idiots who preach about 'staying quiet' are why authorities and city officials do outrageous manipulative and scandalous bending of rules via depending on your passive cowardness in not speaking up when they are doing wrong.
TYLER
I would like to know what happened to all my comments on this subject from yesterdays article?
No, "comment collapsed by community"
No, "comment deleted"
No, "F-You"
NOTHING!
JUST GONE!
Every time I make good points and receive "voter" recognition, my comments mysteriously disappear.
Can you tell me why, oh great NEWSVINE GURU?
I'm not tyler but i have experienced this same thing. Sometimes when the comments go into this many pages your comments get moved to a different page. Check all the pages and if it is not there contact newsvine using the "Contact us" button on your home page. Hope this helps.
This post is about the President opening his mouth when he shouldn't. I cannot believe the arrogance of this man, and neither should the rest of us, black or white. For a President to make a comment like that , and now he refueses to "back down," doesn't say much for his intelligence.
Obama could have said, after he admitted he didn't know all the facts, something like "This issue certainly should be further investigated, and when all the facts are in perhaps I can commit on the situation, now let's get back to health care."
Are there racial issues in America? Sadly, yes, but we are making good progress. Are there bad cops? Sadly, yes, but in my opinion most are good.
Obama was way out of line to commit on a situation in which he didn't have all the facts.
He has lost my respect.
I think what happened with Prof. Gates has a lot to do with class and less to do with race. Cambridge has long been a working-class town with a tension between "town and gown." This tension got worse starting in the late 70s, as gentrification caused massive losses of rental housing to the condo craze and drove housing prices up to their currently ridiculous levels (over a million $ for a triple-decker house).
Many people not in the elite echelons of the university population think of university people as arrogant snobs. Personally, I think Gate's reaction to the police officer only reinforced this stereotype.
The President says the officer acted "stupidly." But I think Prof. Gates acted stupidly as well, essentially goading the officer to do or say something racist. Surely Gates could understand that (1) police would have to respond to a reported break-in and (2) make sure the person breaking in really was the owner.
Perhaps the neighbor who called the police is a racist -- or certainly so uninformed as not to know and recognize her famous next-door neighbor. On the other hand, one presumably DOES want neighbors who will call the cops when someone is breaking in next door(?)
I think it is disingenuous of someone at Gates' social and economic level to appoint himself a spokesman for poor black men, whom he doesn't much resemble anymore than he resembles a working-class Irish policeman.
How are the real daily problems of poor whites and poor blacks -- both of whom may be competing for the same economic resources -- helped by this sort of theatrical performance staged on a front porch in Cambridge? Not much, in my opinion, and, though I am a staunch Obama supporter, I think this is one case where the President should have kept quiet or else made one of the more nuanced statements he's good at.
drbacon
In almost every case, when you click on "your column", and then click on the comment of choice, it takes you directly to the page and exact location of the comment. (Try it)
Plus, I see the comments, in order, from other posters that were there yesterday.
I see some of the comments I replied to, I see "comment collapsed by the community" from other posters that I replied to.
I understand what you're saying about the number of comments, but it's never an issue when it comes to "finding" my comments.
I always wonder why more blacks don't want to be cops. We had a big drive here in Baltimore a couple years ago to recruit cops because the force was really depleted and cops were being forced to pull double shifts. The mayor was begging people to step up from the community, offering free training etc..and something like 97% of the applicants were white and from the suburbs. Strange.
In my opinion,Obama had no business interfering in this matter,you don't have a news conference,and in the last minutes engage in opinions that POTUS admitted he did not have all the facts about.With all the important issues and since you called the conference over healthcare,all he accomplished was to pull focus from his message about healthcare.Then,rather than let it play out in the media,the next day he continues to "fan the flames",so in my opinion,he still acting like a community organizer as opposed to leader of a country.If POTUS wants to be a cop,turn in the keys to the WH,and do it,otherwise FOCUS on the issues that you put importance on!
My family survived the holocaust during WWII. They lost everything and came to America after the war, broken, and penniless. Do you hear me, or other WWII holocaust survivors, whining that all people of Germanic heritage discriminate against us because of happened during WWII? Do you hear the holocaust survivors claiming the German government owes them a better life, or "fairer" treatment, than what they choose to make for themselves? My ancestors have been discriminated against and mistreated. The fact that others chose to tell me "white people will never understand what black people are subjected to" is a cop out. If the white people in America make your life so miserable, leave. That's one of the freedoms provided by this country. And, unlike my family, you will not be forced to leave all your belongings behind and have the French Underground sneak you out.
My uncle, a white man, was arrested and his truck inpounded in New Jersey for, basically, being dirty and unshaven. He had driven an old 4x4 pickup straight through from West Coast to Jersey, only stopping occasionally to sleep in the cab of the truck. Shortly after entering New Jersey the police pulled him over for "having a vehicle that violated the noise ordinance and was too tall". Now mind you, the truck was old but had a newly rebuilt engine and it was the standard, original, height from when it was manufactured; nothing but maintenance had been done to this vehicle. He was searched and arrested. He too was found innocent and all the charges were dropped, but the fact remains that the only reason he was pulled over was because he looked suspicious - and let's not forget, he is white. Had he been clean shaven and driving a new sports car would the officer had stopped him? Was he not discriminated against because of the way he looked and the vehicle he drove? Was this "profiling"? If he had been black, would Obama have said the officer “acted stupidly”? Do you see him on TV crying foul and demanding an apology?
What gives non-Caucasians the right to make such bold claims about what I, my family, my friends, and people in general are capable of understanding or have been subjected to? Non-Caucasians, and Caucasians alike, tend to make some very general, and dangerous, assumptions especially since they know nothing about the actual people they so boldly admonish. If you judge people based on skin color, you are racist, no matter what your heritage.
Why do certain people keep on saying "the man was in his own home".
Yes he was in his own home BUT the man forgot his keys and he had to break into his own home to get in. While this was happening his neighbor called the police to report a break-in in progress. The police arrive and the man did not want to produce ID. The man proceeded to mouth off at the police. He was arrested for disorderly conduct.
Why is race being talked about?
Then we have our stupid US President voicing his opinion on a matter that he's admitted not knowing the facts....
Jo Ann,
Why do you insist upon citing facts! This is really about supporting the uninformed opinion of Pres. Obama. He said "the police acted stupidly", then was later corrected by the press secretary as he didn't say the "the police acted stupidly". I think it's very clear, indeed. Yes, Prof. Gates appeared to be breaking into a home, and there was a 911 call of possible home invasion. But Prof. Gates is wise enough to know that every white man is racist, and that this cop asking for his ID was just another lynching. He had every right to resuse, berate and fight back against "the man".
Please, Jo Ann, get with the program. :-)
If Gates hadn't been such an ass about it, none of this would have happened. Black, white or any other color, being an ass is being an ass.
Officers who have snive things to say rhetorically to their Commander In Chief aren't any better than a soldier who's AWOL. Shut up and get your a$$ to work. If you wasn't profiling, this would have never come out.
Well said Gary!
But............could you run that by me again?
...........this oughtta be good........
Apparently, the message from Obama is "If you're black and stopped by police and questioned about a possible crime, refuse to cooperate, don't give them your identification, call them racist pigs and any other name you can think of, and complain to the media about "racial profiling". " What a great message on transcending racial differences. Reading the police report was very informative, and clearly showed that the professor was the real racist in this case. For those who might say "the report was doctored", there were plenty of witnesses, so nice try.
Gary,
What an igonorant comment! The police DO ONT WORK FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT! They can say wnything they want.
And there was no profiling. In your mind time a black man is arrested by a white officer the black man was profiled?
THSAT IS A RACIST MINDSET!
Race had nothing to do with this, the Professor being a jackass is the reason he got arrested. If you have ever been to college you know what the deal was, many professors are quite full of themselves and just plain jerks. This is not suprising to me, black or white.
Well, if you're gonna play the profiling card, then it's really the neighbor that was profiling, since the neighbor's the one that called the police. Once the police got the call, they had to respond, regardless of the color of the suspect, right? The police didn't suspect Mr. Gates was breaking into the house because he was black, they suspected he was breaking into the house because a neighbord called them and told them that's what was happenning.
Gates was arrested for demanding to see the cops ID and the cop refused.I would have been pissed too if some heavy handed thug hiding behind a badge refused to give me his ID and don't give me any of this sorry crap about not calling a cop the next time I need one.They are paid to do a job and we don't have to kiss their asses to get them to do it.If they can't handle the pressure of the job that they are highly paid for stop the whining and quit
Kraut Dog..I have to disagree fully with crime is high because you are poor. I grew up in a poor agricultural area. The crimes that were caused there was by those who did not have anything better to do or taught by those who had committed crimes. Drug issues were a big crime creator, since rural area are not heavily policed and is easier to traffic drugs through them. People regularly left their keys in their cars to do grocery shopping because no one was worried about a car thief and this was going in the mid 80's before I left because I wanted pursue career opportunities that were not there.
I could be wrong about the whole black and Latino getting more attention by the police, but I know when I go fishing: 1) you scout out area for the best fishing spots and 2) catching a a lot of smaller fish during a day is a lot more satisfying than working to catch 1 big lunker.
hey Fair's Fair- sorry for your loss in the Holocaust- I speak out much against deniers of it.
; but for one thing Jews and Blacks and womens groups all stood together to end prejudice in this country.
For another thing you are in the camp that delusionally believes all blacks whine and ask for handouts/ many try hard and succeed-as you really know; many you don't know are are academics, scientists, soldiers, artists that the media almost never shows.... the middle class blacks are never mentioned. You should not indulge in negative stereotype portrayals as reflecting entire 'groups'.
Also your idea Jews never got compensated for their losses in the Holocaust is a lie. Ask the compensated German Jews who of course suffered heavily under Hitler.
Your presumption there are no such things as racist cops is a joke to be quite frank. Nearly every profession and corner of society has racists of all colours- you need to stop making excuses that there aren't a few cops who are racist or became racist to various degrees while on the job. In the case of blacks- white people have witnessed overt racism themselves played out by certain cops- because YOU haven't seen it does not equate with it not happening nor happened-or being misconstrued without racist intents for abuse of power.
Shut up and Obama can say what he want! eat it up
Kraut dog and others have made good points about their opinion of poverty's effect on crime, but from my experience as an officer, drugs are/is the engine that drives crime. Estimates I've seen indicate up to 85% of all crime committed are either directly or indirectly influenced by the illegal drug trade. Poverty certainly is a factor but drugs seem to be the "catch-all" influence to crime rates.
As for the comments about racist cops, I'm sure there are some out there but in my 20 plus years of policing, I've never heard any cop from any department I've been associated with say "hey, let's go jack up a _______— (fill in the blank for name of a race) guy". In the state I'm in, laws have been passed making it illegal to make a traffic stop or contact based solely on a person's race or ethnicity - so there's not too many cops out in our state that I know of that are willing to lose or risk their job over racial profiling allegations. We also have tamper-proof cameras with audio and video to record all our contacts. Since we did that several years ago, not one complaint about racial issues has even been filed or had to be investigated by our department. It's a good system for the officers and good for the citizens. Protects both.
The so-called program in LAPD where officers ignored criminal activity in the black community extends back until at least the late 50's in NY City. When I lived in the South Bronx as a kid everyone knew that the police would almost never respond to a call for help. Instead, what you did was pull the corner fire alarm box and, 100% of the time, the NYC Fire Department trucks would respond. Upon seeing that the 'problem' was a police issue, the NYFD would call in the cops.
This so-called program is an extension--to the point of absurdity perhaps--of the normal 'discretion' every police officer has and should use. All of us benefit from this everyday. For instance, is there anyone here who drives at 33 mph in a 30 mph zone? Has anybody ever gotten a ticket for "speeding" in such a scenario? Police attention and involvment is expensive and potentially dangerous. It's quite fitting that an officer weigh the value of intervention against the overall "good" to society resulting from such intervention. A wholescale ignoring of almost everything, though, serves no one. In the short term it does insure the cop will be home for dinner. In the long term, though, it gives a clear signal to the criminal element that it's "open season." That endangers the entire community and really endangers the (naive?) officer who is actually "protecting and serving."
I think you need to get your head out. The officer was trying to give his name and ID, but couldn't because this holier than thou "professor" was shouting him down. By the way, every police officer I have ever encountered wears a badge with a number on it.
Most of them also wear a name tag. Possibly, this over educated moron can't read.
Alright guys, you might as well get over it. The WHITE AMERICAN MALE is no longer the "Master of the Universe" and must now show some respect for the other folk of the country and the world.
In times past, if something like this had happened it would have been a non-argument, and would not have even been mentioned to the President in a news conference on health care.
I stand with what the President has said that this was an act of stupidity, insensitivity, disrespect and ignorance (last 3 adjectives added by me) on the part of the Cambridge Police. The Dept. is even adding to it's stupidity by outwardly challenging the “Commander in Chief” in the media when they need to just STFU!
To look at it positively though, it is the beginning of true healing in this country. The racist mental strongholds, habits, and prejudices that are “deeply concealed” in so many people can only be dealt with when they come to light.
This is an example of that, and even though the arresting officer may defend his position, if he takes a true look a what transpired and asks himself what if Gates had been a white scholar of the same age, stature, and physical condition, would his attitude and approach been different. Probably yes.
To "Fair's Fair": You said "My family survived the holocaust during WWII. They lost everything and came to America after the war, broken, and penniless"
I'm truly sorry for what happened to your family during the six year period from 1939 to 1945. Losing everything material must have been devastating to your family. And to say the only "bright spot" was that they weren't a part of 6 million exterminated by the nazi's speaks to how horrific those 6 years were for Jews under the boot of Hitler. I wonder if you understand, though, that a minimum of 10 million of your relatives being ripped from Africa, somewhere around 100,000 at the bottom of the ocean during the years of the middle passage, 200 years of chattel slavery, untold rape of women considered "things" and the master's sons and daughters sold like puppies (a "chirstian nation"?) for a couple centuries, and 140 million dollars (in 1865 dollars) in stolen labor--parlayed into approximatey 1.3 trillion dollars in today's money--might make some folks a little 'miffed.'
If I understand where you are coming from and the fact that you forgive everyone, please understand that, given the volume of the barbarity, I might grieve a tad longer.
Anyone who believes that, there's a bridge in Brooklyn I'd like to sell you. Sure they are payed by their community, but don't for one minute think there is not a National agenda in police departments. If you believe there isn't, then what the hell is the FOP for? Is it not a National Union? As far as being a racist remark, talk about the pot calling the kettle black. Profiling? Hell yes it was, and this has been a long time standing problem at Harvard and Cambridge. I suppose you could say you didn't read that in the article you read. Maybe you refuse to read between those lines or it's an outright denial that "christian society" would allow profiling anymore.
There are a minority of policemen that abuse their authority and then there are a large number of politicians that abuse their position.
Perhaps if the president had been in the military and had been on the firing line he might understand what our soldiers and policeman are confronted with every day. And then and only then could he possibly have a clue of what they have to go through.
Speeko,
Wow, your feeling of being oppressed shows pretty clearly, even from your first sentence. I can't speak for every white male, but many. We don't hate, distrust or form any great opinions on any other races. Really! What I am seeing though, is people who wrongly believe that they are being oppressed, and act on that belief.
If you don't like your station in life (wealth, education, family), please don't blame it, mindlessly on people that didn't really have a say in your station.
Wrong. and the police are vERY proud of this.
Case in ohio where they allowed two women to raped for 14 hours while they pissed around and did nothing.
there are several other cases like this. Our police forces are a joke.
hey worm turned, no i don't have a feeling of being oppressed, as a matter of fact, i have a good life, i'm my own boss, and i love my country. I also try my best to recognize my own faults and shortcomings. You say you don't hate, distrust of form any great opinions on any races....just that statement shows me that there is a mental stronghold that needs to be dealt with because there is but one race. the concept of races is in itself racist. get it?
Keith D. Smith
My family lost more than just "everything material "; we lost many loved ones, the same as the descendants of people subjected slavery. Granted, the holocaust did not last as long, but does that mean I have less right to be "miffed" about what happened or that my pain should be less than yours?
I do understand the hurt and pain caused by people being exploited and abused, but holding a grudge against those who did not partake and had nothing to do with what happened based solely on their heritage would make me no better than the people that actually committed the atrocities. There are good and bad people in all races, judge the individuals and not a class stereotype.
Joel-516434
You are putting many, many words into my mouth.
I never said that all blacks whine and ask for handouts. However, many people – of all races – want something for nothing. I never made mention of any one group or ethnic background.
As for the comment about Jews being compensated for their losses; more than just Jewish people suffered during, and after, the holocaust. Not everyone subjected to the torture of the Nazi regime were Jewish. My family suffered greatly and never received a penny for what was done to them. Please do not try and tell me that because compensation has been given to a few that all should be forgiven and forgotten and therefore what we went through no longer compares to the suffering endured by people during the time of slavery.
Lastly, I never said “there are no such things as racist cops”. Racism exists in all walks of life; I never said otherwise.
I stand by my view that, if you judge people based on skin color, it is racism - plain and simple. Do not make assumptions, jump to conclusions, or pass judgment on me or other white people solely because of the color of our skin.
Update folks:
The officer miked the incident!
Will it be released?
Not if Al and Jesse have anything to say about it!(That's like saying the starving man isn't going to eat unless everyone else eats first)
Judging from the fact that their stories differ so much, I'm guessing the officer is saving it for HIS OWN lawsuit.
Hell, even if they had audio AND video of this, SOME people will refuse to take it at face value.
I wonder how the activists would spin this one should it come out?
I'd like to hear from those who are defending Gates in this instance. If the shoe was on the other foot, if Gates was white, the cop was black, and Gates followed him outside and as he's crossing the porch with the neighborhood watching, the white Gates yelled at the cop, "And don't ever step foot on my property again, you f-ing n-word!" Do you think the cop has the right to arrest the white Gates? I do. In fact, I want him to.
These types of arrest occur too much. It is not uncommon for people to yell at you, when they feel their rights are being violated! As a former police officer...I learned that you best chance of influencing people is the treat them with respect...you have the power of the law behind you...citizens can yell, scream, curse and call you any name in the book, but if they are not breaking the law...you let it roll of your back!!! This officer felt Mr. Gates was showing him up and arrested him. A 57 year old man, with a cane is not a menace to society.
Speeko, it's hard to take this statement any other way:
Stupid is as stupid does! If a teacher called a student "stupid", the teacher would be fired. All public servants MUST be respectfull and vigilant of their actions: this officer is no different and professing that the President disrespects the police force is absurd.
The adjective was severe, yet worst statements could've been used. Everyone gets emotional from time to time, and the President is no different. At least Obama HAS feelings, not like Bush/Cheney.
...
bob5ford and KLuib, stop posting like racists. You're each suspended for a day for violating #5 of the Code of Honor. Do better.
I hadn't even commented on this article when you posted this, ClintHorace. Try contacting me through my domain page.
The most common reason comments of yours would be 'just gone' without a notice is that they'd be under threads that were deleted.
I checked your abuse history and you haven't had a comment censored in months, so try checking your 'Latest Comments'.
hey obama why not act like a president instead of a chicago enforcer? you could call any past president and they would help you learn how to behave so as not to embaress our goverment. no wonder he is nicknamed erkle
lets not be too stupid. cop abuse their power. and when they gey caught own up to it. they have no problem making those whom they arrest, to do the same. At least Obama has balls then abuse.
Victoria- Obama has Balls? I thought Jessie Jackson was going to cut them off!
Ok, first off, our Government is an embarrassment period, 2nd Obama is a gutless, nut less, know nothing dimwit. He has nothing intelligent to say, unless it is written for him. Gates ran his mouth(since hes a well known scholar) blah blah blah, well cops don't take kindly to arrogance, any more than anyone else does. hes lucky he didn't get his skull cracked! Obama, needs to stick strictly to his teleprompter. Also, Victoria, I don't see you complaining about Obama abusing his so called power!
tired of your BS. First of all President Obama was right saying what he said. Had he been a Jew, you would have heard more. I don't know why whites feel that we Blacks should not stand up for the wrongs that are done to us. Every group will stand up for themselves and it is no different with us Blacks. You mess with us and we are going to let you know.
Please George W Bush was the last president, he was and is as dumb as a rock.
KLuib, it's not that whites feel that blacks should not stand up for the wrongs that are done to them, it's when blacks get arrested for committing a crime, somehow "they've been wronged". That's what whites and cops get tired of. Mr. Gates got mouthy with an officer. He got arrested for it. Was it necessary? I don't know, I wasn't there. Could the cop have turned and walked away? Maybe. I locked my keys in my car and was approached by an officer while I was using a coat hanger to unlock it. He waited till I got in and asked for proof that I owned the vehicle. Which, of course I did. If I had gotten beligerent and refused, would it have been reasonable to expect to get arrested? I suspect Mr. Gates escalated it into the issue that it has become.
KLuib, what wrongs were done to YOU? What slavery? What about the Indians, the Chinese, the Irish? I don't hear them yelling "I need reparations" with their damn hands out! If anything the Native Americans deserve WAY more than slaves! They were massacred and robbed. So what blacks were taken advantage of? Just like the Chinese, and the Irish. I don't see them yelling for handouts. Blacks should be gratefull that they are here, I hear the U.S. if a better place to live than Africa!
tired of BS- You can say many things about Obama, but not being intelligent is outrageuos. You must be one of those uneducated uninformed Rep who have nothing else to say, so they have this teleprompter unintelligent nonsense...
If Bush had half of his intelligence, we wouldn't be in this predicament today. But then again, if Cheney had been honest, our history would be a happier one:)
Maritza, tired of BS is right on the money! You libs throw "Bush" at ANYONE that opposes our POTUS or his policies! Both "Bush and Racist"! Truth is any true conservative HATES Bush as much a Obama. Bush created this mess and Obama made it worse! Bush didn't secure the border, even after being attacked, and Obama hasn't either! In fact he actually STOPPED the fence from being built! Now Obama MAY be smart, but he sure chooses stupid people to hang around with. People that like to say and do the wrong thing at the wrong time.
Klub you realize this police officer was the one that gave Reggie Lewis Mouth to Mouth trying to save his life? Remember the picture of hium over the top of Reggie?
The President reacted because it was a personal friend that was suspected, however just calling this cop racist is a cop out also. The Professor was also right for standing up for his Rights. It seems more to be a situation that got blowm out of porportion.
Chris, you've got no idea what it's like to be black in America. Neither do I. I'm not black. So until you manage to transform yourself into a black man, keep your trap shut.
Now, a professor I had in college tried to explain the following concept to me. I didn't agree with him until I taught in a district that was primarily Hispanic. I am not Hispanic. Here is the concept: In America, there is a "norm" in popular society. It's white. Having 2.3 kids, a dog and house? That's a white norm. Going to college and getting a good paying job? That's a white norm. That means that popular society presupposes a white person has a reasonable expectation to achieve these things. If you're Asian, Black, Hispanic, Arabic, you are not expected nor really encouraged to achieve any of these things. Those minority communities may encourage it, but popular society doesn't. However, in order to be perceived as successful, society still demands you achieve them. It's why minority races can cry racism, but whites cannot. Society isn't racist against you, Chris, because society is white.
Now, wander into a neighborhood that's predominantly a minority, and yes, you experience racism. Because finally you are no longer the majority. The norm isn't white anymore. The Journal of Criminal Justice did a study on whether or not communities prefer officers that reflect their community makeup. From the abstract, "Contemporary public policy presupposes that police officers should be racially representative of the areas in which they work in order to foster good police-community relations." So, a black professor lives in a predominantly white neighborhood. How do you think folks around him are going to act? Did the dispatchers even ask if the woman who called in had seen those individuals before? Now, dispatch tells the officers about the two black men in the mostly white neighborhood. The officers that patrol that area ... how will they react, especially when they are white? Racial profiling is not some "figment of liberal imaginations." It's a fact.
MissSea says, "If you're Asian, Black, Hispanic, Arabic, you are not expected nor really encouraged to achieve any of these things."
Actually, to be fair, Asians are strongly encouraged to do well in school and society. shows that Asians are very successful and actually make the most money out of any race.
Just wanted to point that out. =)
That cop embarassed his fellow cops, Bob; it figures whiney bitter neocons like you would jump into this opportunity to start up with your typical non-constructive anto-Obama rage. Go take a bubble bath and let the world take care of business with progressive hard work - agitating right-wingers like yourself shold stay in the hed in the meantime.
As for you 'excusehater'...
Cops are individuals- Don't make the silly assumption that somehow 'your way' is what all cops would react favourably to. Like every profession and career and in every family, there exists racists and people who do stupid things based on biases and what they think they can get away with based on prejudices to whatever degree. Cops are no exception- they have heroes, and officer friendlies, and frazzled cops and cops who have prejudices of whatever type. Clearly most cops will not darerefuse to give a white intellectual their badge number not ask ridiculously for MORE proof someoone is living in their own home. Cops work in the public arena and know the hazards of their job includes angry talk. Every public worker knows this and are trained to absorb this reality of their work. Have you not seen clips of good / steady cops write up tickets and calmly walk away from white drivers yelling obscenties at them including in one instance a white woman yelling at the cop she 'hopes he gets shot'.
As for your stupid idea 'blacks should be grateful'. All those races, ethnics you mentioned 'sent to N.America' -including hundreds of thousands of Irish sent overseas as slaves by the British murderous SOB Cromwell.- never felt lucky; they were lucky surviving the trip overseas and then had a miserable life of slavery to endure and also saw their children held down as slaves or impoversished citizens. You are further ignorant in assuming 'they' should be lucky they were taken away from good lives they were living. Do you know ANY history from which those made slaves came from? Are you ignorant in the knowledge Irish and Africans were living normal lives. Do you not know Africans had civilizations from which they were taken from. Before you stubbornly visualize I'm talking crap and that Africans were 'spear-chuckers living in huts', go do your research regarding West African cities and kingdoms in the 14th-17th centuries before Imperialism and Colonialisnm ran rampant over them.
'Blacks asking for handouts'....??? Obama ever ask for handouts, -did Oprah, Tiger Woods, Wil Smith, black astronauts / academics / inventors, black soldiers who fought for America since the Revolution??? You have some major issues regarding skewered ugly racial perceptions. You don't know how much you are actually part of the problem.
Also get off this idea ALL blacks are banging down the gates for reparations. It's a stupid misconception you are prmoting in your inorance. Are you aware 3,000 blacks were slaveholders in 1860? It's an impossibility to determine any reparations this far past slavery's end.
Your idea blacks are whiners compared to other minorities indicates an awareness you are ignorant about again. It is whining and agitation that in this society makes equalities and Rights more balanced and Just. Asians tend to be self-cloistered and ambitious amongst themselves. If you go around Asia you will see Asians that are stupid too just like anywhere else in the world where people are disadvantaged. Blacks together with whites have worked togther to crush overt racism. Asians have benefitted from the efforts of others. Progress amongst minorities is not the ultimate key to their being respected- it is the dissolution of racism. Proof being American-Japanese in WW2 being robbed of all they had worked hard for and put in 'concentration camps' of sorts; because they had no intermingling or support of whites in general; now we see Gates arrested for asking voraciously for a cop's badge number-a sergeant who simply defied that citizen's right out of pure disrespect.
However you are better than American Talibans like "Tired of BS-654528" above who appreciates in his bragging authorities cracking citizens skulls in our society. Right wing nutjobs like him should go to Iran or China or N.Korea and apply for a job with their 'security forces' where he can beat up to his heart's content, those citizens who dare to voice opinions with bravery his cowardly neocon heart cannot conceive.
Minaleigh -- you're right. Asians are expected to do well, both by Asian communities and popular society.
Incidentally, I wonder how much resentment the "norm" feels about the fact that Asians are successful.
Actually, I think here the cop overstepped his boundaries and, himself, violated the 4th amendment to the US Constitution--the right to be secure in your person, property and papers. The local DA (displaying a benefit of being educated and not a thug) quickly saw that there was no possible conviction here because Dr. Gates committed no crime. You cannot commit disorderly conduct in your own home; any police officer or prosecutor will tell you that. Cops are local "officials" and it is well established that local officials are subject to criticism that goes beyond the threshold enjoyed by private citizens. If you read the actual arrest report--the information on which a prosecution can be based, you will see absolutely nothing contained therein that constitutes the elements of disorderly conduct (or of any crime for that matter--other than, perhaps, the illegal trespass of the officer into Dr. Gates home). The DA didn't back off because of political pressure; he backed off because there was nothing to prosecute. The City of Cambridge underscored that by actually appologizing to Dr. Gates.
Lastly, for those who might not know, President Obama is an expert in Constitutional Law; he actually taught it at a law school for several years. Folks seeing his characterization of the Cambridge PD's actions might have been surprized at his frankness (I certainly was), but his words were very considered and, though the language was strikingly plain, it was a spot-on characterization, from a legal perspective, of what happened.
Joel-516434
You are putting many, many words into my mouth.
I never said that all blacks whine and ask for handouts. However, many people – of all races – want something for nothing. I never made mention of any one group or ethnic background.
As for the comment about Jews never getting compensated for their losses, well I hate to tell you; more than just Jewish people were persecuted and suffered during, and after, the holocaust. My family suffered greatly and never received a penny for what they lost. What compensation did the people who lived on the west side of the Berlin wall and went to work one day only to find they were now locked away on the east side of the wall receive?
Lastly, I never said “there are no such things as racist cops”. Where in the world did you get that from what I wrote? Racism exists, in all walks of life; I never said otherwise.
The point I was simply trying to make is life is not fair. Bad things can, and do, happen to good people, of all colors and backgrounds. Please do not assume that white people can not understand what it is like to have their loved ones persecuted and discriminated against. There are good and bad people in all races, judge the individuals and not a class stereotype.
Imagine the same scenario, but with Jeremia Wrong instead of Mr. Gates.
It is my contention that the outcome would have been very similar.
In fact, since Obama knows this guy, ya think maybe they had occassion to visit Mr. Wrong's church during one of his......ummm....."sermons"?
Mr. Gates is just another angry black man with a chip on his shoulder, jumping at the chance to get his fifteen minutes. I mean after all, "do you know who the hell he is"?
For some reason I think it easier to believe the calm nature of the officer, rather than the calm nature Mr. Gates pretends to display during his interviews on the subject.
Asked some tough questions about the incident, I'll bet Mr. Gates would fly off the handle just like he did that afternoon.
Why would you think Mr. Gates (a trained communication professional) would more likely to fly off the handle than an officer of the peace (a trained communicator also)?
Bill in Florida,
Funny that you should state your last post in light of the recent revelations of how Cheney cut Bush's nuts off! At least Obama has the balls to spend our money on Americans, not on a wet-dream war.
can't wait to hear the tapes.the end of our racist dic tator.
Well Miss Sea, you think just because I am "white" I had money THROWN at me? Just beacuse I am "white" everything just falls into place and I am taken care of? You think I just walked up to any college steps and they let me take whatever courses I want for free? And then I got out and got the best paying job and all the benifits? You have NO idea the life I have lead. I will tell you, being "white" has NEVER given me an advantage, then again I grew up in the Mid West, where people are judged by their character, NOT the color of their skin! So until YOU mannage to grow a set, and change your name to Chris, KEEP YOUR TRAP SHUT!
Goofy Obamarama isn't going to help this situation, why don't he keep his mouth shut, I shutter everytime I hear him start to say something. In a lot of situations if you are in such a situation do what what the police want, is that so damn hard? You are right Ozzi.
You shutter, do you? Your windows? Preferably your mouth, except when you're practicing your spelling words.
Gary if you shutter when Obama speak, either turn the TV off or change the channel okay
jetteyeknight what are you a Harvard professor correcting others spelling that the best you can do IDIOT
So of you will laugh others will be really angry....but this is my statement about Obama and his "STUPID" statement......(yes, it was meant both ways).
My Obozo has a first name...Barack; My Obozo has a second name Obama...I love to hear it every day,and if you ask me why I'll say...Cause he doesn't have a clue, he's screwing up the USA.
JETTY....Shutter means to shiver you idiot....must be a liberal...make fun about someones spelling and you walk right in with your empty brain and get caught...And you thought shutter meant just for windows....stupid stupid....
shutter up idiot!!
ummmmm...cant big meat, haven't you heard he runs the show. you cannot look anywhere without seeing his face, especially when the man is no where to be around. The joblessness, the stimulus going nowhere, the shovel ready jobs that have not started yet. Medicaid recipients getting more money, ACORN fraud, fannie and freddie fraud. cap and trade, celebrities, liberal newspapers and all liberal televison shows written by liberals kissing his ass. He can do no wrong, can't make fun of him, can make fun of bush and any reps..even call them derogotory names..can't do thatto any liberal Democrat or OBama the facist socialist..
Nope, they cry cry cry cry...the original and still the king party of wahhhhhhhh!!!!!
so to answer your question..how can you change the channel when his stamp is on everything bad now. How can you change the channel when his liberal cronies are putting his face everywhere? how can you change the channel when he campaigns 95 percent of the time? How can you run away from him when you see him continuing liberal policies that got us into this mess, and then he stands up in front of AMerican and lies about everything...?
Yes, that speech last night about him saving trillions of dollars in 10 years, a lie, this incident another lie, the things the reps put into the healthcare bill as proof of bipartenship. ANOTHER lie..the things they added did not change the scope of the bill one iota from what it was originally.
His face is everywhere now, kind of reminds you of those travel or history shows of China or Russia..seeing Stalin statues and posters everywhere. Hmmm..now i know where Obama got the idea.
BTW..he is half white and was rasied by his white mother, why have we never seen him having a meeting with white people on how good it is that he is white? I don't have an answer either, I only seeing him at NAACP meeting, Rev wright churches, and talking to Sharptons likes...This incident caused him to pit his foot into his mouth again.
You're all idiots (especially Tom)....the word you're describing is SHUDDER.
THE COP WAS STUPID
Even though he was correct in saying he didn't have all the facts, I trust the POTUS of the United States knows more about what really went down than anyone writing here. Not only could he have spoken personally to his former colleague, but he would also have had access to the police report. Secondly, he is also a constitutional law professor. It would have struck him right between the eyes that the cop was stretching the law to the breaking point to accuse the professor of disturbing the peace on his own domicile.
To be disturbing the peace a person has to be disturbing the peace of the neighborhood, not his own peace. When this is done from within ones own boundaries it is usually done with the use of amplification or at least a crowd of revellers or combatants. A skinny little old man mouthing off at a cop could hardly rise to the level of disturbing the peace.
Being verbally abusive to someone on your own property is not tantamount to disturbing the peace. You don't deserve to be arrested for being impolite to a policeman. Some of you simple minded commentators seem to think so. It's crazy, and dangerous.
And the spelling prize goes to KC-80503! Attaboy!
You are not that smart are you?
That's white, I mear right, do what the cops say. I watch cops and every whaite person they show is arguing and carrying on likme clowns.
toastee... you are a hypocrite. The 1st thing out of your month is Obama is every where and then you say Obama is not speaking to white people. Will today Obama was in the woods in a town hall that was all mostly white people
olzapato- Does it stand for old zapato? Don't worry about others correcting spelling, worry about your own. Your sentence is poorly constructed and uncomprehensible....
Great post Toastee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Too bad libs have so much of what Obama ate for lunch on their noses to see the truth!
Maritza, the word is "incomprehensible."
Let's see so far ; Obama is not perfect but.....
Obama has stopped the global economy from going into the abyss which was what was feared in Jan.2009 - ie, saved the former Bush admin from that legacy of destroying the world financial structure. The Dow is up over 9000 today.
Obama is making strides to really end Bush's TWO stupidly messed up wars -due to his idiocy as a commander-in-chief regarding military operational strategy... ie replaced with his nutjob 'Freedom Agenda' crusader fantasies.
The Party of Nope -Repubs headed by Rush Limpnuts and other dregs of bullying neocons do their best to play mere troublesome imps attempting to scuttle the USAs recovery beck to good times and with a better health care system... ie, NO plans offered by them in all their ranting....
Amazing-439484- you saying Obama is screwing up the country speaks highly of your willful ignorance of the prior 4 years...... or speaks of your obvious slurring neocon agenda.
cutter- it was a typo. The u and the i are next to each other. Thanks for pointing it out.
The last time I "shuttered" I wet my pants.
i actually agree with always doing what the cop suggests on the scene--he/she is armed. If the case is dismissed for cause (that means the officer was wrong), then get the best lawyer you can and sue the jurisdiction for millions for endangering the citizenry by putting an armed idiot on the streets. But don't stop there, because if your original case is dismissed for cause, you may have a strong personal case against the officer. Most public officials are 'indemnified' by their local govts. In plain language, if they make a mistake on the job, their government will "cover" them financially and legally against any action. However (and this is a huge "however") it is firmly established that the principle of indemification only applies to damage done in the course of official duties. If you do something for which you cannot claim being in the course of your work, you are naked in terms of a law suit. For instance, if you are a state worker, driving a state vehicle and driving to the hotel where you will overnight before an official task (say a meeting), you are 'at work' the entire time. However, if you had four martinis at dinner right before you drove back to you hotel and you killed three people because you were intoxicated, you cannot claim that you were on 'official business' and, therefore, should be covered by the state. Why? Because operating a vehicle when you are intoxicated is against the law...for anyone, at anytime, no matter who their employer is. When you started the car in an intoxicated condition, you were no longer operating a state vehicle on 'official business.' The same argument can be made for a cop that oversteps boundaries in his/her job.
Why would you think Mr. Gates (a trained communication professional) would more likely to fly off the handle than an officer of the peace (a trained communicator also)?
hey j off, you're a f ucking idiot. your dictator in chief is spending money your grandkids will be paying for and destroying jobs, that is if you have kids or grandkids. the prick is also spending money and wasting lives in Afghanistan. check your facts or get your ged.
Cops make mistakes but never want to admit it. And their colleagues always want to cover up their mistakes. Crowley was wrong. Admit it, apologize and get on with life.
you don't think gates was wrong? if the police stop responding to citizen's complaints because they think there is too much liability then where will we be?
by all accounts, including gates', he acted inappropriately.
gates should apologize and do a special on pbs on how the police should be respected. even if it means giving up a little self pride.
they have a tough job and should be shown the utmost respect.
I did not realize you were there, patriot.
Cops should wear miniature wireless video cams to document these events and avoid this BS. The sad truth is that both sides could have reacted better, even if the law is on the side of the officer. After reading the officers short bio it seems that he would be the last person that would intentionally act with racial insensitivity, on the other hand if some cop challenged me in my own home I don't think I would have a much different reaction than Mr. Gates once he knew who I was. Once the cop ascertains that I am who I say I am and his gun is still holstered, his location changes to the outside of my home, which at that point he has no business being in, now I haven't heard if Crowley had his gun holstered or not, if his gun was drawn then he has an argument as to his mental state being one of being in fear of his safety, if not, well then his attitude should ratchet back a bit to one of courtesy. If Crowley did ratchet back and was courteous, then Mr Gates is certainly guilty of boorish behavior but it's still a stretch to say someone on their own property could be guilty of disorderly conduct.
Certainly true. However, equally true is that you and I weren't there, and neither was the President. As far as I've been able to piece together, neighbors called the police because they thought one of their own's house was being burglarized. The cop arrived (good thing, yes?), saw Mr. Gates' ID, and tried to leave. Mr. Gates followed him out on the porch, spewing invective. The cop eventually got tired of it and arrested the man. That is at LEAST as plausible an explanation as that of our president, who called an entire local police department "stupid." the President of the United States should never have gotten involved in a local, he-said-he-said conflict in the first place. Having gotten involved, he should have limited his remarks (as should you) to facts of which he was certain.
u r fight
they have gates ranting and raving on the tape when officer Crowley called in to announce the arrest but the mayor of Cambridge won`t let them play them. The mayor is friends with Gates as well as Gov Patrick The whole lot of them are Buddy Buddy.Worst thing they did was to piss off the United States police departments.A;; gates accomplished was to make Black people look bad.
While it appears that Gates did act poorly, give the guy a break. He was just trying to get into his own home. We've all experienced frustrations like this, so undoubtedly his mood was affected. Nevertheless, the cop was supposed to be the professional. Because he didn't like the way the professor was talking to him, he arrested him. Does anyone believe he would have done this to a white woman?
Obama chose his "stupidly" word poorly. The whole situation was pretty stupid. It just shows how we Americans don't know our neighbors anymore.
It is not a law to be respectful of the police. I have saw people curse cops out and no one was arrested okay. The cop was mad that Gates gave him a lecture and ask the cop for his name and rank and badge # which you are allow to do. Why do you think cops have to announce themselves before coming into your house. The cop did act stupid okay. Like people say, once Gates gave up the info, the cops should have gotten in their cars and left the scene. The cop call for back up and 10 cops should up. It was totally un-call for people. That is why the "police drop the charges" okay. The cop abused his power
every body makes mistakes including you and few of us own up to it including you
presidents make mistakes as do Harvard professors .
Actually, Obama is a 1/2 Black Harvard grad, and Mr Gates is a Black Harvard professor, I'm quite sure that is what enticed Obama to run his mouth, without knowing any of the facts. Also, my ex wife (white woman) got a huge ticket, and damn near arrested for asking the officer that pulled her over, why the hell did you stop me?I used to work as a Paramedic, and a lot of the people I knew were cops, and I will have to say I have seen them arrest WHITE People as well for shooting off their mouths, so get off the race bandwagon folks, it really is getting old! How about turning our attention back to what Obama is trying to shove through congress (our so called health care reform), and get back to making it clear to these idiots, were not dumb enough to bite that hook(unless your all for a 40 to 50 % Tax on your payroll check?). By the way, if you think I'm ranting on that one, look at the taxes paid in by any nation that has Social Medicine !
I must agree with this comment....the OFFICER was wrong after Mr. Gates told him who he was! If the Officer wasn't wrong....WHY WERE THE CHARGES DROPPED??!! I'm white and I see and hear it all the time with Law Enforcement here and around the the Kansas City area. I think President Obama was directing that comment at Sgt. Crowley in particular! Here around the Kansas City area they have taken surveys of the number of time African American's are stopped compared to whites and it's like 85%....WOW!!! Because one woman was black and on her way to the hospital was stopped for speeding and she ended up miscarrying..because the Officers' would not listen to her reason for driving fast, so the officers..1male 1 female lost their jobs!!! And guess what...IT WAS ALL ON VIDEO!!! a MOMENT OF STUPID cost 2 officers' their jobs! wasn't this mishap video taped?...or did this Officer (as others have done) erase his tape???!!! THINK ABOUT IT FOLKS!!!
Cops make mistakes all the time, then their superiors try to cover it up and if someone sues them they try to claim immunity for their actions -- stating that they were within the boundaries of their duties. It don't always work but the police should know what a person's U.S. Constitutional rights are before they are given a badge to harass, intimidate, and make victims out of the judicial system because of their position.
Sure, Gates should have shown the officer his identification and then informed him that the house was his, and that the officer was not invited - and excorted the officer to the door.
My guess the officer probably abused his authority as most do, and then when Gates did not kneel for him to show his superiority, he continued to try to obtain that status only to violate Gates U.S. Constitutional rights.
Police should know the law before they are given a badge.
I'm fairly certain the professor did give the cops attitude, but if all he did was yell in his own home with no physical contact than I think an arrest was truly overkill.
No way!! All of you are idiots Gates refused to show ID when ask that lead to his arrest. I do not care what color you are or what the situation is. Gates is not above the law. He should have had a better attitude and respect for the cops and got out his ID like they ask him to do with out MOUTH.. Just because he is gates does not make him so special he should be allowed to disrespect the law. No one else is. Anyone no matter color refused to show the law there ID when ask Would result in the same action..A guy i work with is in jail for the same thing ONLY he is white. Obama is showing his true racist soul.
Sure Gates was wrong. I was wrong for calling my mother-in-law a byach, but that doesn't mean I should be arrested for it. Gates was not arrested for not showing his ID, he was arrested for mouthing off at the cop. They arrest people for that all the time on the street. In fact they do it so much that some dimwits on and off the force think it is a point of law. It's not a point of law.
louis
the next time you have any type of encounter with the police, especially if they were called, make sure you act belligerent and bad mouth them. then come back here and post your experience. i'm sure they will explain point of law to you. make sure you act all indignant and all. that goes over real well. they really respond to that type of behavior.
Your right cindy,when they asked for ID he was in the house and the cops were outside,Gates replied go ask YO MOMMA.they still had no idea at that point who he was The police cannot arrest someone inside there house unless they have a search warrant,so when he came out screaming and acting like a lunatic thats when they got him.
No one can claim that either side was a 'goody two shoes' here, but the argument here is couched on legal grounds, not those of courtesy. Legally, the cop made several legal errors, the DA could see this in the arrest report, and the DA (properly) backed off. It should not have gotten that far; the cop should have backed off.
Professor Gates was inside his home--disorderly conduct must be commited in a public place. Even if the offensive behavior occured on Dr. Gates' porch, absent verbiage in the arrest report that is behavior created a 'public' disturbance, a critical element of the crime, i.e., a disturbance of the public in a public place, is not established. In short, there is no crime--even if either person's behavior was 'bad.' Where there is no crime, there should have been no arrest.
Is it possible that the cop was peeved at Dr. Gates reaction? Maybe. Maybe even "probably." But the cop should know that I, as a private citizen, can all the President of the United States '...a raving A**hole' and even the Prez would just have to suck it up. Unlike in dictatorships, the right of the people to openly criticize government and any government official, at a level beyond that which would sustain, say, "harrassment" charges is very well established in law. And it is equally well established that a cop is a 'government official' on a local level. Every cop knows this and every cop can regale you with time after time where they just had to grind their teeth and keep their cool. it's part of their professionalism--and in my experience 90% of cops are consummate professionals (the other 10% besmudge their brothers and sisters in blue unfortunately).
The officer went too far. His intermediate 'boss', the DA, the person who would actually bring the cops case to court, backed off because, even reading the cops arrest report, the DA could find no 'crime.' And the cops ultimate boss, the City of Cambridge, even went beyond that saying, in essence, "we messed up and we're sorry, Dr. Gates." The President, a professor in Constiutional Law at a law school called a spade a spade. He did so in exceedlingly plain, non-legalize verbiage.
He should be congratulated for his clear statement on the matter.
That is an easy answer. He played the race card and made national news with it. The department had little choice but to try and avoid any additional bad publicity. Not because they actually did anything wrong but because once the race card was played the facts no longer mattered.
Besides if they had not dropped the charges the President would have stepped in to save his buddy but instead all that was left for him to do was run his mouth about a police officer who was just doing his job.
crowley did his job. the frail negro elitist begged to get arrested.the tapes will show this all you idiots. respect the law.
Whatever, its bad enough that the economy is going down the drain now all we need is the President taking down small town police departments. This is not a black and white problem and the President should focus on National and World issues and let police do their job. Police need to be over cautious sometimes and they do make mistakes from time to time. His comment will only bring is more headaches for the community. I am disappointed that the President said he didn't have all the facts and critized the police department anyway and on National telivision. What ever happened to innocent until proven guilty?
I am disappointed that the President said he didn't have all the facts and critized the police department anyway and on National television:
Exactly right...You don't have all the facts,but since it involves a friend of yours,you will go and make an off hand comment? As the Cosby Kid's" use to say......"Your like school in the summer....NO CLASS".
Interesting that you picked that phrase - innocent until proven guilty. None of us were in the home so we don't know what was said exactly. We do know that a man who had every right to be in his own house was arrested, presumed guilty that he was breaking into the house.
I'm sure a Harvard professor is going to be arrogant. And small town cops are arrogant. Put the two together and it was bound to erupt. Stupid situation with two stupid egos.
good one
Criticizing the actions of a single policeman is hardly criticizing a police department. This is the kind of stretching of the facts that got the policeman in hot water, and he is in hotwater for making a bad arrest.
Please go back to your cave or crawl back under your rock, the real world is just too much for you.
It's interesting. I watched the news conference with my wife and, at the end of the conference, I commented..."I bet you very little of what was said for 95% of this press conference will be discussed by anyone and that the last minute of the conference will be the focus around the water cooler for days."
I shoulda bet her $50 and then taken her out to dinner...at her expense.
Racial Profiling. That means that if a white man robs a store, the police should only stop white people and the reverse is also true for a black robber. Why is this wrong?
If an officer orders you to step out side and you refuse then you can be arrested for disorderly conduct. Works for me!
I am a white male, so if I am stopped by the police I should yell racial profiling or racial bias if it is a black officer. I hope this really wont work.
When everybody stops calliing people African American, Mexican American or Asian American and we all become just Americans. Man that would be a good start.
Because its hard to cough out the "victim" pacifier that so many have been shoving in the mouths over the years. BooHooHoo its someone elses fault is always easier than personal responsibility, wether you black white or other.
Racial profiling only applies to instances where the police make contact with an individual through their own initiative and that contact is made for no other reason than the individual is a minority.
If a minority individual is stopped for speeding or for running a red light the traffic stop could not be deemed a case of racial profiling as the stop was made for an observed violation of a traffic law.
In the case of Mr. Gates racial profiling is not even a consideration. When the police are instructed to respond to a citizen's report of a perceived crime in progress they don't have a choice, it is their duty to respond to the scene.
People can debate the police officer's decision to arrest Mr. Gates for disturbing the peace or not, but the debate has nothing to do with racial profiling. Those who insist on referring to this as a case of racial profiling are simply being disingenuous for their own sake.
The police officer was probably rude and obnoxious - aren't they all? Just because they become police officers do not make them god's. American's are stupid lemmings that believe the justice system in this country works and is fair. It really doesn't make any difference what color you are - America has been a police state for years especially under Bush and Cheney. We lost our rights a long time ago. Wake up you lemming idiots.
If i was Gates neighbor and I saw someone breaking in his house,it would be a cold day in hell before I would call the cops after the scene he made. I would just turn and walk away
nef
it was under clinton that our present day police state got amped up.
All Joe,
I could not agree more with you, man.
Let's assume that a black officer responded to the call and acted just like Crowley.Would Mr. Gates have done what he did?More likely than not he would have shown his id right away and the incident would be forgotten forever.
Kingmaker 37
There WAS a black officer with him . 2 cops went to the scene. one black one white.
That's total nonsense. Without a warrant for my arrest, he cannot order me to step outside. He can ask. Dealing with people on the public streets is totally different from dealing with a man in his own domicile. In cases of domestic violence they have been called into the house by one or in defense of one of it's residents. For the information of your readers here is a definition of disorderly conduct. Refusing to leave ones home or to provide ID is not an example of disorderly conduct.
Examples of Disorderly Conduct
Disorderly conduct offenses vary widely by state. Here are some of the most common acts that are considered disorderly conduct offenses:
The courts have already established that loud or unreasonable noise usually requires the use of some amplification, or at least a crowd of revellers or combatants. Notice also the use of the qualifier "extremely" in reference to obscene or abusive language. Calling a man a racist is not extremely obscene or abusive. A frail 55 or so year old man can hardly make the kind of noise that can be called disturbing the peace.
Dayateez, AMEN to that!!
Dayaeez--When all citizens have equal rights, education, protection under law, we won't need the qualifiers: African American, Asian American, etc.
Pundits have said that if it had been Summers, "another arrogant Harvard professor" who happens to be white, he wouldn't have been arrested. That is racial profiling and what Obama said about the police acting stupidly is correct. The police have a responsibility to calm the situation. They made a mistake, an unavoidable one, so they should have apologized and left.
A few years back I attended grad school in Cambridge. My advisor, a brilliant black professor, taught a night course at Wellesley College. Every time she drove into the town of Wellesley, she was stopped by the Wellesley police. Finally she was told to call the police station and alert them to her arrival at the city limits. Racial profiling.
My children attended Wellesley High School, where many black children were bussed in from the inner city. My children were stunned, having recently moved to MA, that the white students didn't even speak to the black students, many of whom were as bright or brighter than the white students. Just a little anecdotal picture of race relations in the greater Boston area.
There are several reasons for non-cooperation with police: suspicion of police; fear of gangs; and the desire for revenge over justice. Different folks will have different reasons. However, this has nothing to do with this case.
Police in the United States are unprofessional, in general, when compared to police is, say, Europe. Cops here think they are the law, rather than servants of the public and officers of the law. Cops here get quickly huffy, aggressive, and nasty when they feel their personal authority is being questioned, no less threatened. They take personally situations which lead them to escalate confrontation, violence, and abuse of position and power. This dynamic and ethos is much more common than not.
I have no doubt that the cop in Cambridge did not act professionally. I strongly suspect Professor Gates reacted emotionally and defensively, in his own house, as a respected member of the community - he's a Harvard Professor, not some lowly public servant cop! The cop gets all huffy and insulted, feeling he, The Law, was being affronted. The cop reacted, well, stupidly, non-professionally, and arrested the Professor to show who was boss! The charges were dropped, an admission of the error of the arrest.
No matter this particular case or the comments of President Obama, police in the USA act, in general, non-professionally, confusing their jobs as public servants and officers of the law with being The Law Embodied. The are immature in doing this; they are non-professional; and they are serving their personal, individual interests at the expense of both the public they are meant to serve, and the Law itself. We all know this is common. Let's not pretend it's not.
Wow dude, you are right that there are cops out there who act this way, I've dealt with those creeps myself, but that is not what this is about. This is about Gates haughtily refusing to show Crowley his ID, which cops always ask for if you are on scene! I would be offended to find out he didn't ask for ID, because cops always ask me for ID if I'm anywhere close to anything! Car accident happens and I'm not involved, I get asked for ID. A hold-up happened at a grocery store I used to work at. I wasn't involved, but sure enough, a cop asked me for ID. It's what they do, and they have that authority. Gates was out of line to refuse to show the cop his ID. It shows how in love with himself Gates is, not how immature the cop was. You are so desperate to show people that voting for Obama was not a mistake, you're almost as good at distorting facts as Obama, and he is the true Grand Master.
i see someone has been listening to the liberal slant. heard the same line of stupid sh!t on talk radio today.
when a member of society disrespects (who do you think i am?, this is how a black man is treated in america!) an officer he disrespects the system. they are the representatives of the enforcement of the law. they are not there for a person's venting. they represent a purpose and do not have to, or are expected to, put up with the angry commercialized rants of some elitist who thinks everyone should know his name.
your claim that these officers acted unprofessionally is baseless. gates had every opportunity to do what every citizen of our nation is expected to do. respect the officers who responded to a complaint. even if it means a little inconvenience for you.
obama and gates are both idiot racist who need to get over themselves. our nation will be a better place
Yeah....makes too much sense for you to understand... talk radio doesn't have cartoons for you to follow.
is that the best you can do? what's the matter? have you been "racially profiled" by the po-po? awww, so sad you don't know how to behave.
do you even follow the news or just watch mtv all day?
what is it about showing courtesy (aka another human) to the police officer trying to do his job? i realize that may be a foreign concept to you.
but i get it....whitey holdin' you down
disgusting. and by the way. your idiotic comment doesn't make sense. why don't you read the stupid juvenile sh!t your mind comes up with before you post it
Let me break it down for you since you appear to be a bit challenged
I'm implying that you dismiss the "liberal slant" simply because you don't grasp what PDeuth is saying.
Still with me?
The reason you didn't understand the same line of "stupid sh!t" on talk radio is because talk radio doesn't have cartoons for you to follow along with as a learning guide.
Hope this explanation helps :-)
Wish I would thought of that Obama is a racist YESSSSS
BTW...kind of hard for Whitey to hold me down since I happen to be white. You need to understand that not all whites agree with your convoluted comments or since of racial superiority. To answer your question about treating each other with respect, something we can agree on, but it works both ways. All the cop had to do was keep walking out the door, get in his car, and move on down the road. Was Gates acting like a jerk, probably, I wasn't there, but faced with the same circumstances, I would have been reading the cop the riot act if he didn't immediately leave my property once he acertained who I was.
so you think pdeuth is wise? he calls the police unprofessional and you worship at his distorted alter. what a putz. his claims are without merit considering everyone that was there said the police never acted in an intimidating manner towards gates.
police have to balance idiots such as yourself and people who respect them in a matter of a few seconds.
when a person acts belligerent and inappropriate because the police have reasonable questions they should be assumed hostile. the police have every right to go into self preservation mode. after all, gates' response was inappropriate in the eyes of the police (and everyone else).
but i'm sure you don't have respect for the police so what difference does it make to a person who thinks respect and laws are for everyone else?
i bet your ass will call a cop if you need one. or you will give your buddies up to save your ass. whichever. here's the response of someone you respect. this statement what a couple of racist idiots both of you are:
yeah, and all those crooked dems up in nj were well respected, college educated public servants too. some of them were even black
It's not so much that I think PDeuth is wise as I just happen to agree with his premise that police in the US are conditioned and are defensive to comments that they feel diminish their authority and in situations like this it works to their detriment. I also agree with the premise that police in the US act differently than police in other countries and in some cases less professionally. Like I said earlier, all the cop had to do was keep walking while thinking...."what a jerk, here I am just doing my job and getting brow beat for it", after all, the cop is supposed to be the professional. What actually was accomplished by the arrest?
Now, for the comment about respect for the police, I respect the job, and the risks that they take, I don't respect some of their actions. I have this thing about people feeling superior, especially when I'm contributing to their salary. Sorry if you don't like that, but I'm speaking from the experience of working with cops on a daily basis driving an ambulance for quite a few years in Chicago. I personally witnessed the way officers were conditioned to treat civilians, and while I understand the dynamics of why officers are conditioned to be control freaks, in my opinion it doesn't relieve them from understanding the same dynamics and adjusting to the situation at hand.
As far as the idiot comment....whatever.
PDeuth, why do you put down police officers? They risk their lives every day to "TRY" and keep our citizens safe and for what? Low income, unthankful citizens, and people trying to put them down without walking in their shoes. Yes, some officers get a "thrill" on being abusive with their job, but most just try to do a good job and stay alive. I am in the Criminal Justice field, but I would NEVER work as an officer in a city of any size. At least in the country settings, folks are just humans and most do not turn to slinging race when an officer is doing their job. Like someone said, If you do the crime then you should be arrested. Who cares what color the skin is! Stop breaking the law and the country would be better off. Let the law do their job and we might have more jobs here. Let them arrest and transport illegals out of our country, stop the flow of drugs and human trafficing, and let them arrest anyone "black or white or other race" who is breaking the law without always trying to stop them from doing their job. Walk in their shoes for a week and you will have a better understanding of why they react the way they do.
this last post is nothing but babbling bullsh!t. how many countries have you been to? ever been to china? venezuela? mexico? israel? colombia? puerto rico? spain?
have you ever had any real experience with the police other than driving an ambulance? ever had one in your face because he thought you were a problem? ever had to convince one you weren't?
the police can be killed on their job. does that register in your fantasy world? they can, and have, been killed by people just like gates. why should they give the benefit of the doubt to someone who shows no respect for them?
if gates would have shown full cooperation and treated the officers with respect then his stupid ass would have never gone to jail and they would have left the premise with a "thank you and sorry to have bothered you"
you and pdeuth will be the first beggin for police to help you out. and they will.
Canada, Mexico, California, Texas
So you don't consider years (6) of working with cops on a daily basis enough experience for me to form an opinion. Ok, a guy I went to HS with and worked on the ambulance with went on to be a cop and I consider him a friend. He can be a dick sometimes too....
Cops can be killed, so can workers in chocolate factories, just last week a guy fell into a mixing vat and died, a firefighters job is just as hazardous as well as many others, yet cops are the only ones with guns and the power to arrest you. Talk to Rodney King before you start waxing poetic about the virtues of cops.
Some cop comes to my house asking me why I'm there and who I am, once I provide the info they should be on their way out. I can say or yell whatever the hell I want on my property. If Gates physically assaulted him on the way out that is a different story. The cop had the ultimate control to just keep on walking away and motoring on down the highway. he chose to make an arrest instead.
I would hope that since I work and pay taxes I won't have to beg the cops to do their job, just like my employer doesn't beg me to do mine.
i'm not going to deny this tragedy but i looked it up.
18000 officers killed in the line of duty in 2009. 3 chocolate factory workers. 1 by heart attack. 1 by aneurysm. 1 killed by a fellow employee. didnt find anything about one falling into a vat. get the picture?
you (and others) are overlooking the fact that if gates would have been courteous and simply complied the officers would have been out. they would have no reason to stay.by everyone's account who was there gates was out of line. disrespectful and belligerent.
it is a matter of respect to treat anyone with courtesy, you would hope that people will treat you with respect. why should police expect differently? because people like gates and dpeutch view them as a whipping post or lowly civil servants? absolutely not.
and just like an ambulance operator cannot find the address, or they strap and mask a crazed, spitting belligerent druggie, cops don't have to be necessarily begged. they just don't work as hard because of perceived liability.
PDeuth - my, your snobbishness is showing. What makes a "respected Harvard Prof" a better person than a "lowly policeman". Sound like elitist spewing. I hope you don't need one of those lowly policemen one day to protect you or your home or help you if you are in an accident. And what experience have you had with policemen in other countries other than perhaps to ask directions.
Truer words were never spoken.
It's amazing how police in this country think they ARE the law instead of servants OF the law. Hell...they forgot the law just as quickly as they forgot their oath.
Here's some more "truer" words for you Lumix. Police officers are also enforcers of the law. As such they do represent the law.
PDeuth-- Very well said. Many men who go into law-enforcement have anti-social personality disorder, just like the bad guys. It's called sublimation. While attending a seminar on the law and substance abuse in Boston, a social worker for the city told me that police officers had the highest rate of spousal abuse and child abuse of any profession.
Having been in the police profession - yes "profession" - for over 20 years, police officers are the most stereotyped people in the country, moreso than any race. Many of the negative comments posted here about officers are brought on by negative media events or incidents involving officers over the years, like the Rodney King incident, for example. Others have negative opinions of us because of negative contacts with us, such as getting a citation or arrested. Our agencies try to work within our communities on programs to create a more positive perception of what we do and who we are but we don't always succeed. Bottomline, we have laws to enforce and most people don't like to be told what to do or when to do it - so the very nature of our business is, in fact, negative.
I don't know what kind of training other people go through to get the job they are in but I think only the military goes through a more rigorous process than law enforcement . The process to be a police officer is lengthy and difficult and not just anyone can do the job. And many agencies require at least some college if not a 4-year degree. Usually after an extensive background check that weeds out about 90-95% of the applicants, we then have to go to a police academy for 6 months or more, then field training which can be up to 2 years before an officer is out on his/her own. Then when out on our own, we still have required education and training we have to go through every year or in 2-year cycles.
I respect the rights of everyone to post their opinions on this board or any public forum, whether I agree or not. I take issue with generalizations and stereotypical statements such as "all police are unprofessional". Or we will "cover up" violations or discrepancies. Like any other profession, we have a few that shouldn't be in the business and the bad decisions or things they do taint the badge most of us are honored to wear. We all know we are held to higher standards and when an officer goes bad, it usually makes national headlines. We don't see or read about the officer that got child seats on his own for a poor family that couldn't afford them instead of just writing the father a ticket for not having his child in a seat belt - like one of my officers did a few weeks ago. I know of dozens of stories like that over my career but you never see or hear about them.
Criticize the police if you want. It's your right and I'll fight to protect that right. But unless you've ever worn the badge, you really know nothing about who we are and what it takes to be a police officer. I'm proud and honored to wear the badge and honored to work with the majority of men and women in law enforcement that do the right thing day in and day out.
what a dumb statement...hope your not a victim of any crime soon..dont call the police call your man gates tp protect you....
Must be nice to have a direct hotline to the President and have him stand up for you on National Telivision.
bdsleepy... yes I do bet it is cool. Are you jealous that you don't
If you had accomplished what Gates did maybe he would, bdsleepy.
Tell him what you think at his re election
James -- He will be told. This issue along with taxing and spending us to death and trying to limit our freedoms will scream out on election day.
Don't forget the fear tactics, broken campaign promises, economic lies, and bowing to every other country on the planet.
Skeeter,
Are you blaming Obama for the stupidities the previous administration made? We wouldn't be in this mess if they had used their brains and worked for the average citizen. But of course, I forgot nost people think they got a tax break with Bush.
In the last 8 years my salary dropped over 6,000 a year. It wasn't on Obama's watch!
NO. We are blaming Obama for the stupidities he himself is carrying out.
seems like the emperor has no clothes, or perspective for that matter. his world is crumbling and that is good for america. the sooner he is gone the better.
i see him either resigning or being impeached before his term is up.
I personally hope he is run out of town on a rail.
that i want saved for pelosi, frank, dodd, and leahy for starters.
I see both of your heads imploding from the vaccum.....
Impeachment sounds good. Let's get started. Base it on the clearly RACIST mindset of our popular leader, evidenced by his in anger, off-the-cuff, no facts comments. Mr. President: of racism - it takes one to know one...
taw57
you should have listened to your daddy while he was there those first 6 months when he tried to tell you that you would grow up to be an idiot.
maybe he`ll get arrested for plotting to overthrow the govt
That's the best you got :_))))))))))) Jeeze Dude, it must be rough going through life with an IQ in the single digits. Keep em' coming rainman.
awwwww, did i hurt you iddy-biddy feelings?
you can always complain to tyler.
Not at all, I'm actually surprised tyler hasn't shut me down already :-) If you're gonna post here you better be ready to take as much as you want to give, far as I'm concerned Tyler can stay home. Keep firing!
good attitude for a delusional lost liberal
seriously though. don't you get tired of the whole indignant victim spiel?
it is so non productive. we are all people trying to live and get along.
gates was wrong. he should apologize (which he will) and we can all concentrate on how bad our govt is ignoring our cries. whichever side of the fence you are own
btw, 11.5 did give you a chuckle, eh? my apologies for any offense you may have felt. 155
My honest opinion, devils advocate position aside, I think both Gates and the cop could have handled it better. The cops are conditioned to take charge and be assertive, and Gates is conditioned to perceive interaction between law enforcement and the african community as being unfair. Given the history of violence, lack of respect for law enforcement and life in general I can emphasize with Crowley, and given our history of racism I can emphasize with Gates as well.
I do agree about this being non productive and am tired of false indignant victim spiel as much as I am the hypocrisy in politics in general on both sides of the isle.
11.5 was good, and honestly, I don't take offense, and I actually enjoy the back and forth.
as do i
you and i will probably never agree on much but at least we have the opportunity to be civil about it.
the men and women who take it as their responsibility to be police do not deserve to be lumped into a category of criminals with badges. are there bad ones? sure. but there are a lot more good ones. we rely on them.
gates should have treated them with th utmost respect because he should know this better than i.
TAW57- You clearly don't know about IQ. I suspect yours is slightly higher than a one digit...
TAW and Arma., I salute both of you for classy and intelligent comments and repartee. Maritza, please read post #4.16.
Obama's comments on the arrest of his buddy shouldn't just anger cops, it should anger all Americans.
Obama is a disgrace and his true motives and beliefs he learned from 20 years of attending the racist, hateful, Rev. Wright's church can 't help but continue to ooze out like it did with this comment.
This is who he is folks!!!
If you were paying attention during the election, the signals and reports were there.
Please pay attention next election, if we make it until then.
That's right. IF we make it to the next election. I hope everyone that voted for him is happy. But of course it is hard to actually find anyone that voted for him. I guess they're all ashamed.
TERESA- I voted for him and I'm not ashamed to admit it. It's a lot easier to admit to having voted for him than admitting voting for Bush!
The president acted stupidly in making a comment about this.
Obama should not have said one word about this incident. He was not there and it did not directly pertain to him. If this had been a white professor and a black cop, would he have defended the white professor or the black cop? The answer is obvious -- He would not have been asked about the situation to begin with.
You shouldn't generalize and stereotype PDeuth, that is how we got here in the first place. I am a police officer (female) and you couldn't be more wrong.
Personally, I have only met the most professional police officers anyone could ask to meet. Of course, I don't go looking for trouble and I am law abiding. I grew up in an era where my kindergarten class walked to the police station and were told that policemen were our friends. I have instilled that in my own kids as well.
Keep sucking up Skeeter, maybe you'll get a get out of jail free card.
Since when has being honest equated to being a suck up?
I won't ever need any kind card to get out of jail as I am law abiding.
Taw,
How does one "suck up" on an anonymous opinion board?
Ask Skeeter!
I can't believe how big of a deal people are making out of this non-issue. Granted, Obama shouldn't even have commented on the situation when asked about it last night. Here's a question, though- do you think if Obama was white, the situation with Gates would even have been brought up in the press conference last night? I submit that it would not. The question was asked of Obama simply because he is black.
wow...do you think that the reporter was racially profiling the president?
the question was planted by team obama. every other qusetion was about his floundering health care proposals. it was a diversionary tactic and it worked with the feeble minded. today, all of the liberal media talked about this and only this. if you want the skinny on the healthcare issue tune to the conservative channel.
a non issue? it shows america our president is a racist.
WRONG....Lynn Sweet was on Hardball and explained that the White House had no idea what her question was. You should quit holding your breath when you type, the lack of oxygen is affecting you and your rambling conspiracy theories about why the question was asked. Are you really this dense?
wrong!
the question was suggested to her by team obama. the other 10 questions in the 55 minute long broadcast were all about healthcare. (only 11 questions in 55 minutes?)
and she asks about gates? did you even watch the broadcast? i'm guessing not. i'm sure E! had some riveting bio on ryan seacrest or some porno star that you simply couldn't miss.
how old are you? 7?
but what am i thinking? we all know liberals are above reproach. look at nj
Now I heard Lynn Sweet state specifically that the WH did not know what question she was going to ask, what are you basing your statement that team obama suggested it to her?
E! didn't have anything good on. I get all my news from the Daily Show and for an opposing view The Colbert Report.
I said in an earlier post that I was 11 in 1968, do the math. In case you can't count that would be 52.
I don't know what you are thinking, who knows what thoughts come to mind when the marbles collide in the vacuum of your mind.
Liberals beyond reproach.....I knew you were teetering on delusion but apparently you've arrived in crazyland.
so you didn't watch the broadcast?
"Liberals above reproach" refers to lynn sweet. you know, the bureau chief for the chicago sun times. gee, i wonder if obama knows her? but of course, of all the pressing issues which confronts our country the gates question is what a reporter who has limited access to the president would ask. she didnt even get a follow up.
taw, you are delusional.
The President is correct...the cop acted in a stupid & irresponsible manner, and he's also damn well right when he said anyone would be inflamed if the cop still gave you a hard time after he was aware you owned the property. The comments of Gates hurt the feelings of the little boy with the big badge & gun and he couldn't handle it. Tough horsedung.
let's see...Obama started out by saying he is biased...admitted that he didn't know all the facts...then came to a conclusion that did more harm than good...sort of like what he's doing for the economy and health care reform...
Guess you were there Vernon and you saw and heard everthing that happened....your statement is as stupid as Qbama's. Why do you say that, because you believe ones comments over the others.....keep drinking the koolaid.......
Obama was out of line. He made a really "stupid" comment for someone in his position. The police were doing their job and were criticized for it. Nice pat on the back there.
I wonder if the cops are angry enough to go and beat up on some White folks sometimes, and give black folks a break. I say... right on Mr. President. Just say what you mean and mean what you say... and don't let anyone make you eat your words.
And if Bobbie was a white person, Bobbie would be considered a racist for that comment. Instead, Bobbie gets away with it.
If a white person antagonizes a police officer (white or black) they are arrested, period. The facts of the case seem to indicate that Gates continued to antagonize the police officer as he left the house and left Gates alone in an effort to diffuse the situation. It was Gates who continued to cry out and play the part of victim.
As an educator of African American studies, it is interesting to note that he is so willing to play the part of victim. I'm glad he is doing so much to move race relations forward in our nation.
Imagine a total role reversal. A white professor of Caucasion studies speaking down to a black officer, following him out the door after the black officer tried to leave. Who would be the victim in Mr. Gates and Mr. Obama's eyes at that point. Something tells me it would not be the white professor.
Victoria- All Obama needs for a "role reversal" is to listen to his white side. Then he might take up for the white cop.
Yeah because we all know black folks NEVER deserve it, right?
Mr. President's true colors showed! You weren't there so SHUT UP!
We all know if a white president said that, the whole black community would be yelling discrimination. Al, Jesse would be on tv pronto on that.
look at the picture, black and white policeman and the report was written by a hispanic policeman. Bo is basically stating just what he feels, all cops on this force are stupid, smart move there.
Another polical ploy to get you to not think about what he just said about health care. Live healthier. How can you do that if you have a severe illness. i guess dying is the cure..........
Wow! Racism rears its ugly head again; just look at the comments submitted. The cops did act "stupidly". Gates asked for the cops' name and badge number, and he refused to give it. Why refuse to give your name and badge number to a "citizen" you have just confronted, except that you don't want him to make a complaint because you know you "acted stupidly?" T hen you arrest the "citizen" you are sworn to "protect" because he is in his own home and yelling at you! Couldn't the cop have just walked away? He determined that there was no crime and no criminal; why the arrest? Admit it, he acted stupidly, and the police department is making a mountain out of a mole hill. Train your officers to be servants of the people and not scary weapon carrying he-men that have to prove their authority.
Were you there? How do you know any of the things you've thrown out, aside from rumor and innuendo?
At the very least, his badge number is on.........
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Wait for it.....
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His badge.
I have run into rambo policemen before who have a need to exert their authority and this is a clear case of that mindset. There is nothing more necessary to us as a society than to have good cops who arrest criminals. This was a very minor situation which the cop's temper could not cope with a citizen IN HIS OWN HOME , giving him hard time verbally. It seems that Mr Gate's actions were out of proportion to the situation , but the cop more so and should have just kept on going and left the premises as soon as he realized no crime had been committed and Mr. Gates was in his own home. Now everybody, the media, the right wing idiots etc. are blowing this all out of proportion about the President commenting on a question that was asked of him rather than ducking it.
Yes, a citizen, who was seen breaking into the house by neighbors, that summoned the Police (as a law abiding citizen should do), and when they get there, and ask for some I.D. they get the, Don't you know who I am attitude! Hell they should refile the charges, and lock his ass up! Obama needs to get locked up as well, btw, I am not a repukelican, so spare me your right winged comments.
Just take out the race issue and look at it..neighbor calls 911 reports burglary in progress male suspect forcing front door. Felony in progress dont know if its just a burglary, maybe somebody is home, maybe a housewife about to be raped maybe even a domestic dispute and husband forcing his way in to harm spouse???Dont know for sure but you gotta respond and find out to protect life formost and property second. You arrive and find door open/signs maybe of forced entry ??? You find a male suspect in the house. You identify yourself as police you look like police and you get: 1. rational cooperative homeowner who is embarrassed at police repsonse but appreciates your concern and once you VERIFY who the person is and check the house to support the statement "nothing is wrong officer" you apologize for intruding and go about your business. or you get scenario#2: You are met by hostile male who openly yells and curses you (indication of maybe a real crime here and he's distracting to allow cohort to set up attack) or he just did something and he's delaying the discovery to think of a response or something just don't seem right here?? Why would a homeowner be so upset if you are there protecting their property...very suspicious behavior indeed.
The man/suspect states" this is my house so you can go away". Sure why not believe him, why verify this. Most people stopped for DUI state they only had "2" beers and they never lie. Most drug dealers caught state "thats not my stash", and they never lie. So why not just believe him and let it be?????
When officers stopped the man that kidnapped and killed polly klause, they believed him and let him go, even though she was tied up and in the trunk of his car the whole time. And when the cops stopped a naked korean man running down the street and the serial killer cannibal told the police everything was fine that it was just a gay lover arguement and the police believed him and he took his victim home and killed him. people especially criminals NEVER lie to the police now do they.
These cops responded when called, observed supporting circumstantial evidence that a crime may have been comitted or was being comitted, attempted to investigate further to verify or refute the complaint and the person who controlled this problem and created this issue was the nutty professor. Its just their bad luck he was black so now this is a race issue.. And now Odumbo has to spout off his "stupid" comment so now everytime a policeman of any color tries to deal with a black person for any reason they will feel justified to resist and fight and argue because the idiot president supports it.
Way to go Odumbo..you are setting back race relations in this country 100 years.
Dumb ass, the man identified himself, why arrest him after that?
DUH! Read the article. He was arrested because he became belligerent and unruly even after they checked his ID and cleared him.
hettyem -
Gates did NOT provide ID until after he resisted and was arrested. He was the one that acted stupidly, only to be outdone later by Obama.
What I think is interesting is that Gates refused to give his ID but insisted on the officer's ID. Maybe the officer was just returning the favor?
I dont think this is going to be the problem, what we will see is everyone who thinks they can play the race card will thus causing confrontations with police that may echo the 1960's. I was a child then, I remember the riots quite well.
Im not in law enforcement, Im not black, Im the new minority.
I am white in america.
BigRick....the only part of the "white minority" you are a part of is the one that still believes that there are differences in superiority between races. I'm white too and I'm part of the majority of people, of all races, who have had enough of the distraction of racism. The reality is that until racism is dead and buried none of us will realize our full potential.
TAW57
Wow, your an idiot.
There is no superiority. My family is the perverbial Heinz 57 of nationalities from Croation, English, Irish, African, Peurtorican and Thia.
Playing words such as white as the mionority is called satire, satire against those who falsely claim racism against themselves by caucasions.
When I spoke of the riots in the 1960's. My family helped hide black families to protect them!
If I misinterpreted your comments I apologise and accept the slap down. It was the comment about being a white minority in America that prompted my comments. I well remember the riots in the 1960 and was 11 years old in 1968 when MLK and Bobby Kennedy were assassinated.
here's a site you may find informative
census.gov
Taw, the (sad) reality is that racism will most likely never die. There will always be blacks, latinos, mexicans, muslims, and red-necks that will survive (insert catastrophe here). Socialism won't fix America and it can't equalize IQ's.
Taw: I get your meaning and appreciate and respect your knowledge, most of us have enough issues with just plain old good vs evil. Why clutter it up with black vs white. There have been bigoted racist ignorant uneducated whites who targeted blacks for no other reason than they were black. These people were evil. It was also white police and marshals and prosecuters who hounded them and punished as many as possible for these acts. These people were good. Some whites yell and curse and scream derogatory words at blacks just because their blacks, these people are bad,yet some white will stand up against this and fight along their fellow american who happens to be black because its the right thing to do. Thats good. Many Many GOOD white people have helped many many good black people just as many evil blacks and whites victimize others. Its just about GOOD vs BAD, the sooner we identify this and stand together to fight it the better we will all be as a nation and community. This race baiting has got to end sooner or later.
And no matter what your opinion or how emotional you are over it, it is so good to know that we have this freedom to publicly fight and argue and speak our minds no matter what background or color you are. GOD Bless!
Rancher,
Paragraph 1 scenario 2 of your earlier post might lead people to infer that because an officer is heading into a potentially dangerous situation he is entitled to react to a situation in whatever manner his emotions may lead him. He is held to a higher standard than the general public. He is sworn to protect and serve. Like it or not he chose the profession and the moral/mental higher ground that comes with it. Once jealousy, profiling, cynicism, frustration and all other manner of caustic feelings are allowed to take root, the officer is ruined but STILL responsible for his actions. This officer allowed pride to get the better of him, and the public that pays his salary has no further use for him.
At face value this would seem to be reasonable, but to me personally I know cops from over 20 years working in the field. I have to give the officer the benifit of the doubt that he maintained his prodessional cool and control based on the mere fact that if he had lost his cool and let his "attitude" dictate then this professor would have gotten a serious beat down. The observation that they let him rant and rave and placed him into custody with no "thumping" makes me lean that way.....just my observation. Thanks.
When I get criticized for how I do my job, I don't whine about it. I'm thankful to have a job. Police get paid taxes, and in Officer Crowley's case, Mr. Gates's taxes, to do their job with the utmost professionalism and with sensitivity. Whining about criticism is lame.
not cooperating with a lawful order and then claiming racism is lamer.
I contend that using the law to serve vengeance upon those who have insulted you or hurt your pride is lamer still. The cop could have walked away. The dropping of the charges confirms this.
well said superG and jnov, normal cops walk away at the right moment-> refusing to give a badge number says something about a cop's attitude to an 'uppity blackman' as opposed to a white wealthy homeowner who he fears will rake him over the coals for refusing to simply give his badge number.
Based on this story, this man was trying to get into his own house, but the police just wanted to see some ID, some PROOF that it was in fact his house. If he had just shown them his ID, they would have let it end. But for the man to continue screaming at th police and accusing them of racism, that is ridiculous. I side with the police on this one.
As for Obama saying the police acted "stupidly", I think he should just stick to what is on his teleprompter. It was very rude and quite frankly, stupid, of him to comment on this case if he didn't have all of the facts.