And WHO is Louis Gates, anyway?

[Sweet Willy]

You have to wonder though, how many burglars break into the front door with luggage at their feet?

Regardless, if the police received a 911 call your house was being broken into, wouldn't you want them to investigate? And wouldn't you want them to insist on confirming, regardless of appearances, that the person they found there did have a right to be there?

Gates was not calling the person who made the 911 call a racist; he was calling the cop, who was doing exactly what you or I would want him to do, a racist. Regardless of what Gates and Obama may believe about American history, nothing in the cop's behavior justified calling him a racist - if Gates is unable to evaluate the cop's behavior on its own merits because the cop is white, then Gates is the racist - and demanding special treatment because of his status at Harvard or because of his presumed influence with the mayor or police chief should have been unacceptable to anyone who believed in equal rights under the law. To the extent Obama's prattle about racial profiling in the US was intended to justify Gates' outrageous behavior, he has revealed himself to be a racist, too.

Indeed. This really shouldn't be a liberal/conservative argument, as with the exception of Huggy, most of us would want police to check out a 'possible burglary' to our home. From all that the other officers, white and minority, from Crowley's support from management, seems Gates pulled the wrong cop to pull the race card on.

Considering Gates is older and has some limited disability and had returned from a long trip, this could easily have been a 'sorry I did this, I was tired' sort of thing. Instead we have many of our liberal friends twisting themselves in knots trying to find a cause. All because Obama inserted himself here.

It appears that Gates has spent his life in the field of African American studies. He is also an older guy, who surely lived through the civil rights movement. You don't think that it maybe makes sense that he is hyper sensitive to the issue? I'd be inclined to say that this cop picked the wrong guy to hassel in his own home. The charges have been dropped and now we're going to see this cop get dragged through the mud as a racist. Not that I see anything racist about it. He just picked the wrong guy to fuck with, in his own house.

I don't see any "cause" for the race issue. Obama should have kept his mouth shut on this. Gates looks to me like an afrocentric, grouchy ass old man. I don't have to like that about him, but it isn't a crime. Especially in his own home. The cop knows it's not a crime to be a grouchy ass, afrocentric old man either, so he choses the age old, catch all charge of "disorderly conduct" in order to show his personal distaste for the old man. Looks like he allowed his personal feelings and ego to interfere with his job.

THere was no break in, Gates was identified, now walk to your car and leave. If you haven't the self control to allow angry words to pass you by, you just aren't qualified for the job you have.

 

[Anguille]

It appears that Gates has spent his life in the field of African American studies. He is also an older guy, who surely lived through the civil rights movement. You don't think that it maybe makes sense that he is hyper sensitive to the issue? I'd be inclined to say that this cop picked the wrong guy to hassel in his own home. The charges have been dropped and now we're going to see this cop get dragged through the mud as a racist. Not that I see anything racist about it. He just picked the wrong guy to fuck with, in his own house.

I don't see any "cause" for the race issue. Obama should have kept his mouth shut on this. Gates looks to me like an afrocentric, grouchy ass old man. I don't have to like that about him, but it isn't a crime. Especially in his own home. The cop knows it's not a crime to be a grouchy ass, afrocentric old man either, so he choses the age old, catch all charge of "disorderly conduct" in order to show his personal distaste for the old man. Looks like he allowed his personal feelings and ego to interfere with his job.

THere was no break in, Gates was identified, now walk to your car and leave. If you haven't the self control to allow angry words to pass you by, you just aren't qualified for the job you have.

I read somewhere else that when Gates moved to Wellesley, an affluent mostly white suburb of Boston, he made a point of going to the police station and introducing himself so that the police would know who he was and that he had reasons to be seen in Wellesley.

I'd say another reason he is a grouchy man is because he was recently divorced after a 25 year long marriage.

 

[toomuchtime_]

You have to wonder though, how many burglars break into the front door with luggage at their feet?

Regardless, if the police received a 911 call your house was being broken into, wouldn't you want them to investigate? And wouldn't you want them to insist on confirming, regardless of appearances, that the person they found there did have a right to be there?

Gates was not calling the person who made the 911 call a racist; he was calling the cop, who was doing exactly what you or I would want him to do, a racist. Regardless of what Gates and Obama may believe about American history, nothing in the cop's behavior justified calling him a racist - if Gates is unable to evaluate the cop's behavior on its own merits because the cop is white, then Gates is the racist - and demanding special treatment because of his status at Harvard or because of his presumed influence with the mayor or police chief should have been unacceptable to anyone who believed in equal rights under the law. To the extent Obama's prattle about racial profiling in the US was intended to justify Gates' outrageous behavior, he has revealed himself to be a racist, too.

Not so fast. Gate's home was hooked up with a security alarm. Isn't it standard practice for the people from the alarm company to call the police once the alarm is turned off? Isn't it reasonable to assume that the owner of the house, rather than a burglar, would know the code?
"[...] Professor Gates then entered his rear door with his key, turned off his alarm, [...]
Professor Gates informed the officer that he lived there and was a faculty member at Harvard University. The officer then asked Professor Gates whether he could prove that he lived there and taught at Harvard. Professor Gates said that he could, and turned to walk into his kitchen, where he had left his wallet. The officer followed him. Professor Gates handed both his Harvard University identification and his valid Massachusetts driver’s license to the officer. Both include Professor Gates’ photograph, and the license includes his address.

Professor Gates then asked the police officer if he would give him his name and his badge number. He made this request several times. The officer did not produce any identification nor did he respond to Professor Gates’ request for this information. After an additional request by Professor Gates for the officer’s name and badge number, the officer then turned and left the kitchen of Professor Gates’ home without ever acknowledging who he was or if there were charges against Professor Gates. As Professor Gates followed the officer to his own front door, he was astonished to see several police officers gathered on his front porch.[...]"

Now, if Gates was all up in the officers face, why would the other officers have hung out on the front porch rather than enter the home? Are officers supposed to supply name and badge number upon request?
Henry Louis Gates Jr. Arrested

This is what Gates' lawyer claims happened. Crowley tells a very different story. Crowley claims he immediately told Gates he was following up on a 911 call reporting a possible break in and that Gates responded with a barrage of racial slurs, that Gates at first refused to show his ID and that Gates continued to demand Crowley give him his name after Crowley had identified himself twice already. Crowley walked out of the house, I suspect because he wanted witnesses to be able to confirm Gates' bizarre and irrational behavior, but did not leave the premises because he still needed the Harvard police to confirm Gates had a legal right to be in the house since it was rented from Harvard.

Crowley's account of events has been confirmed by the Cambridge police at the scene and has not been contradicted by the Harvard police, the Harvard maintenance people or the onlookers at the scene.

 

[Annie]

Regardless, if the police received a 911 call your house was being broken into, wouldn't you want them to investigate? And wouldn't you want them to insist on confirming, regardless of appearances, that the person they found there did have a right to be there?

Gates was not calling the person who made the 911 call a racist; he was calling the cop, who was doing exactly what you or I would want him to do, a racist. Regardless of what Gates and Obama may believe about American history, nothing in the cop's behavior justified calling him a racist - if Gates is unable to evaluate the cop's behavior on its own merits because the cop is white, then Gates is the racist - and demanding special treatment because of his status at Harvard or because of his presumed influence with the mayor or police chief should have been unacceptable to anyone who believed in equal rights under the law. To the extent Obama's prattle about racial profiling in the US was intended to justify Gates' outrageous behavior, he has revealed himself to be a racist, too.

Not so fast. Gate's home was hooked up with a security alarm. Isn't it standard practice for the people from the alarm company to call the police once the alarm is turned off? Isn't it reasonable to assume that the owner of the house, rather than a burglar, would know the code?
"[...] Professor Gates then entered his rear door with his key, turned off his alarm, [...]
Professor Gates informed the officer that he lived there and was a faculty member at Harvard University. The officer then asked Professor Gates whether he could prove that he lived there and taught at Harvard. Professor Gates said that he could, and turned to walk into his kitchen, where he had left his wallet. The officer followed him. Professor Gates handed both his Harvard University identification and his valid Massachusetts driver’s license to the officer. Both include Professor Gates’ photograph, and the license includes his address.

Professor Gates then asked the police officer if he would give him his name and his badge number. He made this request several times. The officer did not produce any identification nor did he respond to Professor Gates’ request for this information. After an additional request by Professor Gates for the officer’s name and badge number, the officer then turned and left the kitchen of Professor Gates’ home without ever acknowledging who he was or if there were charges against Professor Gates. As Professor Gates followed the officer to his own front door, he was astonished to see several police officers gathered on his front porch.[...]"

Now, if Gates was all up in the officers face, why would the other officers have hung out on the front porch rather than enter the home? Are officers supposed to supply name and badge number upon request?
Henry Louis Gates Jr. Arrested

This is what Gates' lawyer claims happened. Crowley tells a very different story. Crowley claims he immediately told Gates he was following up on a 911 call reporting a possible break in and that Gates responded with a barrage of racial slurs, that Gates at first refused to show his ID and that Gates continued to demand Crowley give him his name after Crowley had identified himself twice already. Crowley walked out of the house, I suspect because he wanted witnesses to be able to confirm Gates' bizarre and irrational behavior, but did not leave the premises because he still needed the Harvard police to confirm Gates had a legal right to be in the house since it was rented from Harvard.

Crowley's account of events has been confirmed by the Cambridge police at the scene and has not been contradicted by the Harvard police, the Harvard maintenance people or the onlookers at the scene.

Wow. Could it possibly be that Gates had an agenda ready and willing to be presented at first opportunity? Didn't matter if it came via police trying to protect his property, all that mattered is his yelling racism and making a documentary to back it up, with lots of editing.

 

[Mad Scientist]

I saw him on an NPR show a few months back. He was researching famous Black peoples' ancestry. One of whom was Morgan Freeman who was quite shocked to learn that his ancestors were slaves of American Indians!
Seems that a certain tribe of Indians didn't want to give up their slaves after the Civil war. It took seven(?) years of negotiations to produce their freedom. The slaves had no American names so guess what name the Government gave them?

Freeman! LOL! I love that story. The look on Morgan Freemans' face was priceless!

 

[Sweet Willy]

Not so fast. Gate's home was hooked up with a security alarm. Isn't it standard practice for the people from the alarm company to call the police once the alarm is turned off? Isn't it reasonable to assume that the owner of the house, rather than a burglar, would know the code?
"[...] Professor Gates then entered his rear door with his key, turned off his alarm, [...]
Professor Gates informed the officer that he lived there and was a faculty member at Harvard University. The officer then asked Professor Gates whether he could prove that he lived there and taught at Harvard. Professor Gates said that he could, and turned to walk into his kitchen, where he had left his wallet. The officer followed him. Professor Gates handed both his Harvard University identification and his valid Massachusetts driver’s license to the officer. Both include Professor Gates’ photograph, and the license includes his address.

Professor Gates then asked the police officer if he would give him his name and his badge number. He made this request several times. The officer did not produce any identification nor did he respond to Professor Gates’ request for this information. After an additional request by Professor Gates for the officer’s name and badge number, the officer then turned and left the kitchen of Professor Gates’ home without ever acknowledging who he was or if there were charges against Professor Gates. As Professor Gates followed the officer to his own front door, he was astonished to see several police officers gathered on his front porch.[...]"

Now, if Gates was all up in the officers face, why would the other officers have hung out on the front porch rather than enter the home? Are officers supposed to supply name and badge number upon request?
Henry Louis Gates Jr. Arrested

This is what Gates' lawyer claims happened. Crowley tells a very different story. Crowley claims he immediately told Gates he was following up on a 911 call reporting a possible break in and that Gates responded with a barrage of racial slurs, that Gates at first refused to show his ID and that Gates continued to demand Crowley give him his name after Crowley had identified himself twice already. Crowley walked out of the house, I suspect because he wanted witnesses to be able to confirm Gates' bizarre and irrational behavior, but did not leave the premises because he still needed the Harvard police to confirm Gates had a legal right to be in the house since it was rented from Harvard.

Crowley's account of events has been confirmed by the Cambridge police at the scene and has not been contradicted by the Harvard police, the Harvard maintenance people or the onlookers at the scene.

Wow. Could it possibly be that Gates had an agenda ready and willing to be presented at first opportunity? Didn't matter if it came via police trying to protect his property, all that mattered is his yelling racism and making a documentary to back it up, with lots of editing.

And there will always be a dumbass that hasn't the where-with-all to know better than to be lured into a pissing contest. It's a REGULAR THING when cops interact with the public. It's not just a race issue. All shapes and colors of people are going to be irritable and may want to start one of these pissing matches with you. A good officer does his job and difuses or ignores that kind of poppy cock. Cooler heads prevail. If you're a cop and you let checking out a homeowner escalate to this, you fucked up. And now you're going to be in the movies. Way to go dumbass.

 

[Contessa_Sharra]

I don't know how Gates is a racist. He may have a victim complex or be hyper sensitve to racism and profiling but I fail to see where he demonstrated racism.

Oh, you mean you didn't know that any minority that doesn't automatically bow, scrape and kiss white butt is a "racist?" Minorities are not allowed to mistrust whites, LOL. Or dislike them. Sadly enough, the history of this country from a black point of view is very different from the perception of things that dominant culture people hold. It really is a different world.

There is a history of white on black racism in this country? Well, ok, if you say so. But it's not like blacks were beaten or lynched or something.

Which is the whole point, and the white racists were not/are not all in the south..... considering the high level of participation by so-called "law" in lynching, and other gross abuse of rights, is it any wonder that they are viewed with suspicion?

I lived the majority of my young life in the Mass/NH area, not so far from Boston and I am familiar with how it is there. The grin in your face try to stab you in the back white racists are always the worst. With an out and out bigot, you always know where you stand.

As I stated in the other thread on this topic, those "classes" on how not to get caught profiling are a dodge so PDs don't get sued quite so much. They don't do that out of the goodness of their hearts.

Not all of the white New Englanders are racially "accepting" of other groups.

Sometimes I just cannot manage to not be sarcastic on this issue. It is so obvious to some what faukts we have on this issue. Others just never get it.

Or are you denying that there has been abuse?

 

[Contessa_Sharra]

I saw him on an NPR show a few months back. He was researching famous Black peoples' ancestry. One of whom was Morgan Freeman who was quite shocked to learn that his ancestors were slaves of American Indians!
Seems that a certain tribe of Indians didn't want to give up their slaves after the Civil war. It took seven(?) years of negotiations to produce their freedom. The slaves had no American names so guess what name the Government gave them?

Freeman! LOL! I love that story. The look on Morgan Freemans' face was priceless!

How interesting!

Actually, it is a surname I am very fond of.

 

[Sweet Willy]

Oh, you mean you didn't know that any minority that doesn't automatically bow, scrape and kiss white butt is a "racist?" Minorities are not allowed to mistrust whites, LOL. Or dislike them. Sadly enough, the history of this country from a black point of view is very different from the perception of things that dominant culture people hold. It really is a different world.

There is a history of white on black racism in this country? Well, ok, if you say so. But it's not like blacks were beaten or lynched or something.

Which is the whole point, and the white racists were not/are not all in the south..... considering the high level of participation by so-called "law" in lynching, and other gross abuse of rights, is it any wonder that they are viewed with suspicion?

I lived the majority of my young life in the Mass/NH area, not so far from Boston and I am familiar with how it is there. The grin in your face try to stab you in the back white racists are always the worst. With an out and out bigot, you always know where you stand.

As I stated in the other thread on this topic, those "classes" on how not to get caught profiling are a dodge so PDs don't get sued quite so much. They don't do that out of the goodness of their hearts.

Not all of the white New Englanders are racially "accepting" of other groups.

Sometimes I just cannot manage to not be sarcastic on this issue. It is so obvious to some what faukts we have on this issue. Others just never get it.

Or are you denying that there has been abuse?

I was being sarcastic.

I'm well aware of the racism in "code" of the northeast. You're right, it's there and many will say more inciduous than the more straight forward manner that manifest in the south.

In any event, blacks have a reason to be suspicious of the police. And unfortunately, the cops can't seem to beat it out of them.

 

[Soaring]

In a few short minutes, an honorable professor ruined his reputation and clearly showed his racism, discrediting all the work he's done in the past. The man ruined himself simply because he couldn't control himself....

He ruined himself because of all the pent up racial biased hatred inside. He has been teaching racial hatred for years and years, so actually believes what he has been teaching, and the University has allowed him to continue to do that because of fear of being sued by0 the NAACP or whomever. Maybe now the University can successfully fire this racist bastard.

 

[editec]

Two hard-ons met in the night, folks.

NBD

 

[Diuretic]

In a few short minutes, an honorable professor ruined his reputation and clearly showed his racism, discrediting all the work he's done in the past. The man ruined himself simply because he couldn't control himself....

His claim to scholarly detachment might be a bit weak now.

 

[Barb]

Two hard-ons met in the night, folks.

NBD

Actually it was closer to high noon

 

[Barb]

Regardless, if the police received a 911 call your house was being broken into, wouldn't you want them to investigate? And wouldn't you want them to insist on confirming, regardless of appearances, that the person they found there did have a right to be there?

Gates was not calling the person who made the 911 call a racist; he was calling the cop, who was doing exactly what you or I would want him to do, a racist. Regardless of what Gates and Obama may believe about American history, nothing in the cop's behavior justified calling him a racist - if Gates is unable to evaluate the cop's behavior on its own merits because the cop is white, then Gates is the racist - and demanding special treatment because of his status at Harvard or because of his presumed influence with the mayor or police chief should have been unacceptable to anyone who believed in equal rights under the law. To the extent Obama's prattle about racial profiling in the US was intended to justify Gates' outrageous behavior, he has revealed himself to be a racist, too.

Not so fast. Gate's home was hooked up with a security alarm. Isn't it standard practice for the people from the alarm company to call the police once the alarm is turned off? Isn't it reasonable to assume that the owner of the house, rather than a burglar, would know the code?
"[...] Professor Gates then entered his rear door with his key, turned off his alarm, [...]
Professor Gates informed the officer that he lived there and was a faculty member at Harvard University. The officer then asked Professor Gates whether he could prove that he lived there and taught at Harvard. Professor Gates said that he could, and turned to walk into his kitchen, where he had left his wallet. The officer followed him. Professor Gates handed both his Harvard University identification and his valid Massachusetts driver’s license to the officer. Both include Professor Gates’ photograph, and the license includes his address.

Professor Gates then asked the police officer if he would give him his name and his badge number. He made this request several times. The officer did not produce any identification nor did he respond to Professor Gates’ request for this information. After an additional request by Professor Gates for the officer’s name and badge number, the officer then turned and left the kitchen of Professor Gates’ home without ever acknowledging who he was or if there were charges against Professor Gates. As Professor Gates followed the officer to his own front door, he was astonished to see several police officers gathered on his front porch.[...]"

Now, if Gates was all up in the officers face, why would the other officers have hung out on the front porch rather than enter the home? Are officers supposed to supply name and badge number upon request?
Henry Louis Gates Jr. Arrested

This is what Gates' lawyer claims happened. Crowley tells a very different story. Crowley claims he immediately told Gates he was following up on a 911 call reporting a possible break in and that Gates responded with a barrage of racial slurs, that Gates at first refused to show his ID and that Gates continued to demand Crowley give him his name after Crowley had identified himself twice already. Crowley walked out of the house, I suspect because he wanted witnesses to be able to confirm Gates' bizarre and irrational behavior, but did not leave the premises because he still needed the Harvard police to confirm Gates had a legal right to be in the house since it was rented from Harvard.

Crowley's account of events has been confirmed by the Cambridge police at the scene and has not been contradicted by the Harvard police, the Harvard maintenance people or the onlookers at the scene.

The Harvard police weren't in the house, neither were any "onlookers" in the house. The officer responding got there alone, and the rest came afterward. The other police officers were standing on the front porch, and arrived after Gates went to the kitchen to get his wallet. So what could any of them confirm or deny about the officers version of events? Its the homeowners word against the police officer.

 

[Sinatra]

My point here would be that in that particular neighborhood, and New England being exactly what it is, I cannot even begin to imagine that the "neighbor" in question did not know exactly who this man is.I grew up in insular New England and I know how they are about this sort of thing, as well as the "attitudes."

Whatever you may think about the neighbor, it is uncontested that Gates for some reason had broken into his house and the police had received a 911 call about the break in that did not identify Gates and went to investigate it, which is exactly what you would want the police to do if they received a 911 call your house was being broken into. Since Gates knew he had broken into the house, when Crowley explained why he was there the sane response from Gates would have to to produce his ID, explain that he had had to break into the house and thank the officer for coming by to protect his property. Then they both would have waited for the Harvard police to arrive to confirm that Gates was the legal occupant of the house since the property was being rented by Gates from Harvard.

That would have been the sane response, but however bright Gates may be, he clearly is mentally unbalanced, and whether his bizarre behavior was the result of racial prejudices against white police or a bloated ego, his conduct, shouting racial slurs and threats at the police officer, was certainly disorderly and the arrest for disorderly conduct was certainly justified even if there is room for discussion about whether it was the wisest thing to have done.

Even more bizarre and disturbing than Gates' rantings about his racial prejudices was Obama's unquestioning acceptance of these ridiculous charges. What could have motivated such a careful man to make such stupid statements unless he is so blinded by his own racial prejudices that he was unable to understand what the reaction would be? While Jeremiah Wright may be thanking the Lord that Obama was now finally telling America what he really believed, David Axelrod was probably moaning in despair as he saw the Barack Obama he had invented for the campaign metamorphose into a Jeremiah Wright disciple on national TV.

Great line!

 

[Lycurgus]

Perhaps where you live B & E is about arriving in a cab and the driver helps out. That must work out well for those solving crimes, what with Company name on a brightly painted car, and a car ID number clearly shown. I NOTICE THAT THE POLICE HAVE NEVER PUBLICKLY AIRED THE 911 CALL. Maybe there wasn't one, maybe it was just Crowley in the unmarked car, cruising.... I wonder why he didn't arrest the cab driver, too!

You are a propaganda whore and a drama queen. Give it a rest!

 

[Annie]

In a few short minutes, an honorable professor ruined his reputation and clearly showed his racism, discrediting all the work he's done in the past. The man ruined himself simply because he couldn't control himself....

His claim to scholarly detachment might be a bit weak now.

or really not.

 

[Anguille]

you fucked up. And now you're going to be in the movies. Way to go dumbass.

 

[Annie]

Two hard-ons met in the night, folks.

NBD

Actually it was closer to high noon

You are a tool of the left.

 

[Anguille]

Not all of the white New Englanders are racially "accepting" of other groups.

You can say that again! I grew up in DC but when we moved back to MA I was shocked at how people talked about blacks and Jews. I had the naive impression that the North was less racist.