Harvard Professor Jailed; Officer Is Accused of Bias

[Lonestar_logic]

It's only inflammatory to people with agendas like yourself.

It sure as heck seemed inflamatory to me, ya want to tell me what my "agenda" is?

So what has it exactly got you up in arms about? That the president pointed out that this issue shows us that despite lots of progress in racial equality there still remains work to be done?

Does it bother you he said some policemen acted stupidly? They did and we all know they do sometimes. I don't think he's risking national security by admitting our police sometimes make mistakes. This is America. We can discuss things openly.
But as I said before, I think it was imprudent of him to speak ill of a police force simply because of the stature of his position.

There will never be racial equality. Case in point, Gates accused the police offcer of being a racist for no reason other than the cop was white. And another point being that most blacks believe they are societal victims and again Gates provides evidence of that as well.

 

[WillowTree]

It's only inflammatory to people with agendas like yourself.

It sure as heck seemed inflamatory to me, ya want to tell me what my "agenda" is?

So what has it exactly got you up in arms about? That the president pointed out that this issue shows us that despite lots of progress in racial equality there still remains work to be done?

Does it bother you he said some policemen acted stupidly? They did and we all know they do sometimes. I don't think he's risking national security by admitting our police sometimes make mistakes. This is America. We can discuss things openly.
But as I said before, I think it was imprudent of him to speak ill of a police force simply because of the stature of his position.

yeah specially since he started off with not knowing what the hell he was talking about ie facts are in absentia! hee hee hee!

 

[Againsheila]

It's only inflammatory to people with agendas like yourself.

It sure as heck seemed inflamatory to me, ya want to tell me what my "agenda" is?

So what has it exactly got you up in arms about? That the president pointed out that this issue shows us that despite lots of progress in racial equality there still remains work to be done?

Does it bother you he said some policemen acted stupidly? They did and we all know they do sometimes. I don't think he's risking national security by admitting our police sometimes make mistakes. This is America. We can discuss things openly.
But as I said before, I think it was imprudent of him to speak ill of a police force simply because of the stature of his position.

He said he didn't know all the facts, and then called the cop stupid, basically blaming him for the entire affair when he already admited he didn't know all the facts. Blaming the cop after saying he didn't know all the facts is not only stupid, but inflamitory.

Now, you want to answer my question and tell me what my agenda is?

 

[GHook93]

It sure as heck seemed inflamatory to me, ya want to tell me what my "agenda" is?

So what has it exactly got you up in arms about? That the president pointed out that this issue shows us that despite lots of progress in racial equality there still remains work to be done?

Does it bother you he said some policemen acted stupidly? They did and we all know they do sometimes. I don't think he's risking national security by admitting our police sometimes make mistakes. This is America. We can discuss things openly.
But as I said before, I think it was imprudent of him to speak ill of a police force simply because of the stature of his position.

He said he didn't know all the facts, and then called the cop stupid, basically blaming him for the entire affair when he already admited he didn't know all the facts. Blaming the cop after saying he didn't know all the facts is not only stupid, but inflamitory.

Now, you want to answer my question and tell me what my agenda is?

Obama is good at doing that!

But Obama to his credit I think has gotten away from the racial politics that most blacks thrive politician thrive on. Doesn't apologize for the black communities misfortunes by blaming them on whites. I think America has been good at moving away from that and I think that black apologist and blaming whites that Jackson/Sharpton/Wright spew was losing steam. They will use this and I think Obama is upset that an ignorant police officer set race relations back overnight!

 

[Anguille]

It sure as heck seemed inflamatory to me, ya want to tell me what my "agenda" is?

So what has it exactly got you up in arms about? That the president pointed out that this issue shows us that despite lots of progress in racial equality there still remains work to be done?

Does it bother you he said some policemen acted stupidly? They did and we all know they do sometimes. I don't think he's risking national security by admitting our police sometimes make mistakes. This is America. We can discuss things openly.
But as I said before, I think it was imprudent of him to speak ill of a police force simply because of the stature of his position.

He said he didn't know all the facts, and then called the cop stupid, basically blaming him for the entire affair when he already admited he didn't know all the facts. Blaming the cop after saying he didn't know all the facts is not only stupid, but inflamitory.

Now, you want to answer my question and tell me what my agenda is?

I don't know what yours is but Willow seems to want to make a big deal about it. She isn't exactly known to be a big fan of Obama or racial equality.

 

[WillowTree]

So what has it exactly got you up in arms about? That the president pointed out that this issue shows us that despite lots of progress in racial equality there still remains work to be done?

Does it bother you he said some policemen acted stupidly? They did and we all know they do sometimes. I don't think he's risking national security by admitting our police sometimes make mistakes. This is America. We can discuss things openly.
But as I said before, I think it was imprudent of him to speak ill of a police force simply because of the stature of his position.

He said he didn't know all the facts, and then called the cop stupid, basically blaming him for the entire affair when he already admited he didn't know all the facts. Blaming the cop after saying he didn't know all the facts is not only stupid, but inflamitory.

Now, you want to answer my question and tell me what my agenda is?

I don't know what yours is but Willow seems to want to make a big deal about it. She isn't exactly known to be a big fan of Obama or racial equality.

I am not a fan of the obamalama,, I am a fan of racial equality.. and not just one race,, as you seem to be,, but all races..

 

[Diuretic]

What a crock of shit!! I've never been taught that black men were dangerous or they were criminals! You folks in Colorado are a bunch of racist!!

Then I guess, in your opinion, we're no better than



Great argument, you're a genius!

I was stating that movies, tv, and the media have portrayed black men as criminals and used two movies to illustrate that. How does that NOT support my point?

I guess you folks in Colorado freaked out when Shaft hit the scene huh?

Not as much as you folks in Texas freaked out when Obama won the election!

US election: Republicans in Texas shattered by Obama win | World news | guardian.co.uk

lol, that's rich, using a picture from a Canadian football game to make a point about Texans.

By George you're right - looks like a Hamilton Tigercats v BC Lions game from the fans shirts.

 

[Ravi]

It seems to me this man was arrested for insinuating that the police were racist, rather loudly.

I wonder if all those that think he deserved to be arrested also support hate crime laws...because really, it seems that was the reason behind his arrest.

 

[manifold]

It seems to me this man was arrested for insinuating that the police were racist, rather loudly.

I wonder if all those that think he deserved to be arrested also support hate crime laws...because really, it seems that was the reason behind his arrest.

Okie-dokie.

 

[Anguille]

It seems to me this man was arrested for insinuating that the police were racist, rather loudly.

I wonder if all those that think he deserved to be arrested also support hate crime laws...because really, it seems that was the reason behind his arrest.

It certainly would seem so.

 

[del]

It seems to me this man was arrested for insinuating that the police were racist, rather loudly.

I wonder if all those that think he deserved to be arrested also support hate crime laws...because really, it seems that was the reason behind his arrest.

 

[Valerie]

It seems to me this man was arrested for insinuating that the police were racist, rather loudly.

I wonder if all those that think he deserved to be arrested also support hate crime laws...because really, it seems that was the reason behind his arrest.

What makes you think he was a arrested because he cried racism?

There is not one shred of evidence that suggests the officer acted inappropriately.

Mr Gates cried racism just for the fact that the officer merely showed up at his door. He was upset that the neighbor profiled him and wanted to make sure everyone knew who he was.

He was loud and obnoxious toward the officer who was there only to do his job. He threatened to sue. He continued yelling at the police in the street after being warned to stop. The officer responded by taking him down town and putting it all on record. Boo hoo.

None of the officers' actions at the scene were observed to be racially motivated or inappropriate in any way whatsoever, yet some people are so eagerly willing to profile a white Boston police officer, what's up with that?

Disorderly Conduct

Almost every state has a disorderly conduct law that makes it a crime to be drunk in public, to "disturb the peace", or to loiter in certain areas. Many types of obnoxious or unruly conduct may fit the definition of disorderly conduct, as such statutes are often used as "catch-all" crimes. Police may use a disorderly conduct charge to keep the peace when a person is behaving in a disruptive manner, but presents no serious public danger.

Mr Gates got what any of us would deserve under the same circumstances, IMO.

 

[Againsheila]

It seems to me this man was arrested for insinuating that the police were racist, rather loudly.

I wonder if all those that think he deserved to be arrested also support hate crime laws...because really, it seems that was the reason behind his arrest.

What makes you think he was a arrested because he cried racism?

There is not one shred of evidence that suggests the officer acted inappropriately.

Mr Gates cried racism just for the fact that the officer merely showed up at his door. He was upset that the neighbor profiled him and wanted to make sure everyone knew who he was.

He was loud and obnoxious toward the officer who was there only to do his job. He threatened to sue. He continued yelling at the police in the street after being warned to stop. The officer responded by taking him down town and putting it all on record. Boo hoo.

None of the officers' actions at the scene were observed to be racially motivated or inappropriate in any way whatsoever, yet some people are so eagerly willing to profile a white Boston police officer, what's up with that?

Disorderly Conduct

Almost every state has a disorderly conduct law that makes it a crime to be drunk in public, to "disturb the peace", or to loiter in certain areas. Many types of obnoxious or unruly conduct may fit the definition of disorderly conduct, as such statutes are often used as "catch-all" crimes. Police may use a disorderly conduct charge to keep the peace when a person is behaving in a disruptive manner, but presents no serious public danger.

Mr Gates got what any of us would deserve under the same circumstances, IMO.

The difference is, had it been one of us, the charges wouldn't have been dropped.

 

[Anguille]

It seems to me this man was arrested for insinuating that the police were racist, rather loudly.

I wonder if all those that think he deserved to be arrested also support hate crime laws...because really, it seems that was the reason behind his arrest.

What makes you think he was a arrested because he cried racism?

There is not one shred of evidence that suggests the officer acted inappropriately.

Mr Gates cried racism just for the fact that the officer merely showed up at his door. He was upset that the neighbor profiled him and wanted to make sure everyone knew who he was.

He was loud and obnoxious toward the officer who was there only to do his job. He threatened to sue. He continued yelling at the police in the street after being warned to stop. The officer responded by taking him down town and putting it all on record. Boo hoo.

None of the officers' actions at the scene were observed to be racially motivated or inappropriate in any way whatsoever, yet some people are so eagerly willing to profile a white Boston police officer, what's up with that?

Disorderly Conduct

Almost every state has a disorderly conduct law that makes it a crime to be drunk in public, to "disturb the peace", or to loiter in certain areas. Many types of obnoxious or unruly conduct may fit the definition of disorderly conduct, as such statutes are often used as "catch-all" crimes. Police may use a disorderly conduct charge to keep the peace when a person is behaving in a disruptive manner, but presents no serious public danger.

Mr Gates got what any of us would deserve under the same circumstances, IMO.

"When a Cambridge police sergeant told Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. that he “would speak with him outside,” the officer may have intended to draw the incensed professor outside of his home where he would be an easier target to arrest, legal experts told the Herald.
“It seems like the officer felt like he needed to get him out of his house to have the public element of disorderly conduct met,” said Howard Friedman, a Boston civil rights lawyer. “The officer seems to think that if he could get him yelling outside his home, that is a crime.”
Friedman, who believes that Gates has grounds to sue Cambridge cops for false arrest, said for a person to be guilty of disorderly conduct, they must, according to state statute, cause a “public inconvenience, annoyance or alarm.”
...

Eugene O’Donnell, a lawyer and former NYPD officer who lectures at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, said the disorderly conduct charge is “vague and ambiguous. And it can be used as a punitive measure against people who are seen as uncooperative.”

Experts: Disorderly conduct rap ‘ambiguous’ - BostonHerald.com

“The police did their job,” said the neighbor. “He should be thanking them. But they shouldn’t have arrested him. He had just gotten off a 20-hour flight. He couldn’t get his door open. He got frustrated . . . They should have just said forget it.”

Henry Louis Gates Jr. demands apology, sensitivity training - BostonHerald.com

 

[Valerie]

It seems to me this man was arrested for insinuating that the police were racist, rather loudly.

I wonder if all those that think he deserved to be arrested also support hate crime laws...because really, it seems that was the reason behind his arrest.

What makes you think he was a arrested because he cried racism?

There is not one shred of evidence that suggests the officer acted inappropriately.

Mr Gates cried racism just for the fact that the officer merely showed up at his door. He was upset that the neighbor profiled him and wanted to make sure everyone knew who he was.

He was loud and obnoxious toward the officer who was there only to do his job. He threatened to sue. He continued yelling at the police in the street after being warned to stop. The officer responded by taking him down town and putting it all on record. Boo hoo.

None of the officers' actions at the scene were observed to be racially motivated or inappropriate in any way whatsoever, yet some people are so eagerly willing to profile a white Boston police officer, what's up with that?

Disorderly Conduct

Almost every state has a disorderly conduct law that makes it a crime to be drunk in public, to "disturb the peace", or to loiter in certain areas. Many types of obnoxious or unruly conduct may fit the definition of disorderly conduct, as such statutes are often used as "catch-all" crimes. Police may use a disorderly conduct charge to keep the peace when a person is behaving in a disruptive manner, but presents no serious public danger.

Mr Gates got what any of us would deserve under the same circumstances, IMO.

"When a Cambridge police sergeant told Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. that he “would speak with him outside,” the officer may have intended to draw the incensed professor outside of his home where he would be an easier target to arrest, legal experts told the Herald.
“It seems like the officer felt like he needed to get him out of his house to have the public element of disorderly conduct met,” said Howard Friedman, a Boston civil rights lawyer. “The officer seems to think that if he could get him yelling outside his home, that is a crime.”
Friedman, who believes that Gates has grounds to sue Cambridge cops for false arrest, said for a person to be guilty of disorderly conduct, they must, according to state statute, cause a “public inconvenience, annoyance or alarm.”
...

Eugene O’Donnell, a lawyer and former NYPD officer who lectures at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, said the disorderly conduct charge is “vague and ambiguous. And it can be used as a punitive measure against people who are seen as uncooperative.”

Experts: Disorderly conduct rap ‘ambiguous’ - BostonHerald.com

“The police did their job,” said the neighbor. “He should be thanking them. But they shouldn’t have arrested him. He had just gotten off a 20-hour flight. He couldn’t get his door open. He got frustrated . . . They should have just said forget it.”

Henry Louis Gates Jr. demands apology, sensitivity training - BostonHerald.com

Mr Gates was unruly from the outset and threatened the officer with a lawsuit for merely answering a B&E call; he cried racist for no rational reason.

His behavior provoked a response that required an arrest in order to legally diffuse the situation.

 

[Anguille]

His behavior provoked a response that required an arrest in order to legally diffuse the situation.

I totally disagree. The officer did not need to arrest him to diffuse the situation. He should have allowed Gates to get his name and badge number for one thing and then left. He was there to investigate a reported breaking and entering which was resolved. That he decided to go back and arrest Gates for calling him a racist shows that the officer wanted to show Gates who would have the last word. There was no concern for public safety or for keeping peace and order at all. The only concern in the officer's mind was his ego.

 

[Valerie]

His behavior provoked a response that required an arrest in order to legally diffuse the situation.

I totally disagree. The officer did not need to arrest him to diffuse the situation.


He should have allowed Gates to get his name and badge number for one thing and then left. He was there to investigate a reported breaking and entering which was resolved. That he decided to go back and arrest Gates for calling him a racist shows that the officer wanted to show Gates who would have the last word. There was no concern for public safety or for keeping peace and order at all. The only concern in the officer's mind was his ego.

That sounds like a pretty handy projection on your part, however it is not exactly commensurate with the actual circumstances. Mr Gates is the only one who demonstrated his ego at the scene as he is the one who escalated the situation and cried racist for no rational reason. The officer was prompted to respond by simply demonstrating standard legal procedure in order to diffuse the escalated situation as provoked by Mr Gates.

 

[Anguille]

His behavior provoked a response that required an arrest in order to legally diffuse the situation.

I totally disagree. The officer did not need to arrest him to diffuse the situation.


He should have allowed Gates to get his name and badge number for one thing and then left. He was there to investigate a reported breaking and entering which was resolved. That he decided to go back and arrest Gates for calling him a racist shows that the officer wanted to show Gates who would have the last word. There was no concern for public safety or for keeping peace and order at all. The only concern in the officer's mind was his ego.

That sounds like a pretty handy projection on your part, however it is not exactly commensurate with the actual circumstances. Mr Gates is the only one who demonstrated his ego at the scene as he is the one who escalated the situation and cried racist for no rational reason. The officer was prompted to respond by simply demonstrating standard legal procedure in order to diffuse the escalated situation as provoked by Mr Gates.

Is it against the law to cry racist? If standard legal procedure means every cop must arrest every person that calls him a name our prisons are going to explode. Does the eyewitness' assessment of the situation not matter to you? Does Gates' own version not matter? Are police reports the only valid evidence in a case?
Are you going to claim, like Sheila does, that Obama pulled strings and got the charges dropped?

 

[WillowTree]

I totally disagree. The officer did not need to arrest him to diffuse the situation.


He should have allowed Gates to get his name and badge number for one thing and then left. He was there to investigate a reported breaking and entering which was resolved. That he decided to go back and arrest Gates for calling him a racist shows that the officer wanted to show Gates who would have the last word. There was no concern for public safety or for keeping peace and order at all. The only concern in the officer's mind was his ego.

That sounds like a pretty handy projection on your part, however it is not exactly commensurate with the actual circumstances. Mr Gates is the only one who demonstrated his ego at the scene as he is the one who escalated the situation and cried racist for no rational reason. The officer was prompted to respond by simply demonstrating standard legal procedure in order to diffuse the escalated situation as provoked by Mr Gates.

Is it against the law to cry racist? If standard legal procedure means every cop must arrest every person that calls him a name our prisons are going to explode. Does the eyewitness' assessment of the situation not matter to you? Does Gates' own version not matter? Are police reports the only valid evidence in a case?
Are you going to claim, like Sheila does, that Obama pulled strings and got the charges dropped?

What obama pulled was the "race" card..

 

[Valerie]

I totally disagree. The officer did not need to arrest him to diffuse the situation.


He should have allowed Gates to get his name and badge number for one thing and then left. He was there to investigate a reported breaking and entering which was resolved. That he decided to go back and arrest Gates for calling him a racist shows that the officer wanted to show Gates who would have the last word. There was no concern for public safety or for keeping peace and order at all. The only concern in the officer's mind was his ego.

That sounds like a pretty handy projection on your part, however it is not exactly commensurate with the actual circumstances. Mr Gates is the only one who demonstrated his ego at the scene as he is the one who escalated the situation and cried racist for no rational reason. The officer was prompted to respond by simply demonstrating standard legal procedure in order to diffuse the escalated situation as provoked by Mr Gates.

Is it against the law to cry racist? If standard legal procedure means every cop must arrest every person that calls him a name our prisons are going to explode. Does the eyewitness' assessment of the situation not matter to you? Does Gates' own version not matter? Are police reports the only valid evidence in a case?
Are you going to claim, like Sheila does, that Obama pulled strings and got the charges dropped?

It wasn't like he exactly whispered racist. He was defiant and disorderly for a reason the officer could only guess until his identity was finally verified. Crying racist is just what Mr Gates used to intimidate the police and they were compelled to respond after he refused to calm down. He totally caused a scene for no reason.



Note to self, professor: Loudly threaten to sue the police for [fill in the type of] harassment during routine inquiry prompted by concerned citizen for suspected burglary, expect to be taken down town to complete some paperwork.