Racism? What Would You Have Done?

[Beerdog80]

man, reading that last post gave me a headache. I want a refund for the last minute of my life I wasted reading it.

 

[SKATTERBRANE]

Seeing this on the news for a few days now, makes me yearn for the good ole days when they were talking about Michael Jackson's death.

 

[Tuxedo Kaz]

Once again, welcome to the MyLesEchoChamber.

Spattle is a wise man. Listen to him, MLP.

 

[FrankieOliver]

Spattle is a wise man. Listen to him, MLP

Splattle? What are you kidding or what? Screw Splattle and whatever tripe he spews.

Actually, I've always appreciated what he's brought to a discussion a great deal, even when I didn't agree with him. If I'm ever down in Oz, I'll be sure to stop by uninvited so I can bust his balls and visa versa.

 

[Beerdog80]

I'm glad he is voicing his opinion, even if I disagree with just about everything he has said in this thread.

 

[mtgguitar]

FWIW, I spent much of the day reading the transcript of Sgt Crowley's interview on a Boston radio station, the police report, comments from Prof. Gates, and news articles from the U.S. and Europe.

Time will tell.

I only know of Prof Gates because I watched some of his TV shows. He meticulously researched the genealogy of several black celebrities (Chris Rock, Chris Tucker etc) and documented their reaction to it.

I voted for Pres Obama.

When a cop and a citizen interact, the first one that loses his temper loses.

EDIT: this email address is not monitored by the Whitehouse. You will be redirected to a webform.
Here is the email I sent to the President at <comments@whitehouse.gov>:

"President Obama,

I have spent many hours reading about the incident with the Cambridge Police at Henry Gates' home last week.

I disagree with your comments about the matter. Sticking up for a friend is a personal matter, doing it at a White House news conference was uncalled for.

The Cambridge Police officer did not act stupidly, characterizing it as you did showed your own racial bias. Prefacing your remarks with acknowledgment of your lack of knowledge of the facts showed bad judgment.

Mr Gates acted like a hothead with a big mouth.

I respect you less for how you publicly reacted to this incident and the events that followed.

((My Name and Address.)"

Just a BUMP to show my edit. I used the webform, to resubmit the message. So far, no "Darks Suits" have been lurking in my bushes.

 

[diceman]

I read that Obama has invited the cop and the prof to the whitehouse to "sit down and have a beer together."

Hopefully the shit just blows over. The prof hopefully got knocked down a peg or two, the president put his foot in his mouth and might think before he speaks, and the cop will probably treat rich black men as if they are above the law to avoid future fiascos.

But really, it'll be nice when it all blows over.

 

[FrankieOliver]

Hopefully they'll get a little shitfaced, have a great time, raise a ruckus and be back in the news, but all telling the same story.

 

[diceman]

Honestly, I was quite impressed when I read Obama's idea for resolving the matter. I think it is genius. Just a simple "guy" answer to a problem.

"Hell, lets just go get a beer!"

Very cool idea, assuming those two guys can put the incident "in the past."

 

[ZoomZilla]

I am not going to read 6 pages of this thread, so if what I am about to say has been said, I warned you I did not read all the pages.

Here is what I have read. A call comes in from somebody reporting a possible burglary. The cops show up. They get to the residence, the guy inside is asked for ID. Seems normal at this point. He does not want to show ID and starts yelling at the cop about racial crap, then apparently he brings the cops mother into it. Hmm. Then he eventually does show his ID, the cop calls harvard police to the scene and he tries to walk away, the professor keeps going. So then the professor is arrested for disorderly conduct. If all of this is accurate, then I don't see the issue.

If I was trying to get into my house and I had to try to force the door open, so someone calls saying that someone is breaking into a house and the cops show up, I would show them my ID, they would say sorry for the intrusion and it would be over. The professor is a racist simple as that.

Then Barry states that he doesn't know the facts of the case, but the cops acted stupidly. If that is not self owning, I don't know what is. He admits he does not know the facts, then gives his opinion on who is right and who is wrong.

The professor and Obama can both suck it. Bunch of racists.

 

[Beerdog80]

... the president put his foot in his mouth and might think before he speaks....

now your just dreaming

 

[Beerdog80]

Zoom gets it! Thats pretty much my view of the situation too.

 

[Stonesy]

only white people are racists. didn't you get the memo?

 

[Splattle101]

Zoom, I would agree with your view of it if it was all we knew. But it's not. We also know from some of the stuff that LZF has linked to that the cops on the scene at the time had identified the Prof as the legal occupant. They noted he wasn't being very cooperative. Well that's just tough shit. He's in his own home at that point, he's been identified and his need to be 'cooperative' is over. Finished. Just like the cops' need to be there anymore. Over. Finished.

To arrest him because he became 'unruly' when they were still on his property after they had no further cause to be there is frankly outrageous. I don't blame him for having the shits with them.

1. They were called to investigate a possible burglary.
2. They found the lawful occupant and identified him.
3. They stayed on his property after that, at least long enough to find him 'unruly' and arrest him.
4. They dropped all charges.

How this equates to him needing to be taken down a few pegs or playing the race card, or thinking he deserves special treatment is mind-buggering nonsense.

 

[Beerdog80]

I think your still missing the big clue here. According to the police reports and subsequent interviews with the police officers who were at the scene, including a Hispanic and a black officer, when they initially asked for Gates ID, he immediately refused and because verbally aggressive, ranting the cops were racist and on and on...

Gates claims to only have been asking for the the police officers badge number and name...which was given to him in the first place and again before he was arrested. As the cops were leaving, taking the high road and ignoring the old man, Gates followed while continuing to rant and scream at the officers. Wheter or not your on your own property, you cannot be a public nuisance (disorderly conduct). It's stated that the neighbors were watching, obvously confused to why Gates was putting on a show.

While ignoring the fool and letting him rant by himself would have been a good idea...or would it? What would say he wouldn't completly fall off the deep end and grab a weapon and start hurting bystanders who were watching or even himself? Since he was displaying irrational behavior...you never know what he would have done had the cops not taken him 'down a peg or two'. It's happened countless times before in this country. One of the cases that I worked involved a dude was was screaming like a nut because cops were called to his house because of loud music but he was not an apparent cause for real concern. The officer let him be and 20 mins later, he grabbed a shotgun and killed his wife before shooting himself. All over a simple noise complaint.

Gates mouth is what got him in trouble. Not being a black man in America, as he put it.

 

[Splattle101]

Different situation. The scenario you described had the cops called there for a noise complaint. The guy on the scene was causing the problem.

The Gates situation is different because the neighbours suspected a burglary. The cops quickly established his ID and that there was no burglary. There was no disturbance, either, prior to the cops arrival. They were not called about a disturbance. Their continued presence was the irritant that caused the disturbance.

The cops made a mistake.

 

[singlecut]

Wonder about that "neighbor"? Yes, but had already let himself in around the back. When the officers arrived the man was in his own home & provided his ID. It should have ended right there.

Guess we could argue over "who" was at fault. I'll respect your view even thou it differs from my own.

he showed an i.d. that did NOT state his address

 

[broke_player]

Don't know if this was posted but here is the report:

Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Police Report - July 23, 2009

 

[needlespauls]

Zoom, I would agree with your view of it if it was all we knew. But it's not. We also know from some of the stuff that LZF has linked to that the cops on the scene at the time had identified the Prof as the legal occupant. They noted he wasn't being very cooperative. Well that's just tough shit. He's in his own home at that point, he's been identified and his need to be 'cooperative' is over. Finished. Just like the cops' need to be there anymore. Over. Finished.

To arrest him because he became 'unruly' when they were still on his property after they had no further cause to be there is frankly outrageous. I don't blame him for having the shits with them.

1. They were called to investigate a possible burglary.
2. They found the lawful occupant and identified him.
3. They stayed on his property after that, at least long enough to find him 'unruly' and arrest him.
4. They dropped all charges.

How this equates to him needing to be taken down a few pegs or playing the race card, or thinking he deserves special treatment is mind-buggering nonsense.

Wow. Lefties are just like lefty guitars. Backwards. lol!
Hey. I live in Massachusetts. Town policemen here are generally very very fair, nice guys. State police can be an entirely different issue. I've been ganked for speeding a couple times on the highway by staties and they are some unruly king-kong ball-bags making between $100k-$200k a year. You don't think I wanted to give em' some attitute?
I don't care where it is. On state highways, or on your own property. NO ONE is above the law, and it is common sense to not give cops a hard time. Cops remember things too, lol, and you wan't to be on their good side.
I'm a hot head, and I personally don't like to take shit from anyone. Ever. From management in jobs, the wife, strangers, etc. I don't put up with it. BUT never ever ever have I crossed the line with a cop, even if I felt I was the one being wronged. It'll get you nowhere, and actually escalate the situation.
Professor Gates lost the reality of the situation, lost himself in his ego, and tried to show that even he was above the law. He didn't whip out an every day regular persons race card. Oh no no no. hmhmhm. Mr. Professor Gates carries the "Platinum" race card, which is supposed to give you amnesty from the police, responsibility, logic, etc. What a douche.
Liberals. Hate the police and military when they don't need them, cry like a baby for them when they do need them.

 

[Splattle101]

Wow.