Alaska Darin Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 I could be wrong, but I think if two middle aged white guys with luggage, in business suits, one of whom had a cane, were bashing inside that house, the woman probably wouldn't have called the cops. It's hard to say what she actually saw (there is no way she saw the whole thing) but I think she probably called the cops because they were black. I'd bet anything that's what Gates truly thought. It doesn't matter what is true or what isn't, it's what I mentioned earlier about how minorities interpret racial profiling differently than white people do. Given that Gates' house got broken into in the last month or so, his thought should have been for his own friggin' safety. But he's a Harvard Professor and they're well known for being regular societal victims. I'm sure glad that guy's a teacher. Kids need way more role models who're willing to fly off the handle over virtually nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly the Dog Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Given that Gates' house got broken into in the last month or so, his thought should have been for his own friggin' safety. But he's a Harvard Professor and they're well known for being regular societal victims. He didn't know that at the time from his own explanation of what happened. And it may or may not be true. He said he saw one footprint, and that the lock was jammed when he stuck his key in, and he thought to himself it was possible that someone had tried to break in. That's it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly the Dog Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Peopel like this Gates see a Klansman behind every rock. They're no better than lunatic fringers in that regard. Maybe because being born in 1950 in rural West Virginia he looked behind a few rocks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pine Barrens Mafia Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Maybe because being born in 1950 in rural West Virginia he looked behind a few rocks. Still in WV is he? Is it still 1950? OK, whew, thought we were in trouble there with the space-time continuum thingy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
X. Benedict Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Peopel like this Gates see a Klansman behind every rock. They're no better than lunatic fringers in that regard. I lived just outside Davis square years ago. I don't claim to know the man but I met him very briefly. I thought he was warm and generous and funny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GG Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Missing my point. I don't think it had to do with having a bad day, although it's possible. I entirely believe that he was pissed a cop was at his door saying he broke into his own house. Whatever the conversation was, and however much Gates was an arrogant prick, Gates thought it was offensive, and it was all because he thought it was racist. If he WASNT black, if Gates was a white guy, that thought wouldnt enter his mind. He's spent his career on this kind of stuff. Again, he's perfectly fine with the neighbor calling 911, yet offers this up: And I love that the 911 report said that two big black men were trying to break in with backpacks on. Now that is the worst racial profiling I’ve ever heard of in my life. (Laughs.) I’m not exactly a big black man. I thought that was hilarious when I found that out, which was yesterday. I hope the professor recognizes that the cops didn't place the initial call, nor are they the ones who provided that description. My guess is that if Gates had been a middle aged, cane bearing white professor, the "concerned" neighbor doesn't make the call to the police. But in Gates' eyes, she's forgiven, because she's a concerned citizen, but Crowley is a racist pig. No inconsistency there at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Darin Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 He didn't know that at the time from his own explanation of what happened. And it may or may not be true. He said he saw one footprint, and that the lock was jammed when he stuck his key in, and he thought to himself it was possible that someone had tried to break in. That's it. That's not how it's been reported, though given the ridiculous media in this country that wouldn't be a surprise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly the Dog Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Again, he's perfectly fine with the neighbor calling 911, yet offers this up: I hope the professor recognizes that the cops didn't place the initial call, nor are they the ones who provided that description. My guess is that if Gates had been a middle aged, cane bearing white professor, the "concerned" neighbor doesn't make the call to the police. But in Gates' eyes, she's forgiven, because she's a concerned citizen, but Crowley is a racist pig. No inconsistency there at all. Again, I think Gates was being an arrogant prick. So I am not just defending him. If he wasn't being an arrogant prick this wouldnt have happened. But if other things didn't happen the way they did, like how the cop acted, it wouldn't have been a story either. This is speculation, but one of the reasons he could have gotten so pissed, and immediately thought the call was racially motivated, was because there was no chance the woman that called it in saw it as it happened. Gates was inside, walked OUT of his own front door to his porch, and then proceeded to break in because him and his driver were trying to see why the door was jammed. There is no possible way that the woman saw them drive up, stick a key in the door, walk around the back, open up the front door from the inside, close the door and THEN try to break in to the house. He must have thought the whole thing was absurd and took offense when the cop came to the door and said there was a report of a break in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim in Anchorage Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Hmm. The self-important Gates, who runs Harvard’s African-American research centre, What a vital and challenging field. Of course he screams racism-he literally has a PHD in endlessly talking about it. What I find more interesting is how white apologists like Dean can do a gumby twisting act to excuse his behavior. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly the Dog Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 That's not how it's been reported, though given the ridiculous media in this country that wouldn't be a surprise. Again, from his description... We flew back on a direct flight from Beijing to Newark. We arrived on Wednesday, and on Thursday I flew back to Cambridge. I was using my regular driver and my regular car service. And went to my home arriving at about 12:30 in the afternoon. My driver and I carried several bags up to the porch, and we fiddled with the door and it was jammed. I thought, well, maybe the door’s latched. So I walked back to the kitchen porch, unlocked the door and came into the house. And I unlatched the door, but it was still jammed. My driver is a large black man. But from afar you and I would not have seen he was black. He has black hair and was dressed in a two-piece black suit, and I was dressed in a navy blue blazer with gray trousers and, you know, my shoes. And I love that the 911 report said that two big black men were trying to break in with backpacks on. Now that is the worst racial profiling I’ve ever heard of in my life. (Laughs.) I’m not exactly a big black man. I thought that was hilarious when I found that out, which was yesterday. It looked like someone’s footprint was there. So it’s possible that the door had been jimmied, that someone had tried to get in while I was in China. But for whatever reason, the lock was damaged. My driver hit the door with his shoulder and the door popped open. But the lock was permanently disfigured. My home is owned by Harvard University, and so any kind of repair work that’s needed, Harvard will come and do it. I called this person, and she was, in fact, on the line while all of this was going on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
X. Benedict Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Again, I think Gates was being an arrogant prick. So I am not just defending him. If he wasn't being an arrogant prick this wouldnt have happened. But if other things didn't happen the way they did, like how the cop acted, it wouldn't have been a story either. This is speculation, but one of the reasons he could have gotten so pissed, and immediately thought the call was racially motivated, was because there was no chance the woman that called it in saw it as it happened. Gates was inside, walked OUT of his own front door to his porch, and then proceeded to break in because him and his driver were trying to see why the door was jammed. There is no possible way that the woman saw them drive up, stick a key in the door, walk around the back, open up the front door from the inside, close the door and THEN try to break in to the house. He must have thought the whole thing was absurd and took offense when the cop came to the door and said there was a report of a break in. This could be a script for American Roshomon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dean Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 You actually feel saying that officers acted stupidly on a case that he doesn't have the full facts of is a Presidential move? You don't think it was uncalled for, and displayed minimal leadership? I'm saying it isn't the same thing as calling the officers "stupid". I'm not just saying it. I know that to be the truth. If you don't understand the difference between criticizing a behavior and criticizing a person, I can't help you on this. You are one of the reasons he shouldn't have worded that way. But let's not lie about what he said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dean Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 He's the President of the United States of America. Not some lawyer. His words have an effect. He shouldn't say things like, the police acted stupidly. Why? Because that's unpresidential. If it's the truth, it's Presidential as hell. Not that we would know that from our latest batch of Presidents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dean Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 I'm waiting for a response dean. It is no more valid to say that this police officer is racist because of the area he works in, than to say all black males are criminals because 1/3 of them will go to jail in their life time. I explained this, in detail, earlier. I don't have time for slow learners and/or those who refuse to use my explanation in total. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magox Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 If it's the truth, it's Presidential as hell. Not that we would know that from our latest batch of Presidents. It's presidential as hell to chastize a police department without knowing all the facts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dean Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 It's presidential as hell to chastize a police department without knowing all the facts? He had enough facts to know they acted stupidly. That's pretty clear. Are we still arguing that? The cops blew it. There is no way in the world they should have arrested him, on his porch. Horrible police work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magox Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 He had enough facts to know they acted stupidly. That's pretty clear. Are we still arguing that? The cops blew it. There is no way in the world they should have arrested him, on his porch. Horrible police work. What's clear is that Gates blew it, along with Obama. That's what's clear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StupidNation Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Missing my point. I don't think it had to do with having a bad day, although it's possible. I entirely believe that he was pissed a cop was at his door saying he broke into his own house. Whatever the conversation was, and however much Gates was an arrogant prick, Gates thought it was offensive, and it was all because he thought it was racist. If he WASNT black, if Gates was a white guy, that thought wouldnt enter his mind. He's spent his career on this kind of stuff. I got your point loud and clear. You are saying he's a racist and saw race as the problem and injected his racism into the equation. Maybe his career would have been better spent trying to look past race instead of insert it at every corner. I'm so sick of black racists everywhere I turn get a pass. I admit racism when there it exists, but it also extends to every race that discriminates. This man is the poster-boy for black racism. Maybe he should study himself to see what racism looks like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
X. Benedict Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 What's clear is that Gates blew it, along with Obama. That's what's clear. Do you think he should have said the arrest for disorderly conduct was "unstupid" ? C'mon. Yelling in the middle of the day in Boston? It's like a civic pastime there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booster4324 Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 What is clear is that there are a lot of "conservatives" who would be screaming about the descent of civilization if this happened to Newt. Screw the racism bit, and the faux apologists that claim, "this happens to everyone that mouths off to a cop." If so, where is your indignation? I should be able to mouth off to a cop who comes on my property due to a false report. Whether it is in my house or on my porch, this should be my right. If I am blasting porn that the neighbors can hear, that is different, but raising my voice and telling a man off who is on my property? Well, it may not be legal anymore, but it should be. All you strict constitutionalists that supported the cop should ask yourself why you did so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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