Harvard Scholar Arrested for Being Black

[GG]

So in other words, Gates had a right to be pissed that it was racial profiling?

 

Ah, yeah. I think it's what I've been saying all along. The cops weren't the ones who were racially profiling him. The neighbor was, yet he's excused her.

[YellowLinesandArmadillos]

Also' the guy's house had been broken into before. Obama's remarks show him for what he truly is. He hates the cops as much as he hates the soldiers.

Now who is race bating.... that is a bunch of crap.

[Magox]

Ah, yeah. I think it's what I've been saying all along. The cops weren't the ones who were racially profiling him. The neighbor was, yet he's excused her.

Of course, it's alot easier to cry racism against the White Cop, than it is for his white, female neighbor. Look, it worked hook line and sinker with Dean.

[Kelly the Dog]

To many of the folks in this thread...learn the same lesson that Stan Marsh learned from Token Black. Don't try to understand what it's like to be a minority in America and don't try to rationalize everything race-related by pretending everybody is the same. Just admit that you don't understand and leave it at that.

 

Are you all so unwilling to admit that different cultures have different perspectives on life? For all we know, Gates is incredibly sensitive to racial issues due to his past in the American South...who are you to judge him for the way he reacted to this scenario?

He may be sensitive to racial issues because he's a professor of African American studies at Harvard and according to the Boston Globe, "Race, though, has been a central theme in Gates’s work, which has established him as perhaps the most distinguished African-American studies scholar in the country."

 

Maybe he knows a thing or two about racial profiling -- AND -- maybe he shouldn't have gone spouting off like he did.

[stuckincincy]

Ah, yeah. I think it's what I've been saying all along. The cops weren't the ones who were racially profiling him. The neighbor was, yet he's excused her.

 

Profiling? Please.

 

If you call the police about a potential crime being committed, you are obligated to give a description - and skin color is part of that. Same as height, weight, clothing etc.

 

What would you have the caller say? A biped seems to be forcing a door?

[X. Benedict]

He arrested him because he was a jackass. And yes, to probably teach him a lesson.

 

So if it is not about race, it is at least about power.

[X. Benedict]

Maybe he knows a thing or two about racial profiling -- AND -- maybe he shouldn't have gone spouting off like he did.

 

Do you leave your profession at the workplace or take it home with you?

[Magox]

So if it is not about race, it is at least about power.

It's more about , Ok assshole, I told you to calm down, you ignored me, you threatened me by saying "you know who you're dealing with?" "Yo momma" and now you're making a scene out in the street, I'm taking you in douchebag

[X. Benedict]

It's more about , Ok assshole, I told you to calm down, you ignored me, you threatened me by saying "you know who you're dealing with?" "Yo momma" and now you're making a scene out in the street, I'm taking you in douchebag

 

Let's be clear. The officer went back onto the man's porch to arrest the man (by the officer's own description).

He was not "out in the street".

[Kelly the Dog]

Ah, yeah. I think it's what I've been saying all along. The cops weren't the ones who were racially profiling him. The neighbor was, yet he's excused her.

Well, who knows if he said anything about the neighbor.

 

According to Gates' description, the cop was clearly racial profiling because Crowley told him there was a report of a break in, Gates said it's his house, Crowley asked him to step out of the house, Gates said "For what?" and refused. That, to Gates, meant he didn't believe this black guy should be in this house. He should have just asked to prove it was his house.

 

Crowley then asked for ID, Gates gave him his license and his Harvard ID, and then Crowley started asking more questions. That, to Gates, was another sign of racial profiling. The cop should have left right then knowing that it was Gates' house.

 

Again, this is according to Gates, the cop asked another question, Gates refused to answer and demanded his badge number, and then it all blew up.

 

Now, I don't necessarily believe all of what Gates was saying, but I do as much as I believe all the cop was saying. There doesn't seem to be any reason for the cop to ask him immediately to come out of the house. I don't think he would have asked that of a white guy either, in a jacket, that opened the front door. Did Crowley really think the robber was still there and answered the front door politely for a policeman?

 

All of a sudden, there was a policeman on my porch. And I thought, ‘This is strange.’ So I went over to the front porch still holding the phone, and I said ‘Officer, can I help you?’ And he said, ‘Would you step outside onto the porch.’ And the way he said it, I knew he wasn’t canvassing for the police benevolent association. All the hairs stood up on the back of my neck, and I realized that I was in danger. And I said to him no, out of instinct. I said, ‘No, I will not.’ My lawyers later told me that that was a good move and had I walked out onto the porch he could have arrested me for breaking and entering. He said ‘I’m here to investigate a 911 call for breaking and entering into this house.’ And I said ‘That’s ridiculous because this happens to be my house. And I’m a Harvard professor.’ He says ‘Can you prove that you’re a Harvard professor?’ I said yes, I turned and closed the front door to the kitchen where I’d left my wallet, and I got out my Harvard ID and my Massachusetts driver’s license which includes my address and I handed them to him. And he’s sitting there looking at them.

 

Now it’s clear that he had a narrative in his head: A black man was inside someone’s house, probably a white person’s house, and this black man had broken and entered, and this black man was me.

 

So he’s looking at my ID, he asked me another question, which I refused to answer. And I said I want your name and your badge number because I want to file a complaint because of the way he had treated me at the front door. He didn’t say, ‘Excuse me, sir, is there a disturbance here, is this your house?’—he demanded that I step out on the porch, and I don’t think he would have done that if I was a white person.

 

But at that point, I realized that I was in danger. And so I said to him that I want your name, and I want your badge number and I said it repeatedly.

[KD in CA]

To many of the folks in this thread...learn the same lesson that Stan Marsh learned from Token Black. Don't try to understand what it's like to be a minority in America and don't try to rationalize everything race-related by pretending everybody is the same. Just admit that you don't understand and leave it at that.

 

Are you all so unwilling to admit that different cultures have different perspectives on life? For all we know, Gates is incredibly sensitive to racial issues due to his past in the American South...who are you to judge him for the way he reacted to this scenario?

 

That's fine, but what does that have to do with the situation? Because he has a 'different perspective' he is allowed to abuse cops for doing their job? Are cops not supposed to ask black guys for ID because they might be 'sensitive to racial issues'?

 

Kelly had it right a page or two back. This was a dick swinging contest between two stubborn guys that both could have defused the situation but choose not to. But it had nothing to do with race. At least until Gates starting using it as an excuse for his arrest.

[YellowLinesandArmadillos]

On an interesting note Jesse Jackson was just on MSNBC and said that Sgt. Crowley has a decent reputation for teaching anti-profiling and so does the professor. It sounds like somehow the two pushed each others buttons, egos got involved and neither backed down. As I stated earlier, it sounds like they both for whatever reason, took theirs out to compare which as bigger and neither is backing down.

 

Always interesting when the police and professors get their egos in a twist. There is long history of animosity and distrust between the intellectual community the the police... throw in that the professor is black and it is a guaranteed tough situation. I was a kid in Buffalo during the early 70s. My Dad was part of the professors protesting police harassment (the 45 group as they were called). He had to bail out his colleagues after they were beaten up and arrested by the police and some hack judge found the guilty of some trumped up obstruction charge for staging a protest against getting beat up by the police. The rest of the state professors stages a sympathy strike and shut the system down until Gov. Rockefeller pardoned the professors and removed the police from campus.

 

So I can see how this could have easily escalated and neither side wants to settle down despite their words to the contrary. Each side is still blaming the other side and neither side calmly or irritatedly acted professionally IMO. Yet they need to and find a way to reach some common ground. Put it back in their pants and shake and find ways to work together.

 

Otherwise both sides are just barking at the wind and disrespecting the other side.

[Magox]

Let's be clear. The officer went back onto the man's porch to arrest the man (by the officer's own description).

He was not "out in the street".

Correct me if I'm wrong, but if you are raising your voice on your porch, then the sound most likely will travel on to the street. Did you read the report? Did you hear what one of his neighbors said about Gates?

 

But that's not my issue, whether or not if the cop could of handled it better, it is that Gates used the race card as basis of his arrest.

 

Again, for me, it's about the B.S racism allegation.

[jjamie12]

I can't believe that this thread is 15 pages long.

This is the bottom line, independent of he-said, she-said.

 

A man was arrested for acting like a douche-nozzle IN HIS OWN HOME.

 

It's hard for me to believe it, but some of you actually seem like you're defending this course of action; that it was somehow appropriate or justified. The cops effed up. It isn't necessarily because of racism, but they still effed up. Big time.

 

Racism, not racism black, orange, yellow, can't we all agree that this shouldn't happen?

[YellowLinesandArmadillos]

I can't believe that this thread is 15 pages long.

This is the bottom line, independent of he-said, she-said.

 

A man was arrested for acting like a douche-nozzle IN HIS OWN HOME.

 

It's hard for me to believe it, but some of you actually seem like you're defending this course of action; that it was somehow appropriate or justified. The cops effed up. It isn't necessarily because of racism, but they still effed up. Big time.

 

Racism, not racism black, orange, yellow, can't we all agree that this shouldn't happen?

 

Agreed, once he proved who is was:

 

Link to 45 group article:

 

http://www.buffalo.edu/UBT/UBT-archives/28_ubtw05/features/

[Kelly the Dog]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but if you are raising your voice on your porch, then the sound most likely will travel on to the street. Did you read the report? Did you hear what one of his neighbors said about Gates?

 

But that's not my issue, whether or not if the cop could of handled it better, it is that Gates used the race card as basis of his arrest.

 

Again, for me, it's about the B.S racism allegation.

Answer me this:

 

Affluent neighborhood. There is a report of a break-in. Cop goes to house and knocks on the door. Well dressed white guy answers the door while talking on the phone and says "Can I help you?"

 

What would or should the cop say to him?

[X. Benedict]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but if you are raising your voice on your porch, then the sound most likely will travel on to the street. Did you read the report? Did you hear what one of his neighbors said about Gates?

 

But that's not my issue, whether or not if the cop could of handled it better, it is that Gates used the race card as basis of his arrest.

 

Again, for me, it's about the B.S racism allegation.

I did read the report.

 

....if noise is a problem you get a complaint and cite him for a Cambridge noise ordinance.

 

Nowhere did the police cite that Gates was profane....just tumultuous without cause.

But there was a cause. And a reason the guy was pissed. He was pissed because he was a suspect.

 

Racism allegations are not against the law. They may be dumb and unfounded. But not against the law.

 

I still think this policeman "acted stupidly" and arrested the guy to teach him a lesson.

[Magox]

Well, who knows if he said anything about the neighbor.

 

According to Gates' description, the cop was clearly racial profiling because Crowley told him there was a report of a break in, Gates said it's his house, Crowley asked him to step out of the house, Gates said "For what?" and refused. That, to Gates, meant he didn't believe this black guy should be in this house. He should have just asked to prove it was his house.

 

Crowley then asked for ID, Gates gave him his license and his Harvard ID, and then Crowley started asking more questions. That, to Gates, was another sign of racial profiling. The cop should have left right then knowing that it was Gates' house.

 

Again, this is according to Gates, the cop asked another question, Gates refused to answer and demanded his badge number, and then it all blew up.

 

Now, I don't necessarily believe all of what Gates was saying, but I do as much as I believe all the cop was saying. There doesn't seem to be any reason for the cop to ask him immediately to come out of the house. I don't think he would have asked that of a white guy either, in a jacket, that opened the front door. Did Crowley really think the robber was still there and answered the front door politely for a policeman?

It's a matter of who you believe then. Considering the evidence, which are the two police reports, Gates account of the incident, the neighbors account, the porch , Gates's history of teachings of racial profiling (which is very telling), Harvard professor and what I saw from the way Gates's was talking yesterday (huge chip on his shoulder), leads me to believe that the reports from the police officers are more on point than the professor's.

 

Dog, I saw the way he was talking yesterday on CNN in the morning, before I knew of any of this, I can tell you that after a couple minutes, it was pretty clear to me that this guy was inciting a non progressive way of thinking for black people. Then when I read the police report, and saw the quotes that they used that he was saying, then it was pretty clear to me that I could absolutely see Gates using those exact words.

 

What you said earlier, which is what I've been saying is most likely what happened.

 

Gates is at his house, police officer comes in, tells him that there was a report of a possible burglary, asks man for I.D, Gates becomes offended, accuses cop of racism, they exchange more words, gates provides proof of ID, gates continues to act like a jackass, cop becomes offended and fed up, cop arrests him.

[Magox]

I did read the report.

 

....if noise is a problem you get a complaint and cite him for a Cambridge noise ordinance.

 

Nowhere did the police cite that Gates was profane....just tumultuous without cause.

But there was a cause. And a reason the guy was pissed. He was pissed because he was a suspect.

 

Racism allegations are not against the law. They may be dumb and unfounded. But not against the law.

 

I still think this policeman "acted stupidly" and arrested the guy to teach him a lesson.

Once again, my argument is the B.S racism card.

 

I still think that Gates "acted stupidly" and continues to "act stupidly", and I think it was "stupid" for Obama to come out and say that the policeman "acted stupidly" before knowing all the facts.

[HereComesTheReignAgain]

There doesn't seem to be any reason for the cop to ask him immediately to come out of the house. I don't think he would have asked that of a white guy either, in a jacket, that opened the front door. Did Crowley really think the robber was still there and answered the front door politely for a policeman?

 

 

It couldn't be that it is safer to bring a homeowner out of a house that possibly has an intruder inside. Seems perfectly logical to me that it would be safer for the police to ask a homeowner or suspect to come out of the house while things are sorted out.