Henry Louis Gates Arrested in his own home

[CaramonLS]

Although I do hate to profile people, but if he was like most University professors that I know, he absolutely had it coming.

... kind of.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by Iowa_Flames_Fan

If it helps, I already think of you that way.

Crap.

I was intentionally trying to make you hate me earlier back in the thread.

I need to new schtick. This 'sh t disturber' one isn't working to well.

[Boblobla]

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/US/07/24...est/index.html

I can't help but agree that Obama should have STFU.

[MelBridgeman]

Originally Posted by Boblobla

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/US/07/24...est/index.html

I can't help but agree that Obama should have STFU.

Quite alarming actually....

[Igottago]

Originally Posted by Boblobla

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/US/07/24...est/index.html

I can't help but agree that Obama should have STFU.

Why? He was asked what he thought and he gave an opinon, just like anyone would. He admitted he didn't have all the facts. At the end of the day what he said was pretty tame. I'm not sure cops are that easily offended.

Seems the cop is the one now using the media to try to gain some type of public sympathy.

This whole thing is just 2 guys who got a little hot headed and both of their ego's caused them to act inappropriately at the time of the incident. They should just shake hands and get on with life.

[VladtheImpaler]

Funny, but charting my progression on Obama and on this incident....

1) When Obama elected, I was pleased and thought he could do some "big" things
2) When first read about Gates incident, thought "typical racist Irish Boston cops"

NOW

1) I think Obama is a weak pandering scumbag
2) Gates is a race pimp, of the Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton ilk

[Gozer]

Originally Posted by Igottago

Why? He was asked what he thought and he gave an opinon, just like anyone would..

Obama does not have the luxury of being "just anyone."

Originally Posted by Igottago

They should just shake hands and get on with life.

Yeah, its not like the leader of the free world called the officer stupid or anything...

[VladtheImpaler]

Originally Posted by Igottago

Why? He was asked what he thought and he gave an opinon, just like anyone would. He admitted he didn't have all the facts. At the end of the day what he said was pretty tame. I'm not sure cops are that easily offended.

Just imagine if someone asked the President of USA about Igottago, and Obama responded with "Igottago is stupid, and his postings indicate that race is still a major issue on the interwebs". No, no reason to be offended at all - you've only been labelled as a moron and a racist by the most famous man in the world and this message has been carried by all the media outlets. No big deal.

[Boblobla]

Originally Posted by Igottago

Why? He was asked what he thought and he gave an opinon, just like anyone would. He admitted he didn't have all the facts. At the end of the day what he said was pretty tame. I'm not sure cops are that easily offended.

Seems the cop is the one now using the media to try to gain some type of public sympathy.

This whole thing is just 2 guys who got a little hot headed and both of their ego's caused them to act inappropriately at the time of the incident. They should just shake hands and get on with life.

When the President calls you stupid? I would be pretty offended. To say you don't have all the facts and then call the actions stupid is pretty disrespectful for Obama.

[MelBridgeman]

Originally Posted by Igottago

Why? He was asked what he thought and he gave an opinon, just like anyone would. He admitted he didn't have all the facts. At the end of the day what he said was pretty tame. I'm not sure cops are that easily offended.

Seems the cop is the one now using the media to try to gain some type of public sympathy.

This whole thing is just 2 guys who got a little hot headed and both of their ego's caused them to act inappropriately at the time of the incident. They should just shake hands and get on with life.

It sets a bad example? Completely disrespectful of police or shall i say distrusting?, which is already a problem in some circles, given the spell obama has over some people..he can comment, but IF his pal comes out looking like the ######, like it already appears, Obama is going to look even worse.

[Rerun]

Yep. Obama really stuck his foot in his mouth over this one. He should have just declined to comment since he wasn't in full possession of all the facts.

Gates looks like an idiot and he's dragged his buddy Obama down with him.

[Rerun]

FYI... here is Obama's complete statement to the press. (in my opinion his statement leaves out a number of facts or at least distorts them...). And he tied "racial profiling" directly to his response which implied that that is what occurred in this instance..

Well, I should say at the outset that Skip Gates is a friend, so I may be a little biased here. I don't know all the facts. What's been reported, though, is that the guy forgot his keys. He jimmied his way to get into the house. There was a report called into the police station that there might be a burglary taking place. so far so good. Right? I mean, if I was trying to jigger in -- well, I guess this is my house now so it probably wouldn't happen. Let's say my old house in Chicago. here I'd get shot. But so far so good. They're reporting, the police are doing what they should. There's a call. They go investigate what happens. My understanding is at that point Professor Gates is already in his house. The police officer comes in. I'm sure there's some exchange of words but my understanding is that Professor Gates then shows his I.D. to show that this is his house. And at that point he gets arrested for disorderly conduct, charges which are later dropped. Now, I don't know, not having been there and not seeing all the facts what role race played in that, but I think it's fair to say, number one, any of us would be pretty angry. Number two, that the Cambridge police acted stupidly in arresting somebody when there was already proof that they were in their own home and, number three, what I think we know separate and apart from this incident is that there is a long history in this country of African-Americans and Latinos being stopped by law enforcement disproportionately. And that's just a fact.

As you know, Lynn, when I was in the state legislature in Illinois we worked on a racial profiling bill because there was indisputable evidence that blacks and hispanics were being stopped disproportionately. And that is a sign, an example of how, you know, race remains a factor in this society. That doesn't lessen the incredible progress that has been made. I am standing here as testimony to the progress that's been made. And yet, the fact of the matter is that, you know, this still haunts us. And even when there are honest misunderstandings, the fact that blacks and hispanics are picked up more frequently and often time for no cause cast suspicion even when there is good cause, and that's why I think the more that we're working with local law enforcement to improve policing techniques so that we're eliminating potential bias, the safer everybody's going to be.

He even takes a shot at the Chicago PD...

I mean, if I was trying to jigger in -- well, I guess this is my house now so it probably wouldn't happen. Let's say my old house in Chicago. here I'd get shot.

This guy is not making a lot of friends with law enforcement.

[Weiser Wonder]

Read through it after watching it yesterday. He didn't say the cop used racial profiling, rather that the cop was stupid to arrest him in his own house and that racial profiling is a legitimate concern for blacks and latinos.

In that statement he was very careful to both back up his friend and back away from racial profiling in this direct incident.

[gargamel]

Not only do I not disagree with anything that Obama said, but I don't even see how any of it is debatable. I don't agree with playing the race card when it isn't an issue, but it was at least part of the issue here. If not as the cause of the officer's action, then at least as an aggravating factor in why Gates got so upset. To not discuss the racial aspect of this would be burying your head in the sand. Gates' race resulted in him having to deal with institutional racism in his life, and it's the reason that he assumed institutional racism was at play when he was threatened with arrest in his own home. We don't know if it was the cause of this situation or not, but Obama didn't say that it was.

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

Originally Posted by Rerun

FYI... here is Obama's complete statement to the press. (in my opinion his statement leaves out a number of facts or at least distorts them...). And he tied "racial profiling" directly to his response which implied that that is what occurred in this instance..



He even takes a shot at the Chicago PD...


This guy is not making a lot of friends with law enforcement.

Careful, you might fall over from reaching there.

Obama's statement was pretty measured.
1. He said he didn't have the facts.
2. He said that it was stupid to arrest a law-abiding citizen in his own home, which it is.
3. He said that racial profiling is still a problem in America, which it is. Note--and this is important--that he said he didn't know what role race played in this situation. For those who need a translation--when he says he doesn't know something... that means he doesn't know. It's not a secret code for "Boston cops are racists."

What I find hilarious is that this is the best thing Obama's detractors can find to hit him with nowadays. Like his opinion in this situation matters anyway.

Remember when the president was George Bush, and every press conference brought some new, delicious gaffe that we could all have a field day with? I miss those days.

[Boblobla]

Originally Posted by gargamel

Not only do I not disagree with anything that Obama said, but I don't even see how any of it is debatable. I don't agree with playing the race card when it isn't an issue, but it was at least part of the issue here. If not as the cause of the officer's action, then at least as an aggravating factor in why Gates got so upset. To not discuss the racial aspect of this would be burying your head in the sand. Gates' race resulted in him having to deal with institutional racism in his life, and it's the reason that he assumed institutional racism was at play when he was threatened with arrest in his own home. We don't know if it was the cause of this situation or not, but Obama didn't say that it was.

Holy triple negative batman.

How is an off the cuff comment the President makes about a controversial issue not debatable??

[Boblobla]

If he doesn't have all the facts how can he be certain that Gates was being a law abiding citizen?

[Rerun]

Originally Posted by gargamel

Not only do I not disagree with anything that Obama said, but I don't even see how any of it is debatable. I don't agree with playing the race card when it isn't an issue, but it was at least part of the issue here. If not as the cause of the officer's action, then at least as an aggravating factor in why Gates got so upset. To not discuss the racial aspect of this would be burying your head in the sand. Gates' race resulted in him having to deal with institutional racism in his life, and it's the reason that he assumed institutional racism was at play when he was threatened with arrest in his own home. We don't know if it was the cause of this situation or not, but Obama didn't say that it was.

The only part that racial profiling played in this case was the racial profiling done by Gates. There was no racial profiling on the part of the officer.

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

Originally Posted by Boblobla

If he doesn't have all the facts how can he be certain that Gates was being a law abiding citizen?

Well, there's the fact that Gates' status as a law-abiding citizen is not in dispute--this having been conceded by the Cambridge Police Department and the Mayor of Cambridge.

But you're right. That's a real smoking gun.

[Mightyfire89]

Both parties made mistakes.

Gates should have STFU and appreciated the cops for doing their job, Crowley shouldn't have arrested him.

I know it's nowhere near that simple, but that's basically what it comes down to.

And I don't believe either party's accounts of what happened are completely accurate. As usual, the truth is somewhere in the middle.