Special Thx
The ‘unfathomable’ arrest of a black scholar – CNN.com
The ‘unfathomable’ arrest of a black scholar – CNN.com.
Selected excerpts I found interesting:
Gates was arrested last Thursday in broad daylight at his Cambridge, Massachusetts, home for disorderly conduct — what the arresting officer described as “loud and tumultuous behavior in a public space.” The charge was dropped Tuesday on the recommendation of police, and the city of Cambridge issued a statement calling the incident “regrettable and unfortunate.”
The officer asked Gates to “step out onto the porch and speak with me,” the report says. “[Gates] replied, ‘No, I will not.’ He then demanded to know who I was. I told him that I was ‘Sgt. Crowley from the Cambridge Police’ and that I was ‘investigating a report of a break in progress’ at the residence.
“While I was making this statement, Gates opened the front door and exclaimed, ‘Why, because I’m a black man in America?’ ”
According to the report, Gates initially refused to show the officer his identification, instead asking for the officer’s ID. But Gates eventually did show the officer his identification that included his home address.
I really haven’t given this story much thought until today when it turned up in my reader. Have we not come far enough in American society where race is not an issue? Apparently not, because any time there is a minority involved in something of conflict the race card is played. The article stated a “white woman” called to report a burglary in progress at a neighbors house. Do we care what color she is? If she was a neighbor don’t you think she knew that the owner of the house was a black man? I don’t think she called the police b/c a black man was entering the house. I think it is b/c she thought it was someone who didn’t belong there! It is likely that she knew the professor had been out of town and didn’t think anyone should be messing with his property. So who cares what color she is?!?!
The officer arrives, knocks on the door and asks the occupant to step outside and asks for identification, which the professor refused to supply. Instead the professor is ranting about being wronged as a black man in America. Excuse me, but the officer- white, black or purple- doesn’t know who you are and you are refusing to comply with requests, what the heck is he supposed to do? Should he just say, so sorry black man in America I’ll let you be on your way now?
I am not saying that the professor should or should not have been arrested. I wasn’t there and do not know if his behavior was disruptive. From the information provided I can imagine it was, but that is only what I can imagine. If an officer comes to your door because someone has reported suspicious behavior, common sense says cooperate if you want to clear suspicion. It looks like the professor saw it as an opportunity to play the race card.
6 Responses to The ‘unfathomable’ arrest of a black scholar – CNN.com
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Flair
Several thoughts arise out of the Skip Gates case.
First is a matter of class as well as race. Officer Crowley is a Civil Servant whose salary in his best year would probably not allow him to live in that neighborhood. Here he is being confronted about his poor judgement and pitiful police tactics by someone with not only a wealth of knowledge but tangible wealth to deal with the legal ramifications of Crowley’s contrivance.
It’s sad that Officer Crowley chose not to exercise discretion and walk away and instead let his ego get the better of him. This is a huge loss for not only the city of Cambridge but police who try to labor justly every where.
This brings me to my second point. Officer Crowleys actions have been called stupid by our own President. Members of the public – citizens around the world will take a look at the actions of an egotistical cop and judge all police as jerks. This will lead to less cooperation and increased suspicion and perhaps to isolated acts of violence – especially in areas where the police garner little respect from the public already.
Sadly Police have been proven less than truthful in the past. Many statements about the Police Report filed by Officer Crowley call it’s veracity into question. A closer look at Officer Crowley’s actions seem to indicate a “set – up” of Professor Gates so he could site the Professor with disorderly conduct in a Public Place. Remember the Professor was in his home. Officer Crowley could have left the domicile and told the White Lady (who called in the false break in report) it was a false alarm then gone on about his business. But after having his authority questioned and perhaps feeling that his position/job was being threatened (remember the Professor asked Officer Crowley to provide his identification and badge number) Officer Crowley prodded the Professor to come outside where the PUBLIC disorderly conduct charge and subsequent arrest was made.
In the end instead of serving justice a self serving police officer of questionable morality chose to only serve his ego. And Ms. Whelan (the 40 year old white lady who made the false and erroneous complaint) should learn who lives in the neighborhood.
What you do not address is Prof. Gates’ refusal to provide identification when asked. I find it sad that Prof. Gates chose not to exercise common sense and discretion, identify himself and act calmly…instead choosing to throw the race card. Are you suggesting that Officer Crowley should have “exercised discretion” by walking away when the Professor was uncooperative? As for the President undermining the authority of law enforcement by calling the act stupid, maybe the President should have used better discretion and not perpetuated the race issue even further. As he pointed out, he is a testament to a new era. Maybe he should act like it.
As I stated, I wasn’t there so do not know if a disorderly charge was warranted. What was reported is the lack of cooperation on the part of Prof. Gates. After he finally chose to cooperate the officer should have walked away and avoided being called a racist.
As for your conspiracy theory, you keep working on that and maybe it will advance the cause of improved race relations. I don’t know if Ms. Whelan knows who lives in the neighborhood or not, but maybe she was in on the conspiracy. Hmmm.
Egoistical cop?!
He did his job for crying out loud.
Would it have been a real burglary and he walked away, leaving the thief there, who would have been blamed?
.-= Nicole´s last blog ..Engrish lesson part 5 – Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder =-.
Nope, neither America nor the Rest of the world is far enough to ignore race in such moments.
On my husbands work we have this issue all the time.
Anything that doesn’t go the way a black person wants it,it’s labeled “racism”.
I am pretty sick of it and I’m not even American.
But you can take the same thing in Europe.
Or here in Hungary with Roma (or Hungarians, who think Roma have such an easy Life).
It all stinks
.-= Nicole´s last blog ..What a day =-.
Sad but true. I guess it is just easier to create a conspiracy theory or blame race as the issue for any conflict. When we do seem to moving forward it is crap like this that drives us back. We’re all human, and need to act like it. Whenever the poor pitiful me card is played it breeds frustration and resentment.
PS: Any person can call me a whity without getting in trouble.
But don’t even attempt to do that to anyone of colour.
Or start an ad on TV for “People of white skin”(there’s an ad on CNN over here “for people of colour”)
Gets me going every time…
.-= Nicole´s last blog ..What a day =-.