Police Descrimination?

[BillyShakes]

I didn't see a thread on this so I figured I'd make one.

Harvard Professor and head of African studies Henry Gates Jr. was arrested breaking into his own home. Before his arrest he exclaimed that it was his house, but after some heated words was arrested anyway.

Lately there has been a media firestorm over whether or not the cop was just doing his job, particularly after President Obama referenced it in a speech.

So what do you think? Police descrimination? Or was the officer doing his job?
http://www.boston.com/news/local/breakin g_news/2009/07/harvard.html
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,5346 45,00.html
http://blogs.thetimes.co.za/minor/2009/0 7/23/obama-gates-arrest-race-profiling-s till-haunts-us/

[xKore]

From what I know, he was trying to force his way into his own home for some reason. I don't think there is any reason for a police officer to not think he may have been a criminal, white or black. But I'm probably horribly uninformed on the subject, so someone correct me.

[Col-Sandchez]

The officer was doing his job like he was supposed to, but I'm assuming that when Professor Gates started to exclaim that the house was his, it ticked off the officer a bit. As the first post says that after heated words or something of that nature, Professor Gates was arrested.

I don't know what would have happened say if this was a white professor instead of a black one, would have there have been an arrest? Would the officer left him alone after figuring out that the house was the professor's? I cannot say, all I know is anger got the best of both of them. If cooler heads would have prevailed, no arrests would have been made and this media wildfire story would have sizzled out.

[Korriken]

At 7/23/09 08:53 PM, Col-Sandchez wrote: The officer was doing his job like he was supposed to,

that's all that counts.... in theory anyway.

I don't know what would have happened say if this was a white professor instead of a black one, would have there have been an arrest? Would the officer left him alone after figuring out that the house was the professor's? I cannot say, all I know is anger got the best of both of them. If cooler heads would have prevailed, no arrests would have been made and this media wildfire story would have sizzled out.

It wouldn't have made headline news if a white professor got arrested. Had he just remained calm and cooperated with the police, instead of screaming trash like "Racial profiling!!!" The whole situation would have been avoided, but no, some people can't just cooperate with others. They believe they HAVE to be the dominant person at all times. When the cops show up to protect his home, with a report that 2 men are forcing the front door open, he decides he's going to verbally strong arm the cops into leaving? I'm glad the fool got arrested. Shows the cops there are doing their jobs.

And of course, Professor gates is going to harp on and keep the spotlight as long as he can, screaming and ranting about "the rampant racism in america." probably even try to bring a lawsuit up, Hopefully if he does he won't be so lucky as to get some ultra leftist judge who decides he's going to teach the cops a lesson, the law be damned.

The cops have it bad enough as it is, when someone decides to get uppity with them and can't control their own ego, this kind of thing happens. and of course, every time something like this DOES happen, the small minded sheep all go rushing to the defense of the person who got arrested.

it reminds me of this.... for some reason.

[JoS]

He wasn't arrested for breaking into the house, he was arrested for causing a disturbance because he left the house after and started yelling at the officers.

And anyone who thinks the police shouldn't have gone there in the first place, if someone looks like they are trying to break into a house, regardless of whether it is their house or not I would expect the police to look into the matter. Better safe then sorry.

[JackPhantasm]

At 7/26/09 01:29 PM, JoS wrote: Better safe then sorry.

Yeah, those Jews might be up to something.

[polym]

At 7/23/09 09:41 PM, Korriken wrote:

I love how you generalize off of vague details. Goes to show you have no idea what you're talking about when you know very little about the subject.

[MultiCanimefan]

At 7/23/09 09:41 PM, Korriken wrote:

At 7/23/09 08:53 PM, Col-Sandchez wrote:

it reminds me of this.... for some reason.

I still don't know what that kid did to warrant an arrest.

[Korriken]

At 7/26/09 01:57 PM, polym wrote:

At 7/23/09 09:41 PM, Korriken wrote:

I love how you generalize off of vague details. Goes to show you have no idea what you're talking about when you know very little about the subject.

oh really? how about you give your perfect insight into the situation then? Why dont you just show me up with your perfect analysis of the situation?

[Memorize]

At 7/26/09 01:57 PM, polym wrote:

At 7/23/09 09:41 PM, Korriken wrote:

I love how you generalize off of vague details. Goes to show you have no idea what you're talking about when you know very little about the subject.

Yeah, never-mind the Hispanic and black officers who were also there who fully support the arrest.

[shini-gami]

At 7/26/09 01:52 PM, JackPhantasm wrote:

At 7/26/09 01:29 PM, JoS wrote: Better safe then sorry.

Yeah, those Jews might be up to something.

yup them and the damn commies workin together to fulfill Hitlers dreams of a Utopia for the Muslims..
wait wut?

[Korriken]

At 7/26/09 01:29 PM, JoS wrote: Better safe then sorry.

Irony is, if they hadn't responded, and the place DID get robbed, he would be shouting about how they ignored the crime because he's black.

[BillyShakes]

At 7/27/09 06:51 AM, Korriken wrote:

At 7/26/09 01:29 PM, JoS wrote: Better safe then sorry.

Irony is, if they hadn't responded, and the place DID get robbed, he would be shouting about how they ignored the crime because he's black.

I wouldn't say that. I've been keeping this to myself, but Skip used to be in my extended family by marraige. Believe it or not he's not always quick ti draw the race card. His brother-in-law was high level Klan member. Can I see him getting upset because he is being harassed/hassled when he is trying to get into his own home and he has already explained that it is his own home, absolutely. But he wouldn't have accused the police of racism for not being there.

[Korriken]

At 7/26/09 02:11 PM, MultiCanimefan wrote:

I still don't know what that kid did to warrant an arrest.

here's a better video

If you still can't see why he got tazed, i'll point it out.

Back to the topic....

Gates still running his mouth.

I just knew he couldn't just let it go. He just has to keep running to the media, crying his crocodile tears and making a mountain of out a minor situation. He's running around throwing the race card at every opportunity. Don't be surprised if he begins demanding Crowley's termination.

[MultiCanimefan]

At 7/28/09 06:32 AM, Korriken wrote:

At 7/26/09 02:11 PM, MultiCanimefan wrote:

I still don't know what that kid did to warrant an arrest.

here's a better video

If you still can't see why he got tazed, i'll point it out.

Resisting arrest? Asking possibly "leading" or controversial questions not covered by the Q&A forum rules?

I don't want to sound stupid, but am I close?

[kanoa7]

At 7/26/09 03:17 PM, Memorize wrote:

At 7/26/09 01:57 PM, polym wrote:

At 7/23/09 09:41 PM, Korriken wrote:

I love how you generalize off of vague details. Goes to show you have no idea what you're talking about when you know very little about the subject.

Yeah, never-mind the Hispanic and black officers who were also there who fully support the arrest.

Exactly.
About this whole thing, it really was all just police procedure, it's like what, the police can't do their job because of overreactive suspects? It's not like police brutality came into question or anything, the professor just got arrested...it could have been a lot worse for him, and in the end the charges were dropped anyway! It's a freakin' circus.
The neighbor who called it all in hasn't answered any inquiries either, but we'll see...I don't think this will easily be over.

[Korriken]

At 7/28/09 02:45 PM, MultiCanimefan wrote:

Resisting arrest? Asking possibly "leading" or controversial questions not covered by the Q&A forum rules?

I don't want to sound stupid, but am I close?

not far off, actually.
1. He was disrespectful towards the authorities in charge of security, this much is plain.
2. when he simply wouldn't just ask his 1 allotted question and sit down, they pulled the plug on the mic.
3. He began to yell and got rough, as you can see when he jerks away from the authorities.
4. as they are dragging him out, he is jumping around and continues to yell and resist.
5. At this point he's under arrest for disturbing the peace.
6. eventually they had to subdue him because he simply wouldn ot cooperate and continues to struggle, even as they pin him to the ground, so the tazed him into submission.

[SolInvictus]

At 7/28/09 09:09 PM, Korriken wrote: 6. eventually they had to subdue him because he simply wouldn ot cooperate and continues to struggle, even as they pin him to the ground, so the tazed him into submission.

in essence kiddies, shutting up and not being a dick is more effective than yelling "don't taze me bro!".

[Korriken]

At 7/28/09 09:29 PM, SolInvictus wrote:

in essence kiddies, shutting up and not being a dick is more effective than yelling "don't taze me bro!".

cooperating with the authorities makes avoiding sudden shock therapy easy. Also, you're far less likely to be arrested if you say things like, "Yes sir, no sir, thank you sir." instead of, "GET OFF OF ME!!" and "RACIAL PROFILING RACIST PIG!"

[jAk88]

Police should discriminate towards blacks more because they are more likely to be the cause of rape and burglary.

[Chubbychals]

They shouldent discriminate against them, The reason he was arrested was because a call was made saying a burgalry was in progress,the cambridge police came to the scene to find a man in the house, when asked to go outside he replied "ill go outside with yo momma!", also there was a chain of burglarys happening so a crime was being investigated at that time, the harvard proffeser should have co-operated with the police

[WadeFulp]

This whole situation really annoys me. Mainly the part where Obama took the side of his friend and said the police acted stupidly. For our President to say that about our police when he admitted he didn't know all the facts is mind boggling! I wish he could be impeached for it. Especially since Obama has yet to apologize for it. The messiah can't admit he made a mistake. Instead he has to try and act cool and have everyone over for a beer. I bet that police officer will have a hard time downing a beer in the company of those two. They will probably try and talk their way out of the situation and do everything they can to not apologize when a big apology from both of those douche bags is needed.

I wish every police officer in the country would put "Apologize Obama" stickers on their cars. Or "Out with Obama!" etc.

I think an attack on the Cambridge police like that is an attack on all police who are just trying to do their job and return home safe to their families.

Obama is a scum bag.

[NinjaGuy]

At 7/29/09 11:36 PM, WadeFulp wrote: I wish every police officer in the country would put "Apologize Obama" stickers on their cars. Or "Out with Obama!" etc.

I think an attack on the Cambridge police like that is an attack on all police who are just trying to do their job and return home safe to their families.

Obama is a scum bag.

ahh, I have to disagree there, Obama indeed did NOT know all of the facts, and was in the wrong having not spoken with EVERYONE before pulling his friend out of prison(with NO BAIL!).

But what would you have done if a friend of yours was imprisoned, honestly?

The worst part indeed was calling the police stupid, they were doing their job, and didn't know all the facts, and assumed the worst, but Obama himself could've learned the facts as well, his friend wasn't simple 'in the wrong place at the wrong time', he was somehow involved.

But regardless, this one event alone does not make President Obama a scumbag.

[BrianEtrius]

At 7/29/09 11:36 PM, WadeFulp wrote: Obama is a scum bag.

You have to notice, though, it was Obama who came out and suggested they have a beer, not his press secretary.

[hansari]

At 7/29/09 11:41 PM, ninja2142 wrote: ahh, I have to disagree there, Obama indeed did NOT know all of the facts, and was in the wrong having not spoken with EVERYONE before pulling his friend out of prison(with NO BAIL!).

But what would you have done if a friend of yours was imprisoned, honestly?

He is the President of the United States ninja2142. He is to be held to a higher standard.

The same way I expect my teachers to be knowledgeable in their respective field, I too expect my President to choose to hear all the facts before passing judgment.

I could care less if my neighbor "jumps the gun" and buys a crappy car. I care more if the President "jumps the gun" again, cause we might end up in Iraq looking for WMD's. (or setting the media and people up to follow this race-baiting story rather than the state of our economy, education, health care....)

Even if Obama truly believed and had proof this was an example of racism, don't you expect him to be know better than to make a comment that would jepordize our already waning focus on more important issues.

[Bolo]

At 7/29/09 11:36 PM, WadeFulp wrote: This whole situation really annoys me.

How would you feel if, having just gotten home from a trip to China, you were jet-lagged and found yourself standing outside of your house with the door jammed? I would naturally do what Gates did which is to say, I would force open the door, which frankly isn't even that suspicious, especially in comparison with entering through a window. It wasn't even as if Gates didn't have his keys, which would have been slightly suspicious if it had been the case. Apart from that, I find it somewhat suspicious that the woman who called in couldn't recognize HER OWN NEIGHBOR from a window across the street, and instead chose to report "two black men," one of which clearly was a cab driver, due to the cab out front of the house, and the other of which she should have known by sight, by virtue of living next to her.

Gates' anger at having his home invaded, and having a police officer investigate him was I think justified given his circumstances of the long plane flight, and difficult day, and I can say that I probably would not have appreciated, and would not have been particularly docile while being arrested. Given the history of Los Angeles and other cities' police discrimination (well-documented; I think we can all agree that the police are an imperfect institution just like every other one comprised of humans), it was probably considered by Gates, even if the arrest wasn't really motivated by race, to be somewhat unjust. Gates' allegations of racism were probably a knee-jerk reaction for him, because as a professor of African-American studies, Gates would've been intimately aware of his culture's poor relations with the police.

I think your assessment of Obama's statement is a bit reactionary, though. While it was perhaps ill-considered given his half-familiarity with the case, it was no different than when Richard Nixon, another president who interfered in legal matters that were beyond his sphere of influence that Charles Manson was "obviously guilty" while the trial was still going on. We didn't crucify Nixon for his insertion of personal opinion and biases into the public consciousness, and it would be inappropriate to crucify Obama for an even lesser transgression of simply calling an action "stupid" instead of outright declaring one party the "guilty" or "innocent," as Nixon did.

I think it's inappropriate for Republicans to be fishing through these bizarre methods of attempting to remove Obama from office, by questioning his very legitimacy, such as the irrational Birther movement who claim despite evidence that he was born in Kenya, or those who are calling for resignations based on this very minor gaffe on his part. It's all an attempt to stymie his legislation, which is really sad, because it means various congressional and other Republicans are more concerned with their own political welfare than they are with the future of this country. I'm really tired of this story, which has been blown out of proportion by media cycles as if it were some commentary on national race relations.

[GoddamnMadDog]

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

[fli]

At 7/29/09 11:36 PM, WadeFulp wrote: This whole situation really annoys me. Mainly the part where Obama took the side of his friend and said the police acted stupidly.

Look at the actual video.

Obama doesn't take any side, admits that he may be biased, and spoke that he doesn't know the all the details other than what had been reported, which was that 1.) police asked for an ID and 2.) Gates showed his ID.

And that is AFTER GATES GETS IN HIS HOUSE too.

It wasn't like he resisted in the beginning. He gets in his house, shows an ID, and then asks the police for his badge number (or whatever is needed to identify a cop), which is not out of bounds. Then the situation escalates.

And of course this brings up the whole race issue. If Gates behaved well in the beginning, and becomes angry only after the cop got angry.... of course it's going to bring up questions. We got statistics that reveals that Blacks and Latinos are disproportionately pulled over by cops and prosecuted more heavily than Whites for the same crimes.

We can't ignore the elephant in the room.

I believe the cop had a biggest role in esbasterbating the situation because, OMG, the dude ASKED for his badge and name.

The NERVE of Gates, OMG-- How dare he!!!

Now, I will, like Obama, admit my own biases. I'm ethnic looking and so happen to be part of the demographics and maybe I've sided with Gates because a brotha got hook up.

But I chuck it up as being harassed by the police for no obvious reason, and feeling humiliated. This is solidarity-- colorless, raceless solidarity.

I'm stream line. I pay my taxes, never committed a crime, and the only thing I ever got was a ticket from San Francisco's MUNI-- and that was because I was a subway-noob and didn't get my proof of purchase on the way in. And yet, when I was a legally crossing a side walk and got beeped by the cop because I was supposedly walking slow, and yelled at him, "You don't have to beep, I'm going..."

Yet, I got to show my ID the cop. And even though the DMV booklet says you're never suppose to use your horn other than to warn other drivers or pedestrians (not to scare law abiding pedestrian who had a legal right of way to use a cross walk)-- I knew that if I said this... or even dared to ask his name or badge to report police abuse... I would had been fined with a heavily trumped up charge such as disorderly misconduct or some kind of bullshit.

And of course that made me think he saw me, a Latino, and profiled me as some kind of bad guy.
The charges against Gates were trumped up and baseless. If he got upset, then it was only after the fact that he complied with the cop... and the cop wanted to punish Gates for going against his authority.

That's not acting stupidly...
That's being stupid.

I'm glad that they've made up. Of course Obama has to contend with people like you who didn't see most of the response---- WHICH the press asked (and so it's not like Obama forced himself in the controversy willingly.) In that whole context, all you guys got was this, "...acted stupidly..."

And then it's all like, "OMG, how dare Obama have an opinion! How dare he side with Gates... oh, he's doing it cause Obama is playing the race card."

Jesus fucking Christ!
We now have the Card-Card on pulling up the Race-Card.

[Cuppa-LettuceNog]

So, what's the question? "Would this punk have arrested if he was white"?

Yes. If I, a white man, had broken into my home, then responded to Officers by screaming in their faces, repeatedly, over and over again, that they where "racists" at 12 at fucking night, I too would have been arrested for disorderly conduct.

If any white people DO think this is racist, then test it out; get the police called on you, then respond to the officers by screaming insults at them until they either arrest you or leave.

[Korriken]

At 7/29/09 11:36 PM, WadeFulp wrote: This whole situation really annoys me.

It'll annoy anyone who isn't covered in political wool.

Mainly the part where Obama took the side of his friend and said the police acted stupidly. For our President to say that about our police when he admitted he didn't know all the facts is mind boggling!

not so much mind boggling, but more of an insight into how he REALLY thinks. Do you think he would have responded the same way, or at all, if someone who he didn't know was arrested? of course not. And for those who use the excuse "you would do the same thing!" I call Bullshit! Our president should ALWAYS keep his nose out of the judicial branch of government and his mouth SHUT about such things.

I wish he could be impeached for it. Especially since Obama has yet to apologize for it.

consolation prize.

The messiah can't admit he made a mistake. Instead he has to try and act cool and have everyone over for a beer.

not only that, he verbally sidesteps the issue when confronted about it and thinks having a beer with anyone will solve all problems.

I bet that police officer will have a hard time downing a beer in the company of those two. They will probably try and talk their way out of the situation and do everything they can to not apologize when a big apology from both of those douche bags is needed.

I can only imagine what's going to happen when 2 egomaniac racist black people with power get stuck in a room with a single white police officer. I don't see how it could possibly end well. Both Obama and Gates will refuse to admit wrongdoing, and probably try to browbeat the cop into telling the media to just let it go. I hope Crowley doesn't buckle under the pressure.

I wish every police officer in the country would put "Apologize Obama" stickers on their cars. Or "Out with Obama!" etc.

Or at the very least don't vote for the prick in the next election.

I think an attack on the Cambridge police like that is an attack on all police who are just trying to do their job and return home safe to their families.

Obama is a scum bag.

more like an ego driven fool with power. Most of us could point this out from Day 1. his ego has reared his ugly head on several occasions during the campaign, and yet it was always beaten down by the media, (except for fox, of course).

Not only that, he gaffed more than Bush could hope to during the campaign, which of course, was beaten down by the media. I just hope in the next presidential election that people wake up and learn not to listen to the media for information on the candidates, but instead find the information for themselves and choose more wisely.

Seriously, this is a man recklessly pushing new taxes and even a cap and trade policy during a freaking recession! He pushes too much through at too fast of a rate without thinking of the consequences of his actions, and of course, his cronies are more than happy to ram through such policies.