Comments on: Harvard’s Henry Louis Gates Jr., “A Black Man in America” (Continued)

By: DLS

DLS — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 21:07:27 +0000

Obama said (and did) a truly stupid thing, and his administration has reacted quickly now that they realize it, even if the professional victims and others that stand to gain from this in any way do not.

By: Father_Time

Father_Time — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 18:10:31 +0000

Paul in London.

Incorrect. You cannot holler scream or play music to loud even in your home if it creates a disturbance. Disturbing the peace is a misdemeanor and you can be taken out of your home, arrested and prosecuted for it according to local ordinances depending on municipality.

“Own Home”, means jack.

By: qwert321

qwert321 — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 15:47:19 +0000

“DanDierdorf – JWEST is letting his racism show. Obama did not blame whitey, he said “the cops” seemed out of line. Cops are ALL blue regardless of their respective ethnicity.”

Would Obama have said anything if the officer in question was black? No. Obama crossed the line when he called the police officer “stupid”.

By: qwert321

qwert321 — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 15:42:33 +0000

A bad cop would have tasered Gates. A racist cop would have shot Gates in the head and planted a gun on him.

This cop went by the text book (repeating an lawful order to stop Gate's disorderdly conduct at least 3 times and finally arresting Gates when he refused to obey the lawful order).

By: lurxst

lurxst — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 22:48:58 +0000

Having been on the receiving end of police overreaching, its evident to this white male that all cops are indeed “blue”. Jeainnj is dead on with the observation that the problem was the meeting of two great egos. I have yet to be convinced that the cop in this scenario was acting with racial prejudice, but at some point, once the truth was ascertained, he should have deescalated the situation. Instead he seemed compelled to react to the affront of a person not giving him the proper respect and had to come up with some flimsy basis to make an arrest in order to put the citizen in his proper place and demonstrate police superiority, not necessarily white superiority.

By: Lit3Bolt

Lit3Bolt — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 19:28:08 +0000

hahahaha. Talk about “overreach.” Obama could have perhaps looked idiotic for his comments about Gates, but with this much crazy and white resentment bubbling forth, you make his job easy. A lot of people are just THRILLED they don't have to pretend anymore about Obama.

By: infidelphia

infidelphia — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 18:31:06 +0000

the post racial president has spoken. now shut up you honkies.

By: davedamarine

davedamarine — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 18:27:26 +0000

Great Job Professor Gates, and your Buddy Obama, both acted with Stupidity.. Cops did what they should do..

By: Lit3Bolt

Lit3Bolt — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 16:10:48 +0000

@ jwest

lol. Wow. And how ARE things in Elohim City, jwest?

By: jwest

jwest — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 15:53:36 +0000

The country hoped it had elected a post-racial President who just happened to be black, but from the press conference last night it’s apparent we placed an Afro-centric Black Nationalists into the office.

Obama’s answer to the question wasn’t off-the-cuff. He wanted that question and had his position planned. Gates was a friend of his and the police (read “white person”) were stupid. What he was thinking he was accomplishing was to say that all black people weren’t criminals and all white people were stupid to think that way.

Nice try.

The way it is working out, Obama is now looking like the black jury in the OJ trial. It doesn’t matter what the facts turn out to be, the black man is blameless and the white police are racist. Not exactly the message you want to here from the head law enforcement officer of the country.

Obama has turned out to be an idiot.

By: juliantaylor

juliantaylor — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 15:39:40 +0000

The Obama say The White cops acted stupid? Did Obama say the cops acted stupid? If you are making this issue a black or white issue YOU are a racist. Look in the mirror if you heard him say the white cops acted stupid that thinking alone lets you know that we have a long way to go in this country and people around the world are lauging at the dumb Americans it's like watching The Jerry Springer Show.

By: Lit3Bolt

Lit3Bolt — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 15:39:17 +0000

@ jwest

Yes, it's good to know we live in a post-racial society where whites don't close ranks with their white policemen, then belch pious platitudes about the endless "white hatred" they have to deal with from black Harvard professors or crazy black preachers. After all, blacks should be THANKFUL for all we've done for them, right? (/patbuchanan)

I agree with jeainnj there's likely blame on both sides but the police worship and white solidarity from some people here disgusts me, as well as an amazing lack of empathy. You can't even imagine what it's like to be black in America, can you?

By: shannonlee

shannonlee — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 15:30:47 +0000

I agree with jeainnj, both people most likely screwed up. I've been around enough professors to know that they require more deference than most cops.

By: DanDierdorf

DanDierdorf — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 15:17:08 +0000

JWEST is letting his racism show. Obama did not blame whitey, he said “the cops” seemed out of line. Cops are ALL blue regardless of their respective ethnicity.

Doh!

By: JWindish

JWindish — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 14:54:04 +0000

JWest, check out The Corner. Via Yglesias: Spencer Ackerman at the time of the incident tweeted:

GOD I can’t wait to read the white backlash against Obama’s Gates comment. To the Corner I go!

And the Corner delivered. You didn’t even need to wait for one of the really repugnant Corner writers either. Instead, the relatively reasonable Yuval Levin delivered the outrage on behalf of an aggrieved white America.

By: jwest

jwest — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 14:29:40 +0000

Well, so much for a “Post-racial society”.

When the first black President says in a national press conference that “he doesn’t know all the facts” but the white guy is at fault, he’s lost an awful lot of people he had before.

Now the profiles will be examined. The Cambridge cop is already turning out to be a great person, exemplary police officer, lots of black friends and no indication of any racism in the past.

Gates, on the other hand, will have every word he’s ever written or said examined for Reverend Wright-esque white hatred. I’m thinking it’s there.

Obama’s reaction was disgusting. He deserves the firestorm that is coming.

By: EEllis

EEllis — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 14:18:25 +0000

When the officer saw his ID he should have apologized for the intrusion and thanked Gates, which evidently didn't happen

Apologized for doing his job? For being white? For not knowing who Gates was?

By: EEllis

EEllis — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 14:16:26 +0000

gates was in his own home. he could have been screaming and hollering: it makes no difference. repeat: he was in his own home

No he was not. He left his home to continue to yell and that is when he got arrested. And no you cannot make as much noise as you want even in your own home. If you have neighbors then there are limits.

By: jeainnj

jeainnj — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 14:00:04 +0000

Here's what SHOULD have happened. Dr. Gates should have complied with the officer. When he went to the kitchen to get his ID, the officer followed.

Why? Becuase he didn't know who Gates really was and his safety procuedures demanded it to be sure he wasn't doing something like getting a gun.

When the officer saw his ID he should have apologized for the intrusion and thanked Gates, which evidently didn't happen.

The officer should have provided his name and badge number to Gates, and also explained that when a call is received the police are obligated to respond, and isn't police protection of his property one of the reasons Gates pays taxes.

There's blame on both sides here.

By: Paul in London

Paul in London — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 13:34:27 +0000

gates was in his own home. he could have been screaming and hollering: it makes no difference. repeat: he was in his own home.

the police are out of control and demand deference that they don't deserve and that no self-respecting citizenry would ever offer. gates was in his own home, had not broken any laws and was arrested solely because he didn't treat the arresting officer with the deference he's accustomed to.

the citizens don't exist for the police. the police are there to serve the public. arresting gates was completely wrong and inexcusable.