President Obama: police who arrested professor "acted stupidly"

RDK · Jul 23, 2009

I had the idea to make this thread earlier today when I heard about this on the news, and I think it would be good for the PG and the DH in general if we had more topics about recent events.

CNN said:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/07/22/har...iew/index.html

(CNN) -- President Obama said that police in Cambridge, Massachusetts, "acted stupidly" in arresting a prominent black Harvard professor last week after a confrontation at the man's home.

I don't know, not having been there and not seeing all the facts, what role race played," Obama said Wednesday night while taking questions after a White House news conference.

Cambridge authorities dropped disorderly conduct charges against Henry Louis Gates Jr. on Tuesday.

Obama defended Gates on Wednesday night, while admitting that he may be "a little biased," because Gates is a friend.

"But I think it's fair to say, No. 1, any of us would be pretty angry; No. 2, that the Cambridge police acted stupidly in arresting somebody when there was already proof that they were in their own home; and, No. 3 ... that there's a long history in this country of African-Americans and Latinos being stopped by law enforcement disproportionately."

The incident, Obama said, shows "how race remains a factor in this society." Watch the president address the incident »

Gates told CNN on Wednesday that although charges had been dropped, he will keep the issue alive.

"This is not about me; this is about the vulnerability of black men in America," Gates told CNN's Soledad O'Brien. Have race relations improved since Obama's election?

Gates said he'd be prepared to forgive the arresting officer "if he told the truth" about what the director of Harvard's W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research said were "fabrications" in the police report.

The officer, Sgt. James Crowley, told CNN affiliate WCVB earlier Wednesday that he will not apologize.

"There are not many certainties in life, but it is for certain that Sgt. Crowley will not be apologizing," he said.

Gates said the mayor of Cambridge, Massachusetts, called him to apologize about the incident, in which he was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct.

CNN could not confirm Wednesday night that an apology was made. Cambridge Mayor E. Denise Simmons did not respond to requests by CNN for comment.

Crowley wrote in the Cambridge police report that Gates refused to step outside to speak with him, the police report said, and when Crowley told Gates that he was investigating a possible break-in, Gates opened the front door and exclaimed, "Why, because I'm a black man in America?" the report said.

The report said Gates initially refused to show the officer identification, but eventually produced a Harvard identification card, prompting Crowley to radio for Harvard University Police.

"While I was led to believe that Gates was lawfully in the residence, I was quite surprised and confused with the behavior he exhibited toward me," Crowley said, according to the report.

Gates was arrested for "loud and tumultuous behavior in a public space" and was released from police custody after spending four hours at the police station.

He said Wednesday that he and his lawyers were considering further actions, not excluding a lawsuit.

Gates said that although the ordeal had upset him, "I would do the same thing exactly again."

Earlier this week, a prosecutor dropped the charge against Gates and the city's police department recommended that the matter not be pursued.

I'm going to hold my opinion for the time being, because A) I don't really have an opinion; I genuinely think it's too early to be pointing fingers at anyone, especially over a tough situation like this, and B) I'll leave the discussion up to the PG members.

Have at it.

pacmansays · Jul 23, 2009

Dunno what say except the article mentioning how race relations might of/might not of changed since Obama's election...

I don't think having a person of black origin as president will stop someone from being racist or cure racism (though for the generation growing up now, it may have positive effects and I think it will have positive effects on black communities across America). The fact a mixed race president has got is a sign of the people's views on race, not the other way round. And yes, it may still be a problem that the authorities look down on black men as suspects...

90% of people on death row have commited black on white crime (black person killing a white person) now, we know this doesn't reflect the reality of crime in America so obviously there is a flaw in the system

CRASHiC · Jul 23, 2009

I fail to see why the cop arrested him, having proven his residency, this makes me feel that the cops acted out of racial prejudice.
The cops have gone through training to prevent this kind of thing.
I attempted to watch about this on CNN, but it dissolved into hateful arguing between a white anchor and a black radio host, and it continued like this for 15 minutes. I found the behavior highly inappropriate of two people high up in the news industry, and was unable to get barely any information out of the two.
I am undecided as to what actually happened as of now, but currently, I believe it was an act of racial prejudice.

Fuelbi · Jul 24, 2009

i dunno i what to say i cant read the article it says that it wasnt found but based on what little i saw on the news i will give my opinion. in my opinion i do believe this was out of racism. there has been a history of these kinds of things happening. hispanics getting arrested when they arent doing anything wrong. or black people getting arrested because the cop is racist. even though we got obama as president does that mean racism is gonna stop? no it isnt. this cop saw this man trying to get inside the house. on the news i heard that he was trying to get in through the backdoor after losing his keys (am i right?) and someone called from a possible robbery (again am i wrong because i am hispanic and since i live in florida on direct tv all my parents watch are these news from this channel but my dad does watch cnn but he wasnt watching that at the time). so if the cop came and arrested the guy shouldnt he have at least investigated this a little bit? i mean i know its a possible robbery but doesnt the guy next door know who his neighbor is? (yeah on the news it said the guy next door called the cops). so my final opinion on the matter uptil now is that the cop and his neighbor is racist and shouldnt have called that cop (again sorry if im inaccurate i was watching this channel nobody really watches but my grandmother does). that was obviously racism

CStick · Jul 24, 2009

It was out of racism, and it seems like Mr. Gates instigated that racism. It doesn't matter what color you are, or gender, or social status, etc., you should always show some sort of good will to cooperate with the police, even if it is just a simple questioning for something you did not do. Usually, they take two minutes of your time, then leave, and that is it; no harm done. He answered the door, then prominently jumped to conclusions that he was being casually questioned because he was black. It's the double-standard at work once again.

I remember when the police came to my house and questioned me about vandalism that happened near a place I had just happened to be at when it happened before I headed home. They were looking for 'two young white males with grown-out hair, about 5-8 to 5-10.' I wonder how it would have worked for me if I just opened the door and went "Oh! So just because I'm an 18-year-old 5-8 to 6-10 white male with grown out hair in America, you think I was out vandalizing something!" I mean, I don't like the police as much as the next guy, but it should go without saying that all you need to do is show them a slight common courtesy (especially when they are out just doing their jobs) and it will go smoothly.

It's BS. And, even though Gates may deserve an apology, he should apologize as well for being a blatant douche to the police officer.

Fuelbi · Jul 24, 2009

why was he a blatant douche to the police officer. he shouldnt apologize he was subject of racism. he had recieved charges for something he didnt even do. i know they dismissed those charges but from what i heard from the news the guy was trying to get in his house through the back door because he forgot his keys. and your telling me that a police arrested the man he has to be the one to apologize. and you said gates MAY deserve an apology but he does deserve one he was subject of racism from a POLICE officer. i thought in America your were supposed to be fair and impartial. yet he wasnt being treated fairly. it goes without saying that he does deserve an apology and he was right to be a douche to the cop.

CStick · Jul 25, 2009

Sorry, but if the situation played out like this i.e. as it sounds:

*Gates gets into his own house; neighbor calls cops saying a black guy just forced himself into their neighbor's house in the evening hours*

*minutes later, the police arrive, armed with the information that a black male that the neighbor did not identify had just forced his way into the house*

*The police casually knock on the door and announce themselves in a casual manner*

*Mr. Gates opens the door*

Mr. Gates: Good evening.

Officer: Sir, we received a call that a man fitting your description had broken into this house.

Mr. Gates: Oh, no. That was me. I lost my keys and had to break into my own house. Sorry about that.

Police: Sir, do you have ID?

Mr. Gates: No. Why?

Police: Just want to verify that you are in fact the occupant of this house, that's all.

Mr. Gates: Oh, so let me get this straight. You're here because you think I'm some guy who just broke into this house.

Police: Yes sir. Can we please see some ID so we can ver-

Mr. Gates: So I broke into a house! Because I'm a black man in America, you think I broke into my house!

*Mr. Gates begins to yell and accuse the officer of being a racist, all the while not producing ID that he was the resident of the house*

*police officer then arrests him, on the charge of disorderly conduct (which he is guilty of since he was making a scene in the middle of the neighborhood), mainly for not cooperating to simply show that it was his house. He is also held until it is verified that he was not a robber or burglar, then let free*

So, apparently, he's a subject of racism just because he FELT discriminated against (mainly because he himself was the real racist here), and accuses the police of being racist when they were simply doing their job to follow up on the neighbor's call? And, in doing so, he failed to cooperate with the police, when all he needed to do was show an ID and be done with it?

But, I guess since the police officer was white and Gates was black that means OMG WAT A RACIST PIG WHEN WILL OUR PEOPLE EVER BE FREE FROM THIS UNBEARABLE TYRANNY FROM THESE WHITE DEVILS?!!!!???!!

Gimme a break. All he had to do was show ID and it would have been just another misleading call that the police would have dismissed and been on their merry way. He got the trouble he was looking for. He won't win anything, though, so all he did was waste his own time.

Fuelbi · Jul 25, 2009

yes but he said that the cop arrested him for "disorderly conduct" last time i remembered talking freely wasnt disorderly conduct. as for what ive learnt in school you cannot go to jail for speaking freely. of course the cop just disguised it as "disorderly conduct" so that it would be "eligable" for a reason for arrest. he may have not been racist but he was a bad and biased cop. he shouldnt have been arrested anyways

FearTheMateria · Jul 25, 2009

roacherman said:
yes but he said that the cop arrested him for "disorderly conduct" last time i remembered talking freely wasnt disorderly conduct. as for what ive learnt in school you cannot go to jail for speaking freely. of course the cop just disguised it as "disorderly conduct" so that it would be "eligable" for a reason for arrest. he may have not been racist but he was a bad and biased cop. he shouldnt have been arrested anyways

You are looking at this case from an odd angle. It's not the "Free Speech" that supposedly got him arrested, but his "Refusal to show ID" and his "Raucous Behavior" that got him booked under disorderly conduct. Now, placing myself into the same situation...

1. Why in the world would my neighbors, knowing that I live in my house, would call the cops saying two black men are breaking into my house KNOWING that it is a black man that lives there? Perhaps the fault may not lie within the officer on this call. Or maybe they have never seen me before (However, considering that I am coming home at a time when it is visible enough to see a black man opening the door, and I am coming home at the same time every day...)

2. If I am in front of my own house, WHY IN HECK SHOULD I SHOW MY ID!?! IT'S MY DANG HOUSE!!!

3. If an officer is trying to arrest me in front of my own house, YOU BETTER BET I WOULD RAISE HELL!

His behavior is typical for someone, after a long day of work, is trying to get inside his home, only to find that the front door is broken. Flustered that he can't get inside, the incident with the police officer only made the situation more difficult. The officer SHOULD have taken that into consideration, but didn't.

The professors' arrest may as well be a case of genuine racism.

CStick · Jul 25, 2009

the police were simply following up on the call. Mr. Gates acted belligerent and was reluctant to cooperate. He was obviously asking for trouble, whether because he jumped to the conclusion that the officer was racist when he was just responded to the call, or because maybe he knew he could try and push a lawsuit if he got lucky. I'm betting that the officer got fed up with Gates and decided to arrest him on a bogus charge not because he was black, but because he was just being a jerk and he felt like getting back at him. Doing that does not = racism.

The only alleged racism here is that the officer was white. Can anyone show me any real case of racist intent in the situation?

I guess if I ever get pulled over by a non-white officer, I'll be sure to scream "RACIST!" and see how that goes. See how many CNN reports or how many comments from Joe Biden I get about the case.

FearTheMateria · Jul 25, 2009

CStick said:
the police were simply following up on the call. Mr. Gates acted belligerent and was reluctant to cooperate. He was obviously asking for trouble, whether because he jumped to the conclusion that the officer was racist when he was just responded to the call, or because maybe he knew he could try and push a lawsuit if he got lucky. I'm betting that the officer got fed up with Gates and decided to arrest him on a bogus charge not because he was black, but because he was just being a jerk and he felt like getting back at him. Doing that does not = racism.

Well, duh. He's in front of his OWN HOUSE trying to open the door.
Remember that human emotion is a factor in this case.

CStick said:
The only alleged racism here is that the officer was white. Can anyone show me any real case of racist intent in the situation?

Two black men in front of the door supposedly breaking in. (nuff said there)
Gates SHOWS HIS ID even after all of the uncooperation proving he is the owner of the house, yet the officer arrests him under charges of "Disruptive Behavior"? In front of his own home?
That is NOT racist at all, no. The officer just wanted to arrest a random person in front of his own home for the joy of his job.

CStick said:
I guess if I ever get pulled over by a non-white officer, I'll be sure to scream "RACIST!" and see how that goes. See how many CNN reports or how many comments from Joe Biden I get about the case.

I hate to break it to you like this, but the story won't stretch far. Unless you had a severe beating for seemingly no reason at all, the media won't be interested because it's not controversial enough.

CStick · Jul 25, 2009

I hate to break it to you like this, but the story won't stretch far.

Thank God, because I was being sarcastic.

the media won't be interested because it's not controversial enough.

...or because I'm white -- which brings me back to the original point. Heck, it also begs the question: would it have been racist the other way around i.e. if the officer was black and received a call of a white man breaking into a house?

Unless you had a severe beating for seemingly no reason at all

Mr. Gates did not receive any obvious maltreatment like this, so I'd say that the same should go for him. There is obviously no sign of any outright racism or brutality or maltreatment other than that he disagrees with how the police conducted themselves, despite them not going about doing anything of unbecoming conduct.

Two black men in front of the door supposedly breaking in. (nuff said there)
Gates SHOWS HIS ID even after all of the uncooperation proving he is the owner of the house, yet the officer arrests him under charges of "Disruptive Behavior"? In front of his own home?
That is NOT racist at all, no. The officer just wanted to arrest a random person in front of his own home for the joy of his job.

To give the cops credit, he was acting belligerent and verbally aggressive. He was in fact guilty of a crime (the charges were DROPPED, not dismissed). But yea, because he happens to be black, and the officer white, it's racism, correct?

Tthe 'joy of his job' part sounds more accurate, since I'm pretty sure the officer felt insulted by being called a racist just for doing his job. And you can be charged with such a crime in or on your own property. Disturbing the peace comes to mind, here, and the charge probably was not much different than that. As said before, Gates could have avoided the trouble if he didn't accuse the police officer of racism and/or simply cooperated to begin with.

It is like when my dad told me a story of when the cops caught him making donuts in the football field in high school one night. One officer asked him if he had any weapons, and my dad decided to be a smart-*** and say "If I did I would have used it by now." Not exactly a crime, but it gives the prerogative. The same goes for when you get into a shouting match and accuse a police officer of racism when there is no real sign of racism until maybe after getting arrested for a crime that you were, in fact, guilty of (because apparently the big racism play here is that he got arrested).

FearTheMateria · Jul 26, 2009

CStick said:
...or because I'm white -- which brings me back to the original point. Heck, it also begs the question: would it have been racist the other way around i.e. if the officer was black and received a call of a white man breaking into a house?

Perhaps start a debate thread with that scenario? I don't really want to respond to this because it will start going off-topic

CStick said:
Mr. Gates did not receive any obvious maltreatment like this, so I'd say that the same should go for him. There is obviously no sign of any outright racism or brutality or maltreatment other than that he disagrees with how the police conducted themselves, despite them not going about doing anything of unbecoming conduct.

You misunderstand my point. Read the last paragraph of that post again and maybe it will clarify

CStick said:
To give the cops credit, he was acting belligerent and verbally aggressive. He was in fact guilty of a crime (the charges were DROPPED, not dismissed). But yea, because he happens to be black, and the officer white, it's racism, correct?

Not exactly. The CONDITIONS of this case is what might make it a racist ordeal. Also, study a legal dictionary. Dropped and dismissed charges are the same thing. (Remeber to review sources, don't jump to conclusions)

CStick said:
Tthe 'joy of his job' part sounds more accurate, since I'm pretty sure the officer felt insulted by being called a racist just for doing his job. And you can be charged with such a crime in or on your own property. Disturbing the peace comes to mind, here, and the charge probably was not much different than that. As said before, Gates could have avoided the trouble if he didn't accuse the police officer of racism and/or simply cooperated to begin with.

He did not disturbed the peace. He was just mad about getting arrested outside his own home. Remember, human emotions are a factor in this scenario.

CStick said:
It is like when my dad told me a story of when the cops caught him making donuts in the football field in high school one night. One officer asked him if he had any weapons, and my dad decided to be a smart-*** and say "If I did I would have used it by now." Not exactly a crime, but it gives the prerogative. The same goes for when you get into a shouting match and accuse a police officer of racism when there is no real sign of racism until maybe after getting arrested for a crime that you were, in fact, guilty of (because apparently the big racism play here is that he got arrested).

Your dad was doing something outside of where it is legal to do so, so this "prerogative" holds no weight in the scenario you are trying to place it in.

CStick · Jul 26, 2009

Perhaps start a debate thread with that scenario? I don't really want to respond to this because it will start going off-topic

personally, I think it is on-topic. But nevertheless, it is something to think about.

Not exactly. The CONDITIONS of this case is what might make it a racist ordeal. Also, study a legal dictionary. Dropped and dismissed charges are the same thing. (Remeber to review sources, don't jump to conclusions)

And there are no conditions stemming towards racism. Mr. Gates was probably treated very casually up until he became uncooperative and rude. He was not beaten, called any racial slurs, etc. etc. So, where is the racism?

And last time I checked, Dropped = charges are not pursued, and dismissed = found innocent or not able to be found guilty of.

He did not disturbed the peace. He was just mad about getting arrested outside his own home. Remember, human emotions are a factor in this scenario.

and in doing so, he caused a disturbance to the rest of the neighborhood, or at least could have. And human emotion does not hold any weight. A lot of 'crimes of passion' get chalked up to human emotion, but that does not mean it is not a crime.

Your dad was doing something outside of where it is legal to do so, so this "prerogative" holds no weight in the scenario you are trying to place it in.

point taken, but he told me that after the comment the police's attitude changed, and he ended up in jail at the station for the night. That is what I was getting at with the example.

President Obama: police who arrested professor "acted stupidly"

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