Anyone been following the story about the Harvard Professor who was arrested?

Short of it is that he lives in a prominent neighborhood in Cambridge, Mass and had just returned home from a trip from China. The front door was jammed so he went through the backdoor and then with the help of his driver was able to force the stuck front door open. Apparently, a neighbor saw all of this activity and informed the police about a possible break in.

Cops came and asked the professor for his id and to come outside for questioning. Allegedly, the prof didn't want to comply and asked the officer for his id and badge number. The prof eventually came outside and presented the id but then accused the officer of racism (the prof is African American). He felt that he was guilty of being "black in America" and that the officer had no business asking him for his id in his own house when he had done nothing wrong. Apparently, the conversation got out of hand and the cop arrested the professor for disorderly conduct. Since then the charges have been dropped and the mayor of Cambridge apologized.

Interestingly enough, the POTUS weigh in on it today.


Obama: Police who arrested professor 'acted stupidly' - CNN.com

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I wondered when someone would start a thread on this. But it's all very interesting.

I will admit that when I saw the headlines where Obama said the police acted stupidly, it made me flinch.

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does this surprise anyone coming from this clown??? not me...

Obama stated last night that he didn't have all the facts. To make a statement that the police "acted stupidly" without having all the facts is what I find stupid.

I did hear a little bit of a different rendition (yesterday evening, I think I had ABC news on the boob tube) as to why the professor was arrested. But, it's over now.

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Who is Lynnie?? ~~~~~~~Signed, All Y'all

Has any other president smeared more americans than obama-no! He apologizes to the world about america's misgivings forgetting about all the good this nation has done for the world. And when he comes home he smears the american people to their face. Quit the leader. He's a liberal activist, turned liberal attorney turned liberal politician. His actions now shouldnt surprise anyone other than the zombies that still think the man walks on water because olby told them so.

DUDE, go have a drink, take a deep breath, and relax. You are going to make your head explode with that kind of anger. And it is only 10:30 in the morning.

Being a liberal activist, attorney, politician (or anything else) isn't necessarily bad. But saying the police acted stupidly without having all the facts is...

Many, if not most, of Obama supporters don't approve of everything he says or does. Many, if not most, aren't "zombies"...

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What was the different rendition? Thx...

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I agree, it made me flinch too ... though he did couch it by saying that he was probably biased because Gates is a friend.

If the Cambridge police did not recognize Gates' name once he produced an ID, I am surprised. He is pretty famous even by Harvard standards.

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Proud to practice indoctrination
at least when it comes to the GATOR NATION

theres a difference between anger and passion.... Anger isnt something i have too much of. How could i living in paradise and taking full advantage of it everyday? Not possible

Liberal liberal liberal liberal liberal! How dare that liberal dare to be liberal and liberate America into a more liberal status!

I dunno, I think if I had just gotten off a 14 hour flight, plus all the driving to and fro, and couldn't get into my house because the #@$% door got stuck, and all I wanted was a cool drink and warm bed, and finally got in MY house, only to be stopped by a police officer, I would be testy. I would probably vocalize my displeasure, as this man did, and still dig out my identification, as this man did. If that officer then arrested me, on my front lawn, for being annoyed and vocalizing my annoyance, ON MY FRONT LAWN, it would be stupid. Add the race issue into it, and it is monumentally stupid. The officer should have thanked him, apologized for the misunderstanding, and left. I'm glad Obama has the cajones to say it like it is.

And for the uninformed, here are some of Obama's praises for America. Funny how some think the guy would actually spend so much time and effort working to be elected President of a country he apparently hates.

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"My life has been a huge adventure, always. I like them bold, I'm done with creepy." - Seagrovegirl

The news story I heard was that the police knocked, the prof answered the door and the police proceeded to answer the call as it was called in......a suspected burglary. This was explained and the prof wouldn't provide ID at the first request. Nor would he cooperate with stepping outside, etc.

The second time he was questioned, the prof became defensive and accused the popo of being racists......

So, maybe the truth lies somewhere in the middle.....who knows.

However! Should the police show up at my house for a possible burglary in progress and it was a mistake - myself who broke into my own home, I would produce ID as well as the Deed to my house. My tax dollars pay the police to protect me. I would cooperate.

My house is old, my doors are old. In humid weather, they swell and one door I can barely open in August. So, I go to another door as well.

Does anyone find it interesting that the neighbors who called the police didn't recognize the prof.? The prof. tried to enter the front door first, then went around to the back. I am getting two new neighbors.......what if they are doing a good deed by calling the police simply because they don't recognize me?

The prof. expended a lot of energy by NOT cooperating with the police......this is just my opinion, however. And, a waste of news/air time, I thinks.

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Who is Lynnie?? ~~~~~~~Signed, All Y'all

It's funny how any dialogue with kkddbb reminds me of that old axiom "It's a waste of time to get into a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent."

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My mind tends to wander... but fortunately, it's so weak, it doesn't get very far...

By the way, I think both of these guys acted rather stupidly. The professor probably had a better excuse. I doubt most beat cops would really have any knowledge of who a prominent professor was or what he looked like.There had been multiple break-ins in that neighborhood. There was an over-reaction by both of them and a really big over-reaction by the media.

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My mind tends to wander... but fortunately, it's so weak, it doesn't get very far...

I wonder why, when the ID was presented, the cop didn't radio dispatch and ask someone to verify the owner of the property?

They seem to have no problem doing that when they pull someone over for speeding...I am sure that verifying the professor's identify and ownership/residency would have been just as easy. Obviously, it's not as though the"short black,58y/oprofessor who walkswith a cane" was a threat to the cop with a gun...since all they could charge him with was disorderly conduct (I always thought that was cop-talk for being drunk???)

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"If people cannot write well, they cannot think well, and if they cannot think well, others will do their thinking for them."
George Orwell

no, that is disorderly intoxication...there is a difference...

thanks.

Any thoughts about why not verify the ownership of the house?

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"If people cannot write well, they cannot think well, and if they cannot think well, others will do their thinking for them."
George Orwell

I imagine he couldnt over the professor screaming... after all he did draw a crowd. I understand that the prof. was mad about the situation, but had he acted like an adult and given him the id, and not showed his a**, im sure things would have gone much smoother... but, he knew what he was doing, so he cried racism and told the cop that he didnt know who he was messin with, and he hadnt heard the last of this.... the cop was doing his job, and handled it pretty well.... the arrest reports back it up... check them out....

I think that's a great idea, but extra work for police, dispatch, etc. Running a check on license is protocol, I presume?

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Who is Lynnie?? ~~~~~~~Signed, All Y'all

If the police come to your house without a warrant, as far as I know there is no legal requirement that you show ID, step outside, let them in, or even talk to them. We live in America, not some sort of police state. It sounds like the police may have been flaunting their authority.

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FOX NEWS-WE ALTER REALITY, YOU GET SOLD A PRECONCEIVED NARRATIVE

The officer who is in the eye of the storm.

Officer at eye of storm says he won’t apologize - The Boston Globe

i think that if he would have provided his id and said "this is my house officer, check it out" - the officer would have checked and said "sorry bout the mix up, have a nice night", but yelling and causing a scene in public is illegal, it doesnt matter what color you are...

The officer was there on a breaking and entering call and it all started on the porch, where the officer asked him to provide id, thats when he went inside and starting yelling...you cant just walk away from a cop trying to investigate a crime, especially if your the suspect..... he tried to get him to come outside several times before he actually did.

This is all true, but just being cooperative with the police would have been a better way for the professor to diffuse the situation. After hearing the cop's first radio interview, it seems he (the cop) acted pretty correctly. He was called to the site, under suspicion that a crime was being committed, and he was simply trying to find out the facts. He asked the professor if any other people were in the house, and the prof. got belligerent. There could have been any number of situations (domestic violence, hostage) brewing. The cop asked him to come out in order to secure the scene and protect himself. I think Obama used wrong language to call the cop stupid.

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My mind tends to wander... but fortunately, it's so weak, it doesn't get very far...

I would hope that President Obama would issue a public apology to the cops. The real story here is that President Obama would comment publicly on a situation in which he admittedly did not have all the facts.

How and why would anyone live in a neighborhood and not know who the hail their neighbors are? Anyway, sounds like the Professor was fluffing his wings, If called, a police officer is just doing his job by asking for ID. Not unreasonable. It wasn't like he pulled a gun on the man.

One time, when I was away on vacation, my sister set off my alarm. She couldn't remember the password when alarm central called. She didn't hear the police bust in my back door. They held her until a neighbor came over who verified who she was and gave them the password. She cooperated and everything was pleasant, but she didn't get all pissant about law enforcement doing their job. The only time I would comply with an officer's request is if it sounded totally unreasonable, like a time I was pulled over for a headlight out and he asked me to step out of the car on a dark highway. Drove out their like a bat out of hell and went to my closest PD.

Why use the word stupid without "knowing" the person? Sounds pretty "stupid" to me. Matter of fact, I would never call anyone stupid. We are not even allowed to use that term in my own family with each other.

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I'm not absolutely certain of the law, but I don't think that's correct. I do know that a man under arrest has the right to remain silent, so I'm almost certain that a person of interest has the right to refuse to answer questions. The Law is the law.

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FOX NEWS-WE ALTER REALITY, YOU GET SOLD A PRECONCEIVED NARRATIVE

I was just about to say the same thing!

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yes, the law is the law, but he wasnt under arrest yet, once your arrested you have the right to remain silent, but the cop was trying to figure out what was going on by asking questions... if he really wanted to be an ass he could have charged him with obstruction, or some other handy charges cops have available when they get in a situation like that.... now, he probably wouldnt get convicted, but he could still get arrested... dont get me wrong, im not a cop or an attorney, but seems like you would have to answer the questions if you were the suspect or simply tell the cop to arrest you and call your attorney...

I think both parties could have dealt with it differently. I don't think an arrest was in order. I also know that if I'm at home and a cop comes to my door asking me to prove that I live there or show ID, my first reaction is to be offended and pissed. This is especially true when there is no evidence of burglary, just a statement by a neighbor.

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FOX NEWS-WE ALTER REALITY, YOU GET SOLD A PRECONCEIVED NARRATIVE

True, but there was evidence of burglary and they were there on a felony call... I think the professor got arrested because he showed out enough to piss the cop off, which in itself isnt illegal( i hope, ive pissed a few off). you know thinkin about it, you cant just drive off when you get pulled over, so how could he justify walkin away while the cops there investigating a felony report? both parties could have dealt with it differently, but the cop wasnt in the wrong here imo....

I don't believe that's correct. As far as I know a person does not have to respond to police questioning, otherwise police could simply walk up to the odd man on the street and start asking him questions. Would you want to live in such a society? I know I wouldn't. Would you want to live in a neighbor hood where police regularly knock on your door to check up on things? I know I wouldn't.....

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FOX NEWS-WE ALTER REALITY, YOU GET SOLD A PRECONCEIVED NARRATIVE

I wonder how quickly the officers will respond next time if there is truly a breakin' at this residence.

I am afraid the professor was not acting in his best interest.

I'll go out a limb and not only say that the cop seemed to be (mostly) in the right, but that the professor was out of line for screaming rascism. This was a case of two guys over-reacting (the cop trying to secure a potential crime scene and protect himself) and I don't think it had anything to do with race. My call is Obama might need to apologize for his statement and they all have a group hug.

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My mind tends to wander... but fortunately, it's so weak, it doesn't get very far...

I'm not sure if there is enough evidence to consider the man a suspect. After all houses do have residents, even ones that have been burglarized.

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FOX NEWS-WE ALTER REALITY, YOU GET SOLD A PRECONCEIVED NARRATIVE

There is a big difference between being a suspect on the scene of a reported burglary and a cop coming up to me on the street asking questions....dont you think?? if a cop came up to me for no reason, he could piss off, but if he had a good reason, why not talk to him(especially if your innocent)... like i said, im no cop and you obviously arent either, so in the immortal words of Ron Burgandy, lets agree to disagree...

ps- I wouldnt like to get grilled cops, as I am not a huge fan of alot of them.

Dude- if someone calls the cops and says that 2 purple guys are breaking into a bank and you are at that bank, on the front porch, with a damaged door and you happen to be purple, the cop is going to consider you a suspect... period, there was probable cause for them to be suspects...if he would have cooperated, like he should have, the cops would have realized that this is his house, cased closed, etc....

Just a bunch of Liberal left wing zombie kool-aid drinking Olby loving propaganda and misinformation.

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"We must recognize the fact that adequate food is only the first requisite for life. For a decent and humane life we must also provide an opportunity for good education, remunerative employment, comfortable housing, good clothing and effective and compassionate medical care." Norman Borlaug

I knew that this was too much to ask for

The White House says President Barack Obama was not calling a Cambridge, Mass., police officer stupid when he criticized last week’s arrest of black scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. …
On Wednesday Obama said the police “acted stupidly” when they arrested Gates even after it was clear that he was not a burglary suspect. Gibbs said that Obama did not regret the remark, but wanted to clarify that he was not calling the arresting officer stupid.

I think one's experience has a lot to do with his or her reaction. There was a time when I believed, because that is what I was taught by my very law abiding parents, that the police were all "Officer Friendly" and they were there to protect me from the "bad guys"

When I had my child, I taught him the same thing. Then, over the years I had a series of "incidents" that changed my thought process.

I came to realize that there are many people in law enforcement who hold very intense biases against certain people: blacks, Hispanics, whom they see as illegal immigrants, women and teenagers.There are tons of studies that show this is the case.

If one has never had a bad experience, then one tends to dismiss the issue; I have come to believe that many of the problems arise from what one of my professors years ago called, "non-conciousness"--people are often not even aware of the prejudice they carry. And, then, there are some who put on a uniform and a gun and become a "real jerk"..

When my son was 13 years old, he came home after school and was there by himself for two hours before I got off work. We lived in the city and I had a security system in the house. That particular system had a silent alarm button that indicated that someone who was in the house, and who had the password, was in distress and needed help.

The monitoring system called the police--gave them the information that someone who was in the house with the password had signaled for help; they then called the EMS and gave them the same information; and then they called me. As it turned out, I had just left my office, which was three blocks from my house; and gotten into my car to drive to a meeting. So, fortunately, I was able to get to my house just after the police officers did; and even before the EMS.

When I pulled my car into the drive way, there was a police car in the drive with its lights flashing--when I got to the door, I saw two policemen, each over 6 ft tall, holding my son with his hands behind his back, and his neck pulled back. He was completely bewildered: I had taught him it was okay to open the door to a policeman --and he had. He had no idea that he had mistakenly pushed the silent panic button--he had no idea what the cops were doing there, and certainly had no idea why the cops grabbed him and were holding him in a armlock--he was in his own home!

I had to scream and physically grab the officers hands off my son--I thought they were going to arrest me!

All of this, because my son had innocently hit a panic button--the cops had been told that someone in the house was in distress and needed help! yet, they grabbed the teenager who opened the door for them., and decided he was a criminal.

Needless to say, I was furious. What would have happened if he had needed help....

I took the issue all the way to the Mayor and would have gone further if needed. The Chief of Police came to my house and apologized to my son and me and had those two officers write to him and apologize. I appreciated that, but needless to say, my feelings about law enforcement have never been the same. There have been other incidents --much more minor -- when I felt disrespected just because I am female; and treated as though I was guilty of something without the least bit of evidence to support that...and, I am a Grandma -- my nieces and other female friends have experienced worse treatment.

I have come to believe that training has something to do with the problem. I do not think it is productive to see everyone as a criminal, but I do realize that the police have a very difficult job to do--it just seems as though there must be a better way to both protect the citizens and take care of the ones who are breaking the laws.

Maybe the fact that this happened to Professor Gates will have a positive effect by everyone talking about it more...

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"If people cannot write well, they cannot think well, and if they cannot think well, others will do their thinking for them."
George Orwell

What? We don't have a racism czar?

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Get Outdoors!

I just saw a headline that said the officer has told President Obama to butt out.

We always want the police to understand what's "really" going on and we always want them to be there when something that shouldn't be going on is.

Police are stuck between a rock and hard place 100% of the time. That's why we as citizens have a responsibility to always give them the benefit of the doubt and do our best to work with them within the confines of the rules they must follow.

who do you think wrote the arrest reports?

Thats a really good question.... my guess is obama?? no, really, my real guess is the cop.... and yes, cops are really good at writing reports.... still witnesses say the good prof. was showing his hiney....so, maybe he shouldnt have.... he also said he talked about his momma??? thats bs man, leave the mommas out....

Agreed, on both points... and thank you for sharing your story.

I too have had mostly very positive experiences with police officers, but have witnessed a few very negative ones which have tinged my opinion and awareness. I think perhaps some of the most important training an officer can receive is in how to remain calm and defuse a tense situation that has the potential to quickly escalate out of control. I know that this is an incredibly difficult skill to master for most people, and that if I were required to do it at the same level as a police officer, I would fail.

Mr. Gates did fail in that capacity, but in my opinion, the onus was not on him to defuse the situation - it was the responsibility of the officer. Mr. Gates repeatedly asked the officer for his name and badge number, as is his right, and the officer did not respond. Mr. Gates also intensified the situation by repeatedly stating that he was being persecuted for being a black man in America, and that the officer clearly didn't know who he was. None of these responses on Mr. Gates part were wise, or rational, but he was also a man being threatened in his own home for doing nothing wrong, and I am sure he was scared, and upset, and tired. It was the responsibility of the officer to take all of these into account, be the bigger man that he, as a public servant, is paid to be, and let it go. Instead, he let himself get angry and defensive, and threatened arrest, and then had to save face by following through on his threat. It was a stupid act... they both were acting stupid, but the officer had all of the power in that situation, is a paid public servant, and therefore I expect more from him. I expect him to be the one to suck it up, apologize, and go on with his day.

Scenario:
A resident of Blue Mountain Beach is sitting on his sandy gulf-front private property, when a family of tourists parks themselves on his beach. Arguments ensue, and the police are called. The resident, being angry and belligerent, yells, accuses the police of discrimination and not honoring his rights as a property owner, and a crowd gathers to witness the angry resident causing a disturbance. The police ask him to calm down, and show proof of his property line. He does not calm down, but does show proof, and the police arrest him anyway, because he was causing a public disturbance.

Stupid? You betcha. But it could totally happen. I wonder how the responses would be different in that scenario...

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"My life has been a huge adventure, always. I like them bold, I'm done with creepy." - Seagrovegirl

It's 2009 and it still sucks to be Black in America.

Let's boil it down so we can stop flogging this dead horse...

I wasn't there. None of you were there. Obama wasn't there. None of us have any kind of say so as to what went down, how it went down, and what was right or wrong. We're getting our news from outlets that may or may not be 100% accurate. Let it go.

BTW...why did Obama key in on this and TOTALLY ignore the mess in Iraq and Afghanistan. It has been the deadliest month of '09 for our troops, and he chose to admonish a cop when he admittedly didn't have the fact. Good Lord...our priorities are way out of whack...

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Sucks sometimes to be white in America too. It sucks at times to be whatever, or whoever you happen to be whether you're red or yellow, black or white or a freaking purple cat! Of course, if I were a Harvard Professor and the POTUS was one of my buds, I'd probably feel a little bit above the law too.

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Get Outdoors!

yeah, and if one has never experienced discrimination, then one tends not to understand or be aware. I will share one more story:

I am white and was brought up in a home that taught respect for everyone, and especially for those in authority--I did not grew up in a wealthy home, but I did grow up never knowing what it meant to be discriminated against because of the color of my skin or how much money I had or the fact that I am a girl.

On our farm, we had equal opportunity--we all did chores and suffered the consequences if we did not. So, I had no frame of reference for being treated differently because of any those things.

As a young married woman I went live in a country where the people were a different color from me and they were the residents of their country. We were the "outsiders". When we first arrived there was no housing available for us, so we lived "in the village" -- and what a great experience that was. My husband and I both loved it--we had great neighbors, and there were lots of children, and we were invited to the fiestas and to homes for meals. I had a red MG convertible that was constantly needing to be worked on, and my husband was a great mechanic for cars, so the car was more often than not in our carport, with the hood up undergoing its latest "tune up"....one day, we came home from work to find the car still in the carport, but all four wheels were gone! Not just the tires, the rims, everything. We were aghast--who would steal our wheels? We did what every American has been taught to do: we called the cops.

The officer came over and looked around and asked us some questions and then said he would need to get our statement, so could he come inside and sit down. We said sure and invited him in...he sat at our dining room table, and wrote out our statements and we signed them, and then he stood up and looked around our house. As he was going out the door, I asked "when do you think we will know something? do you think we will get them back?"

I will never forget what happened next. He was a very tall man, so tall that he needed to look down at me--I am 5'7"--he looked down at me, then looked around our house one more time, and said, "well, you are a rich statesider, you can afford to buy more. I don't imagine we will find them."

We were speechless. And yet, he was the authority--there was absolutely nothing we could do.

That would have been the end of the story except for our neighbors. They had seen the policeman over at our house and when he left, several of them hurried over. We told them what had happened and what the cop had said.

At that moment, my faith in humanity was restored because, to a person, our neighbors all said, "that is not right, we will find your wheels."

My husband and I spent that night wondering what on earth would happen next not really believing that the neighbors could get the wheels back even if they were sincere in wanting to...

The next afternoon, when we arrived home from work, there was my little car--complete with all four wheels waiting for us.

Our neighbors had put out a "whisper campaign" that we were good people and that whoever had taken the wheels needed to return them, and they had.

Not only that, but the chief (Mayor) of the village came by to let us know that the policeman had been reprimanded for his attitude and the chief apologized to us on behalf of the police department.

We were of course delighted to have our property back, but I will always be grateful for the lesson that I learned about how it feels to be a minority and to be treated badly just because I was different.

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"If people cannot write well, they cannot think well, and if they cannot think well, others will do their thinking for them."
George Orwell

He didn't. This was a press conference, it was a question from the press. I couldn't believe it came up.

Ipso facto, it was something he was prepared to acknowledge and discuss because we all know well and good that the press who ask questions are all contacted in advance so it was hardly an unforseen question. He knew it was coming...

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I don't know. Smart people know how to get a read on things. Residents look like residents, and burglars look like burglars. Black residents break into their own houses as do white residents [I've broken in to mine]. If I had been the arresting officer I'd have said "hello sir, I hope everything is OK. We had reports of somebody trying to break in to your house and we noticed that your door was damaged". Then gauge the guy's reaction and take it from there. Cause you know that's what the officer would have said if a white man answered the door and the alleged burglars had been white.

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FOX NEWS-WE ALTER REALITY, YOU GET SOLD A PRECONCEIVED NARRATIVE

Are you saying that Bush knew for the last eight years what questions were to be asked at press conferences and still could only come up with" 911" and "terrorists" for answers?

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"We must recognize the fact that adequate food is only the first requisite for life. For a decent and humane life we must also provide an opportunity for good education, remunerative employment, comfortable housing, good clothing and effective and compassionate medical care." Norman Borlaug

You must be joking, right? Most cops don't have time to assess as you suggest here. Maybe I'm jaded but there are cops who get their heads blown off if they were to stand around and ask cordial questions.

The professor acted like a a-hole and so he was treated in kind.

And burglars act like burlgars. What the helll does that mean?

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How does not being cordial help to assure a cop's safety??? That makes no sense at all. And what did the cop end up doing? Standing around and asking questions. I'm not sure what you're getting at. Acting like an a-hole is no crime. Nobody should get arrested for that.

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FOX NEWS-WE ALTER REALITY, YOU GET SOLD A PRECONCEIVED NARRATIVE

In public? This man was in his own home, and then in his own yard. Not public property or public commons. His privacy was invaded. He had every right to raise a stink and last time I checked it's not illegal to have some righteous indignation in your own home.

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Susan Horn
www.artisan-builds.com

Evidence of a burglary, or mere suspicion of a burglary?

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Susan Horn
www.artisan-builds.com

Same here. Neighbor just recently set my alarm off and of course really handsome Cop shows up. She has records to this house, so all was ok. It was several hours before I knew what was going on.

Another time, friend entered my home, alarm goes off, and I drive up to my house to greet cops all over my property.

Trust me, in every incident, every person is extremely cooperative, polite and thankful that our police show up as quickly as they do. They are always happy when it is a false alarm.

The word stupid isn't in my vocabulary.

They take oaths. I expect they respond post haste.


Semantics!!

It's coming.

The President has no business being involved in this incident.

I don't blame this cop for taking a stand on his procedure and protocol. I wouldn't make an apology either. Municipalities have sovereign immunity. It's exactly situations like this that they need this protection. Or, they would risk being sued in more frivolous cases than physicians! Now, had the cop been out of line, that would be a different story.

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Who is Lynnie?? ~~~~~~~Signed, All Y'all

Interesting:

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- The white police sergeant criticized by President Barack Obama for arresting black scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. in his Massachusetts home is a police academy expert on racial profiling. Cambridge Sgt. James Crowley has taught a class on racial profiling for five years at the Lowell Police Academy after being hand-picked for the job by former police Commissioner Ronny Watson, who is black, said Academy Director Thomas Fleming.
The course, called "Racial Profiling," teaches about different cultures that officers could encounter in their community "and how you don't want to single people out because of their ethnic background or the culture they come from," Fleming said.
Meanwhile, Crowley disclosed in an interview with the Boston Herald that he gave mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to NBA star Reggie Lewis.
"I wasn't working on Reggie Lewis the basketball star. I wasn't working on a black man. I was working on another human being," Sgt. James Crowley, told the Boston Herald.
The Celtics star suffered a fatal heart attack in 1993 during a practice at Brandeis University, where Crowley was a campus cop.
Crowley also said there is no way he'll apologize to Gates, who has demanded an apology.
"I just have nothing to apologize for," he told the Herald. "It will never happen."
Gates was arrested last Thursday after neighbors reported a possible break-in at his house. But Gates was simply trying to get into his own home.
When he was confronted by cops, he refused to identify himself, the police said.
As he was taken away, Gates said, "This is what happens to black men in America!"
He was charged with disorderly conduct, though the charges were later dropped.
Gates believes he was targeted because of his race.
President Obama weighed in on the issue last night at a press conference, saying cops acted "stupidly" in arresting Gates.


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I am trying to look at this from the angle of what I would I have done if I had been the prof. Hard to say because things may have been different in my mind AND in the mind of the cop. If a cop saw me he'd probably assume I lived there - not the case necessarily with the prof. even though this seems to have been a highly trained police officer.

Being the daughter of a police captain (now deceased) I can say without a doubt that it is a difficult job and even the best cops make stupid mistakes. (my dad was a great police officer of course! )

In this case, even though it was his own home, the prof. might have thought - hmmmm, what if this were in fact a real burgler, I'd be thanking this police officer. Instead, he got defensive. I understand why the prof. acted as he did - he thought this wouldn't have happened had he been white and that his home is his castle. It is so hard to be perfect and he was tired and upset and SHOCKED I am sure to be questioned in his own home. Perhaps the cop could have approached the entire thing differently.... we were not there. We will never know.

Obama, like any other politician, should have refrained from using the word "stupid" and have stuck with the standard "no comment until I know more." Damned if you do and damned if you don't - so don't - at least there won't be a sound bite which I am sure is being played over and over.

I hope this is the end of all this. It gets us NO WHERE. Group hug is right!!





G

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Maybe someone can write a book and produce a movie.

edited part: I was going to state something that occurred to me, but I just don't have the energy.

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Who is Lynnie?? ~~~~~~~Signed, All Y'all

I absolutely did not say that Bush knew what was coming his way. I absolutely did say that Obama does. It's no secret. Where have you been? It's bad enough that even the liberal press, who supports him, complains about it because they aren't getting called on. Obama's own people have admitted that they vet all the questions prior to conferences, and there has been a first hand account from a reporter about how he was contacted and how it was discussed regarding what he was going to ask.

I'll start your homework assignment for you...
Obama, Like All Presidents, Tries To Manage The News - Boston News Story - WCVB Boston

The Liberal Lie, The Conservative Truth: OBAMA PRESS CONFERENCE UNIMPRESSIVE HAND PICKED SOFTBALLS Oh my God! A conservative link!

White House reporters take aim at format of Obama's health care town hall meeting - syracuse.com

The Press Revolts Against Obama » The Foundry Yeah yeah...Heritage.org. Whatever...

Scripps columnist: MSM eating out of Obama's hand | No Silence Here | knoxnews.com

I could go on and on...

I'm sure all past Presidents have tried to use the press to their advantage, but Obama seems to be the master. The problem, now, is that everybody knows it so his question and answer sessions are basically a joke. I'm sorry if you truly thought that all the questions he gets are legit.

What would I like to see? I'd like to see one of the hand picked reporters turn around and ask Obama a really hard hitting legitimate question on a serious topic of the day. You could be sure of a couple things...
He would be a hero in the press corps
He would never be allowed in another press conference (Gee...wouldn't that be obvious)

Sorry...not trying to hijack the thread. Let's get back on topic...

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Most of this is just untrue. While Obama DOES have a predetermined list of people he is going to call on in press conferences (and yes, that smacks of media control to some degree, and I don't think it is a good system), questions are NOT vetted and prescreened. Obama does NOT know exactly what questions he is going to get. I'm sure he guesses and prepares but he does not know.

I don't care how you feel about Obama or the press -- the press just does not work that way. If this is the way Obama tried to do it, there would be a massive and loud and unmissable revolt, 24/7. Because media loves to talk about the media. And prescreening questions (or offering questions to be prescreened) is flat out unethical. No president in this country has or have ever had this kind of control over media in press conferences. Just doesn't happen. Won't.

There was the Huffington Post Iran question. I'll link to Politico (very middle of the road) on it. The rest of the press did not like it because Nico Pitney was told in advance he would be called on. Someone in the administration knew Nico was soliciting questions from Iranians in hopes of asking Obama one in the press conference about Iran. Nico was doing important work. That was a good move, to single him out for a question. To tell him in advance - meh, maybe not so great. The question itself was not prescreened. Here's the story.

Obama calls on HuffPost for Iran question UPDATE - Michael Calderone - POLITICO.com

Town halls are a different matter. Bush's, I seem to recall, were also very tightly controlled. I am disappointed that Obama has not been as transparent as he promised. But the press conferences? Not scripted, other than the opening remarks. Will never ever, ever happen.

Carry on ...

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Proud to practice indoctrination
at least when it comes to the GATOR NATION

My point exactly. The lives of police are in jeopardy every day they are on duty. Most are polite but don't have time to placate an adult having a temper tantrum. Good lord.

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I would probably have gotten arrested in this situation too - but sadly I wouldn't have been IN that situation, because when someone sees me, they don't automatically see a criminal.

I can pretty much do whatever and go wherever I want - because I am a young white female w/ a smile - so noone thinks I am a threat or a danger to them. Security patrols just wave at me, people unlock doors for me, noone ever questions my right to be anywhere - me in sneakers and ratty jeans can go more places and be treated better than a black man in a suit and tie.

Does anyone doubt that the reason the neighbor called the cops is that the professor was black?

Does anyone doubt that the professor lost his temper because this was yet another in a long series of incidents where he was singled out or treated differently for being black?

Of course Obama said the officer acted stupidly - he did!

I have a great deal of respect for the law enforcement community, and I appreciate all that they do to keep us safe - but that doesn't mean that they never make mistakes or assumptions - especially based on race.

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The enemy is ignorance.

Nobody ever ever ever meets in the middle in the political forums so I don't really put stock into anything I read here. The folk on the left site only left slanted rags and the right only right slanted rags. The left discounts the right's sites and vice versa. All I'll say is there are pages and pages and pages of articles from all kinds of news agencies, both left and right, that say he does exactly that. I just started at the beginning and started copying.

All I have to the contrary is you saying that he doesn't with nothing to back it up so I guess all the sites that say he does must be wrong. Sorry...I will carry on. I will assimilate...

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Some view it as racist, as did the professor obviously.
But I don't see it that way at all. I see it as a guy doing his job, no matter what color, plain and simple. He probably did over react, but better safe than sorry.

Sure makes you think twice about being in a position like this. Can't do your job w/o people thinking you're being racist.

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None of those links actually documents the prescreening of media questions in press conferences. I know you don't want to read up on journalism ethics (yes! there are some!) but what I just wrote is absolutely, 100 percent true. I am not a knee-jerk lefty. But I DO know four people who deal regularly with the Obama administration in a media capacity, and I am telling you -- that is not the way it works. In the words of the immortal Sarah Palin, "I know what I know what I know." Don't know health care or what it is like to be black in America or how hard it is to be a cop. This, however, is stuff that I know. And I believe it to be useful information, even if it doesn't fit neatly into a certain meme.

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Proud to practice indoctrination
at least when it comes to the GATOR NATION

Have you seen the picture of him being arrested?

Well groomed older man w/ little round glasses, a white beard, a bright red collared short sleeve shirt, and grey tailored slacks.

What about him would make you think he wasn't who he said he was?

Do robbers in Cambridge typically wear business casual attire?

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The enemy is ignorance.

I can honestly say I didn't see that coming.

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I fear you

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Yesterday, I said I was Paul McCartney. Today, I said I was George Clooney. The core issue is that he was asked for ID, but would not produce it as he was asked. Then, things got weird...

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Actually, I misquoted her. Was going by memory. The quote is actually, "I know that I know that I know." Which ... seems to make less sense.

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Proud to practice indoctrination
at least when it comes to the GATOR NATION

Did you have make-up/hair to make you look like them and were you opening the door at Sir Paul's or George's residences at the time?

The ID issue is a bit muddled - there's a bit of a prof said, cop said situation going on. The Professor claims he produced id, then the cop continued to question & harass him etc.

Aleo - you only say that you fear me because you know me - a stranger working on stereotypes and visual cues thinks I am non-threatening.

Anyone else think it odd that a former campus cop doesn't recognize a tenured faculty member of 18 years?

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The enemy is ignorance.

Followed immediately by "I know you are, but what am I?"

She sounds like she was channeling Pee Wee Herman!

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I think if they all moved to Oakland, they would get along better

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A quote from my post on the health care thread:
What I should have added is how would the police treat a black, Latino, or Asian person (regardless of apparent means or not) in the same situation as I was in if they treated me in the inhumane way in which they did?

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First of all, you are skeery.

Second of all, I agree with you on your last point. Henry Louis Gates Jr. isn't just any faculty member, he's nationally famous, at least in a wonky name-recognition sort of way.

But, I do think the whole thing was overblown, by all parties. I have some sympathy for the cop and for Gates, and honestly I think Obama was cranky and should have kept his lip zipped. But I do agree, and I KNOW there are parents out there who will admit this, that calling someone stupid is not the same as saying someone acted stupidly. Haven't y'all ever wanted to call someone a jerk and instead asked them to just stop acting like a jerk?

If she would be willing to don the Pee Wee clogs and do that silly dance on her last day as gov, I would donate to the Alaska Fund Trust!

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Proud to practice indoctrination
at least when it comes to the GATOR NATION

I also find it strange that a policeman who teaches a course in racial profiling would let such a situation get that out of hand...he is, one would think,aware of the history of racial profiling, racial harassment, the studies that show how often this kind of thing happens, etc, etc. and if he is teaching other police officers how to behave/handle these kinds of situations, and he is the one with the power in the situation...and still lets it get to this point. A bit strange I'd say.

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"If people cannot write well, they cannot think well, and if they cannot think well, others will do their thinking for them."
George Orwell

liberal lie, that's the high road

Slowly, but surely, Obama is unraveling into the simple "politician" that he is.....and his approval rating is slowly, but surely, highlighting that fact. The "Messiah" is no more than a man.....

not knowing what actually happened, i would say the threshold for arresting an agitated black man is much lower than an agitated white man even in an upscale residence. based upon everything i've read, i can only think the professor was indignant about being deemed a suspect in his own home, and the cop had a limit to the amount of crap he was going to take that day. i understand the reaction from both sides. it's a no win situation.

great point

Gah! Anderson Cooper is going on and on and on about this! I mean I do love Anderson, he's pretty harmless and seemingly agenda-free, but he is such a slave to the news cycle and short attention span of TV viewers. I don't think I've heard the words "health care" yet. Did see a "tease" to an Erin Andrews story.

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Proud to practice indoctrination
at least when it comes to the GATOR NATION

I agree with Bob....I'd be indignant in my own home as well, if I knew that I was without fault.....it is truly a no-win situation. That neither side will admit that maybe they over-reacted as well doesn't help, though.....gives fuel to the Jesse Jackson/Al Sharpton side, as well as to the side of the "white supremacists". I'm with Rodney King....can't we all just get along?

Had this been an Iranian officer beating a protester, President Obama would have taken at least six days to formulate a lukewarm response.

Is it just me, or does it seem like events like this are somehow amplified by the media or "those behind the scenes" as a kind of smoke screen to divert attention off the major things that are happening like health care reform, the withdrawl from Iraq, and the escalation of the Afgan war. ??

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My mind tends to wander... but fortunately, it's so weak, it doesn't get very far...

I'm talking about the policeman's initial response before the tantrum occurred (I read the arrest report). Also it is becoming increasingly clear that some on this board have a poor understanding of the fact that some people value their privacy over their safety. An officer at your door when you've done nothing wrong bossing you around. WTF?

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FOX NEWS-WE ALTER REALITY, YOU GET SOLD A PRECONCEIVED NARRATIVE

we've already got a war sandwich with an iran filling. that country has a theocratic dictatorship that was a response to us backing the shah. iran's current internal strife is a net gain for the us/nato. what do you want, more saber rattling? do you want posturing and threatening statements?

I am a white professor who was brutally treated by police officers for a minor traffic incident (running a red light). I fought the charge in court and proved using the laws of physics that based on the timing of that traffic light and the fact that I wasn't charged with going over the speed limit, the only way I could have stopped when the light turned yellow was to have stomped on my brakes in the middle of the intersection, risking being hit by another vehicle. The charge of running a red light was dismissed.

I had an anxiety attack due to the rough treatment by the police. They injured my neck because they tried to restrain me due to my anxiety attack (BTW that's the worse thing you could do to someone having an anxiety attack). I tried to get the ACLU to take my case against the police department, but they said that they had too many cases.

My neighbor is a white physician who was also treated inappropriately by police officers for a minor traffic incident (going slightly over the speed limit). He treated me for my neck injury and wasn't surprised by the police brutality.

To this day I have trouble changing lanes on Atlanta freeways because I don't have a full range of motion in my neck.

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Got pulled over by police in New Orleans who ran at me with hands on guns and told me to put my hands on the hood of my car. Kept my mouth shut and did what I was told until police realized I was not the guy robbing neighborhood Walgreens for Vicodin. At the time, I was seriously concerned that I was going to be shot dead in the street by the police in broad daylight one block from my house. Here's a tip for the good Harvard professor - when the police think you might have committed a crime, don't cause an escalation by being belligerent.

I dunno about that, LakeView. There's no media here to egg anyone on, and yet some posters have gone beserk on this thread as if it were actually something really interesting. Like health care reform, the withdrawal from Iraq, etc.

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"Much goes on behind the scenes which renders your comments unhelpful and simply wrong." ~Kurt

I'm not really sure how to do this: ^5!

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Who is Lynnie?? ~~~~~~~Signed, All Y'all

the World lives under a microscope these days......whether specific amplifications of events is to divert attention from "the major things" (whatever they might be) is subjective; that we are bombarded with fact, fiction, speculation, personal thought, and inuindo is a reality, a pain in the $#^, and irrefutable.

I do have doubts (or better said- *uncertainty*) that the reason the cops were called is because Gates is black. This is likely what Gates assumed and would explain why he seems to have had a chip on his shoulder when he was asked for his id and questioned by police. Scoots, what if the person who called police was black and they only saw from a distance and from behind two males forcing their way into a home. Possible, if not likely, that race played no role in a neighborly call to police.

I agree with you that Professor Gates viewed this as yet another singling out based on his color. This seems pretty evident in his reported behavior.

IMHO, there is irony here in that Gates, a Professor in African American Studies, is crying racism and foul treatment as a result of being treated like anyone else in his unfortunate situation irrespective of skin color.

In other words, let's say the cops answered a call about a break in at Gates house only in this scenario he was white. So they get there and he refuses to come outside and produce ID when asked and he acts like an A-hole. Well, at some point it is very feasible that the cops are going to get fed up and trump up some sort of a disturbance charge. Is it lame? Yes. But is it racial? No. Only if the guy is black.

One last thought- I agree with you that you can everywhere/do whatever you want/not be perceived as dangerous because you are a young white female with a smile. But omit your race and the parts left (young female with a smile) still qualify you for "not dangerous" status in most people's eyes. It's as much (if not more) about age, attitude, gender than it is about race.

Gates's attitude is what got him hauled off. Not his age, gender or race. Cops don't like the "you don't know who you are messing with" mantra. It is like saying- "I triple dog dare you to put cuffs on me".

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There is no legal requirement in this country to even possess ID let alone produce it.

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FOX NEWS-WE ALTER REALITY, YOU GET SOLD A PRECONCEIVED NARRATIVE

She's definitely a jerk-off.

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FOX NEWS-WE ALTER REALITY, YOU GET SOLD A PRECONCEIVED NARRATIVE

The last paragraph says it all.....no cop (or anyone else for that matter) likes to be put between a rock and a hard place, questioning his/her "authority".