Who Blew It? President Obama, Professor Gates or Sgt. Crowley

@Cycloptichorn,

According to the officer he did provide his name and badge number. At least that is what he stated in an interview.

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@ossobuco,

I kind of agree with you - I've heard some of the interviews from both.

The one thing I think about is how bad racism must be for someone to get so angry about a police officer asking for ID to ensure this person is the true home owner. I think people who have not had to face much racism would thank the officer especially in light that his home had been broken into in the past and the neighborhood had been having a rash of burglerlies. I am not faulting the professor just sad that because of racism in the past (and maybe currently), this could cause so much anger and defiance.

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@Sglass,

Yeah - I would have to say in this situaton - Obama acted stupidly.

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@ebrown p,

Gates did not disagree with the police report. He agreed it was accurate.

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@Cycloptichorn,

According to report just today - the caller did not cite race.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/07/27/gates_caller_didnt_cite_race_police_say/

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@Yankee,

After reading numerous articles I tend to agree with you.

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@TTH,

no doubt all will be resolved over some brews, just a friendly misunderstanding.

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@Sglass,

Yes, Sglass, they will have a glass and hopefully this will be the end of Cable "nutworks"! Then, just maybe, people will pay more attention to the way they view things...both sides here.

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Two things:

1) I am highly annoyed that all of these days after the event we are just now learning that major "facts" of the case turn out to not be true. Chalk up another failure to the fourth estate, where major publications have made rookie crime beat reporter mistakes for days at a time.

2) Christopher Hitchens on the subject
http://www.slate.com/id/2223673/

Quote:

. Professor Gates should have taken his stand on the Bill of Rights and not on his epidermis or that of the arresting officer, and, if he didn't have the presence of mind to do so, that needn't inhibit the rest of us.

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@Yankee,

Quote:

The police officers actions against Mr. Gates was not based on race but attitude of Mr. Gates.

Attitude isn't a reason to arrest someone in their own home.

Did Gates act badly? Probably.
Did the officer act badly? Probably.
Did the officer act as an agent of the government? YES, which is why it is his action that deserves the scrutiny.

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Perhaps, if anyone goes to the Whitehouse to have a beer with the President, the company whose beer is being served could be allowed to film the event, and use it as a commercial, with royalties going to all three, or their favorite charities.

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@Foofie,

You really think Obama drinks beer?

I bet he makes them drink wine and FRENCH wine at that.

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@ebrown p,

ebrown p wrote:

The professor was at his own house. He wasn't doing anything wrong when the cop arrived. Then when the cop arrived-- he got angry that there was a cop there.

Let me put it simply-- The cop was the problem. The citizen was is his own house-- where he belonged. The cop didn't belong there.

The cop most certainly belonged there. A 911 call came in to a possible B&E which is a crime. So, basically the cop was doing his job.

ebrown p wrote:

If the cop would have simply figured out that there was no crime, and then left, there would have been no problem. The situation would have cooled off very quickly. Instead he decided to react to the fact that the citizen he was supposed to be serving and protecting was a little bothered he was there.

How do you suggest the police figure out who belongs in that house unless the individual provides identification?

ebrown p wrote:

But this police officer's job is to serve the community (i.e. the person he got into an argument with). For him to escalate an argument to the point of an arrest... when there was no crime that he didn't directly provoke... and when he could have avoided the entire situation by simply leaving.

You are making assumptions and you weren't there.

.....and for the record I don't even like most cops.

1 Reply

@TTH,

They both belonged there, at least behind the door and in front of the door. The interaction exacerbated both people's sense of place. There is a lot to discuss about that, not all so cut and dried. Both have seemed to be reactive, irascible, the policeman berated and the homeowner invaded, or better, those in the opposite order, the homeowner invaded first. I'm not all so sure you've read enough, TTH. I am also not all so sure this is primarily about race.

Me, I hope there is a not a debacle when they meet over this beer or whatever. I do think they all are good people, by and large.

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@Brandon9000,

I agree, How dare ANYONE disrespect an officer. He did his job by responding to a call. Why was Gates so defensive? If an officer showed up at my house, I would feel honored that I have authorities looking out for me. What would have happened if he didn't show up and there was in fact a burglary.?

1 Reply

@ossobuco,

I've read a lot on this. All sorts of reports have basic stuff wrong, from the report coming from a neighbor, the two guys going to the back door, Gates having lost his key (? - that seems totally made up), Gates only giving his Harvard ID, on and on. Now apparently even the report of it being two black individuals. There was a link about suitcases, that didn't mention suitcases.

I'll cheerfully agree that pulling Gates into the station over this, when he is clearly the resident and frail, was a stupid demeaning activity, while in my opinion Obama should have held his counsel (me, ms talk) -- but I might understand Crowley, being berated in front of other now gathered officers and neighbors, especially with his reputation re racial relations - while I do not agree with his doing that..

Actually, I think more beers and just talking are a good idea over all, or, for those who abstain, drink of choice.

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@inspectr,

Quote:

If an officer showed up at my house, I would feel honored that I have authorities looking out for me. What would have happened if he didn't show up and there was in fact a burglary.?

obviously you don't have black skin, if you did you would understand why this never crossed the mind of Gates.....you just don't understand the black experience....

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@ossobuco,

First, it was two black men wearing backpacks. They morphed into two guys, one of whom may have been Hispanic, carrying suitcases.

Looks like most of the story is out there, by now. Gates doesn't seem to have broken any laws, so shouldn't have been arrested. I do get a fairly strong feeling he tried to provoke an incident, for whatever reason.

I really think Crowley is a sucker for accepting the invitation for a beer at the White House. How far should a guy have to travel for a visit to the woodshed?

1 Reply

@ossobuco,

I am figuring that Gates will not be conciliatory, while I think he was out on a limb in his apparent first reaction to the policeman - policemen do tend to be that gruff. Well, it's arguable - I, ms. whitespot, was stopped in a fine neighborhood with my fiancee in an old vw van.

The gruff guys spotted us as slugs of some sort, mumbled something about a burglary. I had the van to carry paintings, I spent years a dozen blocks away, and was showing J. the great sycamore trees. The van was full of dog hair. They let us go, very very irritated.

I was shaken. My ex is from south LA, it was a joke to him. I later caught on to that.

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@roger,

Who knows about motives. Crowley may actually want to promote understanding. I'll give that some room, given his career choices in the past.

It may be another mix, but I don't just dump on him for being open to the connection.

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Who Blew It? President Obama, Professor Gates or Sgt. Crowley

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