The Gates Controversy

[blue adept]

the police report is the final arbiter of truth and neutrality. to think otherwise would be naive. There aren't two sides to a story, just the police report.

that's what i mean. i would like to see statements from every witness and cop involved or even a video so we could see it from both sides. compare all the statements and see if they match up.

Listen, this man was in his own house. When the police came and did their job by checking out who he was, they were doing what was necessary.When Mr. Gates got upset[ and I am sure he did] they should have just left. By waiting for him to leave his house and continue to argue with him, they were just setting him up. I have no problem backing a police officer up when he is doing his duty, but when he decides to arrest someone for being upset on his own property, they are going too far.Did Mr. Gates get in the officers face, probably, was he causing a disturbance probably, [so were the officers] could this have been avoided by the officers just leaving after they found out he lived there, most definitely.

[JohnBoy44]

yes, johnboy i know that. you are the one only seeing one side. so can we agree that they both overacted, and it's not a race thing like gates was trying to make it out to be?

just incompetence. in the end there was no reason for the arrest.
he was arrested unfairly. small wonder gates would think it was racial.
not exactly rocket science.

[blue adept]

Was Charles Ogletree a witness to the incident or merely repeating what he was told by Professor Gates? If he was not a witness, his statement is nothing but third party heresay and I can't give it any creditability.

I am perplexed by some unanswered questions.

Why did Professor Gates accuse the officer of being a racist? I can see nothing to indicate that the officer made any racial comments. To say he was racial profiling is ludicious.

Why didn't Professor Gates produce his identification immediately? Perhaps cooperation by Professor Gates would have precluded the situation from elevating into an arrest.

What if the officer would have taken Professor Gates' remarks at face value and believed he was the resident but it turned out he was really a home invader. Would Professor Gates now be saying he was denied police protection because he was black?

I think Professor Gates is an opportunist and he saw an opportunity to play the race card.

What if some officer comes to your house demanding ID Homey, are you actually telling me you wouldn't be outraged?

[blue adept]

just incompetence. in the end there was no reason for the arrest.
he was arrested unfairly. small wonder gates would think it was racial.
not exactly rocket science.

If that is the only reason why [other than his own paranoia]would he blame it on race? I cannot help but think that Mr. Gates has a lot of splaining to do Lucy! I am rather tired of hearing the race card!

[HomeyG]

What if some officer comes to your house demanding ID Homey, are you actually telling me you wouldn't be outraged?

No. If I knew he was investigating a 911 complaint and was responding to a possible home invasion, why would I get upset for demanding my ID. I'm sure if Professor Gates would have cooperated it would have been the end of the story. If not, then he would have had a legitimate complaint.

[JohnBoy44]

If that is the only reason why [other than his own paranoia]would he blame it on race? I cannot help but think that Mr. Gates has a lot of splaining to do Lucy! I am rather tired of hearing the race card!

I give older blacks a little more leeway. They grew up during Jim Crow, and the fifties etc. Younger blacks under 40 I don't

[michael medeski]

why [other than his own paranoia]would he blame it on race?

good question! that is what i would like to know.

Playing the race card is an idiomatic phrase that refers to the act of bringing the issue of race or racism into a debate, perhaps to obfuscate the matter. It is a metaphorical reference to card games in which a trump card may be used to gain an advantage.

he is the one that started playing it.

[HomeyG]

I give older blacks a little more leeway. They grew up during Jim Crow, and the fifties etc. Younger blacks under 40 I don't

I grew up in the forties/fifties, so are you going to give me a little more leeway?

[JohnBoy44]

I grew up in the forties/fifties, so are you going to give me a little more leeway?

you were never marginalized as a white. do you think you get a pass on being a bigot because you think it's normal?

[JohnBoy44]

he is the one that started playing it.

he didn't call the police.
he didn't deserve to be arrested.
you're on the wrong side.

[michael medeski]

I give older blacks a little more leeway. They grew up during Jim Crow, and the fifties etc. Younger blacks under 40 I don't

that's awful nice of you. they should make that a law.

[HomeyG]

you were never marginalized as a white. do you think you get a pass on being a bigot because you think it's normal?

So now I'm a bigot. Where's my bigotry?

[jennyk]

Maybe I try to give people the benefit of the doubt too much, but maybe Prof. Gates was just tired and cranky. If I remember the particulars of the story right, he was just getting back from a trip. I'm sure he was looking forward to having a relaxing evening at home when he returned from his trip, and instead a police officer comes to his door and accuses him of breaking in! He still shouldn't have been a jerk about it, but I don't think he necessarily thought to himself, "Oooh! A cop came to my door! I'll yell about race so he can look bad and I can get publicity! *sinister cackle*"

I tend to operate on the assumption that if I'm doing everything right, the police will have no reason to arrest me. I hope that in a similar situation I would cooperate and they'd soon realize that I wasn't a threat. And on the rare occasion I have been doing something wrong (speeding, having a headlight out, etc. - nothing major!), I've realized that they had a reason to pull me over and, if I get a ticket, so be it. (Luckily, I've gotten off with warnings so far.)

[JohnBoy44]

that's awful nice of you. they should make that a law.

you're right. getting falsely arrested should be against the law.
honestly you can't see how someone who lived under Jim Crowe laws might not trust whites.

[JohnBoy44]

So now I'm a bigot. Where's my bigotry?

do a search on all your posts and read them.
You're a fox news gop "base" type of person.

[blue adept]

No. If I knew he was investigating a 911 complaint and was responding to a possible home invasion, why would I get upset for demanding my ID. I'm sure if Professor Gates would have cooperated it would have been the end of the story. If not, then he would have had a legitimate complaint.

When I have had to deal with police asking questions, [ I have made some calls when people are doing illegal activities in the park] I have found that they usually don't answer your questions. So, how would you know they were responding to a 911 call?

[michael medeski]

you're on the wrong side.

i'm on neither side. i hate jerky cops that abuse power as much as i hate people that look for an excuse to play the race card.

[JohnBoy44]

i'm on neither side. i hate jerky cops that abuse power as much as i hate people that look for an excuse to play the race card.

i doubt if gates wanted to get arrested so he could "use the race card".
He just wanted to get inside his house.

[matt_s]

do a search on all your posts and read them.
You're a fox news gop "base" type of person.

Ok, the question from Homey was "Where's my bigotry" and your response is above. So I take it you assume that all people who make up the core of the Republican party are bigots.

[michael medeski]

i doubt if gates wanted to get arrested so he could "use the race card".
He just wanted to get inside his house.

i agree. i don't think he wanted to be arrested to play it i think he just saw the opportunity to do so and, given when he grew up and his background, he did just that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSBjU61drc0

he might as well have been giving a sermon (like others we know) or just said "the white man is always bringing me down!" amen!