(Least significant)

Coming in a little late on this one, but this story's been blown out of scale to presidential proportions. It was two guys with a big misunderstanding that got escalated to a point where it didn't need to go. Sounds like both sides were a little stubborn, and like a parent dealing with two whining children I don't really care who started it at this point. I imagine that the press was just tired of the Micheal Jackson ordeal and wanted something else to talk about, but now the story's almost just as tedious.

And I really don't get why people give a damn about them and Obama having a beer over it. Who the hell cares? Apparently, at least one of my co-workers thinks it's a huge deal, making a stink about it because "shouldn't he be fixing the economy or something?" Yes, he's right, he should be doing that, but the guy has a right to take an hour or so out of his day to sit down and drink a damn beer. It's not like he's taking a three-month vacation or anything. ( . . . I'd offer my co-worker a beer to smooth things out, but I guess he wouldn't take to well to that : P` )

I think we can all take a cue here and buy a round (of a drink of your choice) and chill out.

I wasn't an eye witness, so I'll refrain from jumping in on either side of this issue until all facts of the matter are at hand.

However, I suspect neither the officer nor the professor is going to come out smelling like a rose.

UPDATE:

Those who've rushed to judgement (on either side) only expose their own biases and agendas, and are not to be taken seriously.

UPDATE:

Of all the people who've jumped to conclusions about this unfortunate incident, President Obama has been the most foolhardy.

Angry white guys have been carrying on the way they usually do.

I'm still not going to reach a verdict, but I suspect the Professor's overreaction provoked the officer into losing his temper.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Recently, I watched a very drunk 'black' girl try to insert her key in her car door after the bar closed, whilst a 'white' cop gently remonstrated with her, "Please don't get in the car. If you enter your car, I will have to arrest you." He repeated himself every time she let him get a word in edgewise.

She called him all sorts of mf'rs and ranted and raved.

This went on for nearly a half hour, until finally one of the girl's friends convinced her to take a ride home and come back for the car the next day.

It's great to see a real professional in action. Unfortunately, there aren't all that many of them.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


UPDATE:

The actual incident was really insignificant (to those of us not directly involved), but the corporate media, reactionary rightwing pundits, and President Obama have managed to blow it all out of proportion.

Obama was asked to comment on race relations with the arrest of Gates leading into the question. He could have declined to respond, but he didn't. Before he even begins, he states that he may be biased (perhaps the phrase "acted stupidly" falls under that bias). Considering the fact that his choice words were not the greatest, I don't believe that would make Obama a bigot. He's half white, half black. I can't see this man as having self hate for any particular side of which is made. He didn't candy coat how he felt about the incident. Oh well...we'll have to get over that like we have had to get over many of the issues we disagree with by many of our elected political leaders.

As for the racial profiling. I can't say that I believe that it was profiling whether on the behalf of the cop or the neighbor who made the call, but then again we don't know if the individual that made the call would have made that call if it was a white male.

As for racism...the reason racism always seems to pop up in scenarios involving blacks and whites may be because it is still present (having a black president doesn't change that..although it shows growth of the nation) and because profiling happens to be current issue in black communities. Simply, it exists.

The man showed his ID...yes he was arrested for disorderly conduct, but where was he when disorderly conduct occurred. He was on his property, in his home. It seems it was an ego thing. The officer didn't appreciate being spoken to in that manner. I wouldn't be appreciative of that kind of response either, but he should have gotten over it and went along his merry way.

Why is this such a huge story? As I see it, both the police and Gates overreacted in this situation, but still, there was no reason this should have become a national story.

It was the implication that the Cambridge police arrested Gates because of his race that really set off the firestorm, and this is what caused Obama to make those remarks. That was something he really should have stayed out of.

But either way, this was a huge misunderstanding that was blown completely out of proportion, especially by the media and the White House.

UPDATE: Unbelievable. This small act is rapidly degenerating into racial mudslinging. Give it up to the media for fanning the flames. Obama didn't help matters by interjecting himself into it. Granted, if Gates weren't a high profile author and professor, probably it wouldn't have gotten the attention that it did, but now we seem to focusing the discussion back towards divisive subjects like race.

Politically speaking for Obama this is the worst possible time to have such a debate, as he's trying to pass his landmark health care legislation through Congress. This is what they call a major distraction, one that will only hurt his political standing.

UPDATE 2 (7/31/2009): When is this story going to finally die? Obama yesterday invites the police officer and the professor in for a round of beer, supposedly to break the ice over the impasse that exists between them. Not only that, but he invites the media in for the festivities, thus ensuring a circus atmosphere.

I guess that makes Obama the ringleader? With all the pressing concerns he has--the economy, foreign affairs, his health care plan, he wastes his time getting involved in some petty non-controversy? Actually, Obama is the one who is perpetuating this by keeping it in the news. And the media goes along with it because it is controversial and produces ratings.

Obama's efforts to help the parties break the bread didn't work, as both still disagree about their impressions of the arrest. Lets face it, both of them are bringing preconceived notions into the matter and they won't back down no matter. Better to let this dead dog lie where it may.

As for Obama? His actions in all of this has been nothing short of demagogic. Matters about race are better left in the past. Dredging up this crap constantly only fuels discontent and sets back the cause of civil rights significantly.

I believe that Officer Crowley's actions in this weren't racially motivated, but Gates saw it differently, and the whole thing took a life of its own afterwards. Dr. Gates was probably angry that his door wouldn't open and got even angrier when the cops questioned him about it.

The correct course of action for Gates would have been to show his identification that would have demonstrated that he indeed was the legal occupant of the house. That would have been the end of the story. Now Professor Obama is giving us a "teaching moment" for an act that wasn't really racially motivated, but is being spun as such, just to teach the American people.

Why is this even on the news! If a white guy got arrested breaking into his own house you'd never hear about it. Completely ridiculous!

I think we should leave this local law enforcement incident local. It was stupid for Mr. Obama to get involved considering...

-he did not have all the facts
-he is good friends with Gates
-Gates has campaigned for Obama

How I would love to be a fly on the wall during the "beer summit" this evening. Although, it will probably all be politics as usual and an opportunity for President Obama to get media attention, yet again! I hate to say it, but I doubt that this discussion will do anything for race relations in this country, especially the growing racism against whites that is beginning to be quite tiresome at the least, of which Gates' arrest and subsequent media blitz is an example.

Gates is the racist, not the cop. The man was disorderly. He could have just said here's my ID, I live here. I'm glad your checking because you are watching out for my property. Thank You.
The man obviously has a chip on his shouler that is very big.
This has become such a big story it is laughable. What a waste of media time and energy.
The President proved he was a racist by getting involved also.

Gates was creating more of a problem, where there was none. It was nothing more than than grandstanding. Why Harvard is employing a person like this is beyond me - who would want their children taught by a man like that? And when did they make they move from professors who build something to those who just destroy and bother everyone?
If Gates wants attention, maybe he should spend some time meeting his neighbors so they know who he is!
In the end Gates is the boy who cried wolf, and Obama is the President who believed him.

Here is yet another case of Obama getting involved into things he knows little or nothing about and it coming back to embarrass him. The mere fact that Obama has already had to backtrack on so many other things since taking office does not speak well for him. Neither does the fact that Obama could not be objective since Gates was a personal friend, not to mention the fact that Obama had also gone to Harvard himself. These two facts alone make Obama unlikely to be objective.Obama was not there, and has no way to know how police reacted. He (Obama) even admitted later that he had not had all the facts, so why make an off the cuff remark that he would later have to try to undo? The beer photo op with all three parties today is just another chance for Obama to hog the cameras once again. Obama's White House handlers (whoever they may be) certainly deserve a raise for having to get Obama out of a difficult political spot again and again.

What kind of fool, met on his own property by the police, responding to a third party call, would refuse to identify himself as the owner? I myself was just locked out of my house last week. No cops showed up, but if they had, I'd have been understanding (If not GRATEFUL). The idea that I'd have refused to identify myself and gotten abusive just shows extreme hubris on the part of "Professor" Gates. Is he, like ex-Representative Cynthia McKinney, assuming that everyone in the whole world immediately recognizes their decidedly non-famous faces on sight? Of course he is! It would serve Gates right to be the victim or a home invasion or burglary and the police refuse to respond, remembering their previous greeting.To be an uneducated career alcoholic and criminal like Rodney King and react like a fool when the police stop him is bad enough, for a Harvard Professor, it's beyond comprehension. If I were the administration of Harvard, he'd be under investigation pending firing. If I were Obama, I'd have kept my damn trap shut, and If I'd been the cops, there would be one more loudmouth, egotist in jail. Of course, that would be assuming a world where logic and not foolish racial games were the norm, not the one we live in.

quote:
"It is not a crime to argue or make smart remarks to a cop. Privately or publicly. It is not a crime to ask for a badge number. It is not a crime to threaten to file a complaint. Though rude, it is not illegal to make fun of or refer to a police officer's mother. These are all actions that are within a citizens rights and none of them warrant an arrest. Once it was ascertained that Professor Gates was in his own home and required no police intervention, it was incumbent upon the officers to leave professor Gates's property."

Could not have said it better myself. I can see the common sense in this and I'm a (white) racist fuck.

Police officers are professionals and are trained to be immune from becoming angry when someone is verbally shouting. It is their duty to protect the public, not arrest someone in their own home who is cranky. They have a responsibility to act in a professional manner and Officer Crowly did not. Professor Gates had just returned from a long overseas trip, couldn't get into his house, and then the last straw was when a policeman made him feel like he was a criminal.

The police responded to a possible break in at a home. Once they found out Professor Gates was in his own home, which they did, they should have left immediately. To handcuff an old man with a cane is ludicrous. To take him to the police station for being verbally crabby, is criminal, in my opinion.

We should expect more from the police force. The fact that the next day charges were dropped against Professor Gates is an indication Officer Crowley was in the wrong.

I was embarrassed for the Cambridge police force when they whined to reporters in support of Officer Crowley who clearly was in the wrong. The city should expect more from their officers.

Too many opinions and it's really not an important event except politically and specifically regarding the president's "stupid" comment. It turns out that the smartest man in the world, with the smartest support group around him, pulled a Joe Biden on this one. I always surmise that gaffes like this reveal one's true thinking.

Wasn't this the "post-racial" president? Has it been a good couple of days for race in America since he said this? Is there any question whose side he is likely to take in racial situations heretofore? (It's not a trick question)

I was born in Brooklyn. I am white. I have had my experiences being grabbed and ruffled because I "look like the guy" (we all look alike in Brooklyn). I'm positive that black guys have it much worse, but I never mouth off to a cop...period.

Gates was tired and crabby after a long trip and finding a locked house. He was out of line and should admit it.

Crowley probably should've walked away given he wasn't dealing with a threat. Procedure should've given in to empathy.

Obama was way out of line, clearly pandering to a constituency he needs behind him. Reminds me of Sharpton and his Tawana Brawley episode.

The beer thing is a joke. Obama at least needs to admit that he acted rashly...not that his words could've been metered..that is a crock and it hurts race relations more than it helps.

Just another demonstration on the inexperience of the President of the United State. He maligned, not only the Cambridge Police Department, but also cast a smudge on all the police forces throughout America. If I were Sgt. Crowley, I would not attend "the beer fest". Somehow or some say, President Obama has got to recognize that, aside from his popularity, his approval rating is slipping daily.

I lived in Massachusetts for over 20 years.
what I have found out is that all the police there are corrupt, they will do what ever they want, when ever they want.
So this doesnt surprise me at all.
Being rude and mean to the police isnt a crime.
But in "The Peoples Republic of Massachusetts" it is a crime.
I would rather live in China.

I keep hearing the dodge about being in your home and therefore being exempt from arrest. In New York if you go off on the police and no blogger above was there so just going by the police report, accusations against Officer Crowley were also preferred. In New York the police have a right to call for a police ambulance and cause the disruptive individual to be remanded to a psyche holding tank for observation or an arrest for disorderly conduct which is mostly connected to disturbing the peace. Mr. Gates is lucky that he was not considered to be mentally afflicted because due to the unending stigma of mental illness that had the potential of seriously harming his career, unfairly so. I believe that the events in Cambridge were petty but the events at the press conference were odd and warrant out interest as citizens. Why did this innocuous non-event incident with an expunged arrest make it into a national press conference? How is it that Professor Gates has espoused some very questionable racially directed ideas in a taped speech and now is in the national limelight. As an aside, why was the woman who was threatened by
perpetrators and called a racist for making a 911 call that was legitimate not invited to Obama's beer party. She is a player also and was excluded from a White House opportunity. Maybe she is the "lipstick on the pig" that we heard during Election 2008. There is a Red Herring here somewhere or a monkey wrench in the dryer. Someone is going to get skewered in that beer party. JayAdlerMusic

This actually has nothing to due with race at all. See, being focused on a race issue will prevent you from actually seeing the bigger picture. The problem actually stems from almost all Police Officers having a "God Complex". They will put you in jail for not obeying there orders. Now that is not what you will be charged with. because this is not against the law. You would be charged with something like obstructing, public intoxication, or resisting arrest. just to list some examples. If you think I am wrong, try it and see what happens.

I think police has to spend time, energy, and tax payer's money on what really matters, not making points.

I believe the fact that we hear from police department that they stay behind their owns is not only concerning, but freighting too. Being loyal should not be a good thing, it should be considered bad and immoral. The world would be much better place if truth matters to every one, especially those in charge.

I think, President should have stayed out of this, then we may had a better chance to learn and get something positive out of the whole situational.

Although its meaning may vary somewhat from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, "disorderly conduct" generally means some act or conduct which tends to breach the peace or at least disturbs that portion of the public which may have seen or heard the conduct claimed to have been disorderly. Disorderly conduct and/or breach of peace is synonomous with "public". In this situation, it is private property that was the arena and the altercation between Gates and the cop occurred out of the earshot of the public. This is more of a property rights and ego issue rather than a racial issue even though Gates threw down the race card. The Appeals Court of Massachusetts in Commonwealth v. Joseph Mulvey, 57 Mass. App. Ct. 579; 784 N.E. 2nd 1138 (2003) reversed and set aside the District court's verdict against Mr. Mulvey for disorderly conduct as it was found that Mr. Mulvey's conduct took place on private property and, that due to the geographical location, the disturbance could not possibly have impacted the public. There is also substantial case law that states that using obscene language in a loud and boisterous manner against a cop does not constitute disorderly conduct nor a breach of peace. Perhaps, Massachusetts cops shoud keep a copy of the Mulvey case taped to their dashboards. Lets hope that the beer break at the White House will be the catharsis that is needed.

Garrison Charles Mason

Police have abused people of all colors from day one in this nation, why they cry when someone says something is an indication of guilt.

www.nextrevolution.net

In Boise, ID the polcie have shot so many people so many times that it is obviously a problem that needs attention. Just the other day an article pointed out a law suit by a man who was sat on by two or three officers while another tasered his buttocks. The officer then threatened to taser the man in the buttock & nuts while positioning the taser in those areas.

Police erased evidence & failed to complete a report. I have friends in other cities & the story is always the same, cops heavy handed BS, shooting people multiple times, & never anything but lies. Police don't have to shoot someone 8, 10, 12 or more times.

I agree there are times when shooting or other action is required, but if the danger is a problem, don't join the force. If you drive truck you take the risks that go with the job, a roofer climbs ladders, electrician works with current, & so on.

I wouldn't want to be anywhere in the area behind a victim the polcie shoot, if they hit a guy 10 times, how many did they miss? We all know they use semi autop pistols with hi capacity mags, empty the mag, & reload. That's what they're trained to do. If four officers each fire 15 times, hit the guy 10 times, that leaves about fifty rounds all over creation. Ammo today can go through trees, houses, cars, & it has to be an ugly picture. Cops never come alone, there is always 6 or 8 so I would suggest four a conservatives number.

The Boise police shot some guy 18 times in one case, he was holding a soldering iron but if not mistaken he was running from police & they caught up to him in a basement, I understood how that could happen.

The same Boise police shot a teenage kid who was holding a relic world war 1 or 2 rifle with a bayonet, after parents called in for domestic violence. I'm sure the parents didn't think police would shoot the kid but, a 15 year old kid with an obvious relic? Killed the kid. The police in the valley have shot several others, one with a butter knife, another a piece of glass, & these might be justified but in reality, were these people that miuch of a threat, & isn't handling the situation part of the job, not shoot, & ask questions later?

What if every truck driver stopped, pulled off the road every time they saw a snow flake? What if every construction worker stopped at the first sign of rain, mail man at the sight of a dog, fireman at the sight of fire? The police are trained to kill in 21st century America, no two ways about it. Should they be asked t sacrifice their lives? NO! Use common sense & lead by example, yes.

A graduating plice class in Idaho had a motto suggesting they cause Post Traumatic Stress, their motto. This type of training & attitude leads to killing or beating & anybody who doesn't fall to their knees in complete submission.

Ask for an apology when they obvioulsy screw up? I don't think it helps their image. Lead by example. They expect to corner Obama on the same lead by example in making a big deal out of what he said. Forget about it would have been the best action by police in reference to the President mentioning it, didn't hurt the poor police boys too much I hope.

Whimps, drop it & move on, or shoot somebody, quick before they say something bad about the polcie.

I think that the professor should have not talked so much. I do not agree with the arrest in his own house. I would have agreed with a ticket for mouthing off. The president was right to say what he did because it was stupid. The police officer was offended/insulted so he repaid the favor, which was not professional and therefore stupid. "stupid is as stupid does".

This Shakespearian act VI from, ‘Much Ado About Nothing’, is small scene of dueling testosterones, from the movie now showing everywhere. It is the clash of legitimate clichés; ‘I’m just doing my job’ (except military extermination of civilian populations) versus ‘A man’s home is his castle’ (except met-amphetamine cook houses). Harry Golden might have included this as a chapter in his book “Only In America”, but when it was written black men didn’t own houses in affluent (white) neighborhoods. Actually all ‘neighborhoods’ were white at the time; non-whites lived in ghettoes (African Americans), ‘towns’ (Asians) or on reservations (Native Americans). The bottom line is a badge is a badge is a badge.

It shows that race will become a problem EVERY TIME IT CAN BE USED AGAINST A WHITE PERSON. It will become the last word when the Obama camp can't defend its destruction of our free society. I applaud the fact that we have a black president. I would applaud a women president, or an Indian president, or an Oriental president. I simply want a president that will protect our democratic freedoms and principles that so many have fought and died - and are still dying as I type - to sustain out future. The race card can always be played and will always be the final word from this democrat administration.

I can bet you Mr.Gates (Ill call him that because African American Studies is a fake major) had a chip on his shoulder and instead of thanking the officer for making sure he belonged in the house decided to pull the old "your whitey keepin me down" routine.

We gave you a black president, Oprah is the number one paid entertainer, blacks permeate our entire culture, shut the hell up and get with the program. I damn well know their are more black neighborhoods where a white man cant walk then vice versa so spare me your tired 60s victimology its time to grow up.

Heres my suggestion

1. Actually merry the woman who has your first baby
2. Go to school, study something other than sports or entertaiment
3. Dont dress like a gang member
4. Learn to speak English (it helps in that job thing)
5. Dont hang around with your hood bros (you can tell alot about a person by the company they keep)
6. Get a job and keep it, this will lead to ever better jobs and someday you can own pay for your own food, rent and insurance instead of me.

I agree that things escalated by two adults who are accustomed to being in authority.
I agree that the cop acted stupidly.
Obama was right.
Their dropping charges underscores that comment.
I think neither are probably racist.
It was a misunderstanding and after the officer ascertained that there was no crime he should have ignored the prof's ire and thanked him for his cooperation and walked away.
The cute professor should have maintained his cool better.

This is being blown out of proportion and I am amazed at all the neanderthal racists who have crawled out of their cracks over this issue - racists on both sides.
I will bet these two guys come to an understanding that they are comfortable with -
but that will not dissuade the loadmouth numbnuts who look for any excuse to complain.

Crybabies.

I think that it is a very ironic situation. Black people call me names like "white trash" for no reason. For example, hate crimes against me made me sick. Authority usually does not take any action... I don't understand how some criminals said they committed crime because they were crazy. Excuse me, but if a person knows how to eat, has a driving license, and remembers holidays , then that person is not crazy. However, when something happens to another race , one can read it on the Web. Wow! I think that a professor deserves respect for not being arrested. When people would call each other names, please resolve it privately, because it is a disadvantage for our young and innocent generation to know about embarrassing history... or else. Perhaps we are just not interested in soap operas. Our government and working class paid enough to society we live for past history. It's time for respect.

I think that Mr. Gates acted very calmly to the situation of officers who had no right to be on his PROPERTY!

DID they have a warrant to search for criminal activities going on at Mr. Gates' Residence, The answer is NO! So, the only logical reason that anyone can see is because he was a Black man living in a neighbourhood that racists would consider too good for a black person and that he had no right being there.

Question: Is it only whites suppose to be well educated and living in such a neighourhood without even being treated like a criminal?

I believed it was a very humiliating experience to be treated that way.

If it was me on the other hand, I would have reacted in a way that would have changed America. Those racist officers sent by their superiors would have been butchered for invasion of my PROPERTY without any Lawful reason.

I think if he wasn't a Harvard professor this discussion wouldn't be an issue. But he is a friend of the president so of course the president would take his side. Next time we hear of an unknown black man being wrongfully accused of something, lets see how fast president obama takes his side.

It sounds like RACIAL PROFILING--Professor Gates automatically figured that since Officer Crowley was white, that he was being singled out for this treatment. If Professor Gates is smart enough to be a teacher at Harvard, why does he not remember that you treat police with respect. They were actually there to PROTECT his house, but Gates (being a bigot himself) decided to use that all too familiar "race" card. I'm sick of this. Then the JOKER trumps the whole thing by insisting that this question be included in his press conference regarding healthcare. Does the big "O" not have more important issues to discuss? Why doesn't he spend some of his time READING that 1000 page healthcare plan so he can see what is included?

I'm so disgusted by this administration and it's only 6+ months along. How can America survive 3 1/2 more years of this crap?

My mom used to tell me that you tell me who your friends are, and I'll tell you what you are! Then old President "O" must be a cheat, tax avoider, racists, radical, and egoist. Spend more time dealing with all your czars and your wife's staff salaries and you could easily cut several million $$ from your budget. Don't spend the taxpayer's $50,000 for a week's vacation. Practice what you preach--you phoney!

Strikes me as what I recently heard described as a "Butthead Convention", where you can't really support either side.
I do tend to lean toward the officer, however, as it seems that he was doing his job - and doing it well.
The "professor" needs a lesson in deportment and a bit less of a thin skin - especially considering his field of study.
The arrest may have been an over-reaction to a situation that got out of hand - generally due to the "professor's" over-reaction to what should have been a routine police response situation.
As for the President - stay out of it. And, what is is going to cost us to fly these two gentlemen to DC for a beer. (Ooops, forgot, we have lots of government money available. It's only the citizens and taxpayers who are a bit cash challenged at this time.)

Yes, sometimes the law is "Absouletly Too Stupid" to ask "What's you name and where do you live?", then verify the information given. Obama (being of black race) used the word stupidly in a statement of the police actions. My question is, "What do you think the black population thought or felt when being called the "N" word for YEARS and look how long it has taken to SOME WHAT correct that vocabulary? Just this past week I watched tv program Forensic Files and a policeman interrigated a black suspect in an unprofessional (bully) maner. The suspect was found guilty. A white attorney took his appealed case years later and the convict was found innocent. The attorney labeled the policeman STUPID, Bully and a PUNK multiple times, yet nothing was ever said or done in compaired to the single word (Stupidly) that Obama used. I am not for the black / any color person or race. I just respect people for what they are.

Obama: "I don't know, not having been there and not seeing all the facts..."
Obama: "No. 2, that the Cambridge police acted stupidly..."

As 'Stupid things President's say' goes... wadda ya know... 'O' *is* the new 'W'

The "Let's all sit down with a beer" gave the whole thing away. A typical threesome with an overload of male hormones, doing what some men who can't help themselves do: fall into the "Macho" trap. "I'll show you who's the king of the herd" mentality took over and got the best of all concerned.

LETS DRINK BEER: ONLY IN AMERICA!

Check the laws of Cambridge, MA.

The law regarding disorderly conduct, which is what Gates was charged with, SPECIFICALLY EXCLUDES verbal abuse of a police officer from the criteria. SPECIFICALLY!!
And if he was, or was attempting to physically attack Crowley, the charge of assault on a police officer would have been justifiably leveled against Gates. That didn't happen. Which tells us that Crowley took things too far by reacting emotionally to the verbal abuse by Gates. He lost his professional demeanor in that situation.
There were no legal grounds for charging him. Period.

Neither party handled this well, and first, the charge should be dropped (if it hasn't been already), and second the media and the bigots on BOTH sides should let this pass into soon forgotten history.

I think the first "Hawaiian" prez(I hadda come up with a new "codeword") done been hit in the head by too many surfboards;but since the shmuck hadda bring race into it..called the cops stupid(in this case they wasn't)..as a boxing fan,I was much more interested in his take on the Vernon Forrest murder in Atlanta..but I figure he's savin' his take on black on black crime for his State of The Union bs..

I'm tired of the race card being brought up every time something like this happens. A guy was seen to be what looked like breaking into a house. The police were called. The guy got belligerent and the police objected to it, still not knowing for sure who the guy was going off on them. It's not a race issue, or wasn't until Gates and the press made it one by accusing the cops of profiling when in fact, it was a simple case of what looked like breaking and entering.

was it really a race issue?!? i think the police did nothing wrong.

In this case, the professor was dead wrong. There was no race issue. The cop was doing his job and the professor was letting his superior Harvard ego run the show. Being a F.O.B. had no bearing on the incident. The president should have butted out, but, he incorrectly decided to join the fray with insufficient facts. This was not steeped in racism by any measure! The 911 call made no reference to color.
The professor should be pleased that the PD was as efficient as it was. Had it been an actual case of burglary, he would have come home and find his property intact.
Enough already. Let's get back to poor Michael Jackson and where he will be buried, and who will raise his non-children, and who murdered him, and who will get the money. A moment of silence PUHLEEZE!

What a steaming pile of media poop. Whatever the case I'm sure it will be fully exploited via the talk show circuit and a glut of magazine articles. I'm sure there's at least one book in it for both parties concerned.

I think both parties came to the table with certain assumptions about one another that were inaccurate, and consequently, both overreacted. As a followup, both are trying to cover their respective asses, with Gates claiming he was completely reasonable and measured in his approach to the police, and Crowley claiming there was a threat to public safety.

Both sides have a vested interest in not backing down. Crowley instructs other officers in a course on racial profiling, and doesn't want to look like he acted in response to a bruised ego. Gates is a prominent author of many books on the Black Experience in America and brings his research on past actions of a nation of police forces historically known for treating black people at least differently if not in a manner that overtly abuses their authority.

Here's an article with some audio content from both the 911 call (where the caller identifies a Hispanic man only after being prodded), and the radio transmissions themselves (where no loud, confrontational threats from Gates are evident).

As more content gets released, this will likely become a story about the media's tendency towards sensationalization more than anything else. Obama's statements weren't out of line...regardless of racial profiling or not, to arrest someone in their own home for insulting a police officer isn't what we pay the cops to do, but have served to completely distract people from his health care objective. For that reason alone he probably should have been more measured.

Covering shit like this has proven vastly more entertaining for the media than policy since it improves ratings in the short term. The fact that people have latched onto the issue to an almost hysterical degree, quickly grasping at straws to superimpose vaguely relevant life experiences onto both Gates' and Crowley's actions speaks more about race relations in this country than the event itself.

My problem with the whole incident is how it was labeled as 'racial profiling.' Racial profiling is when a police officer (in general terms) is on duty, sees (for example) an African American driving in a car, says to himself 'Hey, that guy's black. I bet he's got some guns/drugs/whatever,' and proceeds to pull the car over. It is, wait for it, PROFILING based on race.

Responding to a 911 call reporting a possible burglary is not profiling. It is called doing one's job. I have no idea whether either party 'lost its cool' more than the other -- from what I've heard/read, it seems like both sides blew it -- but there was no profiling whatsoever in this case. Race had nothing to do with it until the media got ahold of the story. Funny how the American media machine can take a routine police procedure and turn it into an opportunity to misinform the entire nation. Or is it? Get the facts before you react.

How dare all concerned in this fiasco steal attention from the 24/ 7 Michael Jackson jamboree!

I think the lid is back on the tea pot and the tempest has been quelled.

At first it seemed really Racist when the Story first broke, but now that more Facts are being brought to light, I don't know what to make Of it. Unless the Media really fans some flames though, I imagine it will Be soon forgotten.

If anyone were to get belligerent with a police officer there is a good chance that they will be arrested. Race hardly plays a roll as far as that goes.
Officers do not get paid to be abused. They are, however, paid to keep the peace.

I lived and worked in Cambridge for many years at Harvard. I've met Professor Gates on a few occasions and he was always very nice to me though I was not someone who could benefit him in any way (I was a low level employee in another department). I've had interaction with Cambridge cops as well, good and bad, but the most notable was in 1995 when me and a friend came out of a bar and the friend walked the wrong way. When I yelled to him that he was going the wrong way, two cops nearby stopped us, and one of them said "what are you guys fags or something?"

When that is how cops lead off the interaction, it doesn't speak well for tolerance on that police force. I don't know officer Crowley and there are many accounts of him being a good cop but the focal point here is not race relations.

It is not a crime to argue or make smart remarks to a cop. Privately or publicly. It is not a crime to ask for a badge number. It is not a crime to threaten to file a complaint. Though rude, it is not illegal to make fun of or refer to a police officer's mother. These are all actions that are within a citizens rights and none of them warrant an arrest. Once it was ascertained that Professor Gates was in his own home and required no police intervention, it was incumbent upon the officers to leave professor Gates's property.

However you want to characterize professor Gate's behavior, rude, arrogant, childish, brave, foolish, mean, etc. It was not illegal. Police are given the authority to exercise force on behalf of a free society and therefore they are required to exercise restraint, not private citizens. If people are trained to be submissive to police no matter what, what sort shadow of free society is that? How many times does this same scenario play out where the "perpetrator", black or white, is arrested and has no recourse? We're only seeing this because the disorderly conduct "perpetrator" is a world renown scholar and has the President and Oprah in his Rolodex.

When good cops resort to arresting citizens because they don't like a citizens tone or words, what does that tell us about the society in general? President Obama is right that this is stupid, but not because Professor gates was black, rather because police should not feel like they have the ability to arrest someone to quell dissent. That notion is stupid, frightening and sad.

Every incident that involves Black people and White people must be racism on the part of the White person. That’s the default position most Blacks hold in this country, and that’s what we saw in Gates, only it seems that he really really dislikes white cops.

Honestly, I really hate the police but it seems that they were following standard protocol. I also hate elitists so couple that w/my dislike for police, my solution is that I think Gates and that officer should just slow dance to Boston's own Boston's 'More than a Feeling.'