Was Dr. Henry Louis Gates,Jr Racially Profiled?!

Huh. My Momma always told me to know my lawyer's number by heart.

 

Has anyone seen the camera phone pix of Gates in cuffs?

 

his story is making headlines now, as he was/is featured on msn et al front page. They're using the camera phone imagery that you mentioned.

 

Yeah...ok. I never said it was impossible that the Dr. Gates was at fault. I just thought that it was highly unlikely that he conducted himself in the manner described a the police report, and I also took issue with the posters who assumed that the police report represented a neutral, unbiased account of what actually took place.

 

I've had a few experiences like that myself, so I also empathize with Dr. Gates. When I was a kid, my family lived in predominately white suburbs in Texas. I never really had any trouble until I turned 16 and my parents bought me a brand new truck. I was pulled over in our neighborhood about 15 times in first six months that I had it. Usually, they just checked my license, insurance and registration and let me go after they where satisfied that it was my vehicle, but there were a couple of instances where the cops issued stern warnings about me "screwing around in the neighborhood" and said they would be keeping an eye on me.

The worst incident happened one day when I came home from high school in the early afternoon. My senior year, I had several off periods, so I only went to class from 8:30 until noon. After I parked in the driveway, I heard someone behind me yell "what are doing here." I turned around to see a cop walking down the driveway in my direction. He starting barking a series of questions about what I was doing in the neighborhood and who my truck belonged to. When I reached for my wallet to show him my driver's license, he put is hand on his gun and told me to keep my hands out of my pockets and to stand still. Luckily, a woman who lived next door and had been watching the incident came onto our property and told the cop that I did indeed live there. Shorty afterward, two more officers pulled up in front of my house. One of them, who was a sergeant, took my driver's license, ran my name to see if I had any warrants, gave me a condescending lecture about truancy and driving safely in "nice neighborhoods" and then told me that I was free to go inside. My father went to the police substation located near our house for an explanation of what took place a few days later and was presented with an incident report in which the the officer who initially confronted me claimed that he came onto our property because he had observed me driving around slowly as if were casing houses in the neighborhood and claimed that I had rushed at him in a threatening manner and cursed at him when he got out of his car to question me.

After this incident, my father, who was a practicing attorney at the time, persuaded a police captain with whom he was well acquainted to have a conversation with the commander of our local precinct and there weren't any other incidents while I was living in that neighborhood.

 

This police officer has a great reputation and is known for his fairness. Hand-picked by the former Cambridge Police Commissioner (black guy) to be the instructor on racial-profiling at the police academy.
The police responded to a call from neighbors that two black men were breaking in. (I would like to see an interview with that person--is it common to break in from the front door, and they don't know their own neighbor).

Dr Gates should have cooperated peacefully with the police.
By the way, there was a black police officer at the scene of the arrest so if profiling went on, he was a party to it.

CBQ, I guess you'll be taking a dump on this black police officer as well which is arguably at least as offensive as an arrest and release.

 

There's so much to take in account to make a judgement on whether or not Prof Gates was treated with fairness. The more is posted the clearer the picture becomes but fact is none of us was there and none have all background knowledge to make a 100% accurate judgement

 

I believe a police office is REQUIRED to give his badge number to any citizen to asks for it - not sure about Cambridge law, but in NY that is the case. Not that you have much recourse if an officer - who has all the power - refuses. So that's a BIG HINT to me, that the officer would not identify himself, even after he knew he was dealing with the owner of the house. Why, if he was 100% behaving according to protocol, would he refuse? In fact, that he DIDN'T identify himself speaks volumes. Police officers in my city have been known to put tape over their badges in (for example) potential crowd/riot situations - especially in minority neighborhoods. Sad to say, but very true.

No one is saying ALL police officers are corrupt or liars. But the history of unequal treatment of blacks - even by black officers or those who knee-jerk take the side of law enforcement - is there. A rational look at the facts will acknowledge that there are coverups and so forth that happen on a frequent basis. If some choose not to see it, well maybe an incident like this is a good thing, because it forces people to SEE, to question, and to debate what is going on.

The officer won't admit he went too far, and the system is set up so that he CAN'T admit this kind of human error. It's a shame. One would hope there would be an attitude of "let's find out what went wrong here so it doesn't happen again," from someone who supposedly was involved in anti-profiling activities in the department.

 

Momma was protecting her boy from harm she knew might come to him if he stood up for himself - even if justified, it would be seen as "mouthing off," considering the history behind this.

I'm so surprised at your jumping to defend the cops in this situation. What evidence do you have that Dr. Gates "mouthed off?"

And even if he did display anger, are you suggesting this elderly scholar is a "boy" who should just keep his mouth shut around authority?

 

Jim CROWley

Has anyone else noticed the irony that the police officer's name is ...

wait for it ...


Jim Crow-ley?

 

I'm quick to advocate for the cops, because everyone else is quick to advocate for Dr Gates. What evidence do you have, that he wasn't disturbing the peace, other than the fact that he's an elderly scholar?

That's what I thought.

 

Most of all this was a serious political gaffe for Obama. I am waiting for comparisons to be drawn between Dr. Gates and Rev. Wright.

It will happen.

 

basically...

Obama did state that this guy was a friend of his (harvard after all), and pretty much took Gate's side in the matter (without knowing the facts).

If the facts came out and stated that Gates overreacted and pulled the race card without warrant.......

hmmm

-do we still want black people in the white house, or have they really set back their race relations with this incident?

 

No offense, but that doesn't make any sense what so ever, how would a black family being voted in the white house set black people back? The people being racist,(policemen, republikkkans etc etc) were racist before Obama, they are still racist while Obama is now in office and will be racist when Obama leaves the white house? What happened to Gates happened and happens to many blacks every day, whether Obama is President or not has no barrings on this or other racial incidents.

 

Um ... isn't this America? Dr. Gates is not under obligation to prove he was NOT disturbing the peace. The police are under obligation to prove he WAS. A little document called the Bill of Rights ...? Hello????

 

What???

 

For those who didn't catch it, the italicized words likely indicate what POJ supposes others may be thinking in the circumstances described

 

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) — A black police officer who was at Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s home when the black Harvard scholar was arrested says he fully supports how his white fellow officer handled the situation.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-ap-us-harvard-scholar-arresting-officer,0,4731766.story

 

They are all going to the White House for beer. artyman:

Alcohol is ALWAYS the answer

 

"Damage Control."