Prof. Gates' arrest demonstrates that President Obama has NOT "ushered in a post-racial America"

[Empowerer]

Of course, President Obama has never claimed such a thing, but many, many people assume that his election means that America has absolved itself of its wretched racial history. I think that anyone who has been paying attention knows this not to be true, but this incident should remind all but the most clueless among us that race and racism are still an issue in this America. We're certainly making progress, but we still have a ways to go.

[MUAD_DIB]

1. Has it been confirmed that race was a deciding factor in Prof. Gates arrest?

[uponit7771]

5. Of course, the cops said they were stopping him outside of his house because

...he's black and the next time he looks at a white women or some shit he should just go hang himself.

They put it on mobile VCR and sent it in to HQ ...

Come on man, do we REALLY have to go through this?

[MUAD_DIB]

11. Come on man, don't be an absolutist.

Yes. We do have to go through this!

Why can't I ever get a strait answer on DU without the 'Of course the cop was a racist! He's white ain't he??' drama?


Go ahead now make some baseless accusation about me and my motives. It's all the rage here.

[applegrove]

2. You know if it was deemed the USA was post racial and nothing racial

ever happened after that statement was made it wouldn't be a good thing. For it to be a real change examples need to be made of when racists acts take place. Acts such as this (if it is a racial incident I don't know enough to say it is) or the swimming pool incident go on all the time. It is simply the way the whole country (well not the freepers) are reacting to these events, with outrage, which makes it post racial. People learn knew behaviours by observation and internalizing lessons. We need this post racial America to be the real thing. So it will be a process the whole time Obama is in power and beyond. But the new norm hopefully will be a distaste for all things racist in the future by the vast majority of people.

[leftyclimber]

3. I'm glad to see you posting more, Empowerer.

(a) I learn from you every time you type something, as a mixed-race girl denied her Native American heritage (my grandma grew up on the rez, but I am fair skinned and can pass, and my brown dad will not share with me, no matter how much I ask). If you saw pictures of my gramma, you'd know that I come from the rainbow, even if all I have to show for it is freckles. ;)

(b) you don't post unless it means something.

Either way, you live up to your name. It makes me feel strong to be a woman and a human being of more than one culture. Please keep posting. You teach us. Thank you.

[Empowerer]

12. Thank you so much, Lefty - that is a lovely thing to say and I really appreciate it.

[Hekate]

4. The only ones who really thought so were TV talking heads--white talking heads...

Oh looky, we no longer need Affirmative Action, we no longer need to pay attention to black or brown poverty or schools or the disparate arrest records of youths of color. Because we are now "post-racial."

Twaddle.

Hekate

[bluestateguy]

6. Tell me about it

President Obama's daughters can board Air Force One, but they would be disallowed from entering a certain country club in the Philly area based on their race.

[Empowerer]

8. And their father, were he not the most recognizable man in the world, would still have trouble

getting a cab after dark and, before he became such, probably conditioned himself to never make any sudden moves or mouth off at the cops when they pulled him over for DWB.

And being followed around by Secret Service agents probably isn't all that foreign to him since, as a black man in America, he was probably quite used to being followed around and watched by law enforcement types . . .

[quantass]

7. It was definitely Racial Profiling -- now that i read the case.

That's pretty bad but i think this is always going to occur for a long long time. You are correct in saying that anyone who justifies Obama as a new post-racial America is defintitely living in a fantasy world. Things are better but it will take time before things are right.

[Colobo]

9. There is still a lot that needs to happen

before we achieve racial equality. We are getting there, but there is still a lot to do.

[burning rain]

10. Not so many people went that far, other than opportunistic Republicans.

~

[Honeycombe8]

13. I don't know how you get that.

I don't see that race was involved, except that Gates and other black people are sensitive to being stopped by cops, etc. But as for the facts in this particular case, I don't see that race had anything to do w/it.

Gates was breaking into his own home, not having his keys. An observant neighbor or someone calls in a "possible break-in." Gives a description, including what he's wearing and that he's black. (That's a description...not a derogatory racial remark.) Cop shows up. Gates is angry from the get-go. Cop says show proof he lives there, and he'll be on his way (cop has to do that, I assume; they're not supposed to take the word of someone meeting a physical description that they are not, in fact, a burglar). Gates refuses to show ID or proof. So cop can't leave. Gates gets somewhat more irate, it seems? Asks cop for badge # and name, and says something like "YOu don't know who you're dealing with!" (meaning, I'm an important person! Much more important than the likes of YOU.)

Finally Gates shows ID. Which is what he should've done to begin with, after thanking the cop for following up on a possible break-in at his home.

Why cop arrests Gates at that point is unclear. I haven't heard the facts that lead to the arrest.

[Karenina]

14. Gates show ID. END OF STORY.

Leave irate man in peace and go away. ID established. Mission accomplished. But NOOOOO...
EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU WHO TRY TO MAKE ANYTHING OF SKIP DID IN HIS OWN HOUSE HAVE ALREADY SPIRITUALLY RELINQUISHED YOUR OWN CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS in bashing what you perceive as an UPPITY NEGRO. You are also "acting stupidly" in doing so.