You know who was upset about Obama saying the Cambridge police acted "stupidly"?

[scheming daemons]

Those Americans that cling to religion and guns...


...you know... the teapartiers....


...you know... the red-staters that voted for McCain and will never vote for Obama, no matter what... ever.


...you know... the people I couldn't give two shits about anymore. The irrelevant redneck racist birthers who are disproportionately represented in places like Kentucky, Tennessee, and other appalachian places. (I know this, because I live in the "capital of Appalachia", Pittsburgh).


I don't care that these stars-and-bars-flying, NASCAR-watching, bible-clinging, gun-toting, illiterate racist pricks are upset that Obama said the police acted "stupidly".

You know why?

Because the police did act stupidly. And how do I know this?

Because the Cambridge police dropped the charges and issued an apology.




I'm a white guy who lives in Appalachia and I know these people. A lot of them are my relatives.
They'll be spouting off on right-wing radio for the next several days about how Obama "disrespected police officers everywhere".

No... he called out the Cambridge police for acting stupid... when they indeed acted stupid.

[BlooInBloo]

1. I wonder if Obama ever had any run-ins with the Cambridge cops.

[HopeOverFear]

5. That's exactly what I said to my mother just now

He probably had a scuffle or two with them also.

[Lorax7844]

46. but you know who loses with this distraction, ALL OF US!

[The Doctor.]

18. Very high chance of that.

Love Cambridge. Harvard square is great for people-watching.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

2. The police will think twice before racial profiling

that goes for police all over the land. You have your orders. No racial profiling!

[MercutioATC]

9. I don't believe this had anything to do with racial profiling.

The officer's actions (while they may have been inappropriate) were due to Gates' behavior, not his race.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

11. I don't know

that happens too much around this town

[uponit7771]

15. After he showed ID this issue should've been closed and it wasn't, after ID I would've been pissed 2

[MercutioATC]

19. Here's how a lot of cops (justifiably) would have handled things:

Police respond to a complaint of a possible break-in. They approach the door and notice a mark that indicates a possible break-in (shoe print on the door). They knock and a man answers. They ask him to step outside and he refuses. They ask him for identification and he says he'll go get it...and closes the door and walks away.

The preceding is exactly what happened according to Gates' own statements. Starting from this point, the police would have been completely justified in forcing open the door and restraining Gates until ascertaining his identity. They didn't.

Yes, arresting him may have been inappropriate, but Gates' actions certainly were unwise, too.

[uponit7771]

25. You're leaving out the part where Gates showed his ID and they arrested him AFTER he showed it to...

...them.

I do think that fact is germaine to the situation

[MercutioATC]

27. Actually my point is moot because Gates' account was apparently not complete.

According to Gates' attorney, the officer DID follow Gates inside to retrieve his ID...which would make the whole "forcing the door and restraining Gates" thing kind of unnecessary.

[MADem]

28. The uppity professor showed TWO IDs--and that still wasn't enough for the SGT.

A Harvard photo ID and a valid MA driver's license with a photo of the professor, his name, and the address of the house they were standing in imprinted thereon.

[hedgehog]

17. If Gates were white, the officer would never have behaved in a way

resulting in Gates getting angry. The officer called in back-up from Cambridge and Harvard security after he saw Gates' ID!

[MercutioATC]

23. I disagree,

By Gates' own statement, he refused to step outside when asked to and closed the door on the officer and walked away to get his ID.

In a situation where Gates could have been an intruder, I'd argue that the officer showed an unwise excess of restraint by not forcing the door open and restraining Gates before he could walk away.

[AuntPatsy]

31. thats fact

[MADem]

26. No, they weren't. nt

[Fire1]

3. Don't fool yourself. There are some dumb ass Dems

who'll be saying the same thing.

[scheming daemons]

4. Those are the ones that voted for McCain....

...

[elleng]

6. Gates didn't say they acted 'stupidly,' I think.

Said he's glad they attended to questionable stuff going on at his house. SO, initially at least, they weren't 'stupid.' Just after they were offered his i.d., and THEN arrested him?

[uponit7771]

16. RIGHT!!! After showing them ID I'd be pissed to the point of wanting to sue also

[AuntPatsy]

7. such is true

[MercutioATC]

8. Gates "acted stupidly" too.

Not supporting their decision to arrest Gates, but Gates (by his own admission) viewed this as a racial and/or authoritarian issue from the moment the police knocked on his door.

Gates made this situation a lot more difficult than it had to be...and the police reacted to that inappropriately (using Gates' own statements as the sole evidence).

http://www.theroot.com/views/skip-gates-speaks?page=0,0

[Solomon]

10. Aw please. Get off it. The man was in his own damn home.

Enough with the bullshit.

All he did was ask for the motherfucker's name.

[MercutioATC]

13. True, but the police didn't know that. They were responding to a complaint of a possible break-in.

As I said, (even solely using Gates' version of events) BOTH parties acted inappropriately.

[MADem]

29. They DID know it. They knew it as soon as he showed them TWO IDs. nt

[countingbluecars]

14. Are you a black man?

I'm betting he has good reason to view this as a racial issue.

[MercutioATC]

20. I posted this above...I'll post it again.

Police respond to a complaint of a possible break-in. They approach the door and notice a mark that indicates a possible break-in (shoe print on the door). They knock and a man answers. They ask him to step outside and he refuses. They ask him for identification and he says he'll go get it...and closes the door and walks away.

The preceding is exactly what happened according to Gates' own statements. Starting from this point, the police would have been completely justified in forcing open the door and restraining Gates until ascertaining his identity. They didn't.

Gates' actions were suspicious and his accusations of racism no doubt pissed the cop off. I don't support the decision to arrest him, but the request for ID was valid (not racially motivated) and the arrest was because Gates was being an ass (not racially motivated).

[MADem]

30. Because burglars are typically elderly men using canes. Please. nt

[AuntPatsy]

22. I dont agree,

[TheKentuckian]

47. SO THE FUCK WHAT?!?

The cop is there in the official capacity, once his obligation to duty is met then he is obligated to get the fuck outta Dodge. I fail to see why Gates' demeanor or lack of courtesy is relevant. All I see is a public employee who like his brothers and sisters fails to understand his place or the behavior of a public servant entrusted with peacekeeping.

[billyoc]

12. Bingo.

[Uzybone]

21. Do not forget the ones who said Michelle was "angry"

and wondered why she didn't love America.

[Cha]

24. I bet glen beck, lou dobbs,

limpdick, hannity, etc, etc, etc..are shitting brickloads right now.

Fuck 'em if they handle the truth.

[mrbarber]

44. And don't forget MercutioATC..

Who thinks Gates was in the wrong.

[angee_is_mad]

32. Don't forget Bitter Americans

who are upset with Uppity Negroes.

[Hosnon]

33. I think Obama was unjustified. nt.

[scheming daemons]

34. Why?

[Hosnon]

35. Because he is the President. Upon further review,

I think that I was wrong and that race played a significant role in this. However, tact is tact.

[scheming daemons]

36. tact is tact..... but truth is truth

[Hosnon]

37. And red is red.

Do you go around telling nothing but the truth, consequences be damned? Obama certainly doesn't, because he's smarter than that.

Edit: And, by the way, good job missing the olive branch.

[scheming daemons]

38. I happen to think Obama showed great restraint in his answer...

...it was professorial, with the exception of the word "stupidly".

we just disagree, that's all. Didn't miss any "olive branch"... I'm not fighting with you.

[Hosnon]

39. Right. His response was good, except for "stupidity". What was the original question? nt.

[scheming daemons]

40. Questioner asked him for his reaction to Gates arrest.....

...so he gave his reaction.

[Hosnon]

41. No, I meant your original question. Which was: "Why?"

To my assertion that his calling the actions "stupid" was unjustified...with which you agreed.

[mrbarber]

45. The actions of the officer were stupid enough...

That not only were all files dropped, but an apology was issued.

An apology. You know, an admittance of incorrect behavior. Behavior that could be classified as "stupid", seeing as how much time and manpower went into handling this case.

And keep the olive branch. I'm not interested in your apologist attitudes and your hand wringing for "tact". Truth is truth. Don't like it, go bury your head in the sand.

[Forkboy]

42. Rex_Goodheart

[Number23]

43. Yep!! lolol And DoctorNoEyes

[laureloak]

48. I'm not one of those guys yet I thought BO was totally uncool. nt