Bottom Line: Would a white Harvard professor been arrested and led out of his house in handcuffs?

[flpoljunkie]

I don't think so.

Plus, if Professor Gates arrest was so legitimate, why were the charges subsequently dropped?

[CakeGrrl]

1. No. But the funny thing about the President's statement is

that the MSM and the Police are conflating his comments about race with the Gates arrest.

The President clearly said "SEPARATE AND APART" from the Gates arrest before he made his comments about profiling.

The act he correctly characterized as stupid was that of proceeding to arrest an elderly man in his home after he proved he was the rightful occupant of that home. He didn't mention race in that scenario at all.

But ironically, I do agree with your assertion.

[AuntPatsy]

3. Good post....

[dsc]

2. true

but a white minimum wage worker in a trailer park might have been. My best guess is that the officer involved has issues with people not "respecting his authority" as Cartman might say. I suspect that a poor white person who didn't repect his authority might well have found himself in a jail cell too.

[Bluerthanblue]

4. which is a kind of predjuce isn't it? and an abuse of authority?

because he carries a gun and can arrest you should a PO be allowed to treat people poorly? I know at least one officer who would disagree with that mentality.

[Rebubula]

5. As...

...best stated by The Drive By Truckers....'to the fucking rich man all poor people look the same'

[dsc]

7. I am certainly not saying it was right

I would think a comparision to Cartman would show that, but I do think that class can be an issue with police behavior as well.

[Bluerthanblue]

8. sorry DSC i'm

not all that savvy. I don't know who Cartman is. I didn't mean my reply as an attack on you. I apologize for the intensity of my comment, this whole issue makes me very angry, and I've let it get the better of me.

:hi:

[dsc]

11. Southpark is where Cartman comes from

he is the horrible kid of the bunch. As to the rest no worries.

[busymom]

6. Yes, if they were being belligerent...and one of my

neighbors (a white woman) was arrested on her front porch several years ago for becoming unruly when questioned by police about whether or not her teen-age daughter had been at home. Her daughter was reported to have been inside of a home under construction with another neighbor and damage was done. It was a simple q and a and she acted like a real dumb butt. Totally deserved it, imo. Of course, the arresting officers were male, so...maybe it was misogyny...

[Bluerthanblue]

9. in the incident you refer to

there was the issue of an actual crime having been committed. If the woman was hiding someone suspected of committing a crime and wouldn't co-operate with the police she ran the risk of being arrested for aiding and abetting. Prof. Gates was in his OWN home, lawfully, did not do anything wrong, was able to produce Photo ID to confirm his identity and his right to be there, so what 'crime' was he potentially 'guilty' of?

Being a Police officer doesn't give you license to be an asshole. Or at least it shouldn't. If Crowley couldn't handle the anger Gates displayed without arresting him, I have to question his ability as someone given responsibility for defusing potentially volatile situations. There is a protocol most effective Police Officers employ when faced with citizens who are agitated and upset. I don't believe Sgt.Crowley exercised it. Epic fail on his part. And he was the one "in control".

:shrug:

[AuntPatsy]

13. dont bother, I believe not a word from that one....

[SemiCharmedQuark]

10. Except that the fact that your neighbor was impeding the investigation of a crime changes things.

Here, there was no crime as Gates had already proved he lived at the house.

[DevonRex]

19. Complete and total bullshit. Again. nt

[Thrill]

12. Not a chance if this was Larry Summers he would have been arrested

[angee_is_mad]

14. Nope

and crowley would have apologize.

[RollWithIt]

15. I know this is an unpopular answer, but yes....

In fact, thousands of white men, along with black men, are arrested in their homes every year.

[Thothmes]

16. depends on how much lip he gave to the cops.

[Wednesdays]

17. K&R

:kick:

[DrToast]

18. What if the cop was black?

Hmmm? Then what?