Does this last week mean white people will STOP telling people of color to "Get Over It"?

[Ken Burch]

There was nothing more sickening in the last campaign than white pundits saying, over and over again, that Barack Obama had to avoid, at all cost, ever expressing anger over racism, as if any white person was ever entitled to tell any person of color that she or he was not entitled to the feelings they had about this country and its history. Are we finally going to be past that now? Will what happened to Dr. Gates mean, if nothing else, that our own PARTY will stop telling the Rainbow to "be quiet and know your place"? Or at least stop saying that to our own PRESIDENT? Will this country finally be able to get real about all of this?

...Just wonderin'...

[drm604]

1. Well, this white person has never told anybody to "get over it",

but I doubt that the people who have been saying it will stop. There were plenty of incidents before Gates and that didn't stop them. I'm not sure what will.

[Raineyb]

2. Considering some of the posts out there making excuses for Crowley

and looking to blame the good professor for what happened, I'd have to say no. White people will not stop telling people of color to get over it any more than they will admit that there's still racism in this country.

[Jennicut]

3. Sadly, there are many here even on DU.

There still needs to be a discussion about it in this country.

[Flying Dream Blues]

10. Yes, all the reverse racism BS...it's pretty discouraging to see. nt

[Leo The Cleo]

7. Because Some DUers Think That Blacks Have Thier Place

I've said on many occasions that this "get over it" crap that white dems pull is just another side of bigotry. There are people who are genuinely upset over events that happen to people of color in this country and they are immediately told to shut up in some form or fashion. The point is that bigots come in various shapes and sizes. No republican owns the mold. There are Crowley apologists because they believe that Crowley (a republican who voted for McCain even when McCain had bigots and bigoted content spewed at his rallies) was right. Why did they think he was right? Because in their minds blacks have a place (and its not at the table with the rest everyone else).

When prop 8 came out, blacks got a mighty finger pointed at them. It was unfair and unjust. Certainly not "ALL" blacks voted it down. But DUers pointed that big finger. Today some DUers assert that Crowley was right and the gov't has a right to arrest a man who broke no laws in his home. Some of us didn't like it, and some white DUers gave us the proverbial finger. The fact is that blacks will constantly be told to shut up when we feel a racial slight. Such is the way of the world and many white DUers don't care.

[LooseWilly]

29. Uhhmmm.... really?

In your mind the LGBT community and the Crowley's of the world ought to be lumped together? The LGBT community gives a "mighty finger", and the "arrest black folk if they talk back to the cops" folk give the "proverbial finger"?...

Really?

Just out of curiosity, is the "mighty finger" worse than the "proverbial finger"? Cause... "mighty" seems like a stronger adjective to choose than "proverbial"... which makes me think that you're really trying to "color" the frustrated rage of a community that had the right to get married taken away from them in California as actually a greater affront to the black community than having black folk hauled off to jail for raising their voices to the cops...

Really?

So... what?... should I assume that if only the LGBT community would stop reacting to poll stats... then the black community would be fine with having black folk hauled off to jail for raising their voices to the cops?... I mean, asking for everything NOW would be... what?... demanding a pony?... is that the phrase?...

[slackmaster]

4. Hanging a particular attitude on all white people is racist

K&U

:kick:

[Ken Burch]

19. OK, then...will the white people who have said minorities should "get over it" stop saying it?

Is it possible that this will be a time when all white people will finally admit that people of color have a right to their feelings about history and their own daily reality?

[slackmaster]

21. Dividing the world into "white people" and "people of color" is still racist

:hi:

Not all racists are white.

[Ken Burch]

22. I made the distinction in that last post of "the white people who DO say those things"

That was very different from ALL white people, and you know it.

Now will you give this a rest?

:eyes:

[slackmaster]

23. What about Asians who say those things? Hispanics? Arabs? Native Americans? And so on.

Why are you singling out white people?

[Ken Burch]

25. Because of their dominance

And because it was their insistence that people who aren't white(which includes members of the groups you listed)should "get over it" and "stop being angry" that matters.

And, since I am white, I have every right to call out my own race on this if I feel its necessary.

[slackmaster]

32. Please speak for yourself

A lot of your fellow white people are not racists and haven't ever told anyone to get over it or to stop being angry.

[Ken Burch]

36. And I made it very clear that not all white people are

You do realize, though, that it is kind of disturbing that you're so concerned about the delicate feelings of the dominant race. When it comes to discussions of race, white people will NEVER have the right to claim victimhood. Especially white GENTILES. Nothing has happened to us or ever could happen to us that could possibly be the equivalent of the Trail of Tears(and the rest of the Native American genocide)slavery, OR the Holocaust.

Please stop trying to claim a status you will never be entitled to. When it comes to this issue, our place will always be to listen, learn, and change not to feel sorry for ourselves.

[niceypoo]

41. Victimhood perpetuates racism

Victim hood is a product of ignorance
Threads pushing 'whitey' stereotypes do absolutely nothing to but incite racial tension, which is their intent
Education is the only thing that will change race perceptions and that goes for all races, blacks included.
A persons level of bigotry is inversely proportional to the parents level of college education. Parents who go to college raise kids who are not bigots.

Obama is right, everything hinges on education

[M0rpheus]

5. Survey Says.... NO.

The attempt to shut down discussions of race, will continue unabated.

We've had several opportunities here, The "Better union" speech, prop 8, the "apology" for slavery, the Gates incident. In each of these cases and, I'm sure a few others, a small but vocal group of people come out with reasons why it just couldn't be as *we, who experience it daily*, see it.

[Honeycombe8]

6. I don't know what you think "happened" to Dr. Gates. But what "happened" to the officer is

that he did his job in following up on a call-in of a possible break-in, and he was verbally attacked immediately as a "racist," called names, and was met with refusals for his request to show some ID or state whether anyone else was in the house.

Gates was clearly the one who was racist. All the officers did was show up to investigate a possible break-in and follow procedure in asking for ID, etc.

[Flying Dream Blues]

9. Officer Crowley, maybe you could share more of your story when you get a chance. nt

[Honeycombe8]

11. You need to ask the other two officers (who are minorities) who were there w/me. nt

[inthebrain]

12. Wrong!!!

Gates shows his ID.

After that is should have ended with an "I'm sorry" on the part of Crowley.

Crowely was refused to give gates HIS id (badge number and card) and tryed to get Gates on a disorderly charge on Gates's own property.

The only racist here is you as it seems you don't like the idea of a "uppity" black guy. Calling a cop a racist is not against the law and cops aren't allowed to arrest people cause their feelings are hurt.

[Leo The Cleo]

13. Cops Can DO Whatever They Want As Long As The Person Is Black

[Ken Burch]

17. NOTHING actually happened to the officer. Sgt. Crowley has no claim to victimhood

He knew he should just have apologized and left when Dr. Gates(and, for the love of god, use the man's academic title, you would do so if he were white)produced his id and proved the house was his. All Crowley had to do at that moment was say "sorry, didn't mean to bother you, just had to make sure things were ok. Good evening sir" as he would have done with ANY white person in the same situation, and this would have been a non-story.

[EFerrari]

20. Boy, how pathetic is that.

[LooseWilly]

30. How is it that the police should not be ready for the possibility of this sort of "reaction"?

I mean, if someone can't handle the possibility of facing "abuse", in the form of potentially harsh language, while investigating/enforcing laws and complaints that come from a general population that might reflect inherently racist attitudes of the society at large... if someone can't handle the possibility of facing the harsh language that ensues- maybe that person shouldn't be a cop in the first place... like people that can't cope with drunks really shouldn't take jobs as bartenders.

Gates' response was similar to the one I would have... but he had the extra "baggage" of a history of oppression of black folk to cope with... which might've influenced the reaction that he had... but the notion that his being aware of that extra context for his interaction with the police making him racist is absolutely fucking ridiculous. Asking for ID might be standard procedure... but arresting a homeowner for breaking the lock on his front door and being loud in wanting the cops to leave him/her the fuck alone about it is NOT standard procedure...

[winyanstaz]

38. The officer did NOT do his job...nor is is wrong of Gates to be upset...

AFTER he proved he lived there..he was STILL treated harshly and had a RIGHT to tell that officer to fuck off at that point.
In case you missed it..it is NOT against the law to use free speech or to be upset or even verbally abusive to a police officer, expecially in your own home after the officer should be leaving and apoligizing.
We dont hear about people that talk back much because of all the violence and arrests that cops do to people who happen to get upset when abused. Most people are just too afraid to say anything.
Gates was arrested for the crime of being rude to a cop while being black...sheesh..if that isnt enough..the officer then LIED about it.

[winyanstaz]

39. I guessed you MISSED the part where Gates showed TWO forms of id...

at that point the officer should have apoligized and left.

[fishwax]

8. alas, there were far too many posts saying pretty much that in response to the Gates situation

x(

[justiceischeap]

14. Right around the time straight people stop telling GAY people to "Get over it!" nt

[Ken Burch]

18. Sadly, you're probably right.

n/t.

[mitchtv]

26. Oh, but that's

different :sarcasm:

[Ken Burch]

28. I hope you're not assuming that I'd have a double standard like that.

n/t.

[mitchtv]

33. no

[AspenRose]

15. Nope.

[Karenina]

16. +1

[BlooInBloo]

24. Of course not.

[TheKentuckian]

27. Nope, and they are willing to say it is A-OK to run them to jail for being a law abiding citizen

to make the point that their will be no dropping of the "get over it" line.

They'll pitch heir own rights into the rubbish heap to ensure that no uppity nigger talks out of turn to a "hardworking" cop.

Of course I don't get all of the adulation for the worthless criminal fucks in any event. I guess for many the root is less noxious but even more dangerous as they will insist on refusing to accept systemic and institutionalized problems and effectively writing off such grave concerns as conspiracy theory craziness in order to maintain an image of the world that makes them feel safer.

[vaberella]

31. They'll always tell us to get over when they have our own telling us to get over it. Thanks Ron.

n/t

[burning rain]

34. Definitely not.

If anything, there may be an uptick in "get over it" sentiment among whites post-l'affaire Gates, as whites who want to see no evil re. racism avail themselves of the opportunity to take the part as the whole, and claim that since there isn't evidence Sgt. Crowley was racist, all claims of white racism are false. A predictable, stupid, and often malicious trick.

[question everything]

35. I was not aware that anyone told people of color to "get over it"

though I did not read every single post on DU.

My "problem" was with the President who started by saying that he did not have all the details and then determined that the police acted "stupidly." Either you have the details or you don't. Also, that his animated response put him in a "black president" square, instead of a President who happened to be black (and tall, and Harvard graduate, and born in Hawaii).

Mostly, that this topic, of the last few minutes - remember how he made extra effort to fit the reporter - ended up dominating the news, as well as DU, at the expense of the more important issue of health care reform.

Now, you may think that even covert racial profiling is more important that providing affordable health care to everyone.. and on this issue I strongly disagree.

(I was going to continue my custom to recommend every "less than 0" however I missed the windwo. Sorry about that).

[Solomon]

37. Your head is as hard as a rock. That's a bullshit excuse you're

hanging your hat on. No one needs to know all the facts. You only need to read the police report. You keep yammering about more facts more facts and all the facts coming out are slamming the cop. Now you know he fucking lied.

There is no yelling and screaming on the tape. There was no report of two black males with backpacks. Every day it gets worse for the guy and you still whining about "didn't have all the facts".

Face it. The cop was wrong here, he acted stupidly, and in the process he defamed Gates, who you are all to willing to buy the same ole "angry black male" that works every time.

Face it. You'll feel better.

[niceypoo]

42. This thread is intended as flamebait

Face it. You'll feel better.

[Honeycombe8]

40. I don't see the incident as a white racist cop pulling a # on a black man.

I see it as a paranoid older black gentleman, who visited the sins of others on the white cop standing before him, and the older guy flew off the handle and lost control. Then the cop lost it and arrested him.

If there was racism, I see it as Gates injecting it. He held the cop's race and gender against him. If the main cop had been black, the incident would never have happened. Also, if the main cop had been white, but female, the incident would probably haven't happened.

So the question is....will this incident cause black people to start questioning whether they themselves are racist?

That's how I see it. Two guys got out of control. But race wasn't involved, until Gates called the cop a racist. At least, that's the information I've heard and read so far.