Black cop at Gates home regrets 'Uncle Tom' label

[masuki bance]

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — A black sergeant who was at the home of Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. when he was arrested says he's been maligned as an "Uncle Tom" for supporting the actions of the white arresting officer.

Cambridge Sgt. Leon Lashley gave a letter to Sgt. James Crowley to give to President Barack Obama during their so-called beer summit with Gates on Thursday night at the White House.

In the letter, which was also sent to CNN, Lashley says Gates "may have caused grave and potentially irreparable harm to the struggle for racial harmony."

Lashley says he has become known as a traitor to his heritage by some because he "spoke the truth" about the arrest.

Gates was charged with disorderly conduct by police investigating a burglary. The charge was later dropped.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ilL8UZM0O1LZ4ebniMofKn3_M-SAD99P2S5G0

video here- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oP7ujiJ1Sjs

[democracy1st]

1. he hasn't stopped for once and said the arrest was bs just like the Pres

getting involved with this sh..

[pecwae]

2. Why should he say it

if he doesn't believe it? Why should black people be required to act and think in lockstep?

[Thothmes]

8. self deleted

[democracy1st]

10. you're asking the wrong person about that you better go back and research my stance on the issue

[Aramchek]

20. do you really think he would have arrested Gates if he had been the first cop on the scene?

[masuki bance]

5. Does that mean he's an Uncle Tom? nt

[democracy1st]

9. whats a uncle tom ?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

17. A literary character.

An ineffectual coward who can't and won't stand up to authority.

The sort of person the people who are mad at Gates wish he was.

[masuki bance]

23. ...

...Uncle Tom, the title character, was initially seen as a noble, long-suffering Christian slave. In more recent years, however, his name has become an epithet directed towards African-Americans who are accused of selling out to whites (for more on this, see the creation and popularization of stereotypes section). Stowe intended Tom to be a "noble hero"<20> and praiseworthy person. Throughout the book, far from allowing himself to be exploited, Tom stands up for his beliefs and is grudgingly admired even by his enemies...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncle_Tom%27s_Cabin

____________________________________________________________



Urban Dictionary

2. Uncle Tom

A black man who will do anything to stay in good standing with "the white man" including betray his own people

5. Uncle Tom

African American male who kisses the white mans ass.

6. Uncle Tom

A black person that is a white man's bitch

11. Uncle Tom

Bryant Gumbel. Hands down. That's the definition.
Bryant Gumbel is the perfect example of an uncle Tom.
An Uncle Tom is like that Oreo Bryant Gumbel, he's black on the outside, white on the inside.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Uncle%20Tom

[mzteris]

24. if you don't mind my asking

how old are you?

[MADem]

3. He keeps popping up, saying "Looook, loooooook at MEEEEEE!!!!!"

He gave a clumsy statement, then another, then another...if he doesn't want people saying "Hey, asshole, shut up," he should just shut up.

I think people think he's a self-aggrandizing nitwit, not a "traitor." He's a traitor to good taste, I'll allow him that. He's also a traitor to basic intelligence, with his moronic little letter about one of the preeminent scholars in the world.

What, is he pissed that he didn't get to go to the WH? He's got a bad case of "attention deficit" disorder--in that he's not getting the attention he feels is due to him...after all, he's in the PICTURE!!

Sheesh.

[Solomon]

4. Rosa Parks "caused grave and irreparable harm to the

struggle for racial harmony". So did King and everybody else who upset the status quo.

What an idiot.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

6. Why does everybody keep maligning poor Uncle Tom?

He was a responsible, civil person who didn't shoot his mouth off like that uppity, tumultuous jerk Eliza.

[Cha]

7. Fuck that hyperbolic noise..

He's a policeman with a Pension to protect..he's not going to start shit with the Dept.

[JI7]

11. yup, just look at how that other cop had no issues using the term "jungle monkey"

to attack Gates.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

12. But *GATES* did irreparable harm to racial harmony

What a completely idiotic thing to say.

"Irreparable harm". Really. Then the Amadou Diallo case must have completely killed and buried any chance of racial harmony since that was a thousand times worse than this.

I can't believe someone would write that and think it was such an awesome letter that they'd better send a copy to CNN as well as the president.

[firedupdem]

13. +1

Because he's an attention seeking dumb ass.

[hileeopnyn8d]

14. I'm beginning to think

everyone is just looking for a beer at the White House. That's my new term for 15 minutes of fame.

[Cha]

16. It's starting to look

like.

[Phx_Dem]

22. No shit. And for people who claim to be upset about all the racial

tension this story has created, they sure do seem to be driving it, don't they? Just when you thought it was dead, someone brings in up again.

[EFerrari]

29. According to the Southern Law Poverty Center, racial tension is on the uptick

in this country. This story didn't create it, it just brought it to the surface.

[MadBadger]

15. Other people called him an "uncle Tom," so therefore Gates has caused irreparable harm...

to the struggle for racial harmony. That all makes perfect sense











:sarcasm:

[Cali_Democrat]

18. Lashley is one of the biggest cowards in this whole incident

I hope he suffers irreparable mental harm.

Fucking COWARD.

[Tarheel_Dem]

19. I expect Lashley to become a regular on Fox. They just love his kind over there.

Maybe he'll get the 15 minutes he's desperately seeking.

[angee_is_mad]

25. Another handkerchief

and that kelly woman will probably be on there also. Those two will give the black perspective for faux news:sarcasm:

[Tarheel_Dem]

26. Don't you just love how some of us allow ourselves to be exploited?

I could care less what either of these fools has to say. :fistbump:

[Phx_Dem]

21. Blah blah blah. I thought we'd heard the last of this story.

Sounds like someone else didn't get enough attention. I suppose he's pissed because he didn't get invited to the WH for beer.

[boppers]

27. Uncle Tom was a martyr.

Sadly, a great many people who throw around the label don't understand the story.

[BluegrassDem]

28. The fact that he didn't even know who Henry Louis Gates is reason enough

to call him an Uncle Tom. How could you be a black cop in Cambridge and not even heard of Henry Louis Gates? The man has been all over TV on varying documentaries, TV shows, written books, and everything. If you're an educated African-American in this country that cares about reading anything about your history, you'll know Mr. Gates.