Top black scholar Gates arrested in Mass., suspected of breaking into his own home

[babylonsister]

Top scholar Gates arrested in Mass., claims racism

By MELISSA TRUJILLO (AP) – 51 minutes ago


BOSTON — Henry Louis Gates Jr., the nation's pre-eminent black scholar, is accusing Cambridge police of racism after he was arrested while trying to force open the locked front door of his home near Harvard University.

Cambridge police were called to the home Thursday afternoon after a woman reported seeing a man "wedging his shoulder into the front door as to pry the door open," according to a police report.

An officer ordered the man to identify himself, and Gates refused, according to the report. Gates began calling the officer a racist and said repeatedly, "This is what happens to black men in America."

Officers said they tried to calm down the 58-year-old academic, who responded, "You don't know who you're messing with," according to the police report.

Gates was arrested on a disorderly conduct charge after police said he "exhibited loud and tumultuous behavior." He was released later that day on his own recognizance and arraignment was scheduled for Aug. 26.

more...

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jNR4dcq5sivgbez2rttRVWtTMXoAD99ICMF01

[hedgehog]

1. This should be an Onion spoof, but sadly it isn't.

[AspenRose]

2. Does the woman who reported him, if a neighbor, not know he is her neighbor?

Wish I could say I'm surprised.

He was right, though...they didn't know who they were messing with (not that they care). And I have a feeling he's going to be Cambridge PD's worst nightmare.

"Many of Gates' African-American colleagues believe his arrest is part of a pattern of racial profiling in Cambridge, said Allen Counter, who has taught neuroscience at Harvard for 25 years.

Counter has said he was stopped on campus by two Harvard police officers in 2004 after being mistaken for a robbery suspect. They threatened to arrest him when he could not produce identification.

"We do not believe that this arrest would have happened if professor Gates was white," Counter said. "It really has been very unsettling for African-Americans throughout Harvard and throughout Cambridge that this happened."

Counter said he spoke to Gates, who told him police continued to question him after he showed them his license and Harvard identification.

"They did not believe him when he said that he was in his own home," Counter said. "He was totally mistreated in this incident."

[anigbrowl]

9. Could have been driving past, could have been in the evening

I don't know very many of the people on my own black that well even after living here for 5 years. I doubt I could reliably recognize more than half of them.

Frankly, if you're trying to break into your own house and the cops show up, I don't think it's that unreasonable to pull out your ID and explain you lost your keys (but for whatever reason, haven't seen fit to call a locksmith). I don't think it has anything to do with his being black, if the facts are as reported.

[blogslut]

15. Driving past? In the evening?

Oh, come on.

Who calls the cops because they see some guy working a door while they're driving past @ 20 MPH? And I really don't see what the time of day has to do with anything.

Chances are the person who reported this lives across the street and while I may not know the names of my neighbors, I sure as hell know what they look like.

[anigbrowl]

23. Surely

I don't know what the speed limit is there, but if he was banging on the door while trying to open it (pretty likely, if you've ever had to try this), that might be the sort of thing you'd notice if you were further up the block. Depends how far back the front door is from the road and so on.

I mention the time of day just because it can be harder to see someone properly in the evening, if it was a neighbor who called it in. Where I live, the afternoon sun shines straight in my window (the news story said afternoon). If the sky is clear I usually have to squint looking out or even opening my front door.

My point is that I see no reason to conclude racism when there are so many possibilities for simple human error. People get things wrong, just like Mr Gates forgot his keys.

[TokenQueer]

57. Freudian slip?

"I don't know very many of the people on my own black that well even after living here for 5 years."

[anigbrowl]

65. Tee-hee :-)

true enough, since I live in a mostly Asian neighborhood.

[TokenQueer]

66. Lol!

Couldn't resist. :evilgrin:

[LeftyMom]

232. I must say, the Freudean slip in your post is extremely amusing.

[WI_DEM]

25. What if it was night time and she only saw shadows?

[Hutzpa]

43. BS

there must have been lights outside his house for this woman to recognize him.

[petronius]

47. Wouldn't it make more sense if she didn't recognize him? Why do you

assume she did? :shrug:

[babylonsister]

45. It happened in broad daylight. nt

[EFerrari]

3. It's amazing how many uniformed officers aren't able t identify famous black people.

How can you not recognize Henry Louis Gates IN CAMBRIDGE? :crazy:

[ColbertWatcher]

5. Maybe they thought he was Michael Vick?

After all, don't all "those people" look alike?





Do I have to use the "sarcasm" tag?

[okieinpain]

166. sorry, but Downey should have gotten an Oscar. n/t.

[JitterbugPerfume]

67. that was my first thought.

[Raineyb]

104. You know all black folks look alike

The poor cops can't tell one from another.

:sarcasm:

[cherokeeprogressive]

134. THAT is one of the most racially insensitive posts I've seen here at DU.

Should uniformed officers carry a book with pictures of famous black people FROM CAMBRIDGE, and consult it before instituting any action that might offend you?

I have no fucking idea who HLG is, but I don't live in CAMBRIDGE. Does that make me a racist?

This poutrage goes beyond the pale.

As someone whose ancestors were forced to march from Georgia to Oklahoma, and whose ancestors were shot when they couldn't march any longer and fell along the wayside because they were exhausted, I can't be anything more than amused by this story.

Where is the outrage over what the Cherokee Nation had foisted on them by your average white European? A WHOLE FUCKING NATION OF PEOPLE WERE FUCKED. PROPERLY FUCKED.

And, I might ask, what qualifies one to be the TOP scholar?

[EFerrari]

227. It's not racially insensitive to observe the obvious about cop culture in this country.

[Starry Messenger]

228. Macarthur fellowships are usually a good indication of top scholarship.

If I was a cop working around Harvard I'd probably want to know more about who lived around there so as not to embarrass my department with shiners like this incident. This makes them look royally stupid as well as racist.

[Karenina]

229. Kind like how PROFESSIONAL security guards are trained...

:evilgrin:

[Robb]

4. A) It amazes me the cops didn't recognize him explicitly.

I don't live anywhere near there, and I recognize him.

B) They didn't, apparently.

C) If we are to believe the report, he didn't identify himself. Skin color notwithstanding, I'd prefer the police confirm the identity of anyone -- myself included -- who was trying to clumsily open my front door. :shrug:

[AspenRose]

6. He showed his identification and the police still continued to question him

They didn't believe him.

"Counter said he spoke to Gates, who told him police continued to question him after he showed them his license and Harvard identification.

"They did not believe him when he said that he was in his own home," Counter said. "He was totally mistreated in this incident."

[Robb]

7. Did I miss that in the story?

I'll re-read.

Edited to add: I found nothing that suggests that. Is there another source? This is all I found about their interaction:

An officer ordered the man to identify himself, and Gates refused, according to the report. Gates began calling the officer a racist and said repeatedly, "This is what happens to black men in America."

Edited to add again -- confused yet?? :D -- Got it. That makes this sound much more unreasonable.

[AspenRose]

12. This is where I found it

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jNR4dcq5sivgbez2rttRVWtTMXoAD99ICMF01

[dysfunctional press]

34. that's one side of the story.

the other side is that he at least initially refused.

[Karenina]

188. ***HERE IS GATES' STATEMENT THROUGH HIS LAWYER***

http://www.theroot.com/views/lawyers-statement-arrest-henry-louis-gates-jr

[Raineyb]

196. The apologists are not interested in reading it.

I did read it however and frankly am even angrier. He went to get his ID and the cop followed him into his house? Cops are always looking for an excuse to get into your house.

This is why I keep the chain on the door. No one gets into my place without an invite.

[yodoobo]

205. I'm wondering if the address on the ID didn't match the house

The story spoke about it being leased by Harvard makes me think it was a short term residence sort of thing.

I still think they should have backed off when he showed an ID and the photo on the ID matches the person standing there though.

[yodoobo]

204. I read the story and I still don't know who he is

Apparently he is a famous and teaches at Harvard.

[tigereye]

208. most folks have probably seen him on PBS, narrating travelogues and lectures

about Africa and history - or his own family history - or read his books.


It's just very ironic that Cambridge police don't know about this pre-eminent Harvard scholar.

[enough]

8. I'm wondering about the protocol in answering an officer who asks you to identify yourself.

I would probably comply without thinking. But I'm not black, and therefore haven't experienced that lifetime of being suspected.

[Robb]

10. Good point.

Actually I don't believe you are statutorily required to identify yourself. "Papers, please" and all that. :shrug:

[dysfunctional press]

16. if you're in the act of trying to break into a house...

it's probably a good idea- black or white, to show some type of i.d. that proves you live there.

[Statistical]

93. I remember a supreme court case that said you do.

However you can't be required to provide ID but you do need to provide identifying information (i.e. full name).

I remember being surprised that you are required to identify yourself to an officer. I will see if I can dig the case up.

[Fla_Democrat]

72. Had a TPD walk up on a painter sub

Had a TPD officer walk up on a painter sub working on some rental property I do the maintenance on.

"Are you K**** B********?"

"What's it to you?"

Some tenant had reported a strange man walking around the town homes. Officer pulled up, ran the car tag, and was doing a follow up with a individual who matched the description.

Too much epoxy paint w/o a respirator, I guess. :evilgrin:

[proteus_lives]

11. Did he identify himself or not?

[Robb]

13. Poor writing

...Especially for those of us used to the pyramid, or, who don't get all the way to the end. :blush:

The police report says he refused to identify himself. A friend says he gave them ID and they continued questioning him.

[babylonsister]

22. The police report said he didn't, he said he did. I guess it depends

on who you believe.

[timeforpeace]

14. I wonder if they would have requested ID from a white man?

[Robb]

18. Especially

...In such a rough-looking, obviously crime-ridden neighborhood? :eyes:

[anigbrowl]

28. Who can say? In a similar situation (trying to climb through my own window) the answer was yes.

It seemed pretty reasonable to me...this is the sort of thing we pay the police for. What's the alternative, 'police assist burglar to rob home'? ...although that's probably happened somewhere too.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

121. They would have asked for ID for anyone breaking into a home.

[dysfunctional press]

17. if the police come upon you trying to break into a house...

black or white- it's probably best to show them something that proves you live there.

[AspenRose]

19. He did. And they continued to question him.

I will take his word over the police report anyday. Especially since racial profiling in Cambridge has happened before.

[dysfunctional press]

20. that's one side of the story.

the other side of the story says that he refused.

which is why we have courts.

[quiller4]

75. Actually the police have alse reported that he identified himself

according to the interview on HNS earlier today.

[babylonsister]

30. He was already in his house. See #29. nt

[dysfunctional press]

32. which he was seen breaking into.

[quiller4]

148. "Possible break-in" was reported. The house is owned by

the university. By the time the professor had provided his faculty ID and the campus police had arrived, the Cambridge police should have left. On campus property, the campus police have jurisdiction.

[silverweb]

21. This whole situation got out of control.

Unfortunately, I think Professor Gates reacted badly to the police officer and exacerbated the situation, when he could have made him a strong ally.

(1) The woman who called the police deserves thanks for being alert to a possible burgler and looking out for her neighbor.

(2) The police officer who responded to the call deserves thanks for showing up promptly and challenging a possible criminal engaged in a break-in.

(3) Professor Gates could immediately have made an ally of the officer by identifying himself*, explaining his locked-out situation, and asking for his help.

* If it is true that the officer was belligerent even after being shown ID, then he does need to be reprimanded. Even so, he would not necessarily have had any way of knowing whether there was a domestic dispute of some sort going on, if there was a restraining order in effect, etc, so questioning Gates would be perfectly appropriate to clarify the situation.

While I do understand (as much as a middle-aged white woman can) the truth of "this is what happens to black men in America," immediately accusing the officer of being racist, when he was just doing his job in responding to a call and protecting a home against possible break-in, is very unfortunate and just made the officer defensive when he could have been helpful.

[tishaLA]

26. I sincerely doubt the veracity of the officer's account

I've had the honor of meeting Skip a few times and have friends/colleagues who have known him for many years and....well, let's say, this doesn't sound like him. At all.

[silverweb]

31. In that case, I hope there are truthful witnesses.

Police officers who lie need to be fired.

It would seem that impartial testimony by actual observers of this event are needed to get at the truth.

[Solomon]

42. Why is everybody assuming that the cop told Gates why

he was there? My experience with cops is that they bark at you like you're a piece of shit and never tell you why they're fucking with you.

Then again, I grew up in a black neighborhood.

I believe that had he respected Gates as a man, the shit wouldn't have happened.

[silverweb]

61. "Everybody" isn't assuming anything.

Some are assuming that the officer was a belligerent racist and bully, while others are assuming that Professor Gates was immediately hostile to an officer who was just doing his job. I've tried to allow for either possibility, but we really don't know the truth yet.

For what it's worth, there do exist police officers who are fair, objective, and not racist.

In this case, the officer was responding to a possible break-in and had no idea exactly who or what he was going to find when he got there. At the first suggestion of defensiveness or hostility, both parties went into attack mode, which just inflamed the whole situation.

As I said in my previous post, I hope there are truthful, impartial witnesses who can clarify the facts of the matter.

[quiller4]

150. The campus police have given statements to the professor's

attorney supporting the professor's description of the incident according to the Slate story I just read.

[ccharles000]

83. I agree

[darkstar]

24. Gates being locked out of his house was simply a situation

signifying non-key.

[WI_DEM]

27. may have been overreaction on both sides.

[babylonsister]

29. Here's the police report; Gates was already in his home...

(.pdf)

http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/gates_incident_report_redacted.pdf

[anigbrowl]

33. Oh, good catch for more factual information

I presume Mr Gates will state his version of events if he decides to pursue the matter.

[BlooInBloo]

35. (facepalm)

[dysfunctional press]

36. but he had been seen breaking into it.

if someone who didn't recognize me saw me breaking into my home and called police- i would WANT them to make sure that it was me inside my own home.

[babylonsister]

39. He claims he showed his ID while in his own home. When do the cops

not get a pass in your mind? And he wasn't breaking in, his door was jammed.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2009/07/harvard.html

[dysfunctional press]

40. the cops were told bywitness that it was a potential break-in...

there are two sides to the story.

when do cops DO get a pass in your mind?

[babylonsister]

44. When a distinguished black scholar seems to be getting railroaded. nt

[dysfunctional press]

46. it doesn't seem that way to me.

some people with big egos can get pretty snippy pretty fast with cops that are just trying to do their jobs. i've seen it.

[joeybee12]

56. Yeah, and we're talking about Cambridge...

...this whole thing has been blown out of proportion...sorry, but I feel no sympathy for this guy...he said he showed ID, the police say he didn't...didn't even identify himself.

[quiller4]

77. I've also seen overbearing cops in action. Even reading the report

I see no grounds and expect the officers involved to be face discipline.

[dysfunctional press]

96. maybe you ought to read it again...

a woman reports seeing a guy force his way into a house...the police officer wants to verify the person belongs in the house...the person gets agitated and doesn't produce the proof...

if it were my house, i'd certainly expect the cops to do the same thing- it's kinda one of the reasons that they're there.

[fishwax]

140. that's not how it went, according to the police report

the police officer wants to verify the person belongs in the house...the person gets agitated and doesn't produce the proof...

Actually, the officer requested identification, which he says Gates, after initially objections, provided. The officer was satisfied that Gates lived there. He wasn't arrested for refusing to provide identification or for refusing to prove that he lived there. He was arrested for yelling.

[dysfunctional press]

179. he produced a university i.d., which wouldn't have his address on it...

but- once he showed the id that showed he was with harvard, the cop followed protocol and contacted the campus police.

[fishwax]

210. right -- and the officer requested no further ID or any such thing

so (initial objections aside) the suggestion that Gates refused or failed to show any requested evidence or identification is false, as is any implication that that is why he was arrested.

[okieinpain]

168. i have to agree with you, but this is also the cops version, they have

pretty big egos too. funny stuff though.

[Karenina]

189. ***HERE IS GATES' STATEMENT THROUGH HIS LAWYER***

http://www.theroot.com/views/lawyers-statement-arrest-henry-louis-gates-jr

[Solomon]

58. That report condemns the cop on it's face.

Once he learned that the man was in his own house, it should have ended right there and the cops left, no matter what Gates said to him.

He calling for more cops and the man is in his own fucking home. I would have shot off more than Gates did.

This is ridiculous.

Nobody would suggest that the cop not investigate, but damn, once he knew, he kept fucking going.

It's ridiculous.

How can you arrest a man on his own fucking porch for just talking? And then to call it a public place to justify a disorderly charge?

It kills me to watch people on this board act like once a cop has a right to investigate something then he can do whatever the fuck he wants to do. The idea is ridiculous. My having a tail light out shouldn't have anything to do with a search up my ass, but that's the kind of shit that happens to people that cops don't like.

Check your heads. I guess a black man doesn't even have the right to talk shit in his own damned house.

[babylonsister]

60. Thank you. nt

[dysfunctional press]

63. actually, no...

the report says that gates showed him his harvard i.d.- i would imagine that a university i.d. wouldn't have the person's home address on it. the "more cops" he called for were university police- once he found out that he was affiliated with harvard.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

145. He shouldn't belittle or demean public servants in the course of their duties.

[Raineyb]

162. First amendment. If the cop doesn't like it let his sorry ass find another line of work

The man can say whatever the hell he wants in his own damn house.

[tishaLA]

37. I love how both officers come up with "seven" or "about seven" bystanders

who witnessed Skip's "outburst." Doesn't sound like they arranged their stories whatsoever.

[BlooInBloo]

50. Yep. It's Gates versus the entire state-sponsored domestic terrorist organization...

Good luck to him. He's a very smart guy, with some wealth, so he might actually have a chance.

[hfojvt]

211. you are a very smart guy too

So it's strange that this is one of the most ridiculous things I have ever read on DU. Except for things I have written myself, of course. "Gates vs. the entire state-sponsored domestic terrorist organization ..." Seriously. ROFLMAO.

and 'he might actually have a chance'? A chance at what? I figure there's over a 90% chance that the charges will be dropped. Secondly, even if they aren't, his likely worst case scenario is a $500 fine. Which would be really, really aggravating under the circumstances, but not end of the world.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

141. Arranged stories usually don't involve seven witnesses.

[blogslut]

48. Thanks

LOL on the fact that they neglected to redact the name of the lady who called in, later in the report.

From what I can surmise, the caller saw two males wearing backpacks and one of them was shouldering the door open. I find it interesting that the two males were never questioned - at least not according to the officer's report. This leads me to ask a few questions:

1) Does Mr. Gates have a son or sons?

2) Were they students of Mr. Gates?

3) Could it be that at least one of these two males was in fact, living at the house and forgot his key?

4) Why was there no follow up questioning of the other male(s) mentioned in the report?

[babylonsister]

49. They weren't breaking in-the door was jammed according to this:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2009/07/harvard.html

[blogslut]

52. That makes sense

Breaking down a door is pretty damned difficult and a person would seriously mess up their body if they tried to do it with their shoulder.

[malaise]

175. Thanks for this n/t

[spanone]

38. i've had to break into my house a few times too

scary how easy it was.

[Hutzpa]

41. This man walks with a limp

and I don't believe for one second they did not recognize him, something is wrong with
this picture.

[LisaL]

138. Oh give me a break. How and why would the police recognize him?

You seriously think the police are up to date on the prominent scholars?

[masuki bance]

51. Look, the cops need to back off if they ask you why are you trying to break into that

house and you say you live there.

The nerve.

[joeybee12]

54. Apparently he didn't say he lived there...

...God only knows why.

[babylonsister]

59. According to this, he did say he lived there and showed his Harvard ID

and drivers license:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2009/07/harvard.html

[dysfunctional press]

70. according to him...

the cops have a conflicting account.

i find it hard to believe that a cambridge cop is going to hassle a harvard professor in his home, if he had indeed shown full proof of it being his residence.

[EFerrari]

74. And he did. Showed his driver's license and university ID. n/t

[dysfunctional press]

82. that's one side of the story.

the other was that he had a university id, which probably wouldn't have his address.

[EFerrari]

84. And of course, were that the case, the police had a contact number for the university.

So? There was zero reason that these asshole cops couldn't ID him.

[dysfunctional press]

88. which they called once it was determined he was with harvard...

your point being...?

[EFerrari]

91. I thnk I've made my point.

That they arrested him after was just malice. Malice that they will pay for.

[dysfunctional press]

94. you've defintely made a point all right...

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[EFerrari]

98. Right. A world famous scholar with ID couldn't be ID'd by the Cambridge police?

Sure. That happens every day.

But please keep defending them. :)

[dysfunctional press]

100. do you honestly think that every cop in cambridge knows every harvard scholar by name/face...?

the entire reason the whole thing occurred was BECAUSE the officer couldn't recognize him.

is that point REALLY that difficult for you to understand?

what percentage of average americans doe you think could have recognized the guy's name/face before this article? honestly?

[EFerrari]

105. I lived in Berkeley for 10 years. And our cops managed to know

who lived where. They were great that way.

But you must be right. The Cambridge police didn't known HENRY LOUIS GATES lives in Cambridge. They must be fucking idiots.

lol

:rofl:

[dysfunctional press]

107. the cop who came to his door obviously didn't know him...

that you find that so difficult to understand says A LOT.

about you.

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[EFerrari]

109. That's right. I guess it says I expect competence.

And, that anti-intellectual bs such as yours, because that's what this is, really doesn't concern me in anyway. :)

[dysfunctional press]

115. pardon me for dwelling in the real world...

your uppitiness...

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[EFerrari]

118. You mean, the real world with the Bill of Rights and everything?

Excuse me. :)

[dysfunctional press]

120. very well...

you're excused.

apology accepted. :hi:

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

146. Which one of his Constitutional Rights are you asserting was violated?

[NashVegas]

192. Cambridge Isn't Berkeley

Cambridge is 20 minutes from a city with a history of being notoriously racist, one of the worst histories in the US of that.

It's not surprising the cops wouldn't know who he was. Going hostile on them didn't help, but I can easily understand why he did.

[okieinpain]

169. oh, I think it was too big egos. he should know being a black scholar and

all how to deal with the police. just shut up and let them do their thing, if they screw up you'll have your day in court.

[quiller4]

78. I have no problem at all believing it. You ought to hear the

report the campus cops filed. It conflicts at every turn with the CPD report.

[dysfunctional press]

90. do you have a link...?

all i've seen is the cambridge police report.

[Raineyb]

108. Why wouldn't they? There's already a history of racial profiling by the very same police force.

Cops who racially profile are prone to covering their sorry asses when caught in the act.

[dysfunctional press]

111. it's called career sucide.

[Raineyb]

163. Very few cops have ever been reprimanded for disrespecting black people.

We can't even get them put in jail for killing us. Your "career suicide" theory doesn't wash.

[dysfunctional press]

178. very few cops have run-ins with extremely prestigious black scholars.

and i don't really care if it 'doesn't wash' with you. :shrug:

[Raineyb]

180. If you insist on sounding like an idiot that's certainly your right

I'm merely letting you know how you sound. Otherwise I don't give a bloody damn what the hell you think on the rare occasions you actually display evidence of a thought process which by the way is not including this exchange.

[dysfunctional press]

182. and you're welcome to your opinion...

but the facts remain.

sorry. :shrug:

[Raineyb]

184. The facts do remain. They're not on your side. n/t

[dysfunctional press]

185. in your opinion.

which you are entitled to.

[Karenina]

195. ***HERE IS GATES' STATEMENT THROUGH HIS LAWYER***

http://www.theroot.com/views/lawyers-statement-arrest-henry-louis-gates-jr

[Raineyb]

197. Based on Professor Gates' statement. Which I find more credible than some

ass covering cops.

Did you read the bloody statement? No of course not. You're only interested in excusing the cops.

[joeybee12]

53. Could he have just said this is my home, I'm Henry Gates

Would that have been too simple?

And as to those people saying why didn't the police recognize him, how many acadameic, black or white, can you identify?

[Tesha]

64. Perhaps that's exactly what he did say initially. (NT)

[dysfunctional press]

68. since a witness had seen him possibly breaking in...

it doesn't seem too out of line for the cops to ask for something that proves that he is who he says it is, and that it's his residence.

[quiller4]

79. His campus ID and MDL should have been enough but the

cops didn't leave then.

[dysfunctional press]

97. his campus id wouldn't have his address...and the police report doesn't mention a driver's license..

but once it was determined that he was with harvard- the campus police were called.

[backscatter712]

55. How much do you want to bet the cops will be caught in at least one lie in this case?

Cops lie.

They lie on arrest reports, they lie when they issue traffic tickets, they lie in court, on affidavits, to the judge and to the jury. And they lie to the press.

"Is there a problem officer?" becomes "FUCK OFF PIG!"

"Here's my driver's license." becomes "resisted arrest."

That's how it works.

[Solomon]

69. Of course the report is written to their benefit.

But the report itself condemns him. In his own words, he condemns himself. The man was in his fucking house and the cop came to know it as a fact at a point when the only thing that had occurred was some shit talking.

Go back and read the stupid report. He should have left, but he escalated it because his ego wouldn't let him just leave after Gates said what he said to him.

According to his own report, he defamed Gates when he arrested him in front of all those people. Handcuffed him and walked him in front of those people.

They will dismiss this charge like a hot potato and hope like hell Gates doesn't sue.

[dysfunctional press]

71. the police report says that he showed a harvard i.d...

that wouldn't necessarily have his home address on it.

[EFerrari]

76. What in the world is your problem? You think those cops don't have

a contact number they could call at the university?

You think there weren't a hundred people that could vouch for him?

This not anyone we're talking about. This is Henry Louis Gates. The cops could have yelled out in the street for confirmation and gotten it.

[dysfunctional press]

86. they did call the harvard police, once it was determined he was with harvard...

"this is Henry Louis Gates. The cops could have yelled out in the street for confirmation and gotten it."

then why didn't the woman who reported seeing him force his way into the house recognize him?
fyi- there are A LOT of prestigious professors at harvard- is each police officer supposed to know them all by name/face/address?

[quiller4]

80. It also noted his MDL which does have an address.

[dysfunctional press]

85. where is that noted in the police report?

i must have missed it...do you have a link?

[EFerrari]

87. Are you seriously arguing that Henry Louis Gates couldn't be ID'd by these cops?

Holy crap.

:rofl:

[dysfunctional press]

89. do you honestly think that he;s the only professor of note at harvard?

the woman who reported him forcing his way into the residence obviously didn't recognize him.

and just as obviously- NEITHER DID THE COPS.

so yes- i am: "seriously arguing that Henry Louis Gates couldn't be ID'd by these cops" (that's kinda why the whole thing happened as it did)

sheesh...:eyes:

[EFerrari]

92. That's hilarious.

lol

[dysfunctional press]

95. it sure is....

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[EFerrari]

99. Henry Louis Gates is famous all over the world in the fields of history,

black studies, literary criticism and aesthetics.

That you don't know that is just embarrassing for you.

[dysfunctional press]

103. not to me, it isn't.

your obtuseness in regard to the situation should be fairly troubling to you, tho.

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[EFerrari]

110. Troubling in what way? Because I know who he is?

You wouldn't be advocating for ignorance, would you? Nah. :)

[dysfunctional press]

114. you're like a gift that keeps on giving...

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[EFerrari]

117. And you're like a RW anti-intellectual cheerleader that can't shut up.

Go for it.

:)

[dysfunctional press]

124. well if that's how you percieve it...

it must be so.
considering the prowess you've shown thusly in reading comprehension and all...

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[EFerrari]

125. For you to question my perception is just another cheap non-argument

that will surprise no one reading this thread.

Sorry. Not impressed in any way. :)

[dysfunctional press]

127. actually, it's the gist of the argument...

you don't seem to be able to comprehend that the cop didn't recognize him- even tho' that's the WHOLE POINT of the story...

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

it's AMAZING that you don't see that.

[EFerrari]

129. Right. I think I'm going to let you continue to embarass yourself for the rest of the night.

[dysfunctional press]

132. why would i be embarrassed about your lack of comprehension?

silly, that.

[quiller4]

149. Actually when interviewed by local press the cop said he did

recognize the professor.

[dysfunctional press]

154. do you have a link to the statement?

did they ask him why he asked for his i.d., seeing as he recognized him?

[EFerrari]

155. Oh, geeze.

[Karenina]

191. ***HERE IS GATES' STATEMENT THROUGH HIS LAWYER***

http://www.theroot.com/views/lawyers-statement-arrest-henry-louis-gates-jr

[okieinpain]

170. nah, once I saw his face, he's pretty famous. n/t.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

142. This is the first I've heard of him. Of course I couldn't identify the President of the major...

university in my city. I could ID the football coach though. I've met the basketball coach so I could pick him out also.

David

[EFerrari]

147. Look him up, David. I think you'd like what he does.

But the point is, he's not just an academic type. He's done a bunch of popular documentaries and he's always being asked to be on panels.

I don't know what happened there today. But I've lived in a college town and it just seems unreasonable that these guys didn't know that he lived there. But, our cops were the best, so maybe I'm spoiled or something.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

153. Interesting man. His older picture looks familiar.

I would be interested in seeing The Two Nations of Black America. I have spoken with a black friend I play poker and golf with about once a week. We have talked a lot about those two America's. I don't have a clue what happened either unfortunate either way.

[tblue37]

158. I have read HLG's work, and I saw him give a lecture once,

but I would not recognize him on the street (or in his own home). I know who he is, but I wouldn't recognize his face offhand. In fact, there are quite a few famous scholars whose works I have read--and whose faces I have even seen on book jackets or in person here at the university when they come to give talks, whom I would nevertheless not recognize if I saw them out and about, outside of the context in which they were identified to me.

[Occulus]

220. As of December 2008 the Harvard University ID card has a magnetic strip

How much cash- cold, hard cash- are you willing to lay on the holder's address being encrypted on that strip?

edit: Oh yeah, downthread MSNBC reports that the charges have been dropped, so you get to eat one helping of crow for each and every post you've made on this thread.

In the Southern sense of the phrase, "bless your heart".

[BlooInBloo]

73. Yup. The only thing I read in the report is "wah! The black guy was mean to me!"...

There's another, more colloquial phrase for that, of course.

[AspenRose]

201. More like "that uppity negro needs to be put in his place, Harvard or no Harvard"

:eyes:

[hiphopnation]

190. and he will

and should

i fucking hope so, anyway

[readmoreoften]

62. Whoa. Just... whoa. /nt

[EFerrari]

81. After reading this thread and the one in LBN

I feel like I'm in the f#cking Twilight Zone.

[alcibiades_mystery]

101. Once heard Ishmael Reed refer to the "Vichy Regime up in Harvard"

:rofl:

The real question is whether a judge should let a guy named "Skip" out on bail.

:-)

I kid Skip Gates. I kid.

[EFerrari]

106. And he was right, too.

He was at Cal at the same time I was, and whoa, there was a big tension between Reed and my many feminist profs.

But it was a great tension.

And, he was right about Harvard.

lol

[alcibiades_mystery]

116. This was when Gates, West, and Wilson were all there

Reed seemed unpleased by them. :rofl:

I literally laughed out loud at the reference, and Reed pointed to me, saying "he gets it."

[EFerrari]

122. LOL!

Good times.

:toast:

[alcibiades_mystery]

131. I was but a lowly grad student then

Before I got my union card...

:-)

[EFerrari]

143. Wait. When were you there?

lol

I'm trying to reconstruct the scene of the crime.

What I remember is, Reed pissed off a lot of people. He did it excellently.

[BlooInBloo]

102. The "uppity nigger" blaming in this thread is hilarious...

Or sickening, depending on the level of one's cynicism.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

139. Somehow I missed all those posts.

[Raineyb]

164. Easy to do when you don't want to see it. n/t

[voc]

156. or

depending on the level of one's myopic lens.

[Quantess]

161. What are you talking about?

I admit I skimmed the thread, per usual, and I saw nothing worth noting.

Are you projecting?

[okieinpain]

171. I agree. n/t.

[fujiyama]

112. It sounds like racial profiling is a problem in Cambridge MA

and we all know it's a problem nationwide.

However, it's not unreasonable to be asked to provide ID if your seen breaking into a house! The woman may simply have not known who it was and saw something odd. It should have been cleared up by the officer simply matching the address of the house with that on his ID. This MAY have simply been a misunderstanding...

It's kind of hard to tell.

[EFerrari]

113. It stopped being a misunderstanding when he gave them his university

and driving ID. Then, it became something else.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

119. What an idiot. Tell them your name let them help you get in your house.

[EFerrari]

123. Might be hard if you're already in your house.

Oh, and if you're BLACK.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

126. Missed that in the OP. What makes black people incapable of showing ID?

[EFerrari]

128. He did. He gave them his driver's license and his Harvard deal.

It's hard to know how cops could take this older guy with a cane for a burglar.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

130. Missed that in the OP too.

[dysfunctional press]

135. according to the poice report- it was only his harvard i.d.

which probably wouldn't have his address...but once he showed the cop that he was with harvard- the cop contacted the campus police, as is probably protocol.

[quiller4]

151. When interviewwed by both Cambridge and Boston papers, cops

reported that Gates provided both his MDL and Harvard ID. That was in the Globe article that quoted police sources.

[dysfunctional press]

152. the police report itself doesn't mention a driver's license.

were the cops that reported it to the paper the ones who were at the scene?

[EFerrari]

136. This is a stupid thing that got out of hand.

And that's too bad. :(

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

137. Agreed.

[Occulus]

221. You tend to miss a lot of facts that are inconvenient for police, Dave.

Why is that?

[whistler162]

177. Hard to understand a police officer wanting to

determine why a older man with a cane and/or his family isn't being held hostage in a kidnapping/homne invasion when two men where reported trying to force entry into a house.

[EFerrari]

231. Plus he had keys. He used them to go in through the back door

when the front one wouldn't open.

There could well have been some kind of entry attempt while Dr. Gates was away.

[Raineyb]

181. What makes some white people incapable of hearing stories of black people being mistreated

without them finding some way to make it the fault of the person who was mistreated?

[Karenina]

193. This also happened to a colleague

who OWNS a house in an upscale community. His face is recognizable. He went on his jog in possession of only his keys and two doors from his house found himself face down on the pavement discussing the efficacy of the badged-one allowing him to use them to retrieve his ID. :shrug:

I do believe a substantial amount of $$$ changed hands.

[BlooInBloo]

206. We aren't incapable of it in the least. Many of us simply *choose* to do so...

Shitty, yes. Accidental, no.

[EFerrari]

214. It's not only black people. You can count on someone here blaming

the victim every time.

[Raineyb]

219. True. Especially when the victims abusers is the police. It's really quite disgusting. n/t

[Matariki]

133. Hmm. It the police showed up at my house while I was trying to 'break in'

I'd thank them for looking out for my stuff, show my id and ask for their assistance getting in.

Probably get better results than getting pissed off at them. But then, who knows how they approached the guy or what they said to him.

[fishwax]

144. he wasn't "trying to break in" when they showed up

He was inside his house.

[TexasObserver]

157. Recommend

[Evoman]

159. Racist, anti-intellectual cops.

If they weren't anti-intellectuals, they would know who the fuck he is.

If they weren't racist, they wouldn't have arrested him at all.


How the fuck could you arraign him if he did nothing wrong? What the hell is he being arrested for, if it's the cops who fucked up?

[armyowalgreens]

160. This doesn't seem overtly racist. When an officers asks you to identify yourself, you have to do it.

Instead he started with the race card.

Sounds like Mr. Gates should have cooperated instead of acting like a pompous asshole.

[Raineyb]

165. Maybe you should learn to fucking read

What part of Drivers license and Harvard ID reads to you as not showing ID? Is that or is that not cooperating? Perhaps if you weren't so willing to find some excuse to condemn black people that may not have escaped your attention.

Of course bending over backwards to excuse official bad behavior does tend toward ignoring inconvenient facts.

[armyowalgreens]

167. LOL I don't condemn black people you mindless fool.

The story says that he immediately refused to be cooperative and became verbally combative. It wasn't until later that he showed his identification.

Get a grip on yourself.

[Raineyb]

172. It's been published that he showed both his drivers license and his Harvard ID

What part of that is not showing identification fool?

You either enjoy condemning black people or you've been spending so much time kissing the ass of the police that you've officially made your residence in their collective colons. Which would explain your shitty view and lack of reading comprehension skills. Perhaps you should take a remedial reading course next time before spouting your ignorance.

[armyowalgreens]

173. LOL reread the story and reread my last response...

It seems that YOU lack the reading comprehension. He initially refused to cooperate and was verbally combative. He resisted an officers orders. That is a crime.

But of course, your immediate response is to label me a racist. What a joke.

[Raineyb]

183. Why? Rereading it doesn't make it any less idiotic.

Nor does it change your inability to read and understand.

[dysfunctional press]

186. the police report doesn't say anything about him producing a driver's license.

and once he finally agreed to show a harvard id,(which wouldn't have his address) the cop followed protocol and contacted the campus police.

[Karenina]

194. ***HERE IS GATES' STATEMENT THROUGH HIS LAWYER***

http://www.theroot.com/views/lawyers-statement-arrest-henry-louis-gates-jr

[Raineyb]

198. HIS STATEMENT SAYS HE SHOWED A DRIVERS LICENSE

Read the goddamned statement so you won't sound so bloody ignorant would ya?

[AspenRose]

203. Police reports trump statements made by world-renowned Harvard professors.

Or didn't you get the memo? :sarcasm:

[Raineyb]

218. It must have ended up in the spam box.

That's where all the bullshit goes.

[Occulus]

230. So, now that the charges against Gates have been dropped,

do you have anything different to say? I noticed you are remarkably silent about it at the moment- you haven't posted once in any of the new threads covering that little detail.

You were wrong about everything. I'd say you owe us all an apology.

[AllieB]

174. I grew up in Cambridge and my parents still live there.

It's pretty bad that this happened in Cambridge. The police department is very diverse and these kinds of incidents are probably more rare than in other cities. However, the Harvard University police, who are townie rent-a-cops, have had incidents in the past with non-white students and locals. I had my run-ins with them as a kid. The Cambridge Police are more interested in handing out moving violations and harassing teenagers as a general rule.

I personally don't blame Professor Gates for being pissed off. If he was a white professor, this wouldn't even be an issue.

[Solomon]

176. I wish somebody would explain how the fuck you get arrested in

your own home for disorderly conduct?

Hunh? What the hell is that?

It's a false arrest and the cops will be lucky if Gates doesn't sue their pants off.

[justiceischeap]

187. Some police officer's will come up with charges

Because you've pissed them off. So, here's this "uppity" black man (sarcasm folks), giving the officer what for so therefore it was disorderly conduct. The only people who know the truth were the one's standing inside that house and it will forever be a case of he said/he said.

The whole thing stinks of lies and cover-ups.

[Raineyb]

199. In other words, they'll just make some shit up.

The usual police MO.

[AspenRose]

202. But...but...The Police Report! (tm) The all-knowing, infallible POLICE REPORT!!!

We ALL know the police are incapable of falsifying police reports! :sarcasm:

Especially when it comes to uppity....er, I mean arresting people of color! They are ALWAYS truthful! Even when historical accounts prove otherwise!

:eyes: GMAFB....

[supernova]

200. Yep, the police made a mistake

and instead of apologizing to the homeowner, they got a stick up their butts about it and decided they could press "charges."

Damn right he should sue them.

I mean, I've broken into my house before. More than once. Because I accidentally locked myself out. :blush: But I damn sure didn't have the cops watching me.

[bridgit]

207. "the nation's pre-eminent black scholar"? So just where was the failure, why did he not interpret

the contours of the terrain before him one in which I am quite sure he'd have expected heavy police intervention the day someone other than him were trying to wedge *their* way into *his* house like, oh, say for instance: a white guy...I'm also quite sure the tune sung at that time would be a very different one indeed

[Solomon]

226. No it wouldn't. Carl Rowan was charged and put on trial

for shooting a white guy that trespassed on his property. Like I said, a black man can't even talk shit in his own home, much less defend himself in his own damn house.

[bridgit]

234. Disagreed ~

[-..__...]

209. Gates sounds like an obnoxious race card playing asshole with a chip on his shoulder...

I'm surprised he didn't pull a "don't you know who I am attitude!?!" on the cops.

[BlooInBloo]

212. You forgot "oversensitive".

[Occulus]

222. The word is "uppity".

But I expect the poster didn't want to expose themselves too obviously.

[AspenRose]

213. MSNBC now reporting charges have been dropped.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32010985/ns/us_news-race_and_ethnicity/

Oh, and about the woman who made the phone call?

"Cambridge police say they responded to the well-maintained two-story home near campus after a woman reported seeing "two black males with backpacks on the porch," with one "wedging his shoulder into the door as if he was trying to force entry."

The woman, Lucia Whalen, is the circulation and fundraising manager at Harvard Magazine, a news and alumni magazine affiliated with the school. The magazine's offices are down the street from Gates' home."


ALUMNI MAGAZINE AFFILIATED WITH HARVARD. And yet she didn't recognize Professor Gates?

Also: "Ogletree also disputed the claim that Gates, who was wearing slacks and a polo shirt and carrying a cane, was yelling at the officer.

"He has an infection that has impacted his breathing since he came back from China, so he's been in a very delicate physical state," Ogletree said."

[Occulus]

223. Can we tell Dysdunctional Press to go to hell en masse now? n/t

[crazyjoe]

215. this is like "crying wolf"

it's does not help race relations in this country as most people do not "blame the cops first" and see racism in every situation. It seems Mr Gates opinion is
"you can't question me, I'm a black man"
sad, the police were just doing their jobs

[EFerrari]

216. Baloney. It's not the police's job to harrass a man in his own home.

And it's not crying wolf in any way. These racist assholes are going to regret they were stupid enough to do this.

[BlooInBloo]

217. Wonder how long you'll last here - by the looks of this thread, a good while.

[AspenRose]

224. They called for reinforcements

:rofl:

[fishwax]

225. what a crock

[noiretextatique]

233. i could have used some help yesterday in this thread

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3977754
one particularly dense ^%$(%* kept saying if gates had only been nicer to the police... :puke: thanks "liberals" for telling black people that if we'd only be nicer we won't get arrested in our own homes, or shot while handcuffed :puke: it's so infuriating when "liberals" refuse to acknowledge the centuries-long problem of police harassment of african-americans :puke: