Usually, when a white cop gets called a racist, his lawyers and buddies usually pull out the "he has a black friend" defense.
But The Boston Globe is going even further. In an article which seems to scream sympathy throughout every line for the police sergeant caught in the spotlight, over the wrongful arrest of famed black scholar Henry Louis Gates, the paper "proves" he's no racist by showing that he once tried to do his job.
Jonathan Saltzman writes for the Globe
When Sergeant James M. Crowley climbed the front steps of Henry Louis Gates Jr.’s house last week and unexpectedly placed himself in international headlines, it was not the first time he had a memorable encounter in the line of duty with a prominent black man. Nearly 16 years ago, as a Brandeis University police officer, Crowley desperately tried to save the life of Reggie Lewis after the Boston Celtics star collapsed while practicing in the school gym.
“It bothers him terribly that he couldn’t save him,’’ Crowley’s 74-year-old mother, Verina Crowley, said yesterday, speaking of her son and the famous basketball player.
....Crowley was a certified emergency medical technician when he performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on Lewis, to no avail, after the player’s heart stopped on July 27, 1993. In a Globe interview later that day, Crowley said he rushed to the university’s Shapiro Gymnasium, confirmed that Lewis had no pulse, and frantically tried to revive him.
So, because Crowley tried to do his job, and didn't just blindly stare at Reggie Lewis as he died on the floor, he can't possibly be a racist, the paper reports.
According to the Globe, this means that "a fuller picture began to emerge of the 42-year-old sergeant who arrested the Harvard scholar last week on a charge of disorderly conduct on the porch of Gates’s Cambridge house."
The Globe adds, "But people who know Crowley were skeptical or outright dismissive of allegations of racism. A prominent defense lawyer, a neighbor of Crowley’s, his union, and fellow officers described him yesterday as a respected, and respectful, officer who performs his job well and has led his colleagues in diversity training."
Later in the story, Crowley's mother assures us that "[h]er children, she said, had black friends over to their home while growing up." She also points out to the paper that they "attended racially diverse Cambridge public school."
Gates “is not the first black person he ever met in his life," she tells the paper.
This is what President Obama had to say about the Gates incident: "I think it's fair to say, number one, any of us would be pretty angry. Number two, that the Cambridge police acted stupidly in arresting somebody when there was already proof that they were in their own home. And number three - what I think we know separate and apart from this incident - is that there is a long history in this country of African-Americans and Latinos being stopped by law enforcement disproportionately, and that's just a fact."
Perhaps one day Sergeant Cowley could explain why after being shown Gates' id, and informed he was a Harvard professor, he didn't just apologize and leave. (In the arrest report, the sergeant writes, "While I was led to believe that Gates was lawfully in the residence, I was quite surprised and confused with the behavior he exhibited toward me." Yes, it is definitely confusing why anyone would be upset about being harassed by the police for no reason)
Anyway, Drudge and his buddies are loving the story now. Thanks to the Globe, the narrative has changed, for many, to black man unfairly attacking the police who protect us.
Drudge currently is linking to this disgusting blog claiming that the Globe scrubbed Gates' "damning" arrest report from its site in order to protect him. Of course, that makes no sense since they are going out of their way to defend the sergeant, but Drudge hardly ever makes sense.
According to the pdf, Gates mentioned Crowley's "mama." (My reason for wanting to leave the residence was that Gates was yelling very loud and the acoustics of the kitchen and foyer were making it difficult for me to transmit pertinent information to ECC or other responding units. His reply was “ya, I’ll speak with your mama outside”) Perhaps that's what set him off? Because the Globe "proved" he's no racist. Maybe the sergeant felt compelled to arrest a black professor for being upset about being racially profiled on his own property because he was talking shit about his mother.
This video is from ABC's Good Morning America, broadcast July 23, 2009.
Download video via RawReplay.com
posted by Ron Brynaert
Boring..
Endless sensationalism is endless.
i have gleened from various sites that A. the officer was called out for a bona fide call. B. it is possible to be disorderly in your own home. C. i need more verified info.
A man's home is his castle. Period.
I have learned that cops can just show up at my house and arrest me, as long as I am black that is. Between this and birthers it's really starting to appear we have gone nowhere in this country with race.
We all know that cops are control freaks. If they aren't "in control"....they freak out. So here is what happened. The cop was legally called to Gates house on what he thought was a suspicious intruder. No problem thus far. He arrives to find Gates, who immediately tells the officer that the house belongs to him. The officer demands identification (probably in an overpowering and derogatory manner). Gates proves he is the owner of the house, yet the cop still treats him like a perp.....so Gates rightfully feels like his rights are being abused, and rightfully tells the cop to get his ass off his private property (ya know...because the cop has no right nor reason to be there!!). The cop (control freak) doesn't like being told what to do.....and feels the need to show Mr. Gates who is in charge......so arrests him on the bogus charge of disorderly conduct. Mr. cop needed to show Mr. Gates that he by god was a cop....and he by god could do whatever he by god wanted. Thats how cops think! Was racism involved? Perhaps, but not necessarily. Had a white man done the same to a cop....the same result would probably occur.
The for sure racist part is when the neighbor called the police and said "two big black men" were breaking into her neighbor's house. Mr. Gates is a small man who walks with a cane, so how and why did she see "two big black men"? Because deep her mind, all black men are "BIG BLACK MEN", and are to be feared. Its subconscience racism.
OR- the cop arrives asks for ID, Gates gets upset because this is his house and how dare anyone question that fact. Words fly back and forth and arrested.
I used to think of Raw Story as a somewhat left-of-center, but reliable news source. This "article" clearly shows their overt bias. I don't think Raw Story can be trusted anymore. I guess I'm done supporting this website.
Black or white, the arresting officers are more likely fascist than racist. Psychological studies have shown cops and criminals to have nearly identical personality profiles: entitlement and superiority. If you mess with a cop by challenging his authority, even if innocent like the Prof, they will slap you down hard — which is likely what happened. Police brutality is just that: use of excessive force as retribution. Happens every day.
Obama spoke the truth, but chose his words poorly. Understandable after 400 years of American oppression/racism of anybody who ain’t white. So now the tabloid press, the American sheeple, and the reactionary right will amplify “stupidly” rather than “health-care”.
Our value system is all out of whack in the U.S. Always has been. Which is why everything’s so fucked up socially, economically, politically, environmentally, and spiritually. Oh well, what can you do. No empire lasts forever. Reap what you sow. Humans are a very primitive race.
It is not lawful to arrest soemone for being belligerent in their own home. The cop was an idiot. I have no idea if he was a racist but he needs a lot more training as he acted like a raw recruit.
It's pretty common knowledge that if you yell at, insult, antagonize and fail to comply with the instructions issues by police officers, you will be arrested. This has nothing to do with race or color. If Gates had simply shown his ID to the police when they arrived at his house (without engaging in hysterics) and thanked the police for showing up to defend his property (which is what the vast majority of us would have done), there would have been no incident. Gates' claim that his arrest for aggressive and belligerent behavior was an act of racism does a severe injustice to the many people who have in fact been victims of racism.
I agree that this post is absolutely terrible. Who says the arrest was "wrongful"? I believe that due to financial considerations and because it is easy, Raw Story has for some now overly catered to the uncritical, suspicious, and angry segment of the left-of-center population it writes for. This is mostly clearly seen in the distorted headlines it presents and in overtly biased reports such as this one. In doing so, it follows its ugly right-of-center brethren who play on the worst personal attributes of its readers in effort to retain an audience.
Black guy's fault.
Raw Story has become just another silly rag. I think they should rename it "The Tattler."
Crowley taking a high road? I think people should look a little closer at a cop
who's very first interview is with the most racist radio talking heads in the land:
Dennis and Callahan at WEEI Boston. These two have been suspended and
have a history of hate against Latinos and Blacks. It does indeed say alot
about the officer so concerned about commenting to the right crowd...i.e. right
wing white GOP racists
http://audio.weei.com/m/25432556/stg-james-crowley-cambridge-police.htm
Rothschild/CIA MK Ultra Victim Under Protective Custody,,
MK Ultra uses no paper or discs for records..
So they used my brain for storage,,
Bohemian Grove,Franklin Affair,,,many things...
9/11 before 9/11 and many things were discussed via MK Ultra and my brain...
But how did they store all the names of there victims...?
I hope I have the Federal Bureau of Investigation on board,,
Check out the following website,,
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
It appears that about 99.999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
% Percent have a TWIN in POLICE FORCE,,,
How is it that for every child missing or exploited,there is a police officer with the same name?
Coincidence?
The guy broke into his own house. I have had to do that a couple of times and was always worried a neighbor might call the cops, especially if it is dark outside. Acting like an asshole to an officer after you just broke into your own house is pretty damn stupid, if someone broke into your house would you not want an officer to investigate?
not disorderly conduct, contempt of cop. this happens to everyone who isn't a cop or family member
"Do onto others what you would have them do onto you." Is that too hard a concept for law enforcement to grasp? Seems to be.
For the cop, it was NOT a race thing, it was a control and power thing.
I don't like your lack of respect for my badge, uniform, gun. therefore I will arrest you.
For the professor, it was a race thing.
You would not be in my house if I were white. Therefore I will disrespect you.
I have witnessed white cops beat up my white neighbor (chiropractor ended up with bruised and sprained wrists, knees and back) for no other reason except that they could. 6 months later they were fired. Had there been no witnesses, the cops would still be beating up citizens.
It is settled law since the Middle Ages that a man's home is his castle, and the police are "invitees," there by courtesy of the RESIDENT (not owner!). Once they entered into Mr. Gates' home, the police should have realized instantly that they were confronting an elderly, disabled, well-dressed likely academic, given the composition of the area. They should have apologized and left immediately, regardless of the (well-merited) anger of the resident.
You don't think the police dropped all charges out of consideration for Mr. Gates' feelings, do you. They know very well they haven't a leg to stand on. Officer Crowley needs to go and be replaced by someone more likely to "protect and SERVE" all members of the community that pays his taxes.
Dropped charges = wrongful arrest. Absolutely no opinion expressed in the use of that particular word in that particular instance.
But since this is a blog as opposed to a news article, there are other parts of this post that do indeed contain opinions.
The Police Report is still there on the Globe's website. Drudge's tinfoil hat must have interfered with reception...
1. A large percentage of cops are a**holes. They are also not known for their geniuslike brainpower.
2. Confronting someone as part of your job is stressful for most people including cops, except for the ones who are psychopaths.
3. Not immediately showing your ID to a cop when it appears that you are breaking in to a house is really STUPID if it is your house and you can prove it.
4. Becoming hysterical and yelling at a cop is a sure way to raise his stress level.
5. Failing to use critical thinking skills if you are a professor is inexcusable.
Like I said before, this was s stupid action taken by a power hungry cop. He also apparently lied on the arrest report, surprise surprise. Cops have turned into the least accountable, most corrupt segment of society. They can shoot you in your own home and if they lie convincingly enough, they get off Scott free. It happens in the Denver area all the time. I have no reason to believe that it's any different in Cambridge (and I spent 4 years right across the river in Boston, so I DO have a clue about it).
The cop should have left as soon as an ID was presented. He didn't. It didn't matter what the man was saying to him or how he was saying it. HE was in the wrong place, and that had been proved with the ID being shown. He had NO reason to still be there. He pushed things to a place where he could be out of line, and he made a serious mistake. The professor, who was in his own home legally and was breaking NO law, had every right to tell this cop to get the fuck out. And the cop SHOULD have gotten the fuck out. To arrest someone, ANYONE, in their own home when there was NO crime being committed, no reason for the cop to still be there, and merely for speaking in a way the cop didn't like is NOT a legal act. IMHO, the COP was the one who was at that point breaking the law.
The fact that all charges were dropped is proof that I am correct in my thinking here. I think this professor should press charges against the cop, at this point. It might make the next one think twice about pushing a situation too far.
If a cop can't understand that a person might be upset at being challenged in his own home, then he has no business being a cop. It was this cop's job to do this job without an arrest. And yes, there are good cops who never have these type of problems. Then there are cops who almost ALWAYS get into an altercation with anyone with whom they come in contact. The average cop has only a high school education AND an attitude. When are we going to get it? - Former prosecutor.
The logic is implausible: Crowley + White = Guilty, Forgone Conclusion.
Talk about profiling.
as much as i dislike cops, gates went tot he"you are a racist" and then he went to the "do you know who i am" card with the cop. and that was stupid.
if i go up to a couple of black cops and do the same thing, and if they tell me to pipe down and i keep on doing it, its handcuffs and back seat of the cop car time.
and the fact that gates cant just call a locksmith rather than damage his own door, well, stupid is as stupid does.
A disorderly person is defined as one who:
-with purpose to cause public inconvenience, annoyance or alarm, or
-recklessly creates a risk thereof
-engages in fighting or threatening, violent or tumultuous behavior, or
-creates a hazard or physically offensive condition by any act which serves no legitimate purpose.
But read this, sure sounds like there is a private/public distinction in the law and being in your house with police, would make for a very difficult case of DC.
Commonwealth v. Mulvey 57 Mass. App. Ct. 579 (March 14, 2003) Police presence in and of itself does not by itself turn an otherwise purely private outburst into disorderly conduct. The defendant was charged with disorderly conduct for yelling and pacing on private property that was set back from the road in a secluded area. There was no one around at the time except police officers. While the statute requires that the disturbance be such that it had or was likely to have an impact upon people in an area accessible to the public, the presence of police officers alone will not suffice to prove the public element. In reaching its decision, the Court noted that the rationale behind criminalizing disorderly conduct rests on the belief that a disorderly person can provoke violence in others. Given that an inherent part of police work involves being in the presence of distraught individuals, and given that police officers are trained to maintain order, the Court concluded that police should be the least likely to be provoked. Therefore, police presence alone does not satisfy the public element.
I concur with the "fascism not racism" conclusion. I've read and heard this story over and over again. Being black didn't help the professor, but I don't think race was the primary motivator.
This happens a lot. It only gets publicity when it's a prominent individual and there's a hook like racism to sell more stories, but this is a pretty common occurrence in the U.S. for all races. Except for white people, of course.
Here's the crux of the problem.
After Gates produced proper id and it was determined that the house he was suspected of having broken into was in fact his own house, the officer should have made some sort of statement to Gates that it was a mistake and that the department was simply following up on a resident call and that he was sorry for any inconvenience or worry. Crowley may have done this but by everything I have read thus far, there is no evidence of it. The officer is not obligated to apologize. But offering a simply apology might have prevented Gates from demanding the officer's name and badge # which Gates is entitled to do.
Instead of rectifying a wrong, the officer compounded the circumstance by refusing to acknowledge the error in a meaningful way and attempting to save face by arresting an understandably upset and innocent person. This wasn't by the book as the officer claims. The only thing that was by the book is that the officer was clever enough to induce Gates to step outside of his house (which he should not have done) so that he could be arrested without a warrant and/or probable cause.
The simple fact that the officer still refuses to apologize even though the police department was clearly in error is testimony to the legitimacy of Gates complaint. Its also a reflection of the horribly twisted society we live in where fear of legal liability takes precedence over common sense and civility.
"if i go up to a couple of black cops and do the same thing, and if they tell me to pipe down and i keep on doing it, its handcuffs and back seat of the cop car time."
If you're in your home and have shown you are who you say you are and the cops tell you to "pipe down", you have every _right_ to keep going (as long as you don't get violent).
most cops don't like that.
I don't know many of the details of this story, and don't care.. racism, power trip, whatever. It's noise and a distraction from the real issues in our country..
illegal wars, plummeting prosperity, generalized abuses on the masses.. This story might be an example of a problem, but it's not journalism to "regurgitate facts" on this kind of story.. doing some investigating and finding out how often citizens are abused by cops, then reporting how this is just a "common trend".. that would be journalism.
We don't have journalism in American any more.. we have the AP and AFP and Rueters that tell us what to look at so we don't think or pay attention to the real problems in our country (like our wholly inadequate educational system)
"john
A man's home is his castle. Period."
So if in the process of murdering my sister--believe me she deserves it--someone hears her screams, calls the police, they respond, kick in my door, arrest me, save my sister's life, because my home is my castle I must be released of found not guilty? What kind of fuck nut are you, john?
"and the fact that gates cant just call a locksmith rather than damage his own door, well, stupid is as stupid does.
Not everyone wants to sit around for 2 hours and spend a lot of cash just to get in their house. Fixing the door at his leisure is his right, it doesn't make him stupid, just impatient.
Man, I used to really respect this site. This article is incendiary. It seems to me that I have been treated the same way by cops, and did not get the same result because I treated the cops with the respect I hoped to get in return.
Honestly, from all I have read, Gates was a jerk to the cops, and was treated that way. I would expect the same treatment if I had behaved the same way.
Really what went on here was contempt of cop and the sergeant was having none of that, so it's arrest time.
Depending on the state, you can be charged with Disorderly Conduct with the police officer signing the complaint. That is not the case in Illinois, the same place where attacking a police officer is but simple battery because the assholes sitting on the Bench of the Illinois Supreme Court made that ruling many years ago. One of those assholes on the Bench rendered the opinion that people being "Disorderly and Attacking cops" comes with the job--and should be expected.
Yeah, so does picking the hospital of your choice to be treated at after attacking a cop. That was another "Right" I tacked onto Miranda when reading it to someone I arrested and who wanted to get froggy. Had a tendency to quiet them right down.
Yeah, based upon all of the information known, it seems more a case of the cop being peeved the failure of Gates to bend to his almighty presence. Maybe Gates did get irked over being treated as a criminal for being in his own house, and maybe he issued some intemperate remarks. It seems that there is less an element of racism in this 'tempest in a teapot' than simply another cop with self-worth issues trying to assuage his ego.
But maybe not; after all, his mommy says he's had black friends.
If the man was in his home and felt the cop was being condecending or out of line, the homeowner has the right to be less then cordial with the cop. The cop, having discovered there was no burglary and that everything was okay, should have said, case closed, have a good day, I am sorry we had to answer the bogus call. Now to try to justify it is only going to make the cop look worse.
Cops have serious business to take care of and this was not serious enough to be talking about it a week later.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2009/07/cambridge_sgt_d.html
According to the cop, Gates was arrested after following the police outside and continuing to yell at them.
[...] Obama owes him an apology for saying that the police “acted stupidly”. They are also trying to prove that the officer is not a racist. However, other black professors at Harvard have complained about racist treatment by the Cambridge [...]
My home is my home and no police are ever invited. I am so sink and tired of living in a police state. Our goverment talks about freedom but that's all it is is talk. Its time for people to take back our goverment from the special interests and corporations. I feel like a bird living in a guilded cage living in this country. I would leave if I could only convince my husband.
I am listening to CNN and this officer has been on the air a few times now, once on a radio call in.
He speaks of asking Gtaes to step outisde, and Gates refused.
Gates had the right TO NOT STEP OUTSIDE under the law. The officer has no warrant to arrest Gates for being in his home regardless of the radio call, after Gates revealed it was his home.
I hear the old saw 'for my safety' from the officer like an old episode of Cops the tv show. For the safety of the People, the police ought best be remined the greta document reads WE THE PEOPLE?
To arrest Gates for disorderly conduct is a catch all excuse. If Gates wanted to tell the officer to take a hilke after he id'd himself?
The only thing the cop had to decide was which way he was going to do it.
@37 if you're mid sentence reprimanding someone that was out of line, you are under no obligation to stop speaking just because they walk away... especially if you're staying on your private property. Your rights in your house tend to also apply on your property.
Without video, we'll never know what really happened.
Sad that we live in a society where we can't just take the word of either scholars or public servants. Dishonesty has become the norm for Americans.. in fact, one might argue that the precedent set by not holding the powers that be accountable to the rule of law encourages everyone to disregard the law and decency all together.
The cop is now claiming he didn't act "stupidly", lol, then why did they drop the charges, smart guy? The cop was a fucking piece of shit moron who wanted to show Gates who was the boss. You come to somones house looking for someone breaking and entering and find a little old professor who hands you ID proving he is the resident of that home, and you let your petty little ego get the better of you and you arrest the guy for nothing, just to cuff him, humiliate him, and let him know who the boss is; all so piggy can feel a little bit of temporary power.
The arrest was idiotic and this happens to people every day, black or white, so let the media fest begin, these fucking pigs need to learn their place or die.
How in the world did Ron Brynaert get a job as a "journalist". Oh, wait, he's NOT a journalist. Disregard, my mistake.
It might just be that the officer was being unprofessional and in fact is not a racist. But the fact he tried to revive a dying black basketball star doesn't mean he's not a racist.
Seeing a helpless person and helping them is really different then when someone gets him his face. It may have been that the officer resented Prof. Gates because he is affluent and black or just plan affluent and condescending or black and condescending.
Racism is a complicated thing. We are all racist to some degree and the way we act under duress may be the acid test. This officer was acting unprofessional, because once he determined there was no crime he should have said "have a nice night, call if you need anything" like any professional person.
He should have more important things to do rather than arrest an elderly man who is in a pissy mood.
From what I read the police officer called to the scene by a concerned neighbor, Mr. Gates refuesed to cooperate by answering questions or providing I.D. It seems Mr.Gates contributed to his ordeal more then people are crediting. I am a caucasion female , I was stopped by a black police officer once and at first I refused to even speak to the guy just because I felt like being obstinate, finally he said that under new " Patriot Act" guidelines if I refused to answer he could place me under arrest.
I don't think this was a racial incident at all.
This guy has led his fellow officers in diversity training? That must have been like the blind leading the halt.
If he acted according to the police department rules and regulations then they need to be amended quickly. The officer should have been fired right away.
Prof. Gates Should slap them with about a $5,000,000,000 lawsuit.
What about the person that called the police? She/he said they wore backpacks? If I lived that closed to someone as famous as professor Gates I really believe that I would know what he looked like and know that he was trying to get in to his own house if I had seen it.
This time, I'm with the cop. The cop gets a call to go to a home that is being broken into. When he gets there a man at the home refuses to give the cop any ID. This is in the origional report. Further, the man verbally assaults the cop, ......and the cop, still not knowing who this man is, (was he the burgler? If he was the owner, could there be a burglar in the home somewhere?) takes the man out to the front porch for the safety of both of them. The man continues his verbal abuse ...even making remarks about the cop's mother, which didnt get into the report. IF YOU WERE A COP, WHAT WOULD YOU DO? The man was arrested for being non compliant and verbally agressive. Remember, the man refused to show the cop any ID. This is the actions of a man who fully believes he is above the law. "Do you have any idea who I AM?" he says to the cop. ........ Well, no, not without any ID, right?
Should the cop take this man's word for who he is, ( not knowing WHO the man is) or should he demand some ID? (Which is what all cops do.) After all, the cop got the call that there was a burglary in process at this home. Don't you think the "professor" should have simply whipped out his ID and explained what happened, that he couldnt find his key to get into the house after coming home from a trip? Of course, ANYONE would do this. Anyone except someone who thought they were above the law and didnt have to answer any questions by cops when breaking into a house. Pure arrogance got this guy into his trouble. Not the cop. He should have been glad a cop cared enough to answer the call that his home was being broken into. But then, he was a FRIEND of the president of the US...........he is above the law for the common people. No peon, this guy! He has special, exclusive privledges! He can tell a cop to go to hell and get away with it. YOU TRY IT!
This is really probably the worst article I've ever read on this site. It is the leftist equivalent of a Glenn Beck tirade. I expect better from Rawstory reporting.
He's lucky he wasnt tasered.
What gets me is that Gates is a man of privilege. This man is oppressed like I'm Prince Harry. Had he been a man of lesser means and influence, he'd still be in jail. And were he both of lesser means and black, if trends apply, he'd stay in jail even longer.
When he blithely turns the race card into a get-out-of-jail-free card and whines about racism, he does a grave disservice to all the African Americans who are actually suffering under the boot heel of a clearly lopsided justice system and who don't have the financial wherewithal or the prestige to defend themselves in the kangaroo court of public opinion.
It is a grave disservice because it creates a backlash and alienates those who should be conscripted as allies to get this racist justice system fixed. It diminishes the legitimate complaints, and is crying "wolf" a bit too reflexively.
It is a grave disservice because this role model for youth exhibited the type of response to police that'll earn some poor kid a beat down from a genuine thug cop for not complying with his commands.
So I'll reserve my outrage for the truly outrageous and my sympathies for the genuine victims of this system of ours rather than people of privilege who play the race card to escape accountability for their aberrant behavior, including ex-football stars who murder their wives, Congresswomen who physically assault the Capitol Police, and internationally renowned Ivy-league professors with a chip on their shoulder.
Rothschild / CIA MK Ultra Victim under Protective Custody
I'm mad they killed my brother this week and marked it with MK Ultra,,Police Officer Zappa,,
To FBI,,
Maybe check Political accidents to Military names..
They announced they were here April 2001,,
In 2000 this happened,,
I'm pretty sure it was 2000 that I had jury duty,,I had no car so a policeman delievered me,,,
I think I only went 1 or 2 times and the case was settled,,
But I do remember it was about a BOAT HOUSE...
Before my daughter graduated from college at 19,,,she dated a CHAD..I remember the scar they put to Chad,,
Then I think it was December 2000 they put out my WELL pump,,80 feet under ground..
Then in January 2000 I started my business after resting,,and I was big into WITCHES,,,
Lots of BLACK fleece and felt...Black,Black,Black,,,
Labor Day weekend 2000 my friend kept calling me ZORO,,I was slashing my prices at a craft show....
About 1 week later my friend and I were watching TV and Wal-Mart put out the ZORO commercial,,I don't what this means,,,
In May,,I'm pretty sure,,,2001 I saw the Attorney General of Florida in Wal-mart,,he lead me to cheaper cat food,,,It was his TWIN,,,
I just seen him on TV during the 2000 Elections,,
Then in my industry,,in between surviving I was trying to work,,
I was making wooden snowman with the word SNOWBIRD,,that's Florida..
I think it was July 2001 while I was painting SNOWBIRD, droplets of water would fall on my hand,,
A few days later while driving up the road one mile, a droplet the size of a 1/2 dollar fell on my windshield..
Both days were sunny,,,
Then a few days later my husband sitting at a stop light had something hit his windshield and break it...He couldn't understand it..
Then I think they had a deer run into his vehicle,,
I thought I would let you know this,,,
I'm still mad,so I'll keep thinking..
I feel bad for the professor. The true racist was probably the neighbor who called the cops in the first place. Perhaps there is some bad blood between the professor and the neighbor, or perhaps the neighbor is just a huge jerk. As for the cop, the right thing to do would have been to politely leave after the man showed his ID and it was clear that he was in his own house. For the cop to arrest the man because he was behaving boisterously is pure BS. The cop deserves whatever retribution and poor publicity he receives over this. For the record, I'm white and I believe that non-whites are treated much more harshly by police.
Another uppity Eurocop who feels he needs to be in "control" otherwise his "manhood" is threatened. Yet, when no one is looking, he's out skimming, drugging and sexually assaulting citizens.... to the Cop Fellators on this board, all cops/people/citizens make mistakes...cops don't walk on water nor are they always the "good guys"...............
"The man was arrested for being non compliant and verbally agressive."
In a non-police state, citizens have the rights, not cops. You don't have to comply with a cop when the cop has no substantial reasoning to make his mandates.
Some of your assertions seem more propaganda than fact (and since I've not bothered to follow this inane story, I don't really know.. I have to go by what's here).. He apparently DID show his ID at some point before the arrest.. it's been said that there's proof that false statements were made in the report, and in this day and age, you can't trust what a cop says over someone else, even if it's "in the report". And 3rd, your rant was the only time I've heard _anything_ about some insult about the cop's mother... sounds like a lie put into the retelling of the story to justify abuses on a citizen by the fascists.
"Of course, ANYONE would do this. Anyone except someone who thought they were above the law and didnt have to answer any questions by cops when breaking into a house."
this assertion shows your critical thinking skills are seriously lacking. People can be in all kinds of moods for all kinds of reasons, to suggest the "only" alternative is one that serves your story is called a "false dichotomy" and shows you're trying to force your idea into the mind as the "only right option". To thinking people, that immediately makes everything you say suspect.
"He should have been glad a cop cared enough to answer the call that his home was being broken into"
wtf is that? the cop is PAID to RESPOND, not to "decide if he wants to do his job". That you feel cops are some special people that get to decide for themselves what calls to answer and which to ignore now proves you have no ability to proffer anything of substance to the conversation.
And for your information, if the citizen is not violating any laws, they have the right to tell the cop to fuck off. Cops are civil servants, and are subject to due process proceedings. Citizens aren't required to pander to the power structure.. not in America as it was founded. The boss doesn't have to stand there and listen to the employee talk out his ass.
The interesting part of all of this is that "some neighbor" called the cops on him? None of the neighbors know what this guy looks like, that he lives there? They just saw "some black man trying to break into a [black man's] house" and presumed it was a crime in progress? Riiiiiight.
why the fk are comments awaiting moderation?
Raw, fix your damn comments sections! I registered for this crap, and you don't have your registered (and hence, less need for moderation) comments functioning on all your posts?
very poor, raw.. very poor.
The cop's a racist because he investigated a house breakin?
What's the matter with you?
He's lucky he wasn't dragged through the streets by the cop car.
btw...what ever happened to that story of the white guy in Akron on the 4th of July, who claims he was accosted by a group of 50 anti-Patriotic black mobsters?
Hey, perfectly nice people can be capable of racially biased behavior. Why do we have to label people as either total racists (bad) or total non-racists (good)?
Hate is not required, though the worst examples of racism often involve hate. The whole debate over profiling is about using racial stereotypes, not about whether or not an officer harbors a personal hatred.
The short story: Two men get in a pissing contest and the guy with the big bladder wins, sort of.
I've read enough articles to come to an obvious conclusion. They both mishandled the situation.
Does "proves" or "proved" ever appear in the Boston Globe article?
Not once.
Mr. Brynaert, the way to criticize bad journalism isn't with more bad journalism!
A case of a victim that knew too much about the law and an officer who didn't. Unfortuantely not all officers have the patience of Job following an incident - maybe there was even a bit of adrenaline still flowing - after all it was a burgarly in progress-type report. The officer's lack of restraint has been commented upon, and rightly so, but what about the privileged professor's lack of restraint?
Lets be fair, there are other journalists at the Boston Globe who are not in denial.
THE POLICE REPORT:
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2009/0723092gates1.html
Gates is wrong.. He jumped bad and whipped out a fist full of race cards.
"Moderation"
For a link to smoking gun? WTF?
"The interesting part of all of this is that "some neighbor" called the cops on him? None of the neighbors know what this guy looks like, that he lives there? They just saw "some black man trying to break into a [black man's] house" and presumed it was a crime in progress? Riiiiiight."
A deliberate setup so he could scream racism..
If these cops don't have attitude problems, then why aren't they backing down now that they are wrong, outclassed, outgunned and outnumbered?
Also we all know that cops don't have friends who aren't cops and this article PROVES it by mentioning one person who died 16 years ago when the person wasn't yet a cop.
It's completely normal procedure for most cops to have a serious attitude from the get go with NO REASON. I usually have no contact with cops, but not too long ago I did interact with one during a traffic stop. I drove through a toll booth going from MA to NH, and immediately after that I was stopped by a female NH state trooper who asked for license and registration. I complied IMMEDIATELY, and all my papers we in order. Now, she glances at my license and starts looking though my windows and then asks "I see a cooler in your back seat. What's in there"?
I'm like "Uh, food. Is there a problem"?
"Not YET" she replies. Next it's "Do you have any drugs or weapons in the vehicle"?
Now I'm getting kind of PO'd. I ask "Why exactly are you stopping me"?
"I'LL ASK THE QUESTIONS SIR" she snears.
Then she asks if I will give her permission to search the vehicle.
I said "No. I want to know why you stopped me. I wasn't speeding, I just went through a toll booth 100 yards ago. My car is in perfect mechanical condition, I am licensed, I have insurance."
She goes "Look, don't get smart with me sir. Either you give me permission to search, or I'll call the K-9 team and they'll search without your consent".
At this time I am getting madder and madder. I'm still being totally civil, but she could tell I was not going to roll over for her. I've asked TWICE why I was being stopped. She has NO ANSWER and is acting like I'M the unreasonable one.
Long story short, this BITCH of a statie says "Ok, I'm calling the dogs. I need you to step out of the car." I get out and she escorts me back to the cruiser. We get in and she picks up the radio and calls for the canine unit. She actually says "Suspicion of MARIJUANA when she asks them to come to the "scene"!
Cut to about 40 minutes later, they have their nazi dog sniff my car and FIND NOTHING. I'm "free to go". So I ask the female statie for her badge # because still NO ONE has even pretended to have a valid reason to stop me. It's just what they do. Break the law whenever they want, stop who they want, harass who they want and then act like they're doing you a favor when they "let you go" when you've done NOTHING.
The fat dog cop says "look you can either leave, or we'll tow your car back to the station and rip it apart. Your choice."
At this point, I leave, but I got the fat guys name, and I reported him and gave my account and a description of the female trooper as well. This was just completely outrageous, and I am going to try and at least get something on their records about this illegal stop and harrassment. Personally though, from EVERYONE I've talked to, they've said forget it. Nothing will happen. Cops can do what they want, they can lie, make shit up, arrest you for "resisting" even if the only resisting you do is to demand an answer to why they are pulling you over. Especially in the "post 9-11 world" where cops are pretty much given carte blanche to harass, arrest, taser or screw with anyone for any reason that gets their rocks off.
Protect and serve my ASS. It's all about power trips, special treatment for themselves and buddies, and a complete disdain for "the public" by these facist bastards.
Maybe the Gates case is not about race, but it sure as HELL is about some dickhead cop wanting to flex his power and prove that even when they're wrong, we should all lick their balls and act like a good little sheeple.
Rothschild/CIA MK Ultra Victim
That's why I was giving donations to the Police department ,,for children..
I don't think they had to work hard to make me give to kids..
By this time tomorrow, if not before, the wacko right wing.....full of shit noise machine will be screaming Obama hates policemen, especially white policemen. Obama is a racist. Although he might have done well to bite his tongue, this is no big deal, but the crazies won't let this rest. They need a new Joe the plumber, seeing as the last one was such a phony asshole.
I wonder? if professor gates were white would we be talking about this arrest today.
If Gates was arrested after following the cop outside, why does the picture of his arrest show him being led out of the house?
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/22/Arrest_of_Henry_Louis_Gates.jpg
Everyone overreact and take sides! Make assumptions without the facts! It had to be the black guy! It had to be the cops!
Newsflash - maybe they're both in the wrong?
"That's why I was giving donations to the Police department ,,for children.."
I won a business, so I have to write checks to pay taxes all the time. Believe me, if everyone had to do this there would be a revolt. It's SOOOO much easier when you never see the money in the first place..
The last time the FOP called me for a ten dollar donation, I told them I would rather go find a fucking drug dealer and GIVE him fifty bucks then "donate" ten to them..
I'm not normally like that but, they opened the call in that arrogant cop tone, like it was supposed to scare people into donating.. AND THEN s-l-o-w-e-d d-o-w-n to be SURE and emphasize that everyone who donated got a FOP BUMPER STICKER to (slow again) p-l-a-c-e o-n t-h-e b-a-c-k o-f t-h-e-i-r c-a-r..
The obvious implication being that donating equates to special rights.. Cause the cop will see it and take it easy on you.
Pigs.. h8'em.
"By this time tomorrow, if not before, the wacko right wing.....full of shit noise machine will be screaming Obama hates policemen, especially white policemen."
He made himself look pretty bad..
First he gets dissed on Health Care, now this..
It's not been a good couple of days for the Bamster.
I just hope he doesn't drop the public option (Thereby leaving us with just a Romeny Style mandate) in an effort to get something passed.
Do I think the actions of Officer Crowley in arresting Prof. Gates mean he is a racist? No. I saw nothing racially motivated in anything I have read so far.
The cops were called to the scene by someone reporting two black males breaking into a house. Two black males did indeed break into the home. One of them just happened to own the home (Prof. Gates) and the other was a service man Gate's asked to help unstick the front door.
The cop made a reasonable request...prove this is your house. One would think a cop protecting your property from burglary might get cut some slack.
But here is where Gates screwed up. I can understand being testy in your own home. But where Gates pissed off the cops was in not complying with their demands. The cops always win in the short term on this. Failure to comply leads to arrest or death. Even when you are in the right. Gates danced with the cop and survived, but only to be caged.
What was the charge? If it had been burglary, then the cops could have been excused had Gates not provided adequate proof that he was the home owner or property controller. But the charge was disorderly conduct for shouting at a cop in his own home. So clearly they knew Gates owned the home at the time of his arrest. Disorderly conduct inside you own home for refusing to answer cops questions and ordering them to leave.
It is a good thing rank has its privileges, or Dr. Gates would be having additional charges heaped onto his arrest file right now with a special news conference called by the prosecutor or mayor to heap praise on the cop for doing his duty, and scorn on the victim for having the temerity to oppose genuflecting on bended knee before the law.
Jhoffa_, Reid just killed the public option by giving the blue dogs until fall to get bribed.
Unfortunately, the President has little to no power over anything. Why they campaign on things they will try to get done, I don't know.. that's not even their job! The Pres. is executive, not legislative. ... but, I suppose, it helps feed the 2 party lie and helps distract from people paying all that much attention to the _real_ policy makers and keeps them looking at the puppets..
RAW READER PROVES COP ERRED:
U.S. Constitution: Fourth Amendment
Fourth Amendment - Search and Seizure
Amendment Text | Annotations
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
Sure, a man's home is his castle.
That doesn't mean he can do whatever he likes. You can set up a meth lab or endanger others.
His 'violent' (and I don't know I wasn't there) reaction prompted the law enforcement to make a judgement call. They will always go "better safe than sorry".
If the cop would have just left, and the p.o.'d professor ended up taking it out on some other dude everyone would be asking "why wasn't he stopped when the cop was there?"
So, A) shut up, you were just as wrong for taking it out on someone who was actually sent out in a legitimate call, with your best interests in mind... and B) you can't go mouthing off at cops. PERIOD. That never ends well.
Law enforcement are there doing the best to enforce the law as we have it. The law with intentions to protect all of us. I know we're not there, but we're on our way... it might be a while.
Cops are universally bullies and thugs. They are legal criminals. If they had brains bigger than walnuts they would have went to college and gotten a job that requires intelligence. These people are not your friend. Heaven help us if martial law is ever declared.
Pitbullstew (77)-
1) it wasn't a search - (the cop didn't go about the house ransaking drawers and turning the place inside out.)
2) it wasn't a seizure - (he didn't take anything from the home... except for the man himself)
3) it wasn't unreasonable - (someone actually called for help. It wasn't like the cop was walking down the street and said, "let me just search this home cause I wanna.")
The cop, and I don't care who he is or what color he is or where he is from, was just doing his job. This 'professor' couldn't keep his composure, couldn't see how the situation originated and was misrepresented (pretty blind for a smart fellow)... and his best solution... well, let me mouth off at this cop and call him a racist and probably completely kill his career cause he made a mistake. brilliant.
Gates could have been disappeared and then dismembered and cannibalized by the Cambridge cops - and for that he should be thankful.
LuceMDiffundo: Lame try, jackass.
henry: you would, but then, as a racist posting what he thinks is valid commentary, that's to be expected.
I don't think any of us have enough details to judge whether the cop was out of line. One thing that I've read; When asked for his ID, Gates replied something to the tune of: "Why, because I'm a black man?" Would he have asked that question of a black cop? Maybe but I doubt it. If this is what happened, I would conclude that it was Gates that was being racist. (white cop... must hate black men) Again, I don't have all of the facts so I can't speak with the certainty that some folks here have.
From what I've read about this it seems that Gates was just as responsible for what happened as the police. The police responded to a legitimate concern and when they asked this man to show ID he went nuts playing the victim. Should he have been arrested? No. Should he have followed the police officers orders and politely showed his ID and explained the situation? YES.
A long tradition in nasty, bigoted Boston is the oddly self-regarding Boston Globe rushing to try to cover up obvious racism in the city and region They do it by instinct. (See among others the Charles Stuart case).
Spot on Scuby and thx1138 and WJM, spot on. This was more fascism than racism, but there will always be racism for the simple fact the woman saw 2 big black men and that was all it took. The reason why I agree that the cop came off hard was he came to the scene thinking two black males where robbing a house so he was aggressive. And his excuse of wondering why this man was upset and disorderly conduct IN HIS HOME, shows that this guy knew he made a mistake and was trying to cover up the mistake with a charge any charge. People are starting to figure out how cops operate know and can manipulate them to literally get somebody killed. Cops go into a situation at 200% full throttle and people know that. So a person can get you killed by saying words such as (drug overdose at this house, person breaking into a house, black male with gun, etc. etc.). They think every 911 call is a true emergency and act accordingly their never told that there's a possibility that this is a lie or the person is mistaken to be careful.
This happens with black and white cops all the time. Black cops will do dirty things just as much as a white cop. You have to consider the type of people who are drawn to this type of occupation. This cop lied, and even his reasoning sounds like the "make sure to cover all your bases" reason for arresting him. Our idiot politicians who aren't seeing the "first responders" (like that is any reason for them to get a pass) as a group of thugs preying on the populace should consider something. In many empires, the establishment may have gone alot longer before imploding if the underlings of the elite (enforcers, cops, govt. officials, and local leaders) didn't decide to also consider themselves kings and elites and not prey on the populace to the point that the populace started to rebel. When the elite of an empire are corrupt then the ones under them become corrupt also exponetially. And in so doing makes the problems from the corruption (revenge, rebellion etc. etc.) happen exponentially also.
Are country is losing it's luster and is resembling a nation of people trying to get as much as they can before the whole kit and kaboodle blows up.
" (My reason for wanting to leave the residence was that Gates was yelling very loud and the acoustics of the kitchen and foyer were making it difficult for me to transmit pertinent information to ECC or other responding units. His reply was “ya, I’ll speak with your mama outside”)
Why did he need Gates to go with him to talk on the radio. Was he the only cop there?
The reason for asking him to leave his house was used to get him outside so he could arrest him for disorderly conduct. Which would have been pretty difficult to do from in his private home. My guess is the cop decided to arrest him as soon as he started screaming at him. Or at the very least when his mother was insulted.
Gates should have stayed in his home and called his lawyer. I bet his lawyer would have told him not to go outside.
98% of cops are evil. The other 2% are the ones that mysteriously die on the job.
Rothschild/ CIA Mk Ultra Victim under Protective Custody
So it appears the above were gun ho on Big Screen Televisions and Digital Broadcasting.
In my Walking Coma phase,,,around August 2001 they let up on the pain and programmed me to go looking for a Big Screen Tv.
I was in so much pain I walked with a limp and wasn't quiet speaking full sentences,,but I went looking for a Big screen..
My friend took me to Wettstein's Tv and appliance,,,We went to another place as I limped along,,,
This all leads to there discussing SSSS mind control via Digital broadcasting..
As MK Ultra can do just about everything,,did you give my nephew Diabetes?
OK, so Crowley is not a racist. So what. Cops are supposed to defuse situations not exacerbate them. They are trained to do that. So even though (or better yet, even if) Gates acted like a fool that day, he should not have been arrested. Acting a fool and being rude to a cop is not illegal. No crime occurred as borne out by the dropping of all charges within hours.
Gates may or may not have been guilty of indiscretion. Crowley, even when you just read his version of events, was guilty of a whole lot more.
So Crowley is not a racist. So what.
this was a contempt of cop situation period. Cop didn't like what he said and jailed him, if it were me I'd sue for a million dollars. Screw that cop, and the union. Nazi bastards. The only good cop is a dead one.
"Jhoffa_, Reid just killed the public option by giving the blue dogs until fall to get bribed."
It DOES look that away.. Yes.
And, IMO, fuck Romney care! If there's no PO to help keep a lid on costs, then I don't want any action taken at all.
"U.S. Constitution: Fourth Amendment.."
Doesn't apply.. Cop had probable cause to believe a crime was in progress.
It's all he needs.
I mean, think about it.. Do you really believe a cop is obligated to watch you stab your wife through a window just because he doesn't have a warrant?
Of course not.
[...] Obama owes him an apology for saying that the police “acted stupidly”. They are also trying to prove that the officer is not a racist. However, other black professors at Harvard have complained about racist treatment by the Cambridge [...]
In all of the "liberal" websites I visit, nobody is claiming this is pure racism. That is a straw argument the MSM is insisting on. What they are claiming is, this is an example of assholism on both sides. And no, the neighbors weren't being racist for calling 911 when they saw people breaking into a house, black or white. If you see someone breaking into a house, most of the time it's because a crime is being committed. You suppose if the neighbor sees someone break into the Profs house in the future, he's going to do anything?
Let's suppose the Prof came back and his house had been burglarized. The neighbor says, "Well, I saw two black guys bust in the door but hey, calling the cops would be racist." Or suppose the cop had said, "Well, I found a guy in the house and the door busted open, but he claimed that he lived here so I left. Demanding he prove that he lived here would have been racist because the man happened to be black." What do you suppose the mouthy Prof would have said then?
No, we have two egos in this case going at it. The policeman could have calmly pointed out the logic above while being thankful he isn't a student in this moron's class. Instead he decided to teach the guy a lesson in respecting the people wearing the badge.
Like I said, assholism all around.
Gates is lucky that the house wasn't torched by the Cambridge cops and all their relatives.
Seriously, how many old, black men walking with the aid of a cane, break into homes in Cambridge? One needs to wonder about the neighbor who called the cops in the first place. Oh, let me guess, she used the "but officer, hey all look the same" line of bullshit ...
Seems to me the badge and gun gave this cop a much larger ego than I'm guessing he already has, a common problem among policemen and women nationwide. Seems to me that he needs to learn restraint, anger management perhaps, and that a badge and gun do NOT give you free license to be a dickhead.