My take on Henry Louis Gates arrest.

I've listened to people's comments about how Professor Gates overreacted. What people choose to forget is this man has been going through this all of his life. Everyone has a boiling point! It is so easy for white people to say he overreacted because they have never been denied a seat at a lunch counter, they never had to be made to sit in the back of a bus, they have never been pulled over because of the name of car they drive, they have never been refused their right to vote, they have never had their churches firebombed, they have never been harassed, threatened, beaten, or killed by the Klan and the cops. For some many years, the police, the local and federal government have had the backs of white people. Having to have to go through all that for majority of your life, it is hard to just turn the switch off when a police officer comes to your door, investigating to break-in and inciting the homeowner. After he told the officer he is the homeowner and provided the office his IDs, which contains his home address, it should have been over at that point.

I'm not saying that this officer is a racist. All I'm saying is that the history of this country makes it seem that it is okay to harass to black/hispanics in this country.

That is my little rant. Just a few things I wanted to get off my chest.

The man was in his own house. But to a lot of people, there are no shades of gray, so they support this arrest no matter what.

But, while past mistreatment may be an explanation for acting in violation of accepted social constructs, it's not an excuse.

There's a difference between an explanation and a valid excuse. I feel that Gates' behavior was explanable, but I don't feel it was excusable. He may have has a reason for his actions, but they were still unacceptable.

One of the problems with the amount of discretion that police officers have, by necessity, is that it is often not utilized with the appropriate care and consideration. For example, in this instance, Henry Louis Gates, by all accounts, was very angry and lashed out verbally at Sgt. Crowley, who determined that such a reaction was unreasonable and thus meant that Professor Gates was engaging in "tumultuous behavior" that justified his being arrested.

But had he stopped even for a second to consider WHY Professor Gates was so angry, he would have viewed his behavior in an entirely different context - seeing it not as the rantings of an out-of-control man who was a danger to anyone's peace or safety, but as an understandable reaction for someone in Professor Gates' position. He would also have realized that HE, Sgt. Crowley, was the problem - i.e. his very presence in Professor Gates' home was what was provoking the reaction - and that if he removed himself from Professor Gates' house, he would calm down and the situation would have been immediately diffused.

He did not do that, but instead continued to agitate Professor Gates and escalate the situation. Sgt. Crowley was the one with all the power and he did not use it responsibly.

THAT, in my view, is the problem. It is important for people to understand the perspectives of others - not as a divergent from a particular norm ("A white person would have behaved this way, a black person responded this way. The black person's way must be the anomaly") but as various normal perspectives that all have validity.

Those are stressful and physically difficult particularly for someone requiring a cane or having certain other physical conditions. He probably was very sleep-deprived and had been looking forward to finally getting some sleep in his own comfortable bed, only to find the door jammed. I know I have no tolerance for even minor frustration in those situations. Not excusing anything but just saying this could account for some of the reaction as well.

For me, the real idiot is the Harvard magazine staffer (circulation and fund-raising manager! and with an office just down the street, no less) who felt the urge to make the call. For someone in that position not to know who Henry Louis Gates was, or what he looked like. . well, there is no excuse for that level of cluelessness. Someone that clueless (not even to mention whatever racial-profiling warped her judgment) shouldn't have a job like that. In an atmosphere when Harvard is laying off people by the hundreds, how could someone this stupid have a job? It boggles my mind.

BTW, I've really like Obama's comments-- BOTH statements were thoughtful, appropriate, real, IMHO

like yours.:)

beyond exhausted. And ready to chew nails. Add to that being hassled at your own front door, I can see the outcome. The cop needed to politely apologize for the inconvenience, stating that they had received a 911 call and were doing their job, and LEAVE. Over and out.

the history is context for what is still happening today.

Crowley didn't behave in a manner that suggested racism. If he had, I'd understand Gates' actions...and probably felt they were justified.

Again, it's an explanation, but not an excuse.

Since when is it against the law to be an ass in one's own home?

It is Crowley's behavior that is unexcusable and I have theories as to "why" that would constitute excuses, but Crowley was the professional. His duty to Gates and the public was much higher than Gates' duty to behave.

If I walked up to you and made a reasonable request and you became agitated and told me that I was only making the request because you were a black man, that would be inappropriate. Even if you had a valid reason not to grant my request, the racism claim would be outside the limits of accepted social constraints.

Complying with a reasonable law enforcement requests is an even more important expectation, because it involves expectations that involve (in this case) safety...both that of the officer and the person of whom the request is being made. Failure to comply with a simple procedural request is unacceptable under most conditions. Compounding that refusal with a tirade about racism is indefensible.

reasonable the request. The home is my refuge, it is where I can be who I want to be and I don't care what you think of how I am behaving, it is my right.

You keep saying he didn't comply - Crowley's own report doesn't support that and bear in mind, Crowley wrote this to put himself in the best light possible. Crowley reported that initially, Gates refused and then he gave his ID. That means that he did comply.

And that is when this whole thing should have come to an end - when Crowley should have tried to diffuse the situation by apologizing for any inconvenience; by offering his business card with his name, badge number and an incident number while explaining how Gates can get a copy of the report if he needs; and then by exiting the house and leaving the property (using the techniques he should be teaching the academy cadets he trains).

Crowley didn't do that, he called for Harvard University Police to come to the scene, continuing the "intrigue", escalating the situation.

Crowley was the professional who had a duty to the citizen, even if the citizen was rude. He should operate under a higher degree of professionalism than he showed and higher than expected from the citizen.

A well trained and skilled professional would have done several things differently, should have done things differently.

For a start, when Crowley got the call from dispatch he should have recognized the address and realized it was most likely Harvard housing. He should have asked dispatch to contact Harvard University PD to find out if it was one of Harvard's houses and to get the name of the resident along with a description so that when he arrived on the scene, if he found anyone who claimed to be the resident then he could know if the descriptions match. You know, if the resident was a 50 year old white woman, chances are the two black males reported on the property might not belong there as the complaining party feared. He also should have asked dispatch to have the Harvard cops meet him on the scene if it was one of their houses.

Freedom of speech and free to be secure in my home, those are big deal constitutional rights and I don't care what you think of his social skills, they were Gates' rights. We are not, by our own constitution, required to act any certain way. Though you may wish it were, the USA has not yet become a police state.

Crowley screwed up, he didn't do the job he is allegedly trained to do (and that he trains other to do). To add to the huge failure as to how he handled the call, he arrested Gates and charged him with a crime that was not committed and as it appears from the comment Crowley was to have made when he cuffed Gates, the arrest was in retaliation for Gates behavior inside. Just yet another constitutional violation.

analysis..

It's incredible that people are defending crowley's behavior who aren't on the Police Force..'cause I know they have the blue wall.

and that the arrest was a rookie mistake.

Crowley is a trainer for god's sake, he is the one that teaches cadets how to diffuse situations just like this.

I'd rather defend the rights of my fellow citizens than worry about the police, they do fine given the fact that they have lawyers and unions to defend them.

eom

I read your post, saw the "<0" and meant to rec it just offset it, because it annoyed me seeing the "<0" - and I hit the wrong link by accident - I unreced it by mistake. :(

I haven't had an opinion at all about the rec/unrec debate, but I guess now, at least at this moment, I do.

Sorry for being careless. :(

As for your post - which is more important - :thumbsup:

Department stores, Department of Interior, Department of Justice, Department of Unemployement, Complaint Department.......

I read the story last night but wasn't able to access the pic.

at some point, you just get sick of it :kick:

authority structure is troubling. This is every bit as much a Libertarian issue as it is a human rights issue. But it's difficult for many white people to grasp because their experiences are just different.

I'm thrilled that the officer has agreed to me with HLG and the president. They are all being very humble about this situation.

Perhaps it'll be a teachable moment for all of us, black and white.

to the White House for a :beer::party: ..I thought it would happen. That's Obama's MO..and, yes, another teaching lesson that comes from lemons into Lemonade:9

the man had just come home from a week in China on a lonnngg plane ride and first he was locked out of his front door and then after he got in he was confronted by the police.

I'm not saying the law shouldn't have been there but when I'm tired like that..I'm not even the same person.

It was the responsibility of the officer to diffuse the situation, imv.

to Officer Crowley to get himself enrolled in a crash course on EmpathyB-)

Fearless Beloved Leader has enough empathy to save the Nation.:)

For example, you claim that when he said he was the homeowner, he showed IDs with his home address on it. I heard that he showed his university ID, which didn't.

The black officer who was there supports the white cop's actions 100%, and the black officer has probably experienced a lot of what you describe or has loved ones who have. Since you've clearly taken sides, I'm guessing you'll claim that cops always stick up for each other. Whatever.

Seriously, unless you have a transcript or video of what was said and what took place, using a history lesson to support your "boiling point" theory is absurd. You say "It is so easy for white people to say he overreacted," but here you're categorizing an entire race - you know, what Gates accused the white cop of.

THIS particular white guy doesn't know what happened, is not ready to take sides and isn't going to make excuses for either side. When the facts come out, maybe I will take a side, but your argument could easily be countered with the equally irrelevant "White cops put their lives on the line every day and are subject to terrible verbal and physical abuse, threats and racism from blacks who automatically assume every white cop is a racist," topped off with your "Everyone has a boiling point!"

My take: it amazes me what people will conclude without all the facts - from everyday citizens right up to the White House.

1 - Do it during the day.
2 - Hire some old excon that is small and disabled as a front man. For good measure give him a cordless phone to appear to be talking on.
3 - Put some luggage in the front hall way.
4 - Get the old guy some id that looks okay. After all the police will only look at the id not verify that it is legitimate.