Were there any black law enforcement officials who did not take Gates' side?

If both Gates and cop were white and the same things happened, would there be an issue?

Or if both men were black?

What if both men were Asian?

Should I remember Poland by now?

What if Gates was white and the cop was black? If honky Gates started yelling and being disruptive, and the cop did the same thing, then what? Oh, do tell - I'm sure somebody out there can conjure up some spin to make this a needlessly racial issue.

And that really is the crux of the issue: If there's a cop, do you yell and scream and fly off the handle or do you wait to be instructed?

It's also funny; Chris Rock had advice on his tv show (circa 2000) that applies to everybody too: If a cop comes in, you do what the cop says. Don't yell or make a scene or give a cop a reason to put on the cuffs without good reason. Or is common sense too much for all of us to remember these days? In such a misunderstanding, and given the situations cops operate within (try being one before giving me the usual anti-police rhetoric), the cop is far more likely to subdue anybody who's yelling, even if it's about a misunderstanding - the cop has to make fast decisions, whose repercussions affect lots of people. (that works both ways too...)

Funny how the media avoids little pointless questions like those, but I'm not certain it's a race issue...

It's hard to see how a black officer could stand up to a sergeant like Crowley without retaliation. :shrug:

She was on the Cambridge police force. Don't remember her name. Said she had voted for Obama but wouldn't be voting for him again since he disrespected her fellow officer.

She is defending a racist liar.

Not showing good judgment on her part.

It still would have been wrong. The race just added to the nonsense.

Why didn't Crowley identify himself? Why didn't he just leave after verifying no crime in progress?

And why did Crowley lie about it, and get his people to order the PRESIDENT to retract his deserved criticism?

He is an authoritarian asshole. And a liar.

Professor Gates was yelling things like "can't a black man own a house in this country" (I'm paraphrasing) on the assumption that a white officer would necessarily want to single out and harass any black man he saw (profiling?).

Hard to take race out of that.

But I did at the request of the OP.

Frankly, I think this story got the attention it deserved because of the potential racism involved. Had it been two white males, I would still have wanted it to, though. Abuse of power is NOT acceptable in ANY form.

that race be taken out of it?

And why did the union have minority members on stage with them but only allow white cops to speak?

Houston, we have a problem.

and the homeowner white then Obama would have been just as incensed and issued a statement immediately saying the cop acted stupidly.

Yep.

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that the homeowner would be accusing the cop of being a racist.

The issue is the pervasive jack boot mentality of an organization that does not feel obligated to fulfill it's mission to protect and serve the civilian population that funds it.

Jul 29, 2009 4:59 pm US/Eastern
BOSTON (WBZ) ―

Boston Police moved to fire an officer after he allegedly sent out a mass e-mail that contained a racial slur to refer to Harvard University professor Henry Louis Gates Jr.

Officer Justin Barrett, a two-year veteran, is accused of calling Gates a "jungle monkey" in the e-mail, the Boston Herald reports.

Sources tell WBZ-TV that Barrett sent the mass e-mail to some of his comrads in the National Guard.

Police officials say Commissioner Ed Davis immediately placed the 36-year-old officer on administrative leave pending a termination hearing after the officer admitted to being responsible for the e-mail.

http://wbztv.com/local/racial.remark.email.2.1106389.html

I'm sure this is just a mistunderstanding. Let's wait until we have all the facts.

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

She got some scary calls & emails calling her a racist and threatening to harm her.