Comedian Bill Cosby expressed shock [article link] over President Obama's statement (...police acted stupidly) about a Cambridge Police Sargent who detained and arrested Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates. Gates was arrested at his home by Sargent James Crowley. Police were called when a neighbor thought they saw someone breaking into Mr. Gates home. The reasons for the arrest are still unclear why police would arrest someone at their home. Apparently, Mr. Gates would not show proof of ID and was arrested.
Bill Cosby said that the President spoke too soon. I think that is apparent. President Obama himself even said in his original statement that he didn't have all the facts. Yet, he saw fit to say the "police acted stupidly." Why even make such a statement when you acknowledge you don't have all the facts? It doesn't makes sense and it certainly doesn't make sense the President of United States would say such a thing. The President admitted he might be biased since he and the Harvard professor are good friends. Again, we go back to why he saw fit to even comment on the arrest since he also mentioned he "might" be biased. It's not a comment you would expect from a sitting U.S. President. How do you think the police of Cambridge felt upon hearing they "acted stupidly?" I'm sure there is much more to this story than we know right now. It may turn out that Professor Gates was wronged by the Cambridge Police. If that turns out to be the case, I hope the police are severely punished. It's going to be interesting to see who actually apologizes once all the facts are known in this case. Right now, no one is willing to apologize, including the President of the United States.
6 comments:
I agree with your premise, David.
The President spoke too soon, as well as a number of other people have.
However, the facts that are available run counter to this statement of yours:
"Apparently, Mr. Gates would not show proof of ID and was arrested."
I have checked numerous sources on this subject and all agree, Mr. Gates did produce identification. According to the Cambridge Police
Department, Mr. Gates was arrested for disorderly conduct, not for failing to produce identification.
Debate me if you wish, but know that I actually called the CPD and asked them and not only that, I actually agree with your premise in this case.
Mike,
I thought sure it had to be something like refusing to show ID to a law enforcement officer. But, I'll take your word about the disorderly conduct. I'm not sure how one goes about getting arrested for disorderly conduct in your own damn house. But, like President Obama, I don't have all the facts. I'll wait for this entire episode to play out before I say more.
Really, if the President would have refused comment on the incident, this entire thing would not have gained the publicity it has to date. Obama made this into a media sensation and not the other way around. This was a big mistake by him, Mike. You have to know when to keep your opinion to yourself.
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That's the point I was trying to make, David.
Professor Gates did not refuse to produce his ID, per the Cambridge Police Department.
As far as I know at this point, Professor Gates was giving Officer Crowley grief about being hassled in his own home, a "don't you know who I am" type of attitude. If that's the case, Professor Gates was acting inappropriately and should have known that Officer Crowley was only acting in his best interests.
On the other hand, Officer Crowley may have acted inappropriately by taking this to an entirely different level by arresting the Professor on a charge he may have known wouldn't stick.
But like you said, all the facts aren't known. I can only draw upon my own similar personal experience and say, with a great deal of certainty, that things of similar nature do occur between police and people of color due to having been on the receiving end of a .45 caliber bullet missing my head by about an eighth of an inch by a police officer responding to a suspected burglary called in by a neighbor. A black neighbor, I might add, who knew me.
P.S. And the cop that took that shot at me, he was black too.
I completely agree. Granted Mr. Gates was probably in a foul mood. He locked himself out, had a hard time getting in, then this young (to him) cop comes and starts asking a bunch of questions. I heard the radio traffic the other day. The Sgt asked for assistance from other officers. Why? He could have easily taken down Mr Gates. It makes me think that Mr. Gates was going a bit balistic... There was no reason what so ever to pull out the race card. The fact that our President went along with that, and fell into the race card trap was very disappointing
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