The white police sergeant criticized by President Barack Obama for arresting black scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. in his Massachusetts home is a police academy expert on racial profiling.
Cambridge Sgt. James Crowley has taught a class on racial profiling for five years at the Lowell Police Academy after being hand-picked for the job by former police Commissioner Ronny Watson, who is black, said Academy Director Thomas Fleming.
“I have nothing but the highest respect for him as a police officer. He is very professional and he is a good role model for the young recruits in the police academy,” Fleming told The Associated Press on Thursday.
The course, called “Racial Profiling,” teaches about different cultures that officers could encounter in their community “and how you don’t want to single people out because of their ethnic background or the culture they come from,” Fleming said.
#78, coby,
You’re funny. If you stick your nose any further up Obama’s ass you can give him a prostrate exam.
Hhmmm, so someone posts some actual referenced, true comments and suddenly all you can say is he has his nose up Obama’s butt? So let me ask you, what kind of idiot are you?
Mr. Fusion, you’re wrong. Talk to a cop or an attorney – including most defense attorneys – and learn something, if you can. I really don’t care if you think my opinions are unforgivable. I forgive you for thinking that, and I pity you for being so caught up in your own point of view that you’re essentially convicting others of thought crimes.
Everyone else, here’s a link you might find interesting – Cambridge PD wants an apology for the unfounded implication that their officer acted in a improper, racially motivated way.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_HARVARD_SCHOLAR_ARRESTING_OFFICER?SITE=MTBIL&SECTION=NATIONAL&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2009-07-24-12-22-16
I suppose the cop would have acted differently if politicians and lawmakers hadn’t created specific laws relating to disorderly conduct even on private property, and disrespecting a law officer. I suppose the cop might have cowered if, like the judge, he knew “Do you know who I am?” included protection by the President of the US.
RBG
#63, cranky,
A lot of conjecture there. So let me add my own conjecture too.
The police have had several racist incidents over the past few years that Gates has pointed out. While Gates was out of the country they broke his front door. When Gates returned home their planted stooge called the police to report that Gates couldn’t get into his home. When the police arrived they called Gates a “useless nigger” and accused him of breaking into the house, knowing full well he lived there. They finally arrested him on a trumped up bullshit charge when he stepped outside.
This way they now have a mugshot of Gates they can use to humiliate him as their pleasure. They have that “uppity nigger” under control.
Gee, how much clearer the picture gets when you fill in the blanks. Who needs evidence when you can just make it all up.
#81
This is about Gates, Crowley and Obama. Muddying the waters by tossing in separate events is not helpful.
From what I can see only Gates and Obama are displaying any hint of racism.
Never, never, never, under any circumstances trust a cop. Do not treat them with respect, do not befriend them, do not allow your children to look up to them, do not let your gaurd down around them. Never.
You’re funny. If you stick your nose any further up Obama’s ass you can give him a prostrate exam.
pointing out how numerous members of the Republican party have done demonstrably unquestionably racist things is having my nose up the president’s butt? That’s good thinkering there…
This is about Gates, Crowley and Obama. Muddying the waters by tossing in separate events is not helpful.
From what I can see only Gates and Obama are displaying any hint of racism.
Except for the person I was responding to was accusing Obama of being the one hurting race relations and I just gave you a list of other people from the other political party doing a lot more than saying the behavior of a police officer who arrested someone for being rude in that person’s own property was stupidly handled when asked about it. yep, that’s a lot more racist than any of the other people I linked to…
Why isn’t anyone accusing the reporter who asked the question of being racist? If this same incident would have happened when any of our previous presidents was in office do you think any of them would have been asked about it? Because Obama is black he is asked any time something involving black people happens?
#87
This event stands on its own. What another political party or person does at another time has no bearing on what happened here.
Gates was belligerent and Obama backed the black guy before hearing the facts.
You seem to think by listing separate wrongs somehow justifies Gates racism and by extension Obama’s. Your attitude contributes to why we will never solve the problem between the races.
Gates was belligerent and Obama backed the black guy before hearing the facts.
Being belligerent is not sufficient reason to be arrested while on your own property.
Obama said the officer acted stupidly.
Wow, that’s so racist…
What another political party or person does at another time has no bearing on what happened here.
It does when someone says “Obama is going to destroy race relations in this country” when there are lots of other people doing much worse things.
If you think that a man’s home is his castle then the cop was wrong to arrest Gates and Obama is correct to point that out.
If you think being in your own home does not provide complete immunity then the topic is open for discussion.
Either YOU support Obama, or you agree their are circumstances when for mere speech you can be arrested in your home and taken to jail.
I doubt the bigger idiots posting here recognize how stupid they are.
Interesting story making the rounds this afternoon where a black police officer in on the whole thing supports what the white officer did. Watch for this story to be dead by Monday morning.
“At an impromptu appearance at the daily White House briefing, Obama said he spoke with Crowley over the phone, and said he wanted to share a beer with Crowley and Gates at the White House.”
http://tinyurl.com/lumjlk
That had to be scheduled for 1:15PM. At 2:45 the President was mediating between the Israelis and Palestinians.
RBG
If you think that a man’s home is his castle then the cop was wrong to arrest Gates and Obama is correct to point that out.
If you think being in your own home does not provide complete immunity then the topic is open for discussion.
Either YOU support Obama, or you agree their are circumstances when for mere speech you can be arrested in your home and taken to jail.
obviously there are situations where “mere speech” can get you arrested. You can’t yell “fire” in a crowded room for example. What exactly did Gates say that was “over the line?” There have been numerous cases that say you can’t be arrested simply for cursing at a police officer. What did Gates say that was a threat or anything worth getting arrested for?
Here’s what the president said when asked http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2009/07/obama_tells_lynn_sweet_police.html
please show me the racist part.
#93–jc==whatsa matta you? Looking for an argument where none exists? Hah, hah.
But, I’ll play along. Work done for this week.
1. “obviously there are situations where “mere speech” can get you arrested.” /// The situation being discussed was mere speech in your own home. A very limited and special circumstance. I made a conditional statement and did not take a position. Can’t you think any better than to apply a false position to someone you want to disagree with? You act like a racist cop.
2. “You can’t yell “fire” in a crowded room for example. /// Thats not an example of mere speech, dolt.
3. “What exactly did Gates say that was “over the line?” /// Never said he did. That is Obama’s position. I merely point out that in order to justify the arrest/negate Obama’s statement, then Gates has to be viewed as saying something “over the line.” Do you understand what a conditional statement is? Educated in Texas?
“There have been numerous cases that say you can’t be arrested simply for cursing at a police officer.” /// Yes, and other cases that say you can be. All depends on the local law. I posted such a law on the other thread yesterday. But more relevantly (you do know what relevant means don’t you??) Gates was NOT CHARGED with mere abusive speech. He was charged with xyz.
4. “What did Gates say that was a threat or anything worth getting arrested for?” /// From my viewpoint, nothing. From the cops viewpoint, gates was told to STFU or he would be arrested, and Gates wanted to go to jail for whatever reason, so he got what he asked for. ((Only pimping you just a little bit as obviously the only pleasure I will get from this exchange is from my own consideration of the evidence.))
5. You link to an outside source. Bravo. Perhaps I should be less direct with you than I have been. Still, you should try to focus on what your counterpart has actually said and not go off half cocked in the wrong direction.
“If a monkey walks into your store” does not mean I am accusing you of hiding banannas. Post back when you can affirm you understand what a conditional statement means.
bobo, my interpretation was that you were making an either/or situation and your meaning of “mere speech”: Either YOU support Obama, or you agree their are circumstances when for mere speech you can be arrested in your home and taken to jail.
My post was an attempt to illustrate that the situation is not an either/or and that you can agree to both of those without it being a contradiction. I suppose it depends on how one defines “mere speech.”
From the police report:
She told me that her suspicious were aroused when she observed one of the men wedging his shoulder into the door as if he was trying to force entry.
What does this have to do with race? If it was a white person wedging his shoulder into the door as if he was trying to force entry, wouldn’t she have called the police?
Sounds like this is a class issue, not a race issue: Gates is an arrogant prick who doesn’t like dealing with anyone who doesn’t kowtow to him. This could have just as well happened with a white guy, following the officer out the door, demanding his name, threatening him because “I know people”, et cetera, et cetera.
I think Gates was in the wrong, and I’m a liberal. Some things aren’t about liberal/conservative, they’re about being a jerk or not being a jerk.
Sorry, should have been
… her suspicions were aroused…
… and here’s where an appreciation for shades of gray come in handy. Brace yourself, wingnuts: It is possible that Gates has useful things to say about race relations in this country AND that he occasionally sees racism where there isn’t any.
Ponder that before you start vomiting out your black and white conclusions.
#95–JC==I was going to mention that my impression was you had made some good posts, but a quick look did not confirm that. I looked again: and found #77==well done and you link to outside sources.
Unusual for anyone who does/posts what you do to so totally mangle what I posted. Now you confirm your intent to post exactly what you did.
So, I take another look from your perspective.
1. Yes, I was/am making an “either/or” logical premise based on those criticizing Obama because said disagreement leads to certain conclusions I don’t think the posters realize. IE–if not for their Obama Hate Syndrome, their natural position would be to agree with Obama. Some call it being a racist.
So, “mere words.” In legal/constitutional analysis, speech has been defined/categorized in specific ways not recognized in common parlance.
Your example of “mere speech”–yelling fire ((where there is no fire)) in a room is NOT mere speech. It is “false speech meant to encourage others to take action to their detriment.” a paraphrase from whatever that Supreme Court Case was. Sea Lawyer can help us there should he drop by.
Then you misapply your incorrect notion to Gates. Gates was NOT CHARGED with mere speech or disrespectful speech, or abuse and invective directed at a police officer. He was charged with (from memory) creating a disturbance of the peace and being tumultuous. I don’t know about tumultuousness. But disturbing the peace is like yelling fire were there is none. A crowd of neighbors was gathering causing the potential for further civil unrest with personal danger to the cops or to Gates, or both, as well as innocent by-standers. Both Gates and the Cop could have avoided this by more adroit handling of the situation. Getting arrested and having the DA/Courts figure it out is how less than adroit situations are generally handled.
It would be fun to find out if/when either Gates/the Cop/Obama have new ideas about what went down.
Hope this helps. I easily could have missed your issue. Words are limited and I tend to get quite anal/legal when “words” are actually the issue. Can be kinda sloppy otherwise for the fun of it.
Contest again, maybe we will connect.
Gates got what he deserved. A few hours of pain for shooting his arrogant racist mouth off. A black officer at the scene condemned Gates actions.
Obama got what he deserved. Coming months of pain for assuming the police were stupid and having a racists as his “friend”.
Obama’s aproval is now in the toilet and is less than Carters at this point in his presidency and is dropping at an increasing rate. At last the american public recognizes what kind of “change” they can believe in.