I am kind of disappointed that Obama didn't seem to be fully briefed on the Gates arrest....

[RollWithIt]

A couple quick comments:

Racial profiling does exist.

But in this case it had less to do with the Police than the general public.

Basically Professor Gates arrived home from China and realized he didn't have a key. He stood at his front door and forced his way in via a "Jimmy" or the action of wedging a device into the door frame and forcing the lock backwards. Or he just forced the door in.

While he was performing this action a white woman called into the police to report that she had seen a black man forcing his way into a home.

Naturally, the officer in question responds to the call and enters the home while yelling out that he is a police officer.

Professor Gates basically goes off on the officer. Years of resentment over the treatment he has received pour out of his mouth.

The officer asks him to step out onto the porch to discuss what is going on and Gates still isn't calmed down and continues the yelling. But Gates does grab his ID, which matches the address.

Gates is still yelling, and here is where the Officer overreacts. He doesn't handle the yelling very well and decides to cuff the guy up. At the point of the arrest, Gates goes even more nuts. He's screaming out about racial profiling all the way into the car. There are actually black officers there watching the whole spectacle.

The local District Attorney quickly dropped the charges.

The afternoon before Obama's Press Conference Professor Gates and local Police issued a joint statement saying the whole thing was regretful.


Personally, I think President Obama got blind sided by a question unrelated to healthcare and spoke off the cuff. Presidents make mistakes when they go into that zone and that is what happened here.

Back to healthcare now!




EDIT: RESPONSE TO THE HARSH CRITICISM. This was released before President Obama's Press Conference during the afternoon. Joint statement between all parties.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2009/07/joint_statement_1.html

The City of Cambridge, the Cambridge Police Department, and Professor Gates acknowledge that the incident of July 16, 2009 was regrettable and unfortunate. This incident should not be viewed as one that demeans the character and reputation of Professor Gates or the character of the Cambridge Police Department. All parties agree that this is a just resolution to an unfortunate set of circumstances.

[Uzybone]

1. what exactly was the mistake?

Were the police wise to arrest Prof Gates?

[PretzelWarrior]

2. I think you're full of crap

this was a pefect Rohrshach test to show how fucked up America is about race. Not a bad topic to pivot to by the president.

[RollWithIt]

4. Ok, in the middle of a healthcare debate, how is good for the country to talk race?

I'm not sure I understand your premise.

[uponit7771]

6. It's unhealthy for black folk to be racially profiled, how's that?

[Name removed]

15. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[PretzelWarrior]

10. ok. in the middle of talking on the phone to a business contact, why stop your toddler falling down

why, in the middle of driving to work would you help a person whose car broke down?

you seem to think the American public cannot handle more than one narrative at a time? If so, explain the many fans of "Lost"?

[uponit7771]

3. Are you kidding?! You know you left out a couple of details ...about the limo, about gates being 150

...pds, about a number of things that SHOULD have been obvious to the officer upon seeing Gates.

Last I checked you can't get arrested for asking a police officer for badge and name...

[RollWithIt]

7. I said the officer overreacted...

And I said that Professor Gates and the police issued a JOINT STATEMENT.

[PretzelWarrior]

13. they did? I missed it. did you just smoke a joint statement?

[RollWithIt]

18. Hey Pretzel, since you ask, here's a link to what you're accusing me of making up....

http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2009/07/joint_statement_1.html

The City of Cambridge, the Cambridge Police Department, and Professor Gates acknowledge that the incident of July 16, 2009 was regrettable and unfortunate. This incident should not be viewed as one that demeans the character and reputation of Professor Gates or the character of the Cambridge Police Department. All parties agree that this is a just resolution to an unfortunate set of circumstances.



Thanks for accusing me of being a liar and some kind of pot head. Really appreciate that. Way to further the conversation.

[PretzelWarrior]

22. try reading for comprehension.

the joint statement was from the police dept and city. (and perhaps Middlesex Co. D.A.). The statement may have cited what the professor said or didn't say....but this wasn't a joint statement from both sides of the controversy.

[RollWithIt]

25. Ok, clearly you don't care what you post, are you a "birther" in hiding?

What exactly do you not understand about "The City of Cambridge, the Cambridge Police Department, and Professor Gates acknowledge that the incident of July 16, 2009 was regrettable and unfortunate.



That is what is called a "joint statement."

[Name removed]

27. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[RollWithIt]

30. Ok, so you are saying that the article on Boston's Newspapers website is fake?

Just clarifying.

[PretzelWarrior]

31. I'm saying you misread it.

the statement from the police dept and city basically put words into prof's mouth by saying essentially 'all involved see this as an unforunate event'.

[RollWithIt]

34. Well, I will look into that over time. If I find that the article was misquoted I will send a

personal apology. If not I will send refuting links. I don't wish to continue this at this time. Serves no purpose until we get a full accounting.

[glowing]

5. I thought that the front door was a problem.. he went around to the back and opened the back door

and was in the process of opening the front to bring the bags in and was on the phone with maintaiance to come fix the front door whent he cop popped into his house.

[RollWithIt]

8. I was trying to point out that some white lady was driving by, the racial profiling

The cop got the call, he didn't see what happened before.

[sandnsea]

14. It doesn't matter who called or why, cops are professionals

Or are supposed to be. The cop saw his ID and DL. And kept on. When he was asked for his name and badge number. He didn't cooperate. They had Gates come outside, they, not he; and then arrested him. What police department is that policy??

[sandnsea]

9. Except that's not what happened - at all n/t

[traxster]

19. Exactly!

[PetrusMonsFormicarum]

11. Yeah, I winced

when he said (I believe) that the Cambridge Police acted . . . stupidly. He really should have left off informing the reporter that he and Gates are friends and he did not have all the facts. It would have been a good opportunity to discuss problems with ongoing racial profiling, but instead I could almost hear OxyRush jumping up from his chair as if his team had just scored the winning whatever.

[sandnsea]

16. Why? Cops don't act stupidly??

Where do you live?

[PretzelWarrior]

17. bullshit. if he didn't mention he was friends...it would be headlines about a 'cover up'.

Obama is making opinion about this matter pretending he has no connection to either party. You don't understand much about presidential politics, do you?

[PetrusMonsFormicarum]

20. sorry my bad grammer

I should have been clearer. Obama framed his response by telling the reporter that he is friends with Gates. I'm not sure how you read it or saw it, but he revealed his personal connection outright. You don't understand much of what you read or see, do you?

[PretzelWarrior]

29. my apologies. I thought you were saying he SHOULDN'T reveal friendship

and personal connection. My bad. hair trigger from all the dumbness I see defending the police officer in this thing.

[PetrusMonsFormicarum]

33. Doesn't take much to set us off, eh?

:toast:

[Thrill]

12. Bull. They arrested an old ass man for breaking into his own house

That was stupid. The fact that the charges were dropped proves that point. Obama spoke his mind. People don't have to like it.

[Spazito]

21. You have incorrect facts in your OP...

"Basically Professor Gates arrived home from China and realized he didn't have a key. He stood at his front door and forced his way in via a "Jimmy" or the action of wedging a device into the door frame and forcing the lock backwards. Or he just forced the door in."

He had his keys, the front door was jammed so he used his keys to open the back door, went to his front door from inside the house but could not open it because it was jammed.

"While he was performing this action a white woman called into the police to report that she had seen a black man forcing his way into a home."

The race of the woman is not discussed in any of the articles or the police report.

"Naturally, the officer in question responds to the call and enters the home while yelling out that he is a police officer."

The police officer did not enter the home yelling out he was a police officer. Dr. Gates went to the front door when he saw the officer outside.

I could continue but, instead, here are the links to both the police version of events and Dr. Gates version of the events:

The Police version #1:

http://www.samefacts.com/archives/Police%20report%20on%20Gates%20arrest.PDF

The Police version #2

http://cache.boston.com/bonzai-fba/Original_PDF/2009/07/21/0721docket_redacted_revised__1248200728_6644.pdf



Dr. Gates version

http://www.theroot.com/views/skip-gates-speaks?page=0,1

[RollWithIt]

24. Thank you for posting that, I think you're overreacting to my post, reread the police report

When you read it in its entirety he overreacts. Exactly what I said.

[Spazito]

26. It is clear you did not read my post, only the header...

had you read my post you would have seen I provided you with BOTH versions of the police report along with Dr. Gates words. Note there are two versions of the police report, the original one the media received shortly after the arrest and which, was scrubbed from media sites soon after and the new and improved one, not to mention much shorter version that was put in it's place.

[RollWithIt]

28. Like I said, the guy overreacted?

Which part of my original post doesn't include that?

[Spazito]

32. Your OP stated the following...

"I am kind of disappointed that Obama didn't seem to be fully briefed on the Gates arrest...."

You then followed the header with totally incorrect information, making statements as facts as opposed to opinions about 'what happened'.

I would think someone who states the President "didn't seem to be fully briefed on the Gates arrest..." would make an attempt to have the facts before them before judging whether anyone else had/has them.

The President was certainly MUCH more knowledgeable about the facts surrounding the Gates arrest than you. Here are his exact words showing clearly he was not unaware Dr. Gates was angry:

"Now, I've -- I don't know, not having been there and not seeing all the facts, what role race played in that. But 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."

Edited to correct typo

[HughMoran]

23. You never made a strong point WRT your subject line

:shrug:

[busymom]

35. Here's the thing....

I would call the police if I saw a black man breaking into the home...but...I would call the police if I saw a white, asian or hispanic man doing the same....out of fear that that individual might intend harm for the people inside.

It isn't all about racial profiling. He is a man who broke into a home. Yes, it was his home. He could have handled it differently...years of pent up anger or not....

Imagine how things could have ended differently if he had handed the officer his ID, talked about his trip to China and they had laughed over forgetting his key....

And what about the pent up fear from the police officer who has possibly been shot at or attacked by people breaking into homes? yThe officer who has seen people of all races seriously harmed and who may have feared for his own safety?