Scholar pulls the race card while being arrested for breaking into his house.

[EMISGOD]

Obama, in many ways, appears to be the ultimate political tactician...

[icetrauma]

Obama, in many ways, appears to be the ultimate political magician...

Fixed

[TTewell]

Obama, in many ways, appears to be the ultimate political tactician...

I lol'ed IRL

[Kernkraft]

Beer, the universal problem solver. Now the only question is if they are going to drink a Budweiser or Colt45 (no beer related racial profiling intended):

http://www.reuters.com/article/topNe...56O1O420090725

Black scholar agrees to beer with Obama, policeman

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A prominent black Harvard University scholar has accepted an invitation to have a beer with President Barack Obama and the white police officer who arrested him in a racially charged case.

Professor Henry Louis Gates said Saturday he was willing to have a peace-making beer with Obama and Cambridge, Massachusetts, police Sgt. James Crowley.

Gates was arrested last week at his home after a neighbor called police to say that a man was breaking into the house. Obama said Cambridge police had "acted stupidly," prompting an outcry from police groups and a resulting media blitz.

Obama later telephoned both men and, on Crowley's suggestion, invited the two to the White House for a beer.

"I am pleased that he, too, is eager to use my experience as a teaching moment, and if meeting Sgt. Crowley for a beer with the president will further that end, then I would be happy to oblige," Gates said in a statement on TheRoot.com, an Internet newsletter he edits.

Gates said he hoped his arrest would help reduce racial profiling by law enforcement agencies.

(Reporting by David Lawder; Editing by Doina Chiacu)

ROFL is this **** for real?!

[bjc12]

lol the title and description of this section is quite misleading for what it has become

hey aren't you that racist that said, "yes massah" to a white guy! hopefully cnn nor the scholar don't see that post. it would be funny to hear obama call out iforce dave in his next health care speach though

[Push Press Potts]

hey aren't you that racist that said, "yes massah" to a white guy! hopefully cnn nor the scholar don't see that post. i would be funny to hear obama call out iforce dave in his next health care speach though

it is what it is. quit stirrin the pot son

[bjc12]

it is what it is. quit stirrin the pot son

k sorry dad

[Push Press Potts]

k sorry dad

i lold

[Vince Goodrum]

Some of you people don't even know what pulling a race card is or what's going on whatsoever in this case.

One thing I do know that there's no right or wrong in this case. BOTH INDIVIDUALS WERE ACTUALLY STUPIDLY and I'll tell you why as a black man and a former officer of the law.

1. Gates should not have start yelling at the Crowley.
2. Crowley should not have yelled at Gates
3. Crowley should have given him his badge number. Didn't matter as it would have been found out anyway and its required by officers to release that information if request
4. Crowley should not have arrested Gates. Once it is determined that the property is Gates, then the call is over with and you have to go on to the next call. I would have
5. Gates should not have continued to argue with Crowley outside. It doesn't solve anything and as an educated black man, he should have known better.
6. Crowley should have de-escalated the incident and not taken it any further


In a case like that, you really can't take sides but ultimately its going to fall on Crowley's head because he's the public official and as a public official you have to be held at a much higher standard. Of course, as a Harvard Professor, Gates should hold himself to a higher standard but he's not required to while Crowley is. If Gates were to sue, he would most likely prevail and Crowley would be out of a job


Folks, don't take either side in this matter because both people were acting like a bunch of jackasses.

[TheAmazon]

what he said, above, and what about the ****tard neighbor that called the police in the first place...you telling me you don't know your neighbor?! really

[bjc12]

what he said, above, and what about the ****tard neighbor that called the police in the first place...you telling me you don't know your neighbor?! really

maybe he has a racist neighbor?

[Outside backer]

race card,

accepted at more places then visa

[Vince Goodrum]

race card,

accepted at more places then visa

Race obviously placed a factor in it.


Otherwise, we wouldn't be discussing it......

[Beejis60]

One thing I do know that there's no right or wrong in this case. BOTH INDIVIDUALS WERE ACTUALLY STUPIDLY and I'll tell you why as a black man and a former officer of the law.

Race obviously placed a factor in it.

did you accidentally the whole turkey too?

[Push Press Potts]

irony

[VegasLife]

I'm liking how this has played out. The POTUS realizes he misspoke and reached out directly to the people involved. A private one-on-one apology was made and it's time to move on.

I love that Crowley recommended beers at the White House.

[nano.ix]

in watching the boondocks ... does that make me racists?

[SoCool]

Everybody knows racism magically disappeared in the 80's. Race card, lol.

[EMISGOD]

You are missing the point...All of this could have been defused at the beginning if Gates would have showed ID as soon the Crowley got there and not been a crybaby biotch about racial profiling crap...It is Gates fault that it escalated when all he had to do is show ID....

And if I was a cop and someone was in a house that was reported as a break in and the guy didnt show ID, I would think that he was the robber also.....

Goddamn door won't open and snoopy ass neighbor is callin' the screws because ever'body know that black folks don't own or keep no property and the goddamn door still won't open and here come the lights spashing red and blue on the walls and this is some embarrassing ass mess, standing here with a key tryin' to open my own goddamn door that's going to be firewood tomorrow mornin' and here we got some disruptin' mofos that's going to eat up a bunch more time when all he wants to do is get inside his own goddamn house and maybe have a drink and look at the tv for a minute and just relax and I'll be getting that goddamn door but good come the morning, believe you that...

The guy is already pissed. I'd be pissed, too. Sure, he made it worse, but Vince is right in that an educated man should be smarter than to think that getting his ass arrested is the fastest way to get rid of the cops, which is where his mind should have been instead of on that cocksucking door that wouldn't -- I'm just gonna get the axe...brb

did you accidentally the whole turkey too?

I know I did!

[Vince Goodrum]

You are missing the point...All of this could have been defused at the beginning if Gates would have showed ID as soon the Crowley got there and not been a crybaby biotch about racial profiling crap...It is Gates fault that it escalated when all he had to do is show ID....

And if I was a cop and someone was in a house that was reported as a break in and the guy didnt show ID, I would think that he was the robber also.....

Then you wouldn't last very long on the street. Whenever you receive a call about a possible break-in, you have to observe the situation first instead of taking the call at face value. Gates did show ID which proved that he was the owner of the house although after arguing. Crowley should have left as I would have but instead called Gates out the door and arrested him for disorderly conduct. I think that you would be pissed if you showed ID that you were the owner and still was called outside and arrested. You wouldn't have to be black or any color to be upset about that.

While both people acted like jackass, Crowley's position REQUIRES him to maintain strict professionism and to de-escalate or simply avert a situation like this. If it was me and I was in that situation, I would have given him my badge number and told him to have a nice day as it was a non-emergency call.

Ultimately, it falls on the head of Crowley because he wasted all this time on a non-emergency call. Should have just said, have a nice day and left like I would have but he was goated into arresting him. It wasn't racial profiling but it doesn't make a difference now because his actions would be interpeted as such in a civil court and Gates would easily win a lawsuit.

BTW, I'd like to know what neighbor made that call regarding the two black youths with backpacks breaking in. Obviously, that person needs to be cited for filing a false report because I find it hard to believe that that person didn't know what his next door neighbor looked like.

[leonidas300]

This is not a case of overt racism, but more having to do with the cop being a bit of a jerk. After Gates showed his ID the police officer should have given Gates his badge number and name. When Gates became belligerent he was not breaking any laws and the police had no grounds to arrest him. There is no law about having to kiss a police officer's ass. Now, kissing their ass is a much better tactic than being confrontational with a person who has a gun and can take you to jail, but none the less it is not a crime to be a jerk. You can not legally arrest someone for disorderly conduct inside their house or even their yard. Typcially when someone gets arrested for DC it is for giving the cops a hard time, but that is not the statutory definition of DC and cases routinely get thrown out of court because of it.

[Kohen_Gadol]

This is not a case of overt racism, but more having to do with the cop being a bit of a jerk. After Gates showed his ID the police officer should have given Gates his badge number and name. When Gates became belligerent he was not breaking any laws and the police had no grounds to arrest him. There is no law about having to kiss a police officer's ass. Now, kissing their ass is a much better tactic than being confrontational with a person who has a gun and can take you to jail, but none the less it is not a crime to be a jerk. You can not legally arrest someone for disorderly conduct inside their house or even their yard. Typcially when someone gets arrested for DC it is for giving the cops a hard time, but that is not the statutory definition of DC and cases routinely get thrown out of court because of it.

No. You can be a dick and loud in your house - it is your right. When you are a dick and loud in public - OUTSIDE YOUR HOUSE - it is a crime in Massachusetts. It is a misdemeanor known as "disturbing the peace" and the Sgt. was well within his rights to arrest this idiot. Step on the sidewalk and be a dick and you will get arrested in Cambridge.

[leonidas300]

No. You can be a dick and loud in your house - it is your right. When you are a dick and loud in public - OUTSIDE YOUR HOUSE - it is a crime in Massachusetts. It is a misdemeanor known as "disturbing the peace" and the Sgt. was well within his rights to arrest this idiot. Step on the sidewalk and be a dick and you will get arrested in Cambridge.

Well it said it was on his porch, so it can be argued if you are in public or if you are on your property and then subject to noise ordinances, but typically disorderly conduct applies to public actions, not actions taken place on one's own property. Again there are other laws that can be applied, but there are several cases in which a person on their property has been held not to satisfy the "public" portion of the statute. Again though, this is a state law and each state interprets these provisions differently. I agree with you that if he was on the street now that would be "public" but inside the curtelage of his property is up for debate, and in my state the officer loses this argument.

The other section of Disorderly conduct is that you need to be causing alarm and a disturbance to the public, that exceeds being a mere nuisance. This law alsofrequently runs up against First Amendment rights but that is an entirely different argument.

[EMISGOD]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/...9lE8gD99MBQ3O0

[hipshimmy]

ROFL is this **** for real?!

This was crazy when I heard it this morning. Is it really that easy for men to solve their problems just by drinking beer together?

[Vince Goodrum]

No. You can be a dick and loud in your house - it is your right. When you are a dick and loud in public - OUTSIDE YOUR HOUSE - it is a crime in Massachusetts. It is a misdemeanor known as "disturbing the peace" and the Sgt. was well within his rights to arrest this idiot. Step on the sidewalk and be a dick and you will get arrested in Cambridge.

The officer called Mr Gates outside. In any event, the officer should have drove off once he verified ID and went to his next call.


And you've obviously never been a police officer so let me explain to you that based on the conditions, he could not have been charged with Disturbing the Peace because yelling an officer for ID is not an incite to violence or fighting. In addition, he was still in the vicinity of his property and being on a sidewalk is stretching the boundaries and he failed to establish a disturbance of public order whatsoever unless he went to a neighbors house and asked if Gate's yelling was disturbing them.

He was yelling at the officer for his badge number and not challenging the officer to a fight or inciting violence. He's also free to yell at the officer and claim racial profiling because its classified as an act of protest which is protected speech under the First Amendment. That's why the charge was dropped so quickly for.

Crowley let Gates get to him and once that occurred, his judgement from there was poor. If you work as a police officer, you better expect to get yelled at on a daily basis because that's part of the job. Take it from

[EMISGOD]

The officer called Mr Gates outside. In any event, the officer should have drove off once he verified ID and went to his next call.

Did anyone check out that link...I had not realized previously that Gates was actually inside his house by the time Crowley got there...the more I see, the more convinced I am that if fault is to be attached to anyone here, it goes to Crowley.

[Viperspit]

Funny how everyone immediately jumped to the aid of Gates. (myself included before hearing the facts, you know it's always the man trying to keep you down). I've read thru these posts and I'm actually wondering if Crowley ever lost his job over this or could potentially in the future, could he sue the President for sticking his nose in on a matter unrelated to himself aiding to the termination? Interesting thought, has a President ever been sued? I also wonder now how quick Police will be to respond to any incident arising in this neighborhood again in the future.

[Vince Goodrum]

Funny how everyone immediately jumped to the aid of Gates. (myself included before hearing the facts, you know it's always the man trying to keep you down). I've read thru these posts and I'm actually wondering if Crowley ever lost his job over this or could potentially in the future, could he sue the President for sticking his nose in on a matter unrelated to himself aiding to the termination? Interesting thought, has a President ever been sued? I also wonder now how quick Police will be to respond to any incident arising in this neighborhood again in the future.

Crowley can sue but it would be thrown out of court. Obama's comments are protected speech under the 1st Amendment. Unless he directly pulled some strings to get him fired, then he may be liable.

One thing that you do have to understand is that Gates is a friend of Obama. After all, they both were law professors. But I like the fact that he defused the situation by inviting them over for a beer.

Just goes to show that beer is a community builder

[EMISGOD]

Funny how everyone immediately jumped to the aid of Gates. (myself included before hearing the facts, you know it's always the man trying to keep you down). I've read thru these posts and I'm actually wondering if Crowley ever lost his job over this or could potentially in the future, could he sue the President for sticking his nose in on a matter unrelated to himself aiding to the termination? Interesting thought, has a President ever been sued? I also wonder now how quick Police will be to respond to any incident arising in this neighborhood again in the future.

Do you really suppose a 58-year old scholar is gong to be some kind of rabble-rousing troublemaker? Seriously?

Many of us have either seen or been subjected to the various abuses of police officers, so that is a much smaller stretch to imagine...I'd say those circumstances have a great deal to do with things...it is turning out more and more that Crowley screwed up. I doubt he will lose his job, but I also doubt he will be doing many more classes on race profiling and possibly will have to have some kind of class or something along those lines...I say possibly because I think his chief is still, at least publicly, backing him...suing the President for this would be pointless (and impossible, I suspect). The President is allowed to have an opinion and certainly did not order the termination of Crowley, or at least has not done so publicly. The police are not going to stop going to that area just because of this nor will they react any differently, speed-wise, than prior...why would they? I think you're reaching a bunch here...