Uppity Black Angry at PoPo for Doing Their Job

[SkinBasket]

Read the WP article before you start jumping to conclusions about what Gates did and didn't do. He says he did show two IDs and that the cop refused to provide his badge #. Then it turned into a pissing match. These are details but they do make a difference. Gates's perspective, as I'm sure you know, is that he got "preferential" treatment that no white man in his own home would be likely to experience. Sometimes it's hard to judge the merits of that claim if you weren't there when it happened. So why all the enthusiasm for piling on old Skip Gates?

What follows is Gates's first public account of his arrest. He spoke to The Post in an hour-long phone interview while resting on Martha's Vineyard. Gates is a founder of the Root.com, (www.theroot.com), a Web site owned by The Washington Post Co.

Tell me you're kidding.

The stories based off the police report and not written for the expressed benefit of spreading Mr. Gates' victim status as a "black man in America," have made it clear that he did not show identification initially, he does not own the home, and he was more interested in his racial diatribe than working with - or even responding to - the officers who responded to the call.

The claim that somehow the police would have left had they shown up and an unidentified, uncooperative, white man was standing in the house saying, "Yeah, this is my house. The door was stuck," is ridiculous and absurd.

What difference does it make if Gates or Harvard owns the house if he's the legal resident? You assume from the beginning that the arresting officer's report must be beyond question, just like you assume that whatever Gates says must be opportunism and self-promotion. Kind of hard to take your outrage seriously when that's your starting point.

I assume that the accounts other than the fluff piece you cite above are more accurate than the biographical account by Mr. Gates released as a "news" story by the Post.

[Kiwon]

hoosier, have you read the arresting officer’s report?

Gates was arrested for disorderly conduct in public outside his home.

Can you justify why such a distinguished scholar as Dr. Gates would continue antagonizing the officer by acting like a street thug and shouting to the people on the sidewalk about how racist the officer was as he was outside, off the porch and leaving the residence?

Gates had already made his point to the gathering crowd several times. Why shouldn’t he be arrested after being warned to stop his activity and he ignores the officer’s instructions and continues with the racial taunts?

Wasn't Gates really the aggressor? Earlier, he had tried to use his status to embarrass and intimidate the officer when he repeatedly said, "You don't know who you are messing with!"?

Once outside, and in front of an audience, he turned up the heat another notch with racial taunts. He was asked to stop and he didn't. Again, why should he be above the law and not be arrested?

[Freak Out]

I think if there was gun play involved I would be a bit more interested in this incident. Where's the news in cops "harassing" an old lippy black man in America?

[SkinBasket]

I think if there was gun play involved I would be a bit more interested in this incident. Where's the news in cops "harassing" an old lippy black man in America?

They should have tased him. I don't know if that would have been more newsworthy, but it would have more cool.

[Freak Out]

I think if there was gun play involved I would be a bit more interested in this incident. Where's the news in cops "harassing" an old lippy black man in America?

They should have tased him. I don't know if that would have been more newsworthy, but it would have more cool.

Ya.....a good "don't tase the professor" video would have been ok.

[Harlan Huckleby]

Can you justify why such a distinguished scholar as Dr. Gates would continue antagonizing the officer by acting like a street thug and shouting to the people on the sidewalk about how racist the officer was as he was outside, off the porch and leaving the residence?

So what? It's a free country. If somebody on his own goddamn porch wants to complain to passers-by about the behavior of the cops, that's his right. Where is the law against "antagonizing the police"? We don't live in a police state. Maybe there is no free speech here at packerrats, but the government can't take it away from us just because some police egos are bruised.

[hoosier]

hoosier, have you read the arresting officer’s report?

No, I've only seen paraphrases of it in the OP's link. Have you read the report? Where did you find it? I'm sure you won't mind posting a link....

Gates was arrested for disorderly conduct in public outside his home.

Can you justify why such a distinguished scholar as Dr. Gates would continue antagonizing the officer by acting like a street thug and shouting to the people on the sidewalk about how racist the officer was as he was outside, off the porch and leaving the residence?

Like a street thug or like an angry black man? Maybe there's no difference between the two in your mind.

Why would Gates act that way? Well, maybe he felt he was the target of racial profiling and wasn't going to take it anymore. Maybe the cop had an attitude and Gates had an attitude and a pissing match began. My original point continues to be that WE DON'T REALLY KNOW because we weren't there. The police report and Gates's account are both subjective versions of what happened, and are no doubt colored by personal biases, self-justifications and anger. Why do you and Skinbasket keep referring to the police report as if it were written by a neutral, omniscient third party?

Wasn't Gates really the aggressor? Earlier, he had tried to use his status to embarrass and intimidate the officer when he repeatedly said, "You don't know who you are messing with!"?

The police report certainly paints the picture of Gates the aggressor. Gates's account describes a different picture. Maybe one is right and the other is a fabrication. Maybe the truth is somewhere in between. We don't know.

[Harlan Huckleby]

Why do you and Skinbasket keep referring to the police report as if it were written by a neutral, omniscient third party?

A cop gets in a shouting match with an angry old curmudgeon. Then he finds out the dude is famous. What do you think the cop is going to write in the report? OF course it will be CYA time.

[Kiwon]

Can you justify why such a distinguished scholar as Dr. Gates would continue antagonizing the officer by acting like a street thug and shouting to the people on the sidewalk about how racist the officer was as he was outside, off the porch and leaving the residence?

So what? It's a free country. If somebody on his own goddamn porch wants to complain to passers-by about the behavior of the cops, that's his right. Where is the law against "antagonizing the police"? We don't live in a police state. Maybe there is no free speech here at packerrats, but the government can't take it away from us just because some police egos are bruised.

Quit fudging. Look at the dangerous disorderly conduct. Things were starting to get crazy. I think he had already called Al Sharpton and he was on the way. (just kidding)

[Kiwon]

hoosier, have you read the arresting officer’s report?

No, I've only seen paraphrases of it in the OP's link. Have you read the report? Where did you find it? I'm sure you won't mind posting a link....

Gates was arrested for disorderly conduct in public outside his home.

Can you justify why such a distinguished scholar as Dr. Gates would continue antagonizing the officer by acting like a street thug and shouting to the people on the sidewalk about how racist the officer was as he was outside, off the porch and leaving the residence?

Like a street thug or like an angry black man? Maybe there's no difference between the two in your mind.

Why would Gates act that way? Well, maybe he felt he was the target of racial profiling and wasn't going to take it anymore. Maybe the cop had an attitude and Gates had an attitude and a pissing match began. My original point continues to be that WE DON'T REALLY KNOW because we weren't there. The police report and Gates's account are both subjective versions of what happened, and are no doubt colored by personal biases, self-justifications and anger. Why do you and Skinbasket keep referring to the police report as if it were written by a neutral, omniscient third party?

Wasn't Gates really the aggressor? Earlier, he had tried to use his status to embarrass and intimidate the officer when he repeatedly said, "You don't know who you are messing with!"?

The police report certainly paints the picture of Gates the aggressor. Gates's account describes a different picture. Maybe one is right and the other is a fabrication. Maybe the truth is somewhere in between. We don't know.

hoosier, the police report is available. I read it yesterday. You can find it if you look.

Question for you: Why do you assume that the police officer is an untrustworthy source?

So a street thug, an angry black man, or America's most prominent Black scholar using racial taunts to gin up a crowd against a Caucasian officer is all equally acceptable behavior to you?

[hoosier]

Question for you: Why do you assume that the police officer is an untrustworthy source?

So a street thug, an angry black man, or America's most prominent Black scholar using racial taunts to gin up a crowd against a Caucasian officer is all equally acceptable behavior to you?

Where did I say the cop was unreliable? And who decided that Gates was taunting and not telling it like it was?

Why are you so quick to judge others, Kiwon?

[Harlan Huckleby]

I see that Gates is going to make a documentary about his experience.

I think Gates really should shut-up at this point. Gates is certain that the cop was being racially biased. The cop took offense at being called a racist. If Gates was wronged, he's already had his moment on the soap box.

[hoosier]

I see that Gates is going to make a documentary about his experience.

I think Gates really should shut-up at this point. Gates is certain that the cop was being racially biased. The cop took offense at being called a racist. If Gates was wronged, he's already had his moment on the soap box.

Gates doesn't do "moments" on the soap box.

[SkinBasket]

Why do you and Skinbasket keep referring to the police report as if it were written by a neutral, omniscient third party?

A cop gets in a shouting match with an angry old curmudgeon. Then he finds out the dude is famous. What do you think the cop is going to write in the report? OF course it will be CYA time.

Nice job ignoring Gates' escalation of the entire event from the time the police arrived, and after he finally lowered himself enough to show the white policeman his ID. But of course, you guys are going to take the WP "story" as truth, so there's not much helpin' you there.

[mraynrand]

I like to run at night - late at night. So I head out at about midnight, run my 9 miles and as I'm opening my back door - which I left unlocked, after 1 AM, I see the red and blue fire up and the cop asks me over the loudspeaker. What are you doing? I tell him that I live here, I was out on a run and I'll get him my drivers license. I step inside get my wallet and show him my ID. Then I thank him for checking and he tells me I should keep my door locked. He drives away and I go take a shower. Despite being of different races, the whole thing went down pretty smoothly, despite the unusual circumstances. Turns out there had been some break ins in the neighborhood over the past few months and a lady on the street had seen some dark guy running around after midnight. She was suspicious. I would have been too. Ultimately I talked to her at a block party and now she knows I run late. I threw a rock through her window so she won't get too cocky, though.