Another comment from the Great One....

[Steven Vaccaro]

Obama calls the Cambridge Police "Stupid", only after saying in his first sentence that he "didn't know all the facts". This guys a real winner. He's starting to make Bush a genius.

[Rumdog]

I believe he said that their actions were stupid. Which they were. They arrested a man trying to jimmy his own lock on the front door of his house. He locked his keys inside. He produced the proper identification and was still arrested. Also he was African American. Sounds stupid to me too, but I guess I don't have all the facts either. Who really does?

[Diegoboy]

You're right, you don't have all the facts. He was arrested for disorderly conduct not breaking into his own home.

[Rumdog]

I would be disorderly as well if I was in that position. That is just total b.s. Cops a ridiculous.

[Flying Scotsman]

The cop in this case as far as I understand it followed all the rules and was a person who trained other officers in the negative aspects of racial profiling. I think this Harvard professor just lost it and only showed his Harvard credentials when asked for ID to prove his address.
I am sorry but this professor is a loser stating he was only arrested because he was not caucasian.

Douggie

[RMZDADDY]

You are absolutely correct Douggie.

Many years ago I was confronted by an officer at my home who was looking for someone who had lived at my address previously, he asked to see identification to prove I was not the person he was looking for.
I produced my ID, he then thanked me and was on his way.

I'm sure if I had flown into a rage and insulted him I would have been arrested also.
The only difference is that I wouldn't be able to cry racism.

[domwilson]

I don't know much about this guys case, as I was not there. But profiling is, has been, and probably will continue to be a big problem. I've been "victimized" myself on too many occasions by this. There always seems to be a Kentucky fried chicken in the area that just got robbed.

[Bill-SOCAL]

Steven - you live back there. You see the nightly news. Now tell me honestly, if this incident happened EXACTLY the same way with the exception being that the guy was white do you think he would have been arrested??


Having said that, I agree that this was a bonehead thing for Obama to say. But I think he reacted based on his personal friendship and the background of being a black man in America.

Like Chris Rock says in his act "Not one of you white Dudes out there would change places with me. And I'm RICH"

Let me add this. Think about the circumstances a bit. You return home after a 20+ hour flight from China only to find you cannot open your freaking front door. You are dead tired and frustrated as hell. Then the cops show up. As my wife just told me when we were talking about this that in the same circumstances I would have totally lost it and gone ballistic on the cop. Not saying it was OK, but come on, think about it.

[Flying Scotsman]

Steven - you live back there. You see the nightly news. Now tell me honestly, if this incident happened EXACTLY the same way with the exception being that the guy was white do you think he would have been arrested??

Bill, white, green, yellow, black or any other colour this man would have been arrested because he was not complying with an officer's instructions and became belligerent. The point is he did not show credentials that proved he lived at the property

Douggie

[Bill-SOCAL]

OK, not my experience, but OK. I have had two instances where I was involved in "situations" with the Border Patrol at their idiotic "Border Checkpoints" located a hundred miles from the Border.. Both times I got pissed and shared my feelings very openly. Neither time was I arrested.

And again, I am not excusing him, I am only saying that we need to attempt to understand the nuances of this type of situation. It is just plain ignorant to think that color does not effect these situations. Look up the interview where Denzel Washington talks about not being able to get a cab in NYC.

[Steven Vaccaro]

Steven - you live back there. You see the nightly news. Now tell me honestly, if this incident happened EXACTLY the same way with the exception being that the guy was white do you think he would have been arrested??i

Bill a JackASS is and JackASS, no matter if its black, white or purple. By every account and witness, the guy acted like a jerk. He should have just pulled out his ID when the Officer asked and this would have all been a none issue. If you can't see that, than I feel bad for you. Police should be respected. Gates was probably insulted that the Cambridge officer didn't recognize him. lol

Tell Chris Rock, I'm ready to change places/color, when he is. But I have to bring my wife and kids with me.

[domwilson]

None of us were there, so we really don't know what happened. Maybe something happened in the house. We don't know. Perception is the question here. What may seem ok to some might be interpreted as offensive to others. It's all relevant to our point of focus.

[Bill-SOCAL]

If you can't see that, than I feel bad for you.

AS I feel bad for you for apparently not being able to understand that it is not nearly as black and white (pun intended) as you make it to be.

And again, I am not excusing him, or Obama. What I am saying is that I can easily see how the Professor over reacted to the situation and how the officer did as well. This idea that you must be a submissive sheep when you encounter a person from law enforcement seems counter to everything we are supposed to be in this country.

And come on, really, you have never heard of an instance of a racist cop? It could not possibly be a component of this situation? Really?

And I am not saying this cop is a racist. But I am saying that I understand how this situation blew up within the context of a black guy interacting with the cops.

As part of that context there is this:

Black students and professors at Harvard have complained for years about racial profiling by Cambridge and campus police. Harvard commissioned an independent committee last year to examine the university's race relations after campus police confronted a young black man who was using tools to remove a bike lock. The man worked at Harvard and owned the bike.

And finally, let's keep in mind that the City Attorney dropped the charges if that matters to anyone..

[Steven Vaccaro]

None of us were there, so we really don't know what happened. Maybe something happened in the house. We don't know. Perception is the question here. What may seem ok to some might be interpreted as offensive to others.

Perception is not and should not have been an issue for the Professor. There are many scenarios that could have happened on both sides. What we do know is that the Professor, kept on going like a little child that needed to get his last word in. Again its simple, when an officers asks for something, do it. Let me ask you guys this, what would happen if any of us(of any color) were stopped and didn't respond to a officers requests? We would be arrested and searching for an attorney at this point. We(or at least I) dont know Obama well enough to get me out of the issue without a court date.

[Steven Vaccaro]

Bill of course there are racists. They are everywhere, but less and less as the days pass.

Who says you have to be submissive? Listening to a police officer is now considered submissive? I guess thats the real problem in this world. I'm not submissive by far (ask the couple of rude customers that left my store with my help) but do teach my kids to listen and respect other people as well as law officers. Whats that old saying, "you get more with honey than vinegar". Its got me out of a lot of jams as a teenager. It would have helped Gates, instead of now being another Cambridge pompous Jackass.