Hanatal,
We have the same issue here in Texas. The other day I described someone as “Mexican” and people looked at me like I said a bad or offensive word. If you are from Mexico then you are Mexican? Correct? However I believe the term that is supposed to be used now is “Hispanic”. Politcal correctness has seemly gotten out of control.
Okay, I have a question. Why can't I call a black man a black man?
Which brings us back to the original thread - Professor Gates. He apparently accused the 911 caller of saying that 2 black men were breaking into his house. Even though in reality she didn’t say what race they were, she was ACCUSED of doing so and apparently took a lot of heat for it. If I witness 2 black men break into a house, should I not tell the police? Should I pretend that I didn’t notice their race to somehow be politically correct? THAT’S THE MOST RIDICULOUS THING I’VE EVER HEARD OF!!!
If I see two white guys break into a house, that’s what I’m going to say. If I see two black guys break into a house, that’s what I’m going to say. One of my friends who is in my small group at church is black. Should I pretend that I didn’t notice? It’s just all part of the abolition of our 1st amendment rights!
Mike
You better watch yourself Mike, your walking a FINE LINE, and Chris and other Mods arent going to put up with it! Might wanna tone down your post a bit, you know… make sure you dont offend anybody. Just ask Hooch.
Mike,
You make a very good point. By giving the police a description of who is breaking into a house you are actually helping them as this way they have at least a preliminary description of the suspect(s) and won’t stop someone not matching the description while they are on the way to the scene.
However u are correct because the woman who called in to 911 never described who she saw only that she saw two men forcing their way into the house. I would think that Mr. Gates would have thanked her for looking out for him as her neighbor, but if I were her I would definitely not be looking for that thank you card in the mail.
I would think that Mr. Gates would have thanked her for looking out for him as her neighbor, but if I were her I would definitely not be looking for that thank you card in the mail.
That’s what is so RIDICULOUS about this entire story. The police were there to HELP Mr. Gates; to protect him; and to protect his family. Instead of him being greatful for their response, he immediately launches into a racist diatribe. Just about as bad is the President immediately assuming that the white policeman was stupid, which again could be nothing more than racism.
If I could ask Gates one question, I would ask him how someone responding to his house on the report of a break-in could possibly be racial profiling. That’s moronic (I’m being polite)!
Mike
This is one thing that get me. In my town there were these 2 Black women that were smash and grabbing people as they were leaving beauty shops. The news would not say Black women. News is not just to entertain but also to warn us about a danger out there. They need to tell us what that dangerous person looks like. I am not saying that the description should be just a black person, but it should be detailed enough that you recognize the dangerous person when you see them. That includes if they are Black or white.
I think its unrealistic to believe that we all don’t have prejudices. Its not a matter of color. Its the association that you apply that color. If a white man sees a black man dressed in a suit walking toward him on the sidewalk, he likely would not see him as a threat. If that same black was dressed as a thug, he would. The same is true for the reverse. We all have prejudices within us. It’s how we act on those preudices that matter. If you’re making a personal choice like freindship or marriage that’s one thing. But if you’re using that prejudice to hurt others, that’s quite another. That hurt could be physical, mental, financial, etc… People are going to feel the way feel. That won’t change. No particular group has a “corner on the market” when it comes to being victims of bigotry. There’s plenty of it going around. It just that its not in the open like it was 40 yrs. ago. Its not PC. The feelings are still there and always will be.
If a white man sees a black man dressed in a suit walking toward him on the sidewalk, he likely would not see him as a threat. If that same black was dressed as a thug, he would.
When I’m working near my low income rentals and I see a black man dressed like a thug, I assume he’s a low-life scumbag thug. When I’m working near my low income rentals and I see a white man dressed like a thug, I assume he’s a low-life scumbag thug! There is nothing racist about that!
Likewise, if I’m in a good area of town and I see a black man dressed in a suit, I don’t see him as a threat. If I’m in a good area of town and I see a white man dressed in a suit, I don’t see him as a threat. There is nothing racist about that either!
BEHAVIOR MATTERS! RACE DOES NOT MATTER!
Mike
Mike, that’s what I meant. Anyone dressed like a thug will be grouped as a thug. The same for anyone well dressed. It won’t matter what type of area you’re in. This grouping behavior is prevalent in everyone. The associations of these groups differ depending on the person’s experiences with these groups. That we can’t control. But we can and should control our actions… Regardless of what drives them.
You’re both exactly right in my opinion.I think white dressed or acting as thugs are just that.I just think its a shame we have a president(to this date)who can’t appologize for his statement that was’nt at all accurate,proving he is just like the proffessor ,an angry black man who wants to blame a white person before they have heard any of the story.This was the same chip on his shoulder that the proffessor had.
I don’t get it. Why isn’t anyone upset that gates rights were violated that night??? You can hate him and obama all you want, I do too, but this guy was wrongfully arrested and I am outraged that nobody but bluemoon on here agrees.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-52T0Zgqs08
Watch that video 3 minutes in. It’s freedom watch with Judge Napolitano. Great show by the way (beats the hell out of beck) He is a former new jersey Superior court judge. HE KNOWS THE CONSTITUTION!!
The only crime committed that night from a legal standpoint (constitutionally) was the police officer entering the home without permission or a warrant.
Maybe im a little confused on how this went down. My understanding was…
Call game in, reporting it looked like somebody was trying to break into house.
Police went to do door, Gates wasnt coroperating.
All the police wanted was to find out if it was his house.
So my question is… did Gates prove that it was HIS HOUSE, then the police still arrested him? Or… did the cops arrest him, then later find out it was his house, not knowing it was his because he wasnt coroperating?
If Gates was arrested after he proved it was his house, its just another prime example of how the constitution is being shredded. If Gates was arrested before he proved it was, then he was rightyful so arrested.
Which is it? Im not gonna lie, I dont really follow this story because Obama/Gates are both very racist, and its not worth my time.
I completely agree with Mike. I would like to point out that if you take the side that he shouldn’t have been arrested for basically “just words” then think about this. I am a 23 year old male and right or wrong if I had acted like “Harvard Professor Gates” I too would have been arrested and treated the same. The difference? NOBODY WOULD GIVE a you-know-what about my being arrested whether or not my arrest was right or wrong. This guy is a “harvard professor” and supposed to be a grown man. He acted like a damn fool. Mr. Gates should be treated the way the rest of us would have been treated even if that treatment was wrong because it would have happened to any of us, but because it was him its a big deal.
I would also like to add… If cops were on MY property, and I didnt want them there, and they knew it was my house, I would feel free to be crappy with them. Its my property, ill say what ever the hell I want to them.
Gates shouldnt have been arrested IF they knew it was his house, regardless of what he was saying (unless he was threatening the cops, which he wasnt)
Obama is a racist. How do I know? Listen to his speeches and look at his actions. He called his grandmother a typical white person, he wants sotomayor on the supreme court (look at her language and her actions), he made a statement that we need "judges who understand what it is like to be black,… and what its like to be a single mom. Really? Why do we need these “judges.” He automatically called the white police officer stupid when he didn’t know the facts. The list is longer than that, but I can’t recall it all off the top of my head. He obviously has the chip on the shoulder which Mike describes.
I had an alarm go off on one house I owned,police show up check my ID check the house,done.Whatever happened to respect the fact that they are doing their job.I was pleased to see them and they did great.These guys face the most BS in a day and for minimum pay.Call me old school,but I was taught to respect the law.I’ve been in jail,don’t wanna go back,They put whites,blacks,anyone in custody that makes an already difficult job harder with their childish BS.
These people like obama,gates need to get over racism,really.One is a proffessor at HARVARD,the other is the freakin president!!!What else do they want???Enough already,they are being spoiled brats.
Gates is a professor of African American Studies at Harvard. In my opinion, that’s on par with being a professor of Advanced BasketWeaving! It’s just a fancy name to say that he’s in the race business! As I was googling Prof. Gates to be sure that he was a professor of African American Studies, I found this article:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0DXK/is_6_22/ai_n15627517/
My favorite part is another professor describing Gates:
“In all my years as an academic, I have not known anyone who could match his intellectual leadership and interpersonal skills,” says Dr. William Julius Wilson, who Gates recruited to Harvard in 1996. "He just has an amazing ability to build.
“I think he’s probably done more to create a positive image for African-American studies than any other scholar in the world.”
Yeah! He’s got great interpersonal skills alright and he’s certainly created a positive image (if you’re a black racist with a chip on your shoulder! UNBELIEVABLE!
We’ve got a black president. What else do we need before we can declare racism (at least on the part of white America) dead? Maybe if Obama could be declared Emperor!
Mike
I have to disagree that racism id dead. Perhaps the racism that was prevalent 40+ yrs. ago. But I’ve seen white people use the “N” word and make disparaging remarks… especially when there are no blacks around. The racism in years past was much more in the open. I think the fact that its so “hidden” these days makes it hard to know who the racists are. There’s varying degrees of it from my standpoint. There are people who don’t like a particular race, but they won’t make a point to harm them. They keep it to themselves and/or share it others who they think feel the way they do. If you want to see racism. Peel back any civil and crimi laws and regulations that punish discrimination. The laws don’t change feelings. They punish the discriminitory actions.
For once I agree with Bama. Those cops showed up under the assumtion that a burglary could have been taking place. All Gates had to say was" sorry officers I was locked out of my house. Here is my ID. Thank you for protecting my home" and it would have been over in 5 minutes. Instead he acted like a damn fool.
I can speak from experience when I say if you have any interaction with a police officer 99% of the time they are going treat you with the same respect you give them. Ifyou are mouthing off and being a jerk you are going to get treated the same way. If you treat them with respect usually you will get the same in return.
John,
I like Nepolitano also, but, in this case, I disagree with him… Crowley was responding to a call regarding a burglery, identified himself and the REASON he was there WHILE OUTSIDE the home, and TOLD Gates that the person who called it in was outside. He then asked Gates for ID and ALSO asked Gates to step outside to speak with him, and Gates said “No, I wil not”… Gates ALSO initially REFUSED to provide ID… he also then said in response to asking if anyone else was in the home “it’s none of your damn business”… he could have ENDED it right there, but instead gave Crowley probable cause…
Crowley had Five (5) points to consider…
Technically, Gates was also interferring in a police investigation with all his refusals to cooperate (which BTW, came across on the recordings)…
If you listen to the recording released, Crowley is calm, cool and collected…
Putting aside the racism insults, WHEN NOONE has shown how Crowley was being racist (and I’ve even asked you multiple times John) by asking for ID, and the threats of “you don’t know who are messing with” and “this isn’t the last you’ve heard of this”, when Crowley WARNED Gates he becoming disorderly, he IGNORED Crowley and CONTINUED to yell, and then when Gates warned him again and took out his cuffs, he ended up getting arrested…
Mind you, Gates did this in full view of the public and the small crowd that was gathering and NONE of them, police or civilians have come forward to defend Gates… not only that, his multi-racial fellow-officers supported the arrest 100%… So EVERYONE else would have to be wrong for Gates to be right…
Add to this, Gates said he was going to sue them and demanded an apology… when the facts started to come out… poof that went away… so what does THAT tell you… you don’t think with him being a professor at Harvard, the President’s friend and a professor of African American studies, if Gates had ANY assemblance of a case, it would be played out in court??? You don’t think that the people who witnessed this haven’t already been canvassed on this?
Exactly…