Posted on 07/24/2009 3:25:53 AM PDT by Son House
Gates, 58, says the sergeant repeatedly refused to reveal his name or badge number; Crowley, 42, says the professor initially refused to provide identification, then produced only his Harvard ID card, which included no address, to prove he lived in the house.
Crowley told a local radio station Thursday that Obama "didn't know all the facts" and that Gates — a prolific scholar of African-American history and a leading intellectual — had been oddly belligerent from the start of their encounter July 16.
"From the time he opened the door it seemed that he was very upset, very put off that I was there in the first place," Crowley said.
Crowley's visit to the professor's home near Harvard Square was prompted by a 911 call from a passer-by who reported two black men trying to force open the front door. The men were Gates, just home from a trip to China, and his cabdriver; Gates said this week that his door was jammed and he had asked the driver for help shoving it open.
Crowley said he tried to identify himself several times but the professor was shouting too loudly to hear.
"He was arrested after following me outside the house," Crowley said on the radio, "continuing the tirade even after being warned multiple times, probably a few more times than the average person would have gotten."
Crowley, an 11-year veteran of the department, was hand-picked to teach a class on racial profiling at a police training academy.
Thomas Fleming, director of the police academy at the Lowell Police Department, said Crowley has taught the course for five years.
(Excerpt) Read more at seattletimes.nwsource.com ...
Henry Louis Gates Jr., Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and the Director of the W. E. B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research at Harvard University....is a racist, and there’s no other way to say it.
I wonder how differently this may have gone had the police officer been black.
There is where the actual racism is in this story.
I suspect Gates just couldn’t contain his hate for the white man when being questioned. This would not have happened if one of his own had questioned him.
“This would not have happened if one of his own had questioned him.”
No most likely if it had been a black officer responding and asking the questions... he would have called him and “uncle tom”
Chris Rock made a training video on this for black folks. Caution, strong language.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQLCF4Tiqg4
You hear Rush’s take on this yesterday? It sounded quite plausible. Gates *wanted* to be arrested so he could get publicity for his cause.
On F&F now.
Free Mr. Gates! Stop the Pigs! Some day a Black Man will be in the White House and these horrors will end!
Coined Rant /off
Racist White House.
Racist Harvard.
Racist Obama’s DOJ.
Nothing to see here. Move along.
Actually, blacks being arrested or questioned are equally disrespectful to black police officers, too. It’s all part of a weird sense of privilege or specialness that somehow has been instilled in this self-defined “militant black” group, making them feel that ordinary law and ordinary procedures don’t apply to them.
Being aggressive or hostile to the police and even to the law itself is somehow “sticking it to the man.” I think this attitude is one that is a serious problem among young blacks and has really held back their progress in joining the larger society.
Of course it wouldn't occur to him to look at the cop's shirt for a name tag and badge.
In general, police racism/excesses do exist and yes really stupid (or worse) behavior by minorities really exist. One of the greatest fallacies is to identify one party that has fault in a matter and then stop looking.
Concerning Professor Crowely, well I think he's probably an enlisted jerk that allowed his veiled prejudices to show.
The secret is knowing how much (or even if) one of these elements is involved in each particular incident and not allowing baseless to accusations deflect real fault. One of the greatest fallacies is to identify one party that has fault in a matter and then stop looking.
What good does showing the police his Harvard ID. I doubt it has his home address on the ID. He was just trying to show the police how important he is.
Which of these men has protection under hate crime laws if any exists in Massachusetts?
Small correction. Gates is the professor, Crowley is the police officer.
I've seen a real increase in hostile behavior since Obama got the nomination. Not just to police but toward whites in general.
Yes, the Harvard police showed up and verified his address.
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