Although some have decried Professor Gates as overreacting, I know, from personal experience, that what he did was an act of courage. As black boys our very earliest lesson about race and our place in America is that the police judge us as guilty until proven innocent. This is especially true when we stray from majority black neighborhoods, or, as in my case, and in the case of our President, you were raised in virtually all-white environs.
I'm forty-six-years old and to this day I half-consciously make a point to walk slowly -- innocently -- past the theft detectors of every store I exit (especially if I haven't bought anything). Even though I realize that the teenaged store clerk probably just sees me as a middle-aged shopper, I bring to the experience decades of having been followed around by overweight security guards.
I don't know any black man who either wasn't or doesn't personally know another innocent black man who was abused by the police. My college roommate's brother was pummeled by police officers when he was a student at the University of the Pacific.
And then there's me. I was twenty-six-years-old, had just moved to Santa Monica from New York, both to heal a broken heart and to begin my career in the movie business. I was living in a historic hotel room with a balcony overlooking the Pacific. A college crush was in town and we had a date to meet on the Third Street Promenade.
It was a dreamy night, full of sea air and jasmine, and as I walked the four blocks to the restaurant I contemplated creating a life here in California, who knows, perhaps even with the woman I was about to meet.
A police car passed me slowly then turned at the end of the block.
"He was definitely checking me out," I thought.
A block later that same cop had circled around the block, then zoomed past me and cut me off. As the officer, who looked still to be a teenager, stepped out of the squad car, hand on his gun, my heart went crazy in my chest.
"Good evening. Where are you going?" He asked.
"To the Promenade."
"Could I see some ID?"
I pulled out my wallet and he stared at my license with his weaponized flashlight.
"We're having reports of someone fitting your description attacking old people in the neighborhood."
He gave me back my license and drove off.
A profound sadness enveloped me. Then the anger started boiling. All the things I'd wanted to say to him rushed through me; all the things Professor Gates had said, but that at the time I'd been afraid to: "This is not all right. This is not good police work. If you really thought I was the suspect what did looking at my ID prove? You can't detain somebody because you think they look like somebody who might one day commit a crime. Do not humiliate me in my adopted neighborhood. Calmly walking down the street does not automatically make me a suspect. The color of my skin does not constitute probable cause."
I cursed myself for not getting his badge number or the license on his prowler. I cursed myself for not insisting that that kid cop do his job better.
And of course the date was a bust.
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I recall as a long-haired young resident at LA County Hospital I got stopped after driving a half block from a traffic light by an LAPD version of Doogie Howser. He took one look at my hair and said, "You were going 65 mph in a 35 zone." My gutless old VW van wouldn't do 65 if pushed from an airplane. I guess this was my little taste of profiling. It didn't taste good.
It has been awhile since I last dropped in on ya, hope you are well.
When I saw the professor Gates story my first reaction was disbelief, even I, (and I'm bad remembering faces and names) would recognise professor Gates anywhere anytime, how could this cop not know the professor? I also thought what's up professor Gates is one of the good guys, how can this be?
That's my take, this cop is not one of the good guys he's a Pinocchio. Agape, dap
I just watched a panel on John King's show on CNN. The panel had four guests. Two of the guests and King clearly sided with Crowley. King went as far to say that the message to the 15 year watching near Gates' home would intrepret Gates' behavior as acceptable. Of course there were no 15 year olds reported nearby. But, if there were, what is the other message: you can be arrested not for breaking the law bur for supposedly mouthing off to the police.
What I found disturbing is that King as a journalist (he is not the only one) does not quesition Crowley's version of what happened. He assumed that it makes sense and he assumed that Gates' version is not true or believeable. He assumes that Gates who works with whites and was married to a white woman, has two biracial daugthers would have acted in this manner.
Perhaps this link can add some insight:
http://gawker.com/5321278/no-henry-louis-gates-is-not-a-railer-a-brawler-or-a-common-street-walker
about power and control. I am an older white woman who does not suffer fools gladly,
and have had similar
experiences with the police. While I agree that the police target minorities unfairly, I also think
the police target people just because they can. Because the badge and gun give rise
to abuse of authority. Just as a black man might be, I am wary around law enforcement, and
go to great lengths to keep their beady eyes off me. Even firemen do not like cops -- or so says
my friend who is a 30 year veteran of the NY Fire Department. He says firemen are welcomed into homes while police are not, for the very reason that firemen are there to help while police are there looking for trouble. It is in their job description. Often, they do a great job. But they should not get upset when people become irate with them. We do not owe them obeisance and it says much about our society that so many people are cowed by them. Things do go easier if you say, Yes Officer, and No Officer a lot. But whatever happened with the old slogan: Question Authority??
The request for comment from Obama from a white "journalist" was proffered only because Obama is black. Is that not racist?
Our President is a black man - Get Over It Already!
http://www.hunterjunk.com/media.php?name=1835-what-every-white-man-should-know
Professor Gates has more than "bettered" himself. Far more than Manning. Yet, he is still arrested in his own home for allegedly "mouthing" off. We readily believe the police officer's version without questioning or seeking Gates'. It is easy to say how we might handle a situation but we were not there.
For another perspective, see this analysis:
http://gawker.com/5321278/no-henry-louis-gates-is-not-a-railer-a-brawler-or-a-common-street-walker
And to all of you who say the cop was right and that race had nothing to do with it:
Profiling of black people by the police is an old game. In fact I read an interesting piece here at HP not long ago concerning the alarming number of undercover or off-duty black police officers who were gunned down by white uniformed cops who mistakened them for perps---because a black man with gun in hand is reason enough to shoot and ask questions later.
besides that, all of you who are criticizing Gates are showing a lack of senistivity and education. I don't claim to be a scholar on slavery, the civil war, and the civil rights movement. But knowing just a little bit about the horrorific crimes historically perpetrated agains blacks in the US is enough to know that there is much, much more there than just an old, cranky black guy making noise for no reason. In the broader light of the history of his people, the American experience of his people, I say let the guy make noise.
And we now know this statement to be fact!
NO sustainable CHARGES were filed against Mr. GATES.
So what then was the District Attorneys view?
Racial profiling is a very real, very troubling problem. But this was not racial profiling.
Both my husband and I are white, and we have both had times in our lives that we were not treated fairly by law enforcement.
My husband was carjacked while making a deposit for the store he managed, and the police insisted that he lied about the whole ordeal and kept the money. This was terrible for my husband to go through, and he was of course, innocent.
However, if my husband was black, how could that have been perceived?
We weren't there beween Gates and the Officer, and to pretend we know for sure who to blame is not helpful, but it is seeing the situation from our own worldview.
I can say they both experienced this through they eyes of their own unique world view, that gets passed down from generation to generation without being truly healed and tempered.
We actually create what we believe by seeing the world through our belief system, while feeling validated if something we expected occurs, then we can say, oh, it is because the world is good, bad, scary, hard, angry, unsafe, loving, or whatever it is we believe and choose to see.
(Except for when things are truly unbalanced and abusive. There are people who are very abused and unable to help themselves. There is a difference, and confusing the two makes it harder to reach those in need.)
What is your worldview?
White commentators and some police officers are surprised that the President would comment on this "local issue," and use such strong language in condemning the actions of the police officer involved.
He has a perspective that they do not have, and it would make so much more sense if they would listen and try to understand that perspective, instead of reacting so defensively.
There's no wondering about that, friend. If you're black and have lived for any length of time in any major metroplitan US city or any US city for that matter, you've had an unfair encounter with the police. Latinos as well.
Permit me to script this: "Hello, my name is ----------, I'm responding to a call about a forced entry. Is everything OK here? (Allow response). Do you mind if I see some ID just for the record? Thanks, sorry to have bothered you. Have a nice day." NOW LEAVE.
Of course this was not racial profiling because the officer was responding to a complaint at Prof. Gates' home and the description of the alleged burglar was black. It was racial stereotyping and bad manner based on pigmentation.
The problem became the lack of respect and common courtesy that it shovelled down black throats as if we have to take it and white arrogance that has evolved from white privilege. And the nerve of Prof. Gates not to take it and to know his constitutional rights and the duty of the police not to be an intrusive abusive government power intruding into the santity of his protected domain.
isn't there a strong possibility that this has nothing to do with racism? i'm a white guy that just moved into a new house in los angeles, and my front door key wasn't working. i saw my neighbor across the way staring at me struggling with the front door for a few minutes, so instead of trying to look suspicious, I turned and waved hello like nothing was wrong - because nothing was.
now, if my neighbor was like Professor Gates' neighbor, he could've called the cops on me and some scenario might have happened. maybe the officer would have over reacted at what would be my clear indignation at being told i didn't live in my own house.
i think it's unfair for people to play the race card as soon as someone treats them unfairly. i think racism is a huge problem in this country, but maybe this is just a case of the neighbor and the officer both being a**holes. again, i don't know the specifics, but maybe, just maybe we're jumping the gun on this conclusion before we have all the facts.
Unlike Professor Gates, police officers have an obligation to remain calm and professional, no matter what the person they encounter says. It's only words, after all, in a situation like that. Their job, as often stated, is to serve and protect.
A white person with identification inside that house expressing indignation? No problem.
A black man? This ups the ante for the police no matter how you look at it. The police have a responsibility and should be detached and professional enough while in uniform to behave with restraint and reason.
there's a thin line between racism and blaming everything on race. your assumption that Gates being a black man " ups the ante for the police" is not an official police department position, but your personal view on this - and that's presuming racism on behalf of the police.
frankly, the assumption that it was automatically race and not just d**chebaggery on behalf of the cop speaks volumes to how we really view race in this country.
and you're wholly correct that there is a terrible history of discrimination, very recently in fact, but if we can't move on from the past, we'll never be able to move forward.
As for the presidents remarks I find it more troubling that he thinks most of us would have gotten angry also. Sorry Mr. President I would have thanked the officer for risking his life protecting my property even though is was not needed. By the way Prof Gates should also send a Thank you card to his concerned neighbor.