Henry Louis Gates arrested when trying to force open door of his own home

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It appears Gates has a real problem with "whitey". He baited the officer and was obnoxious. I feel he used this incident to feed his own personal sense of injustice. It's what his professional career is based on. He has more to benefit from by escalating tensions than by being reasonable.

I don't believe Gates would use the word "whitey"; maybe as a teen-ager in the 60's. But even if Gates was a total ass, I'd bet Crowley has emphasized many times in his classes that a good cop does not let himself get baited, especially if he has reason to believe there might be a political motive behind the baiting. One does not have to find Gates's behavior admirable to think Crowley made an error.

But more important, one does not have to think anything particularly terrible was done by either of them to believe that there is a major issue that formed the context and made a little incident into such a cause celebre. It's this general issue of the relationship between police and minorities that the "teaching moment" is about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel very bad for the woman who called the police:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/29/AR2009072900832.html

I saw her talking about how she had been threatened. Who does that--call someone up and threaten their life? Wow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"To his eventual embarrassment, [Gates] wrote in his Yale application:

"As always, whitey now sits in judgment of me, preparing to cast my fate. It is your decision either to let me blow with the wind as a nonentity or to encourage the development of self. Allow me to prove myself.""

http://www.wtop.com/?nid=104&pid=0&sid=1725138&page=2

It appears Gates has a real problem with "whitey". He baited the officer and was obnoxious. I feel he used this incident to feed his own personal sense of injustice. It's what his professional career is based on. He has more to benefit from by escalating tensions than by being reasonable.

That's not what his career is based upon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It appears Gates has a real problem with "whitey". He baited the officer and was obnoxious. I feel he used this incident to feed his own personal sense of injustice. It's what his professional career is based on. He has more to benefit from by escalating tensions than by being reasonable.

I don't believe Gates would use the word "whitey"; maybe as a teen-ager in the 60's. But even if Gates was a total ass, I'd bet Crowley has emphasized many times in his classes that a good cop does not let himself get baited, especially if he has reason to believe there might be a political motive behind the baiting. One does not have to find Gates's behavior admirable to think Crowley made an error.

But more important, one does not have to think anything particularly terrible was done by either of them to believe that there is a major issue that formed the context and made a little incident into such a cause celebre. It's this general issue of the relationship between police and minorities that the "teaching moment" is about.

Your points are valid. However, regarding using the word 'whitey'--it is not a question of believing or not. Gates used it in his college application and is now presumably embarrassed. I know I am embarrassed by half the drivel I spouted in college. I guess the question (hope) for me would be that he has grown and changed since using that term....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If a judge can throw someone in jail for being disrespectful in a court, can't a police officer arrest someone for being disrespectful/disruptive in a chaotic situation in which criminal activity is suspected?

I don't see why there should be any comparison between a judge's and a police officer's authority. There's a vast difference in the civil functions of their positions, their general and legal educations, and the processes for being declared morally fit for their roles.

A judge's discretionary powers don't belong to policemen, who basically exist to bring suspects to judges. They're in a strange in-between position as traditionally blue collar workers clean enough to serve as functionaries of law enforcement (hopefully) but menial enough to get their hands dirty. They're socially higher than many of the criminals they deal with, but lower than professors in most interactions. I think these class-conscious shoulder chips have a lot to do with police behavior that pushes the boundaries of their legal authority.

The NYPD site simply instructs citizens to treat officers respectfully, but does not back that up with summaries or evaluations of legal rights. Of course, it would be best if all parties could behave respectfully, but I think free speech protections apply much more than the NYPD site is willing to let on.

Wow... really? "Socially lower?"

Methinks you might be a tad class-conscious yourself. Yuck.

I think the pp's point is that many middle and upper income professionals may respect the police as representatives of authority but wouldn't want their daughters/sons marrying them.

[Anonymous]

I think the pp's point is that many middle and upper income professionals may respect the police as representatives of authority but wouldn't want their daughters/sons marrying them.

NP. this is one of the MOST obnoxious posts I've ever read here. not only is it condescending because it seeks to "explain" what the PP already understood, but is just plan mean. i'm a professional (upper income, probably) and i would be happy for my child to marry one of "them" if she was decent, kind, loving, and honorable.

[Anonymous]

I would be excited if my son married a police officer; hand the job over to her!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would be excited if my son married a police officer; hand the job over to her!

I think Cathy Lanier is available. Might aas well go for the top!

[Anonymous]

Isn't his Dr. Gate's ex-wife white? That kinda didn't surprise me somehow.

[Anonymous]

For one of his documentaries, Gates underwent DNA testing and learned that half of whatever part of his DNA they tested was of European origin. He shared the news with his family and they reflected on the social construction of race.

It was a cool program tracing the freed slave roots of several AA celebrities. I remember it included Whoopi Goldberg.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I think the pp's point is that many middle and upper income professionals may respect the police as representatives of authority but wouldn't want their daughters/sons marrying them.

NP. this is one of the MOST obnoxious posts I've ever read here. not only is it condescending because it seeks to "explain" what the PP already understood, but is just plan mean. i'm a professional (upper income, probably) and i would be happy for my child to marry one of "them" if she was decent, kind, loving, and honorable.

I wrote that first point. I wrote it because I thought the pp did not distinguish between respect for authority and social class snobbery, which are two different kinds of social and political power. I am also a professional and I would be happy for my child to marry a police officer. But I believe that most most middle and upper income professionals (the kind of folks who frequent this forum) would not. The reality is that there is plenty of class prejudice against police officers -- even among those who profess to respect the police and support their efforts. I don't see those people socializing with police officers or intermarrying with them. They love the police but don't want them as part of their families.

You may think it's mean of me to point it out but that doesn't mean it isn't true.

[Anonymous]

"They love the police but don't want them as part of their families."

Does it matter what rank or division within a police force? For example, if the person is the chief of police or a sergeant in a large city. Or, I don't know if you would call them the police but what if they worked for the FBI, or held a high position in that organization? Or was a military officer or a Secret Service agent?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"They love the police but don't want them as part of their families."

Does it matter what rank or division within a police force? For example, if the person is the chief of police or a sergeant in a large city. Or, I don't know if you would call them the police but what if they worked for the FBI, or held a high position in that organization? Or was a military officer or a Secret Service agent?

11:10 here. Good question. I don't know the answer to that but I am assuming that it would make a difference. Does anyone know?