The Gates incident
I've hardly mentioned the Gates arrest at all, but I think that this assessment (at a blog far from left-wing, please note) is on target:
.....the salient issue here isn’t race, but is actually citizen rights full stop. The officer, upon Gates proving that he was the home-owner to the officer’s satisfaction, should have turned right then and there and left.....
Nobody can fault Crowley for responding to the complaint. That’s his job, and surely Gates should have had more respect for that. But that’s besides the point. Gates was arrested not because he committed a crime, but because he was copping an attitude. And every time a cop gets so much leeway that he can arrest people willy-nilly for not showing what the officer deems to be an appropriate amount of respect, you don’t have justice, you have guys with guns with totally arbitrary arrest powers and big chips on their shoulders.
Some of the reaction on the right seems to follow the pattern: "This is a confrontation between a cop and a black guy, so the black guy must be in the wrong. There, now we have our conclusion, let's see what evidence we can find to support it." Rather odd coming from people so given to rhetoric about curbing arrogant state power.
Update: Good point. Also here.
.....the salient issue here isn’t race, but is actually citizen rights full stop. The officer, upon Gates proving that he was the home-owner to the officer’s satisfaction, should have turned right then and there and left.....
Nobody can fault Crowley for responding to the complaint. That’s his job, and surely Gates should have had more respect for that. But that’s besides the point. Gates was arrested not because he committed a crime, but because he was copping an attitude. And every time a cop gets so much leeway that he can arrest people willy-nilly for not showing what the officer deems to be an appropriate amount of respect, you don’t have justice, you have guys with guns with totally arbitrary arrest powers and big chips on their shoulders.
Some of the reaction on the right seems to follow the pattern: "This is a confrontation between a cop and a black guy, so the black guy must be in the wrong. There, now we have our conclusion, let's see what evidence we can find to support it." Rather odd coming from people so given to rhetoric about curbing arrogant state power.
Update: Good point. Also here.
posted by Infidel753 at 7:25 AM
10 Comments:
You can be the 'owner' and have a domestic restraining order against you at your own property.
The cop has to assess the entire situation.
Cooperate, check your ego, and the situation will not lead to this kind of mess.
Amen! Mr. Gates' verbal overrreaction was not sufficient cause for him to be arrested. If it had been a physical overreaction then the cop had every right to arrest him, but probably should've used some discretion and simply tried to calm Mr. Gates down instead. It was an abuse of power, pure and simple. I still can't help but feel it was all exacerbated by the race of the two people involved.
J -- Your first point is irrelevant since no such restraining order existed in this case. And your whole comment merely betrays desperation to find some grounds on which to side with the agent of state power against the ordinary citizen.
If the police behave properly, without that arrogance and those chips on their shoulders, such situations will not lead to this kind of mess.
Zirgar -- Welcome back! Yes, the police of necessity have extraordinary powers, so it is all the more essential that they refrain from abusing them. The cop knew at that point that Gates owned the house. That should have been the end of it.
The problem I see here is the fact that people are conflating the common sense statement that it isn't wise to argue with a police officer with an actual legal precedent.
Think of it another way. If you run into a muscle-bound jerk who outweighs you by a hundred pounds and he's being, well, a jerk to you, it is probably wisest to back down. This does not however mean that said jerk is in any way legally entitled to run around using his strength to be a jerk, nor is the jerk excused for being such nor free from facing any later consequences.
So while Gates may have decided poorly if his goal was to avoid being arrested by a police officer throwing his weight around, that in no way makes Crowley's actions excusable, legal, right, justified or anything other than abuse of his powers.
End of story.
I agree, i'm not rushing to the cops defense, from everthing i've heard they both behaved badly. All 3, Obama, gates, crowley. I just think it's such a shame that every time an Obama friend comes out of the wordwork, they're the race card type, it's very telling. C'mon, Wright? Phleiger (sp)? M. Obama? Name me one normal friend this guy has. But i agree with you, just because Gates was wrong, doesn't mean the officer was right.
I fail to see how how this reflects poorly on Obama, given that 'stupid' is an accurate description of the police officers actions. The assertion about having race baiting friends, well, that's a bit big assertion to make on the few sketchy examples given.
Actually...this is something that I am VERY familiar with,but wont get into details here,why.
Race,but especially more so "class" profiling goes on all the time in this nation...you CANNOT survive in the street's if you cannot quickly "assess" people,any way you slice it...I dont care if your a cop,a dope dealer, or whatever race you are...if you DONT profile you wont make it...okay? But we have "way's" that cop's are to do thing's,sensitivity classes/ instruction's etc.
I dont think that the issue here is race at all... although Dr.Gates reaction was about "race" actually,but only because it's a psychological thing for Gates,it's so deep rooted,understand what Gates study and life consist's of and the reality he seen and lived. The officer's(not just the arresting officer)...just made a move that isnt very popular in these time's when these races in this type scenario is involved. However...the officer had every right to bust the guy,that's not just technically "disorderly",but "resistance" and "interference".BUT (and this is a big BUTT) :) ....the funny part of this is that the officer IS also required to use a different judgement system because of "race", that's right, being because Gates was black...and the cop white, and this cop know's this too well...is required to give the black person preferred treatment to display "sensitivity", so what we say about training to use sensitivity...is also a display of being partial, and in a weird way "race profiling" in itself,why do you think the cop wouldnt apologize? Because it's pointless too,he was doing what he's paid to co, if that makes sense.
But this is.... what it is. Is the "cop" racist? Heh,heh,heh ... "not a snowball's chance in hell" he was doing his job...but in an "unpopular" fashion...the problem is that the officer was actually REQUIRED by our politically correct society to factor in "race" and he didnt. :) Now I know some may read this and analyze it,and say..."ohhhh,that isnt so...boo-hoo, your a racist, (a southern bigot)" or something else. Say what you will...heh,heh,heh...But how much time have ya'll spent in the street's as a dope dealer,a thief, or a cop? if you say that.
Over and out............
BTW..."Annie" mentioned my "main dawg" Rev.Phleger and wrote next to his name(sp)... does that mean "small penis"? Cause if so, that is incorrect according to Rev.Haggard...who said that Phleger has a big one. I just wanted to say this in Phleger' defense... I personally like big penises myself. :)
RC, did you actually read the posting?
sure did
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