The white police sergeant criticized by President Barack Obama for arresting black scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. in his Massachusetts home is a police academy expert on racial profiling.
Cambridge Sgt. James Crowley has taught a class on racial profiling for five years at the Lowell Police Academy after being hand-picked for the job by former police Commissioner Ronny Watson, who is black, said Academy Director Thomas Fleming.
“I have nothing but the highest respect for him as a police officer. He is very professional and he is a good role model for the young recruits in the police academy,” Fleming told The Associated Press on Thursday.
The course, called “Racial Profiling,” teaches about different cultures that officers could encounter in their community “and how you don’t want to single people out because of their ethnic background or the culture they come from,” Fleming said.
Exoneration of one crime does not give you a free pass when committing another crime.
Racial or not, I am not going to keep arguing and saying accusations to an officer who can put me under lock and key.
I don’t care about race. Even when pulled over for being just a little over the speed limit (not that it’s happened… often…), I make sure the officer is comfortable as can be in the situation.
No need to get them wound up about something minor given they put their lives on the line with so many crazies in the general public.
Did anyone else here read the Smoking Gun report posted linked in post #2? Gate’s front door was ‘unsecurable’ according to his statements as they were putting him in the car to haul him away, due to a ‘previous break-in attempt’. Also, the neighbor who called the police stayed in front of his house the entire time the officer was there. She called because she saw two young black men with backbacks trying to break into his front door.
Something is not adding up here. This Gates guy does not in anyway way look like a thug, was not wearing a backpack, and there was only one of him. He had just gotten home from travel overseas. There is no way he would have left his front door unsecured for such a long trip, so the break-in must have happened while he was gone. I think his house was broken into shortly before he arrived, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he knew who did it.
He teaches African-American studies, and probably did not want to make known the fact that it was two black guys who had broken into his house, instead wanting to make a villain of the white police officer for even considering that he may have been the one breaking into the house.
There is a great liklihood that this has nothing to do with “racial profiling”, but has a lot to do with stupidity. Wait a minute. Didn’t somebody name it as stupidity? I seem to have heard that recently.
Uhh #3 its the in a public place that gets me. This was on private property. The mans own property. The only thing the cop should have done was say, ‘sorry to bother you, sir’ when his identity was shown…
The police, a number of them, were agitating the man by there presence. Remove the cops and the guy would have calmed down, inside his house and had a beer.
Why must we look for terrorists and malcontents under every bush.
I’d feel the same way if a cop challenged me in my house. (Though I wouldn’t yell, I’d just save it for the lawyers later)
Sorry #3, I meant #2! Going back to bed.
#34 interesting post! A side that is likely to be lost in this debate.
Regardless of who did what (at this point , one person was right and one was wrong at this point), can we agree that the President of the united States of America has no business putting his nose into this kind of situation right before a press conference on health care!?!?!
It’s really simple – Professor Gates is a racist. He should be fired like any white guy would be for spewing the same garbage.
The real question is why would anyone pay the ridiculous prices Harvard charges to hear the trash this guy teaches. If you do you are being cheated.
Interesting threads, interesting tv coverage on Morning Joe, Cosby, Matthews etc.
Even including the possible wrinkle at #63, its clear to me several things interacted during this incident.
Gates, a lifelong recipient of real, imagined, and manufactured racial discrimination INJECTED race into the situation at the start. Thats clear.
The cop may or may not have responded with some racial bias BUT he did respond as cop vs disrespectful non-cowering citizen.
Black, white, blue, EGO. Lots of colors involved. Lots of history. Hard to tell class from race issues.
To me, with all the dust still in the air, living in a nation supposedly of laws, can we all agree there should be a law that police can/can’t arrest home owners/renters on their own property for verbal abuse alone? Yea, I think I lean towards such a law. Even cops can be trained to follow clear cut laws with little room for interpretation.
To be followed with discussion of whether agressive looks constitute actions subject to arrest.
The human circus.
People seem to read this story and get out of it exactly the way they want depending on their own bias. First a few facts.
1) The cop was in full uniform.
2) Mr Gates refused to show ID when it was first requested.
3) If the cop took his word for it, that he lived there he would not be doing the job he is paid to do.
4)There was damage to the door from a previous break in attempt.
5)The ID that was shown was a Harvard ID and did not prove he lived there, just who he was.
#71–fauge==so keep going. You haven’t even gotten half way through the incident.
Nice work Barack… with one comment you managed to alienate 75% of America.
And anyone who has spent any amount of time in the “higher” education system knows the Professor Gates type: bitter, spiteful, bigoted racist with a position of power who felt emboldened to make a political statement.
This is the type of Professor who would change the subject on you when you attempt to engage in a debate- or would give you a poor grade because you actually have an opinion, and done research outside of marxist texts and such. You are fooling no one, Mr Gates.
And Mr President, is this “nuance” you’ve spoke of? “the police acted stupidly”? -please
Obama is out to rip this country to shreds in EVERY way- who can question that such ill-advised statements are divisive… and NOT helpful? He has no idea what happened, he admitted it- and apparently doesn’t care, either… he’s picked his side.
But back in reality, the childish and paranoid Gates completely baited the cop, who acted with admirable restraint, IMO… all he had to do is show his ID and shut up, he was treated with respect. This guy was clearly looking for a fight… and he ought to thank God he didn’t find one.
Obama is going to destroy race relations in this country with his vengeful “get even” mentality… some messiah- Americans should have chosen a fair and sensible human being instead of this embittered nut.
http://reaganiterepublicanresistance.blogspot.com
Schleprock,
Maybe that would have been better. You could also make some points about how Gates’ behavior might have been better.
But the cop was clearly within his rights and there is no need to resort to character assassination against him as Gates has done.
Also, I think you’re misreading the police report. The officer was in uniform and driving a police cruiser. There were also other uniformed officers present.
Reaganite, man, settle down. I agree with you about the Gates/Cop encounter, but you’re off the deep end about Obama. He’s not who I wanted in office either but he’s the POTUS.
Let’s not repeat the obnoxious and destructive – not to mention intellectually dishonest – sins of the Democrats during the Bush administration by demonizing the man.
bob is trying to reason with reaganite. Hee, hee.
#77
You’re funny. If you stick your nose any further up Obama’s ass you can give him a prostrate exam.
the fact that this cop teacher is a racial profile trainer doesn’t mean SHIT. if you arrest someone trying to get into their own home and were a little hot you’re a bad cop. It’s basically akin to harassing skateboarders in a parking lot, except this guy happens to be a teacher at a widely respected university.
This isn’t England. This isn’t Superjail. We do not want happy incarceration for all. %^*$^@! YOU PIGGIE
The number of racist assholes who think only the police report is the truth is amazing. Yes, I can see how they believe there are still WMDs in Iraq because the President wouldn’t lie. If the governing authority says it is so then it must be so. Well, until it come to something like having the FDA provide flu shot then it is a big conspiracy.
The police routinely lie on their reports. Judges get caught breaking the law. Prosecutors put innocent people away because it boosts their conviction record. The rich and powerful get their charges dropped or reduced. And Blacks and Hispanics continually find themselves the ones getting shit on by the criminal justice system.
Obama was correct. The police should not have arrested Gates. That some can justify it because he was rude to a cop is unforgivable. It doesn’t matter what you would do. Gates was within his legal rights to say what he did in his home. The cop was not within his rights to refuse to identify himself to Gates.
#78, coby,
You’re funny. If you stick your nose any further up Obama’s ass you can give him a prostrate exam.
Hhmmm, so someone posts some actual referenced, true comments and suddenly all you can say is he has his nose up Obama’s butt? So let me ask you, what kind of idiot are you?
Mr. Fusion, you’re wrong. Talk to a cop or an attorney – including most defense attorneys – and learn something, if you can. I really don’t care if you think my opinions are unforgivable. I forgive you for thinking that, and I pity you for being so caught up in your own point of view that you’re essentially convicting others of thought crimes.
Everyone else, here’s a link you might find interesting – Cambridge PD wants an apology for the unfounded implication that their officer acted in a improper, racially motivated way.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_HARVARD_SCHOLAR_ARRESTING_OFFICER?SITE=MTBIL&SECTION=NATIONAL&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2009-07-24-12-22-16
I suppose the cop would have acted differently if politicians and lawmakers hadn’t created specific laws relating to disorderly conduct even on private property, and disrespecting a law officer. I suppose the cop might have cowered if, like the judge, he knew “Do you know who I am?” included protection by the President of the US.
RBG
#63, cranky,
A lot of conjecture there. So let me add my own conjecture too.
The police have had several racist incidents over the past few years that Gates has pointed out. While Gates was out of the country they broke his front door. When Gates returned home their planted stooge called the police to report that Gates couldn’t get into his home. When the police arrived they called Gates a “useless nigger” and accused him of breaking into the house, knowing full well he lived there. They finally arrested him on a trumped up bullshit charge when he stepped outside.
This way they now have a mugshot of Gates they can use to humiliate him as their pleasure. They have that “uppity nigger” under control.
Gee, how much clearer the picture gets when you fill in the blanks. Who needs evidence when you can just make it all up.
#81
This is about Gates, Crowley and Obama. Muddying the waters by tossing in separate events is not helpful.
From what I can see only Gates and Obama are displaying any hint of racism.
Never, never, never, under any circumstances trust a cop. Do not treat them with respect, do not befriend them, do not allow your children to look up to them, do not let your gaurd down around them. Never.
You’re funny. If you stick your nose any further up Obama’s ass you can give him a prostrate exam.
pointing out how numerous members of the Republican party have done demonstrably unquestionably racist things is having my nose up the president’s butt? That’s good thinkering there…
This is about Gates, Crowley and Obama. Muddying the waters by tossing in separate events is not helpful.
From what I can see only Gates and Obama are displaying any hint of racism.
Except for the person I was responding to was accusing Obama of being the one hurting race relations and I just gave you a list of other people from the other political party doing a lot more than saying the behavior of a police officer who arrested someone for being rude in that person’s own property was stupidly handled when asked about it. yep, that’s a lot more racist than any of the other people I linked to…
Why isn’t anyone accusing the reporter who asked the question of being racist? If this same incident would have happened when any of our previous presidents was in office do you think any of them would have been asked about it? Because Obama is black he is asked any time something involving black people happens?
#87
This event stands on its own. What another political party or person does at another time has no bearing on what happened here.
Gates was belligerent and Obama backed the black guy before hearing the facts.
You seem to think by listing separate wrongs somehow justifies Gates racism and by extension Obama’s. Your attitude contributes to why we will never solve the problem between the races.
Gates was belligerent and Obama backed the black guy before hearing the facts.
Being belligerent is not sufficient reason to be arrested while on your own property.
Obama said the officer acted stupidly.
Wow, that’s so racist…
What another political party or person does at another time has no bearing on what happened here.
It does when someone says “Obama is going to destroy race relations in this country” when there are lots of other people doing much worse things.
If you think that a man’s home is his castle then the cop was wrong to arrest Gates and Obama is correct to point that out.
If you think being in your own home does not provide complete immunity then the topic is open for discussion.
Either YOU support Obama, or you agree their are circumstances when for mere speech you can be arrested in your home and taken to jail.
I doubt the bigger idiots posting here recognize how stupid they are.
Interesting story making the rounds this afternoon where a black police officer in on the whole thing supports what the white officer did. Watch for this story to be dead by Monday morning.