Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. returned to his home in a taxi last Thursday. He had been in China filming a documentary for PBS. When he arrived at his front door he found it to be stuck closed so he asked the taxi driver to help and according to news reports the two of them finally ‘pried’ the door open.
A neighbor, seeing these two men breaking into the front door of a home acted responsibly and called the police. After the police arrived, the news reports of exactly what happened are sketchy but one thing is clear, Professor Gates was eventually arrested by the responding officer. Here’s a blurb from the Metro International News:
It still isn’t entirely clear what transpired last Thursday when Henry Louis Gates Jr. was arrested outside his Cambridge home. A police report indicates Gates was screaming at the officer, called him a racist and ignored warnings to calm down.
Gates, however, denies he acted inappropriately and said the officer didn’t respond to his requests for identification.
By the way, Professor Gates is black and the arresting officer isn’t; and Professor Gates is, according to the Boston Globe, a Harvard professor and “a leading authority on African-American history.”
So who is the arresting officer: He is Sergeant James Crowley, who is, according to the
Cambridge Police Superior Officers Association, a highly respected veteran supervisor with a distinguished record in the Cambridge Police Department. This police association also reviewed the arrest reports and they have concluded that “his (Crowley’s) actions at the scene of this matter were consistent with his training, with the informed policies and practices of the Department, and with applicable legal standards.” Just a guy with a hard job to do.
As a result of the situation: Professor Gates wants an apology from Sgt. Crowley and Sgt. Crowley says he absolutely won’t apologize because he feels he has nothing to apologize for. Professor Gates is threatening a lawsuit. President Obama took a few moments out from his destruction of the economy to, in effect, call the arresting officer “stupid.” And the one photograph of the arrest (above), taken by a neighbor who saw a man he didn’t know being arrested, has made the rounds of the morning TV shows and newspapers.
The few facts presented in this post certainly represent insufficient reason to accuse anyone of anything but just from the information in the Metro International News quote above, the other facts about Professor Gates and what we know of Sergeant Crowley, one can start to get a picture of what might have transpired in the Gates house last Thursday. I certainly have a scenario in mind, but it would be inappropriate to share it based on what we know.
I will say this however — and I’ve already said it in the title of this post: “Professor Gates Should Thank The Cambridge P.D.” for doing their job, trying to protect the professor’s house. He should also track down the neighbor who witnessed his breaking and entering and thank him or her for being a good neighbor. Neither will, of course happen. The professor (as well as the president) is convinced that he was a victim of racial stereotyping and he will, no doubt, carry that belief to the Supreme Court if necessary.
Links:
Boston Globe: Officer in Gates case says he won’t apologize
New York Times: Obama Criticizes Arrest of Harvard Professor
Metro International News: Controversy over Gates arrest continues
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24 users commented in " Professor Gates Should Thank The Cambridge P.D. "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackYou can run your mouth all you want; the police do not have a right to arrest you on your own property for running your mouth. By the way, I think you should go back and listen to what President Obama said, he did not say Gates was a victim of racial stereotyping.
Good read
http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/blogs/jcd/2009/07/obamas-tough-elegant-mind-once.php?ref=reccafe
As an immigrant of middle eastern descent having lived in the united states for 8 years, I can assure you that more often than not police uses racial profiling while responding to reported incidents. Here are some of my personal experiences:
1. I was stopped in Tuscon, Arizona by a State trooper and was asked if I was Mexican then let go after the officer inspected my license, which revealed that I was legal in the country. The reason for the stop was purely based on the way I look.
2. I called 911 to report a couple of young men yelling on the street. The 911 operator immediately asked me: What is their race?
3. Had a verbal argument with my white roommate. Police was called and I was told to leave the residence by the officer, although I was the one to call the police.
4. I attempted to enter a nightclub in Chicago and the bouncer told me that my ID was fake (although it was not). Then he called a police officer who was patrolling on foot and gave my ID to him. The officer confirmed that the ID was real but advised the bouncer that he does not have to let me in. (wtf?)
I left usa in 2008 for good.
whoever wrote this article is a racist person, it is very evident in his writings. i feel sorry for you, close minded person.
Lots of famous people behave badly. 3 white examples: Robert Schuller, Victoria Osteen, and Zsa Zsa Gabor. This guy was arrested for being a jerk to the police. It happens all the time and if he were white, no one would give it a second thought or claim that it was racially motivated.
It’s a shame that this pompous professor has to turn his bad conduct into a race-baiting tantrum. Yes, there is racial profiling, but it’s the unfortunate by-product of the current state of the black man in this country. The gangsta lifestyle is glamorized in black music and fashion.
If this guy wanted to do something productive, he would chastise the members of his own community about how they create negative black stereotypes instead of of crying “racist”. Same goes for the professional race-baiters Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson.
(Obama masterfully answered the question, though. By saying he was biased because he was a friend, he didn’t have to give an objective answer!)
I would agree with this posting, the intent behind all of this was positive – eg trying to stop your house being robbed!?
I’m reminded of what happened to me nearly 30 years ago coming home from church on a Sunday night–as a white teenager with sort of longish hair, I was the kind of guy that the cops might love to pull over, frisk, and rumage through the car’s trunk. All I needed to do was change lanes without signalling. My righteous indignation (“You can’t do this! I’m a American citizen!”) won me a night in jail. My folks were out of town but luckily the pastor came and bailed me out a few hours later. The lesson I learned: you don’t mouth off at the cops. If you’re beligerent or even slightly appear to be out of control, they’ll take you in for the public good.
In my case there was no public–or private–apology offered. The arresting officer went on to serve as county sherrif for several terms.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-07-22/my-daddy-the-jailbird/full/
Gates on Crowley and on the police:
“I think the actions of Sgt. Crowley aren’t the actions of everyone on the Cambridge police force or all white people in Cambridge or Boston or in the United States. … We depend on the police—I’m glad that this lady called 911. I hope right now if someone is breaking into my house she’s calling 911 and the police will come! I just don’t want to be arrested for being black at home!”
I have no idea if this was racism on the part of the police, or unintentional racism on the part of the caller who reported the suspicious activity. Quite honestly, what bothers me more is that anyone – regardless of race – is subject to this type of power abuse. Once the police determined the guy lived there, unless he threatened to commit some violent act or was shouting so loud someone called it in as a disturbance, they should have left it alone. Instead, they made the guy pay – because they knew they could (and get away with it).
this gates is a moron and this empty suit obama , the one term president, should have looked up the facts as they were documented .. this officer acted properly, and now the liberal media is running roughshod over this…..
I completely agree with the article. The officer acted appropriately and he has no reason to apologize. Unfortunately anyone who makes this claim is called a racist (i.e. ash’s comment). There are numerous examples of this happening to white people (as documented in the comments here).
I think Professor Gates should apologize to the policeman. Screaming and ranting at the police after they left his house, was clearly out of order and merely incendiary. Even after he was warned that he was becoming disorderly, he continued the tirade. Shame on him and shame on his accusations of racial profiling, a lame excuse for justifying his bad temper.
Doesn’t that photo show a black officer at the scene? What does he think? The police get a call that two men appear to be breaking in – when they arrive the owner says all is ok but, what if its like a tv show, in the background is a criminal forcing the owner to give that answer to the police – so the police insist on entering. Im still ok with that. But the highly intelligent professor, instead of cooperating, chooses to give that police officer a lesson – but instead of staying high minded, chose to fall back on the race card. Shame on you professor.
I’m a black migrant from Africa and this is my take on the whole incident: Prof. Gates is definitely passionate about issues that pertain racism. He’s therefore quite sensitive to any tussle that may result to racist comments or confrontation. With this kind of pin-hole mindset, he assumed that Sergeant James Crowley was there to arrest him, and he(Prof Gates) never took time to understand the reason the officer was there. His arrest is a result of his “racist” mindset. We, the black people can also be racist – unfortunately we take the racist card most of the times and run with it. He deserves it and job welldone to Sergeant James Crowley. Keep up the good job!
Professor Gates said he didn’t make the commits that the police officer said he made. Professor Gates is famous and I’m sure the police knew him. I’m glad that the President talked about this incident. Anytime a Black man speaks out against racism, some idiot always acts as racism is alright.
The neighbor was quick to report the break-in incident, however, long before this incident happened, she never had the inclination to find out who lives next door – a black man who was named by Time magazine as one of the 25 most influential Americans. Goes to show what happens when ignorant people act righteously.
Racism is like Air – it is everywhere but cannot be seen.
All the professor had to do was, tell the cop he was in his own home and show him identification. He saw an opportunity to make this into a racial incident and jumped on it. Barack Obama had to fan the flames of discontent because the professor is black. Where did Duval Patrick get the nerve to get involved with this incident? It’s because he too sees the opportunity to make the black man feel downtrodden. I,for one, am getting sick and tired of having to apologize for being a white man. I have many black friends and we get along just fine. We don’t need Barack Obama, Duval Patrick, Jesse Jackson, and Al Sharpton to tell us how to be friends. There was no racial incident in Cambridge and the professor should go back to work and keep his mouth shut.
Toofan21 wrote:
“The neighbor was quick to report the break-in incident, however, long before this incident happened, she never had the inclination to find out who lives next door – a black man who was named by Time magazine as one of the 25 most influential Americans.”
Why do you conclude–without even knowing this person–that the neighbor is a racist? Maybe she couldn’t get a clear view of the two men, other than a general description. Is it rational for her to immediately understand why “one of the 25 most influential Americans” would be wearing a backpack and, along with another man, try to force his way into his own front door?
In fact–because you don’t know her personally–she may have very well have been an aquaintance of Professor Gates and didn’t want his home broken into or his valuables stolen. Or maybe she–not being necessarily privy to Professor Gates’ travel itinerary–thought he might be in the house and didn’t want to see the man physically attacked or even killed during a home invasion.
Homes are frequently broken into during broad daylight. In Richmond, Va., a few years back, a couple of recently paroled felons walked into a suburban home at 10 a.m. on New Year’s Day and then tied up and beat to death a couple and their four-year-old and nine-year-old daughters.
Maybe you and I think differently, but I want my neighbors looking out for me–not intimidated into NOT calling the police to report suspicious activity because the perpetrator might happen to be black.
In this instance, this woman has now been permanently labeled a racist by you and others simply for being what most would define as a good neighbor. I guess if–God forbid–there’s ever a real crime taking place at Professor Gates’ house, she or other homeowners in his neighborhood will peek through their windows, lock their doors and NOT call 911. Why bother?
After viewing the Cambridge Police info this morning on CNN, I was left wondering what happened and went on the internet to look for more info on the incident. Unfortunately this article does not give the all the facts in the incident and comments that took place – according to New York Times, Pres Obama stated that after Prof Gates presented ID to show ownership of the home, the file should of been closed. Instead he was arrested and charged which was later dropped – this definitely reeks of racially profiling.
I don’t think this is a wise choice for the Union. Give them the apology Obama but then they should remember that you don’t owe them any favors. Dumb move by the Union. I have run into so many wonderful policemen that are patient, educated, helpful, comforting and not a sign of racism in their approach to me. I have also run into a few who are carrying a chip on their shoulders and those I give whatever they ask for and am relieved once I am out of their presence because I feel my life is in danger for just being in their presence. I think it’s time to up the qualifications of being a police officer even if it means paying them more. Maybe we can have an additonal police department to choose from. THis new department should be trained to the hilt. A little competition can only help.
>> T. Oak said,
>> In fact–because you don’t know her
>> personally–she may have very well
>> have been an aquaintance of Professor
>> Gates and didn’t want his home broken
>> into or his valuables stolen.
Acquaintance of the Professor who couldn’t recognize him from 10 feet away? The fact is that the US is such a crime ridden country that it is normal for people to be paranoid like this.
I live in New Zealand, and if a neighbor saw two men forcing a door open, they would probably assume that they had lost their keys and offer to help them. This is all about perspective. And the general perspective in United States is f**** up. And so are you.
One thing I have learned from this incident…If I EVER witness any suspicious activity on anyone elses property but my own…The victim will be out of luck. I am not going to waste my time reporting anything to the police, no matter what color the skin of the suspicious person…I might get blamed because they were wearing yellow sneakers! I sure would have appreciated it if someone called to report suspicious activity on my property…I guess I am on my own as well now. Try to do a good thing for some one, and look what happens. This country is becoming unlivable. I think it is time I try to move to Canada. Canada may be too close to the border of a failing country for comfort, though.
Silly partisan douchebag. If you could curb your knee-jerk hatred of the Obama administration for the ten seconds required to compose a coherent thought of your own (instead of spewing your Sean Hannity talking points), you might learn a thing or two about how police in this country operate.
Yes, Gates should be grateful that the Cambridge PD did their job in responding to an anonymous tip, and yes, Gates should have kept a civil tongue in his head when they showed up. But the fact that they arrested him after confirming his identity and that he was -in fact- breaking into his own house proves that Crowley was, like so many trigger-happy, renegade asshole cops, trying to make an example of a man who bruised his fragile cop ego.
I hope that someday you get to experience first hand the joy of being relentlessly prosecuted by an over-zealous, thin-skinned law enforcement official. Then maybe we’ll see how “grateful” YOU are.
I would agree with this, all they were trying to do is protect his home!?
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