.
So they’re supposed to sit down over a beer and come out all smiles? Come on, you know how it goes. Not one of the three has actually backed down from their positions, and there’s two of them and only one of Crowley. Anyone of us faced with that kind of situation wants to bring emotional support along.
Sergeant Crowley continues to assert that he didn’t do anything wrong and the entire Boston police force stands behind him, stating that everything he did was standard procedure. Further, Crowley, as it turns out, has for years been teaching cadets to avoid racial profiling. He knows that what he did that day was what he would have done in any home under the same circumstances.
Professor Gates, on the other hand, stated Friday evening in an email that he hoped the incident would bring “greater sensitivity on racial profiling,” even though no racial profiling apparently occurred. No apology was given by Gates for misunderstanding Crowley and jumping to conclusions.
Obama has also failed to apologize for his rush to judgment, saying that he only wishes he “calibrated those words differently.” In fact, he went on to say, “I continue to believe, based on what I have heard, that there was an overreaction in pulling Professor Gates out of his home to the station.”
I’m sorry, but I do want the police to ask for identification if there is suspicion that someone doesn’t belong in my home. Even if it’s me that they are requesting ID from.
Now, I understand that Professor Gates had just returned from a long trip. I know that when I come home from a long trip, I am tired and crabby. It had to further aggravate him that when trying to get into his home to finally kick his shoes off and rest, the door was jammed. Topping off a long and tiring day, the police showed up and began questioning him. All he wanted to do was take a hot shower and go to bed, right? That’s all understandable. But none of it was Crowley’s fault and there is no indication that racial profiling occurred.
So now is the time to apologize to the men in blue who were just doing their jobs, and quit the grandstanding.
That all said, will there be humbling apologies over that beer? With both Gates and Obama, proud men that they are, still convinced that profiling occurred and Crowley knowing it hasn’t? his bounds? Not likely. No real apologies, but unfortunately, Crowley will probably feel pressure to suck up whatever spiel the White House wants to put on the beer fest, even if his stomach is turning. After all, the beer is supposed to end the fight, and they are all supposed to come out smiling. We’ve all been faced with similar situations. How can he say no without looking like a jerk?
More on Minority Civil Rights Issues at www.caicw.org
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Lisa
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12 users commented in " Crowley Better Bring a Friend to that Beer Party "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackDude, every neutral news report out there is stating that it was CROWLEY’S idea for them all to have a beer together. Why would the man who came up with the idea suddenly back down from the idea? Sure he may have made it as a joke, but it says something about Obama that Obama took him seriously and wants it to happen.
Should Crowley now say that he was only kidding when he made the suggestion? What kind of man does that make Crowley? And what exactly does ‘there’s two of them’ mean, in your blog entry?
I agree with writer of this website. Why is the media only taking the BLACK side on this issue. I think the word “racist” is as charged as the “N” word , we aren’t even allowed to say it. The “racist” word carries such a charge , whether backed up by actions, that , you get FIRED and worse if any black person claims “racism” real or not. A black mayor, a black governor, and a black president , sided with the Black Professor and because is a Black and they are all friends with him, they back him 100 percent.
This country made laws to make it “fair” to everybody, now this is case where it seems the “black” man is given the benefit of doubt and the ‘white” man is wrong because he is wrong. I don’t see that this cop did anything wrong, and the police see it the same way.
I think who should be investigated is mayor, did she make phone call to DA and tell him to DROP this case. Why isn’t anyone in media investigating this.
Why is it that only this writer is speaking this way in all the media. Come on , it has gone too far the other direction and this cop should sue the president, governor and mayor for abuse of POWER and libel and slander.
OMG, Amaya. This is exactly what we’re talking about. “THEM,” as in “TWO OF THEM” are all those people that jump to conclusions about racism based on the flimsiest of reasons! Just like you just did!
TWO OF THEM means TWO PEOPLE OF THE SAME OPINION AGAINST ONE PERSON OF THE OPPOSITE OPINION. That’s the situation we’ve all been in before! Situations where we have felt dog-piled!
OMG, if it makes you feel any better, our family, here in my home, is multi-racial. We have lots of dinner time laughts over stuff like this. The people most uncomfortable with race are usually the ones that make the biggest issues about it - including liberals that think they are “tolerant” of race. (Remember Boxer and the CEO of the Black Chamber of Commerce last week?) (Notice, I didn’t refer to her as “Senator.” Shhh…she’s one of THEM!)
Hello, Lisa. I’m a registered Republican, I’m in an interracial relationship for 10+ years; and I am not fooled. Your reply to me — what you chose to focus on in the space of three paragraphs, versus what you chose to ignore — speaks for itself about exactly whom between us is uncomfortable with race.
This case has less to do with race than it does with an abuse of authority on the part of Crowley. It is an abuse which should be unacceptable to all who hold the rights of the private citizen sacred, even if such abuse has become so commonplace as to be swallowed as ‘just the way it is’ by too many citizens and law enforcement alike.
I am one who hopes a real discussion is held on this matter — the matter of the misapplication of the charge of ‘disorderly conduct’. I’m not exactly sure what you are. I’m not exactly sure what is really going on around your dinner table, either. Children are never on the same level as adults when it comes to family discussions and family decisions. But, again, I do not know the construct of your multi-racial family; and it’s none of my business……… just as some of the questions Crowley asked of Dr. Gates was none of Crowley’s business after Dr. Gates had produced identification proving he was indeed the owner of his own home. You don’t owe me an answer — and neither did Dr. Gates to law enforcement, after proof that a crime was not in progress had been provided.
I believe we can agree to disagree on this one. I, too, can be hard-headed, obstinate, and supremely confident in the righteousness of my tunnel vision. President Obama, through his actions this week, is most definitely a better person than either one of us: he leads by example, and his example is that of humility, open-mindedness and conciliation. In my opinion.
Please enjoy a safe evening with your family.
Well, if it helps you, Amaya, my relationship with my husband, until he passed away, lasted 25 years, and most of my children are full grown. So they are welcome to speak and laugh with us adults all they like.
You may be “registered” Republican, but it must be more the McCain type, because to see Obama as having given a humble response, you would have to be a liberal. Like you said…tunnel vision.
Obama was not humble or open minded in any way, shape or form, and still believes he was right in his assessment of racial profiling. The only reason he back-tracked in the least little bit was because so many people, includng the Boston police force, became upset by his response.
The fact is that Crowley followed procedure. Gates was in his face. My brother once spent a night in jail for getting into a cops face. The fact is, police are hired to keep order. For them to do that requires a respect for law and order by the citizens. Without an ability to enforce order, their job would be unmanageable. You certainly sound liberal…
The one that truly showed wisdom and open mindedness in his response to the situation was Bill Cosby, in his interview with a local Boston station. There has been no better response than his.
I say to Officer Crowley do not go to that
stupid beer party.They are looking for an
apology.
Sean Hannity today played this Harvard guy saying that his mother hated white people.
Officer Crowley did nothing wrong and again
I say do not go.I seriously doubt he will.
It would surprise me.
If this was Crowley’s idea that’s different.
If he wants to do it fine.That’s up to
him.I just don’t think it would turn out
good that’s all.
There are many blacks that will alwsys wear race on their shoulder.It’s a chip and quite frankly I’m tired of all the race crap.
Amaya
“just as some of the questions Crowley asked of Dr. Gates was none of Crowley’s business after Dr. Gates had produced identification proving he was indeed the owner of his own home”
Really I would love to hear what questions were further asked by Crowley? Oh you don’t know? Yeah no one does except for 2 people. No one except 2 people know even if he did ask more questions. Think before you comment. You have to take BOTH accounts with a grain of salt. I base my opinion more on what Sgt. Leon Lashley and Officer Figueroa say in their reports and thats that they back the arrest up 100%. But what do they know right???? i mean they were only there……
Andrew, as soon as Dr. Gates produced evidence it was his home, there was ZERO reason for Crowley to become suspicious about whom else was in the home, to write that suspicion in the police report, or to tell Gates to come outside. Crowley entrapped Gates, when what Crowley should have done was said ‘we had a report of suspicious activity, sorry to have bothered you sir have a good day’.
As for Lashley and Figueroa backing up Crowley, law enforcement backing up law enforcement would only matter if law enforcement had a sterling reputation for being neutral even when that neutrality meant disputing a brother (or sister) in blue. Law enforcement does not have that reputation, and they earned not having that reputation.
What matters is that Lucia Whalen — the witness who began all this — disputes what Crowley put into his write up. She even went so far as to be confused about the presence of bags on tape. Crowley claims he had an interview with Whalen. An interview should consist of significantly more than being told to ’stay right there’ — and that’s it!
Besides, according to MSNBC in a July 29 article: “But the 911 recording released by police showed that Lucia Whalen never said two black men were involved. She did not describe their race, acknowledged they might just be having a hard time with the door and said she saw two suitcases on the porch.”
There is a problem when law enforcement is given carte blanche to just make things up in order to justify their own actions in the name of .. well, law enforcement. That is not law enforcement, however, and it is not justice. Again, I am appalled at the number of people out here in cyberspace who are BLINDLY side with law enforcement — and yet then will talk nasty of Obama for jumping to conclusions with his ‘acted stupidly’ remark.
Sounds like you might be a little prejudiced toward the men in blue, Amaya.
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