Constant refrain of reverse racism? Yes it's getting very old. I'm sure you must be tearing your hair out when you hear African Americans talk about racism as well. Not many people are talking about the issue of class in this case. Mr. Gates is an elitist jerk who just as well might have beaten Crowley with his cane for being "insolent."
Wrong. Plenty has been written about this from a class perspective. One of the first things I read about it was from another black college prof saying that Gates was falsely lumping himself in with black men from the projects, and was forgetting that he was, at least to some extent, part of an elite. It's an interesting argument, with a kernel of truth in it. But that argument - whether it's spoken by a black or white person - fails on two fronts. First, police officers are ALSO part of an elite, and have considerable authority that they can wield with considerable leeway, if not, in some cases, outright impunity. Crowley could arrest Gates, not vice-versa. Crowley could have tased or even shot Gates (Crowley surely had Gates, with his cane, outgunned) and his word would have been given considerable credit, the benefit of the doubt goes to the police officer, writing the report, regardless of how honest that officer may or may not be. Secondly, it is surely not just people from the upper-class elites who might resent or even be quite aggravated by an officer attempting to arrest them in their own home, on their own property, simply for being mouthy or raising their voice, when NO CRIME had been committed. Even Crowley's report doesn't make it sound as though Gates was being physically threatening at any point. People of
all socioeconomic classes can get pissy if/when a cop starts complicating their lives.
I've read Herbert's piece 3 times and I see no "truth to power" being spoken.
In fact, it's quite weak in comparison to some of the other articles defending Gates.
What I see in this is a member of the Black Liberal Elite doing a "what went wrong" report. He's thinking, hold on a minute, all the conditions were in order, but the outcome was all wrong! This is supposed to happen to men like us.
I presume you meant to write "isn't" there?
Also, how does he know that the officer had an attitude? He said himself he hasn't spoken to Gates for the article. When confronted with a problem with a police officer...chill. That's something that parents teach their children very early on in life. I'm surprised Gates didn't know it, or the reporter. Cooperate with the officer and file a report later. Be an ass, and through disorderly conduct impede the officer in fulfilling his duties, and this happens.
Mr. Gates should be the one to apologize, but his ego is so large that he is still saying 'I hope America learns something from this.' Why Crowley would even consider meeting with Gates again is beyond me, perhaps it's to fully repair his professional reputation. Gates needs Crowley more.
If the officer had actually arrested Gates on a valid charge, for a legitimate reason, this would go to court. The facts speak for themselves. The charge was dropped. Gates had committed no crime, yet was arrested and hauled away... because his front door was stuck. We can easily surmise that the officer had an attitude because he insisted on arresting Gates even after Gates had shown that he was in fact in his own home and, thus, no crime had occurred. A professional officer, one not hell-bent on highlighting his authority just to flaunt his power, might have said "Very well then, I'll be on my way" upon learning that there was no crime to stop or investigate, and ignored Gates's ranting altogether. Once the officer determined that there was no crime, his duties were fulfilled. Making it personal (the race issue can really be put aside) was where he went wrong, arresting him just to show him who's the Big Bad Boss.
"When confronted with a problem with a police officer...chill."
And you don't have to be black to know that "chill(ing)" doesn't necessarily prevent an officer from being a royal prick. And if the officer is about to engage in false arrest, why should anyone, of any color, just "chill"?? Verbal protests strike me as entirely defensible, both morally and legally.
Would you have offered the same advice to Civil Rights protesters during the '50s and '60s, being beaten back by the cops? "Yo, why don't you people just chill, and do what the officers tell you to do?"
"When confronted with a problem with a police officer...chill. That's something that parents teach their children very early on in life."
Such attitudes and home-schooling are always a blessing in a totalitarian regime.
:fight:
