President Barack H. Obama
Just six months into his Presidency; facing the worst economic downturn since the great depression and with America at war on two fronts (with two more possibly lurking - North Korea and Iran), Barack Obama is finding out rather quickly what black achievers in positions of "power" and "influence" have known for a while now. It does not matter what the challenges and obstacles are that you face, when you are black, just get it done and oh by the way, don't expect to have too much "on-boarding" time either.
There are some, who after reading this article, will proceed to call me a "racist" and every other unimaginable word in and outside of the dictionary. I frankly couldn't be bothered in the least about that.
I intend to make this piece an excursion in bare knuckles truth telling with the sole objective of not just telling it like it is, but hoping that at the end of it all, rather than sweep everything under the rug and have a glass of kumbaya shuffle, this time, we might begin to actually start talking frankly but politely to each other rather than continually deluding ourselves into thinking that just because things have changed in certain areas of American life with regard to race, then the struggle is over.
Over the last five days or so, we have all been witnesses to the unfolding saga of Gates-Gate. Now, I did pause and take my time before finally coming to a conclusion as to what might have happened here. My take on the whole saga (including the President's "acted stupidly" comment and reactions to it) in a nut-shell is four-fold:
First of all, Professor Gates, with his overreaction to the police officer, missed a golden opportunity to highlight the fact that racism still remains a fact of everyday life for minorities in America, blacks in particular. That a white female neighbor (emphasis on the word neighbor) would report that he was trying to break into his own home was itself telling. Sure, she must have known who he was and more importantly, that he lived there.
Secondly, that regardless of what he may have said to the police officer (in his own home by the way), he was still led out of his home to a police vehicle en-route to the police station in handcuffs was also quite revealing. I can assure you David Gergen or Alan Dershowitz would not be handcuffed and booked at the police station even if they told a white police officer (much less a black one) his mother wore army boots. Hence, the police did overreact, as they are supposed to be trained to take abuse from people, especially in this case, when they were in the person's home and he had produced an ID to show them who he was.
Thirdly, Sgt. Crowley and the Cambridge Police Department did act stupidly, first by charging Professor Gates with disorderly conduct and then both telling the POTUS that "he was out of line" simply because he chimed in on the issue, however errant or ill-advised his comments may have been. No, they were out of line and although the President came back and said he probably should have calibrated his words differently, I am glad he did not apologize and if I find that he did, he would lose all respect I ever had for him. I am quite sure if the roles were reversed and a President Bush had "mis-calibrated" his words toward the Atlanta Police Department and a black police sergeant, do you think the media and talk radio would have said he was out of line and should apologize to a black police officer? Never, not till hell freezes over!
Fourthly, the President should hold off on the beer. He needs to maintain his dignity and that of the office of the POTUS. Again, I repeat that Sgt. Crowley acted stupidly by arresting a man for disorderly conduct in his own house and Professor Gates also may have overreacted by labeling the officer a racist at first glance, but the POTUS needs to let this die and let both men work this out either personally or through the courts. Professor Gates is someone I have always known to be a mild-mannered man and I just can't fathom the idea that he acted the way the officer said in this police report, but then again, he may have. Someone between the two men is lying, that's for sure and that is why I think the beer thing might turn out to actually be a public relations nightmare for the President.
In making the afore-outlined four points, the fall out from President Obama's "acted stupidly" comment and the calls for him to apologize to a police sergeant (a GOP house member is even vowing to introduce a House resolution calling on the President to officially apologize to Sgt. Crowley) is not only insulting, but also shows a glaring double-standard as this President has been made to suffer countless acts of indignity aimed at his person since he took office barely six months ago. Should Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity (who insults the POTUS on a nightly basis), Lou Dobbs and Jon Voigt (who recently went on a rage-filled rant aimed at the President at a GOP function) be also asked to apologize to the President? I think not and President Obama should not expect it soon since the people in question, including the former VPOTUS Dick Cheney (who actually accused a sitting President of intentionally making the country vulnerable to terrorist attacks) can never be out of line, unless of course the "roles" are reversed it seems.
For the GOP and neo-conservative faithful who would like to harp on the "Bush was also vilified sermon", please save it. George W. Bush was despised first, because he stole the 2000 election (and I mean stole the damn thing) and second, because he lied not only to Congress (through his operatives) but also to the American people and plunged this country into a war we should never have begun, a war that ultimately drained the life and resources out of this nation's economy.
If Barack Obama thought he could ever go through four or eight years of his Presidency without being "black", now it must have dawned on him, he was wrong. He must however maintain not only his dignity, but also that of the office he holds. While the historical component of his Presidency is not lost on many Americans (including his detractors), he can't allow a situation where he becomes a caricature of the office by consistently allowing himself to be bullied and told what to do by people whose main objective is to "break him" and ensure his Presidency is a failure. President Obama will be a success, that I am confident of, but the success must be on his own terms.
Comments
So... all a criminal will have to do is start swearing at investigating cops and then they'll leave them alone? Is that what this columnist wants?
I was taught by my parents and by my driver education instructor when you talk to an officer of the law, it's "Yes sir" "Yes ma'am" "no sir" "no ma,am"! Let them do their jobs. You can complain about them later if they've behaved badly.
By all accounts, Gates was out of line. He was rude and unco-operative to the investigating officer. Obama didn't make the jobs of police officers of any skin color any easier with HIS stupid comments.
I believe that the police ARE there to protect you and your property. Honest cops are honest people. Comments like Obama's will make it less likely that more honest people will want to become honest cops.
If we want to end racism in this country, we need to stop dividing ourselves... all of us... on the basis of the color of our skin. THAT division is insanity.
You are definitely right - you are a racist!
class, not race is a key to this story.
Lets not forget that "The Professor" is famous and wealthy (like Obama)...so who is this blue-collar policeman to "help" me.
The fact that "The Professor's" worldview exists in racism and racist thought makes this a convenient, if obvious, crux for him to fall upon...rather than take responsibility for his own actions.
Shame on the Professor, shame on our President, shame on Harvard too...
Screw the bull, lets go.
You know what I mean.
Why don't you guys read the police report and what is starting to come out now as a result of the report is that it was indeed stupid to arrest, handcuff and book a 60 year old man who walks with a cane for "disorderly conduct" in his own home. Swearing at a police officer (if he did) is not a crime, especially in your own home after you've shown them your ID and you expect them to get the heck out.
And as for the idiot jbm -tpa that called this writer a racist, you are the racist and it is attitudes like yours that continue to hamper real progress in race relations in America. Read the police report in this article and you'll see that officer is probably lying through his teeth. And isn't it funny that an officer that supposedly teaches police officers about racial profiling does not know who Henry Louis Gates is? That is what he said in a TV interview. As for "Black American" so research in African and AA history is "racist thought"? Take off the Golden shackles ma brutha!
Whitie says:
"Screw the bull, lets go.
You know what I mean."
No we don't. What exactly do you mean? Please expound so we ca catch your drift and feel you ma Aryan warrior.
I think there is fault on both ends here. Professor Gates was obviously upset for getting treated like a perp for trying to get into his own house. Mr. Gates was apparently expressing his displeasure with what was happening...to a degree that Officer Crowley objected to. Had Mr. Gates been able to calm down and hold his tongue, the arrest would probably have not happened. Having said that...the arrest SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED anyway. Mr. Gates provided the necessary identification to prove that he was the resident of the property. The story should have ended there. It didn't end there because Officer Crowley didn't like what was being verbally hurled his way, and he was going to show Mr. Gates who was in control. Not good policing in my view. I would much prefer to see Officer Crowley arresting real criminals who are committing real crimes.
I'd like to hear from the approx. 7 people who witnessed Gates being handcuffed, not in his house, but outside on his front porch.
Jesse Washington from the AP wrote a good article that outlines what Crowley and Gates each saw from their own perspectives.
What a load of crap. I don't cover for someone just because they're white, so why should a black man cover for another black man just because he's black? Articles like this are what continue to draw a divide between the races in the United States. There should be no "African-Americans" or "Latino-Americans" or "European Americans." You're either an American or you're not. Quit bringing race into question.
This author is just another race pimp who makes his living trading on the color of his skin. It's the exact opposite of what MLK imagined, but we won't think to long or hard on that, shall we.
Message to Black America, since they apparently haven't figured this out yet: Yelling, insulting, and getting in a police officer's face will get you arrested, in most cases regardless of the color of your skin.
First mistake: "First of all, Professor Gates, with his overreaction to the police officer, missed a golden opportunity"
If Gates had not, as you so politely put, overreacted to the police officer, he would not have been been arrested.
This would be a non-story.
Second mistake: You assume that the neighbor should have known who he was.
Even Gates did not make that presumptions. He did not know who she was. He pointed out that she lived in an apartment complex.
Clearly she 1) did not know who he was and 2) that he lived there.
Nope, I won't call you racist. I will call you stupid. The reports (did you read them?) say the neighbor phoned that 2 men were braking in.
You don't know about the neighbor's eye-sight, do you? You don't have to; you can just assume whatever makes your ridiculous theories work.
Have you bothered to ask yourself what would be said about the cop if he left when Gates mouthed off -- and then it turned out that it wasn't Gates but a burglar? Do you understand the the cop is hired precisely to check out calls like this and that he was doing his job?
Does it concern you that Gates was persistently and increasingly loud and abusive and was repeatedly warned that he would be arrested if he didn't level off?
The President admitted that he did not know the facts and then proceeded to pronounce judgment on Sgt Crowley and the entire Cambridge PD. He's the one who acted stupidly. Bogus arguments from professional minorities won't change that.
...and America's police force is finding out what it means to be a 'Police Officer While White'.
The race card has been played out by this administration.
After seeing the left smear Colin Powell as an 'Uncle Tom' and Condi as a 'House ni@@er' they really don't HAVE a race card anymore.
History shows the Democrats as supporters of slavery who were against the Civil War and ending slavery.
It was Republicans who stood up to the KKK and their intimidation and brutality while Democrats coddled and supported them.
Only after Republicans had fought, died, and secured the freedom of slaves, and stood up to the KKK did the Democrats finally find the courage to support the black man.
You know - after all the fighting, sacrifice and hard work was done - time for Dems to come out and pretend you support the blacks.
I've seen the left cry racism for opposition to Obama - but I have only WITNESSED racism when Obama blamed the 'white guy' for harassing the 'black guy' with no
(continued) ....actual facts about what happened.
Obama might be the second black President (Clinton)... but he'll definately be the last.
FOR A LONG TIME TO COME
If you deranged Leftists think us Americans are going to endure your never-ending racial drama FORGET IT.
Once we're plunged into the worst societal collapse ever when our currency becomes garbage.. you better all hide. The Purge is coming
Idiot.
Barack Obama was always going to FAIL! He simply was never and will never be up to the task of being President. He has failed in every venture which he tried except fooling people to vote for him. People tried to tell you people WHO were voting for Obama simply because you wanted a "black man" as President, NOT TO WASTE YOUR VOTE ON THIS UN-ACCOMPLISHED EXTREMIST, but you knew better.
Sadly, of all the extremely qualified minority candidates available YOU elected this disaster which will set future minority candidates back 25 years.
After Obama goes down in his coming fiery crash, America sadly will be reluctant to vote for future actually qualified minority candidates. YOU HAVE RAISED THE BAR FOR FUTURE CANDIDATES WITH THIS DISASTROUS CHOICE!
Sgt Crowley was merely doing his job when he went to Gates house and has nothing to apologize for.
OTOH, Gates WAS breaking into the house. Whether it was his or not makes no difference to the Police Officer responding to the call. The Officer's job was to get to the bottom of WHO was breaking into that house and WHY in order for him to file a report. Gates screwed up big time by being immediately unco-operative, disorderly and verbally combative with the Police Officer. Even tho he himself admitted that his front door had been previously tampered with that's why he couldn't get in thru the front door.
Fact of the matter is Crowley's history shows he is not a racist. Video evidence shows Gates is a race-baiter.
If there was racial profiling at all in this case it was by Gates NOT Crowley.
And if we as a nation ever hope to get over this issue we're going to have to start being honest in judging each case by its merits especially those of us of color.
The woman wasn't a neighbor, she just worked in the area. You don't even have your basic facts right. Both Gates reaction to the episode and this article are typical examples of black childish whining. Blacks are a people that simply refuses to grow up. You must be high if you think Obama has been treated harshly, he's been treated with kid gloves. Obama brought this on himself with his ignorant racist remarks on the incident, where he assumed the incident was racial because the cop was white, he should have kept his mouth shut. Blacks fill the jails because they are violent criminals, not because the system is racist. 13% of population committing 50-55% of the murders, year in and year out, and like numbers of other major violent crimes.
just stop being rasist asses ok its not cool to bag on people just because there skin is a differant color i mean come on if you are going to be rasist dont do it to blacks or latinos do it to your own self i mean why dont you try to put yourself into there shoe's and imagen how they feel cause you would not like to get bitched cause your differant or have a differant skin color so think be for you walk up to some one and open your mouth.
Vince says:
"Obama might be the second black President (Clinton)... but he'll definately be the last.
FOR A LONG TIME TO COME
If you deranged Leftists think us Americans are going to endure your never-ending racial drama FORGET IT.
Once we're plunged into the worst societal collapse ever when our currency becomes garbage.. you better all hide. The Purge is coming"
Geez Vince, I didn't know Bernie Madoff and all the hacks and crooks on Wall Street were blacks. And by the way, it is definitely, not definately. And as for Obama being the last Black President, dude stick your US Presidency where the sun don't shine. With dummies like you, George W. Bush and your next President, Sarah Palin (I can't stop laughing), I am sure America's future will be in "good hands".
@ Robert
"Blacks fill the jails because they are violent criminals"
Wow, coming from a descendant of violent slave masters that murdered, raped and pillaged countless people of color across the globe, you do have a lot of nerve. Not to worry though, your comeuppance is at hand. There is no question that the black community has a problem with violent crime, but what are the underlying reasons for that. Notice the similarities between violence amongst the black population in South Africa and the United States? You may want to do some research before you type next time. And have you asked yourself the reason why pedophiles, white collar criminals and cocaine users/abusers do not fill our prisons but instead fill half-way homes and "jails" with golf courses? Remember this, when you point one finger at others, you have 4 pointed right back at you. Your day of reckoning is coming, that you can be assured of.
@ LogicalUS
"After Obama goes down in his coming fiery crash, America sadly will be reluctant to vote for future actually qualified minority candidates. YOU HAVE RAISED THE BAR FOR FUTURE CANDIDATES WITH THIS DISASTROUS CHOICE!"
Raised the bar? Say what buddy? Considering this disastrous choice is actually the first "black" (he is half-white too you know) President of 44 thus far in this nation's history, exactly how many of the previous 43 white males were actually stellar choices? But you still voted for them any way didn't you, Bigot?
Obama will be a success whether you like it or not and then you can bring in your Alaska barbie who has never completed anything worthwhile in her life, and if you think George W. was bad, trust me, Sarah 'it's all about me" Palin will make him look like a genius.
Barack Obama has already accomplished a lot in his life and I am sure he could care less what uneducated riffraff's like you think about him.
Some rather predictable responses here from the usual suspects. All parties might want to read the actual police report I have availed to you in this article and do some more research before jumping into totalitarian conclusions steeped in idiosyncratic balderdash.
Hahahaha.
Crowley lied and it's all coming out now.
Barack had it right all along.
Oh Boye ~ you ignited a fire storm ha ha! You knew some heat was coming huh? The release of the 911 tapes showed the neighbor never described Gates or his driver as Black. So it looks like she didn't recognize Gates or that the men were Black. No doubt the reason Gates sent her flowers and a note of appreciation is because he realized she was just being a good citizen. That said I agree with your claim of a double standard. Obama is getting heat from conservatives in a way that previous Presidents didn't. And that heat has White ethnocentric origins. Just recently Glen Beck called Obama a racist and said he has a deep seeded dislike of White people! Pat Buchanan dismissed Obama's nomination of Sotomayor as affirmative action and implied the reason 100+ White men have been nominated for the Supreme Court in American history is because they had superior qualifications and nothing more!
Your viewpoint and your article is hopelessly slanted AND racist, JUST LIKE your racist buddy Henry Gates.It's one thing to be stupid and hopelessly slanted in your viewpoint. But it's really another to simply misrepresent the facts. If you read the police reports, it is clear that ALL of the police officers present conducted themselves properly, but that Henry Gates continued to be uncooperative and to harass the officers. He was warned, yet refused to stop his tirade against Officer Crowley. GATES could have tried to deflate the situation, but refused to do so. He got just what he, not only deserved, but what he demanded: an arrest for disorderly conduct.As for Barack Obama, he's not actually black. He's half white. But racists, like you and Henry Gates, are determined to attribute everything that happens to black people to racism. THAT is the racism that permeates your own minds, the racism that you cannot let go.
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