Good Read
Here are the reports of the police officers involved in the Henry Louis Gates incident. I didn't realize there were a number of onlookers. If Gates decides to sue, this could make for a lot of fun testimony. (I also read Gates's yelling was heard over police radio--is that on tape?)
Meanwhile, the White House, perhaps sensing the President had gone too far, tried to qualify his statement about the police acting "stupidly."
At the local level, Cambridge Mayor E. Denise Simmons said she sees the incident as a "teachable moment." Please, no more teachable moments. There's too much teaching going on in Cambridge as it is. Just make sure the garbage is picked up on time.
posted by LAGuy @ 12:20 AM
6 Comments:
This will turn out not to be a racial issue but an issue of cops being jerks and Harvard professors being jerks- the difference being jerk cops can lock you away if they don't like your attitude.
And well-connected, ruling class Harvard Professors can get you canned if they don't like your attitude.
Ignoring the issue, aren't we? This isn't about cops or professors, it's about a meddling President who thought it was a cool idea to insult the police.
Anonymous 3 (come on guys, make up a name) has it right. This story would have no legs whatsoever but for the President choosing to take this opportuity to play the populist "we hate cops" card.
The effort to make Obama's comment about the decision to handcuff Gates is laughable (Obama tried it on Nightline last night, and I heard Air America taking up the flag today). The police handcuff all suspects being taken to the station, The oficer already exercised discretion in handcuffing Gates' hand in front rather than in back (so he could use his cane. Standard procedure requires cuffing, for the protection of the police.
Why President Obama doesn't just back off, say something like "I spoke prematurely, without all the facts" is beyond me. He doesn't need this distraction from his heated battle to pass health care reform.
This story has plenty legs and was front page for a couple days before Obama waded into it. This is all about the arrogance of law enforcement who feel it is their right to arrest you if you don't genuflect deeply enough. These are the same same New England cops who harassed a teenage driver and then got him arrested for surreptitiously taping the incident, who have killed two kids in sports celebrations, who have shut down the city over a Cartoon Network prank that worked without incident elsewhere, that arrested an MIT student for wearing a light up T-shirt, who riot when the legislature threatens to allow flaggers rather cops direct traffic at construction sites (at one half to one fifth the cost and as is done in most other states).
Good to see that Anon above disagrees with Professor Gates and maybe Obama and sees this isn't about race.
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