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403 Comments
- zigardne, on 07/20/2009, -12/+232Anybody who says, "You don't know who you're messing with!" to a cop is going to have their day ruined.
- ImTheManWhoRU, on 07/20/2009, -40/+181"An officer ordered the man to identify himself, and Gates refused, according to the report." - If any white person did this the outcome would be the same.
"This is what happens to black men in America." - Other than becoming president?...yeah - Ninh, on 07/20/2009, -25/+128You try to force a door and refuse to identify yourself, you go to the precinct, no matter if you're pink or green. Even more funny though the other guy in the story who claimed racial profiling when stopped on campus while police was looking for a robbery suspect. This wouldn't have happened if he'd been white ... obviously, if they were looking for a black suspect, no?
- DangerousP, on 07/20/2009, -26/+127He should've known better than to try to get into his own house after dark. Doesn't he realize he lives in Cambridge?
- inactive, on 07/21/2009, -25/+123The police were called to the home by a woman who witnessed two men forcing their way inside. When the police arrived, the professor initially refused to come outside to speak with them. When he did, he refused to provide identification.
I don't see the racial profiling in this story. It sounds to me like the professor was mad the police didn't recognize "the nation's pre-eminent black scholar." (BTW, who's the nation's pre-eminent white scholar?) - inactive, on 07/21/2009, -22/+113The irony is, if it really had been an intruder who refused to come out of the house or show id and the cops had just driven away, the professor would be accusing the police of racism for not taking crime against black victims seriously.
- DaviDTC, on 07/21/2009, -31/+105Perfect example of using the race card just cause you are black.
- roedood, on 07/20/2009, -27/+98well if i know the judicial system in america, id say he is looking at 5-10 year minimum
- inactive, on 07/20/2009, -31/+93This is absolutely ridiculous. It's insane to think there's even a story like this. Whether this guy was black or not, the police got a call and they invesitgated the scene to do their jobs. Would it have been so hard for Gates to calmly find out why the police were there and explain that it was a misunderstanding? I'd like to know this: why was he having such a hard time getting into his house? Does the door stick? Key old and rusted? A little too much to drink that night? This entire thing wouldn't have been an issue if he knew how to get into his house properly.
Bigballa5412: So what if they have is identification? Harvard employees can't commit crimes? The point here is that someone saw someone (of no particular color) seemingly breaking into a house. Gates should be thankful that he has neighbors that care enough to call the police. - wdw25, on 07/21/2009, -8/+60Open and shut case Johnson. Apparently this ***** broke in and hung up pictures of his family everywhere.
- ZenMojo, on 07/21/2009, -16/+64You didn't RTFA:
"Ogletree said Gates was ordered to step out of his home. He refused and was followed inside by a police officer. After showing the officer his driver's license, which includes his address, Ogletree said Gates asked: "Why are you doing this? Is it because I'm a black man and you're a white officer? I don't understand why you don't believe this is my house." Ogletree said Gates was then arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and racial harassment. "
So he invited the police into his house, showed the police his ID. It was clearly his ***** house. And they arrested him anyway. - JagPop, on 07/21/2009, -22/+69I don't trust police reports. That being said, if faithfully reported then Gates got what he deserved.
"Why are you doing this? Is it because I'm a black man and you're a white officer?" That statement by Gates is an insult, inflammatory, disorderly conduct and racist.
Now a judge has to sort out who actually said what. - RungeKutta, on 07/21/2009, -6/+46@zoomaKabu
Uhm, why don't you try reading the article. You obviously didn't because if you had, you wouldn't make a statement like that. See, the guy *did* show his drivers license which is going to have a picture ID. So the cops knew it was him and his home.
That being said, the article said he was arrested for disorderly conduct. My guess is that he was probably pissed off and agitated to begin with. Once the cops figured out that it was his home, they could have left. He was only "disorderly" on his property and inside of his home. Did the cops really need to arrest him? No. - rocknog, on 07/21/2009, -19/+56Well, assuming he's black and in a rich neighborhood. $100 says that if he were white, this wouldn't have happened.
- kleon777, on 07/21/2009, -16/+51"Gates accused police officers at the scene of being racist and said repeatedly, "This is what happens to black men in America.""
Didn't take long for him to play the race card. - serif69, on 07/21/2009, -8/+42When I was younger, an older kid down the street tried to break into his own house. He didn't have a license yet, and thus no identification. He was arrested. He was also white. Still is, actually.
- adjames, on 07/21/2009, -9/+39The driver licence had his address on it. A simple check of the address of the house he was in and the licence should have been sufficient... unless the system is so poor that a state issued id isn't good enough for the police
- Carinix, on 07/21/2009, -5/+34He showed his ID which showed he lived at that address. After this point the cops should have just walked away.
- bkraj, on 07/21/2009, -16/+44"Officer this is a misunderstanding, this is my house. I locked myself out, please look at my driver's license, it has my photo and address on it."
CONFRONTATION RESOLVED. - ralphodog, on 07/21/2009, -10/+37The professor sounds like an epic prick. Instead of sympathizing with people who are there to help him, he instead chose to to it into a race issue and act like he deserved something for being a Harvard professor. The WP shouldn't have even reported on this; if this was a George Mason professor who didn't have illusions of how amazing he was, it probably would have worked out completely fine with him being happy the police were there to help them and them being happy they didn't have an innocent person realizing a burglary to his home.
- ZenMojo, on 07/21/2009, -9/+35"Ogletree said Gates was ordered to step out of his home. He refused and was followed inside by a police officer. After showing the officer his driver's license, which includes his address, Ogletree said Gates asked: "Why are you doing this? Is it because I'm a black man and you're a white officer? I don't understand why you don't believe this is my house." Ogletree said Gates was then arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and racial harassment. "
How dare that fiendish Negro try to distract the police by inviting them into his house and showing them his driver's license. Diabolical. - cly8419, on 07/21/2009, -4/+30The professor clearly could have handled the situation better. Looks to me like he picked a fight with the cop just so he could scream racism. The cop could have handled it better, but honestly if I were the cop I would have been pretty pissed at him no matter what race he was. If you are breaking into a house and try to refuse to show the police id and then yell at them you might spend the night in jail cooling down.
And the police basically assume everyone's committing a crime. That's their job. - Heckran, on 07/21/2009, -4/+28let's just sprinkle some crack on him and get out of here...
- mark5hs, on 07/21/2009, -10/+33You can't blame the police in this case. What they saw was a guy trying to break into a house, so they approached him and he got really defensive and accusatory. Maybe if he was calm and collected, they wouldn't have arrested him.
- Lambog130, on 07/21/2009, -4/+27@ zoom, pasty
"Ogletree said Gates was ordered to step out of his home. He refused and was followed inside by a police officer. After showing the officer his driver's license, which includes his address..."
Unless I'm missing something, he did prove it was his house.. - alcimedes, on 07/21/2009, -11/+34You must have missed the part where he showed them his driver's license in his house with his address on it, and they arrested him anyway.
- aimhelix, on 07/20/2009, -22/+45Except in this case, Henry'll probably get the last laugh. At least I hope so for his sake!
- smotpoker, on 07/21/2009, -9/+30Assuming he actually said that. Wouldn't be the first time cops lied about suspects' statements to justify 'teaching them a lesson'
- TugOSpiegel, on 07/21/2009, -13/+33Yes, a black man is president, it is a huge step forward. But that DOESN'T mean that suddenly all black men are being treated the same. People need to stop using the "Racism? Well, look at our president!" arguments.
- DaviDTC, on 07/21/2009, -13/+33Was adding in an edit but ran out of time...
Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton are going to be jumping all over this. They love when this stuff happens. For as much as they are about being equal and civil rights, when was the last time you saw them defending white people when something happens? I didn't see them getting behind the white firefighters who were fighting for their raise that they earned fair and square. If it was all black firefighters fighting for a raise, they would of been showing their face on day 1. Those are the people who are blatantly racists. They don't care what happens to anyone but their fellow black people. - Bigballa5412, on 07/20/2009, -10/+30FTA: "Counter said he spoke to Gates, who told him police continued to question him after he showed them his license and Harvard identification. "
Sounds like two conflicting accounts of what happened.
Coincidence? Maybe the department is simply in CYA mode. - Barackalypse, on 07/21/2009, -7/+27When will people learn that you never win by escalating a conflict with the Police? Whether they are right or wrong, being belligerent, saying things that can be perceived as threatening like "You don't know who you're messing with", and accusing them of being racist is never going to cause things to work out in your favor. Stay calm, follow their directions, tape everything if possible, say nothing without a lawyer present, and be prepared to fight for your rights in Court where you stand a chance of winning something other than more charges and a beating.
- ChuckDees, on 07/21/2009, -3/+23Black cop killed by white officer
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2009/05/2 ...
Police Get The Wrong House In Galveston, Allegedly Assault 12-Year-Old Girl
http://blogs.houstonpress.com/hairballs/2008/12/ga ...
Newlywed Julian Alexander killed outside his California home by police in mistaken identity
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/us_world/2008/10/2 ...
I made it all up. There is no racism. - Mardala, on 07/21/2009, -5/+24Well this is also part of the problem with America. They arrest you for everything. Was it necessary to arrest and book him? Probably not. He may have gotten heated and started arguing, but damn I am sick of cops arresting everyone they encounter. No wonder our country has such a high rate of incarcerated citizens.
- ChuckDees, on 07/21/2009, -18/+37Like the black off duty police officer shot and killed in NYC after he was chasing a thief.
Or the black guy who was shot and killed in his yard because he had chased off an intruder with a bat and was in his yard looking for him.
Or the black girl who was kidnapped by plain clothes cops and thrown into an unmarked van.
They thought she was a hooker, she was like 11. The dad and daughter we later charged with A&B on an officer.
Yeah this stuff never happens based on race or racism............. - Carinix, on 07/21/2009, -2/+19From the article:
After showing the officer his driver's license, which includes his address, Ogletree said Gates asked: "Why are you doing this? Is it because I'm a black man and you're a white officer?
"After showing the officer his driver's license", the point at which the cops should have just left. But they obviously didn't. Thus he made his remark. Which at that point is decently well founded. - barrimon, on 07/21/2009, -5/+22The cop even said in his own report that he figured that the guy was probably the owner of the house.
Therefore he should have said "Have a good day" as soon as he saw the professor's 2 forms of ID. - Yazilliclick, on 07/21/2009, -5/+21@alcimedes
You must have missed the part where he refused, generally started creating trouble, only showed them when they followed him indoors and then when they were leaving continued to cause trouble and followed them outside. He was then arrested for his behaviour and 100% deserved it. - Rapter09, on 07/21/2009, -16/+32"Henry Louis Gates Jr., one of the nation's most prominent African American scholars,"
And rather than having integrity, which is befitting of somebody of his position, he played the race card.
He's supposed to be some sort of scholar and role-model?
Sounds like Mr. Gates Jr is lost in the history he's studying. - inactive, on 07/21/2009, -11/+26So instead of showing his Drivers License..he yells at the police "You don't know who you're messing with" after trying to break into his own house?
Wow what horrible police for investigating what could have very easily been a break-in in progress. /s
FTA: "If you look at every stage of the criminal justice system from initial police contact all the way through sentencing and incarceration, you see that African Americans are disproportionately impacted by each stage"
And the only reason is racism? riiiight, keep dreaming. - barrimon, on 07/21/2009, -13/+27Got what he deserved?!
What law did he violate? He disturbed the "crowd" gathering outside of his house by talking too loudly on his front porch? That cop obviously called him outside so he could arrest him for disorderly conduct. His reason for asking him to come outside was complete BS. He referenced acoustics coming from the kitchen made it hard to hear? Huh?
It's not illegal to ask questions. If you accept this type of ***** from police officers (being arrested for insulting a cop), you don't deserve all of the freedoms you have. - inactive, on 07/21/2009, -6/+20I don't see anywhere in the article where it mentions "two men forcing their way into a home"...
Although they recently edited the article, it never mentioned "two men" anywhere before. The original report was that the police arrived at the scene based on the neighbor's report of seeing a "suspicious looking man trying to enter a home". Even after Gates showed the officer his driver's license which had his address in it, proving that he did in fact own the home, he was then arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and racial harassment.
I'm not saying that the police are racist, just the ones involved in this case. They came to his house on a bogus claim, and then arrested him for being upset about them invading his personal privacy.
And you have to keep in mind that this entire article is based on police reports. Some of which may be false. They do have a tendencies to stretch the truth in some cases, especially when it favors their situation. - smotpoker, on 07/21/2009, -2/+16"Playing the age card is even more ***** stupid than playing the race card."
...are you honestly saying it is better to someone differently based on race than on their age? Wow, that's pretty disturbing.
"Sorry to tell you this, but racism goes both ways. And if you think that a black man is entitled to be racist against white people, then just don't even communicate with human beings again. You forfeit your right to do so."
Sorry to tell *you* this but accusing someone of racism DOES NOT automatically make one racist. Do you assume *anyone* who witnesses a murder or beating is guilty of what they claim to have witnessed? - TaylorSPL, on 07/21/2009, -2/+16The officer should've known considering he was shown a state issued ID.
- smotpoker, on 07/21/2009, -3/+17Were you 60 years old and did you show your ID? Or do you think it's justified for police to arrest you if you complain because you think you were treated unfairly?
- writeb, on 07/21/2009, -11/+24Sadly, there's nothing to see here. He should have complied and not have gotten caught up.
Then again, if you look at him, he's not exactly burglar material either. - kaidovak, on 07/21/2009, -0/+13Those all made the front page on digg.
- gwhenning, on 07/21/2009, -4/+17Ummm... Article doesn't say he invited the officer in, just that he was followed in. Then yelled at said officer for not believing it was his house until the officer was shown ID in the house. Sounds to me like he was mad that the officer followed him into the house to verify ID.
- zoomaKabu, on 07/21/2009, -6/+19More likely he started out a complete ass with the police then eventually showed them ID, at which point they wanted pay back so they dragged out the process a little.
- Carinix, on 07/21/2009, -0/+13What do you mean I have no reading comprehension, the fact that they arrested him at any point means they were still there after he showed them his ID, that means they did stick around. And I doubt that, if he showed them his ID and they were about to walk away, that he would complain about how this happened because he was black. The fact is, if he saw them leaving, he would've just gone back inside, since sure, seeing someone force a door open is a sign that they might be a burglar. However, once they stuck around, that is when he most likely made his claim.
The fact that they continued to stay there and even care once they saw that he lived there is in and of itself the problem. Really now, as a cop, if I got somewhere and heard a report of a possible break in, got there and the resident was in his home, showed ID, I would say, have a nice day, and leave. Your entire reverse racism argument here is annoying, because not only does he believe this, other professors at the university all agree that this at the least needs to be looked into, there are definitely strong overtones of racism, and to call this out is not racism. The fact is, the possibility that the cop was being prejudiced at the time is definitely possible and at least warrants investigation. Also, you really need to work on your typing skills. -
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