The forum discussion centers on President Barack Obama's comments regarding the arrest of Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. by Cambridge police. Obama stated that the police "acted stupidly," which sparked debate about the appropriateness of his remarks given the ongoing investigation. Participants highlighted the complexities of the incident, including Gates' alleged behavior and the police officer's background in racial profiling. The conversation reflects broader themes of race relations and the implications of public statements made by political figures.
PREREQUISITESIndividuals interested in social justice, law enforcement professionals, political analysts, and anyone studying race relations in America will benefit from this discussion.
Count Iblis said:Not only is there abuse of power by police, there is also abuse of power by prosecutors, http://blog.law.northwestern.edu/bluhm/2009/02/latest-illinois-exoneree-alan-beaman.html"
He was more than just a suspect, he was guilty. He, and his driver, physically forced the front door to gain entry.turbo-1 said:Being treated as a break-in suspect in my own home and having a cop come into my home uninvited with no warrant would have ticked me off. Here he is, an older man who walks with the aid of a cane, who answers the front door to find himself a suspect in a break-in.
Of course. Not only did he had eyewitness testimony that the people who broke in haven't yet left, but Gates was being combative too.Still, Crowley treated him as a suspect, not as a possible victim of a break-in.
Gates was already convinced race was a factor upon the initial greeting when he was asked to come outside. (okay, he was convinced he was in real danger -- I assume that to include thinking racial motivation)Gates had a pretty good reason to feel that race might have been a factor in his treatment,
Do you have evidence? Or is this sheer speculation.because seeing a ~60 year old white man or woman calmly answering the door while making a phone call would probably have prompted the officer to stand down and ask if there had been a break-in or a robbery or any other trouble at the house.
This article dispels some of the rumors and innuendo surrounding the incident.. . . .
Lucia Whalen placed the 911 call July 16, saying she saw two men on Gates' front porch who appeared to be trying to force open the front door. . . .
In the statement issued Sunday by attorney Wendy Murphy, Whalen — who has not spoken publicly — said she only saw the backs of the two men and did not know their race when she made the call. Murphy said Whalen, who works nearby, called because she had been aware of recent break-ins in the area and wanted to correct "misinformation" suggesting that she placed the call because the men on the porch were black.
"Contrary to published reports that a 'white woman' called 911 and reported seeing 'two black men' trying to gain entry into Mr. Gates home, the woman, who has olive colored skin and is of Portuguese descent, told the 911 operator that she observed 'two men' at the home," Murphy's statement read.
Murphy said Whalen has been very upset by news reports she believes have unfairly depicted her as a racist.
"She doesn't live in the area. She is by no means the entitled white neighbor ... That has been the theme in the blogs and the implication in some of the mainstream news media," Murphy said in a phone interview Monday.
"She didn't know their race, and it's very clear that she called not because of what they looked like but because of what they were doing."
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