Cambridge, MA Arrest

[Disney.Ears]

So this has been a big topic in the news right now.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The Cambridge police commissioner says his department is "deeply pained" by President Barack Obama's statement that his officers "acted stupidly" when they arrested a renowned black scholar in his home.

In his first statement since the arrest, Commissioner Robert Haas on Thursday commended the arresting officer, Sgt. James Crowley. Haas said Crowley's actions were in no way motivated by racism.

Crowley, who is white, has been criticized for arresting Henry Louis Gates Jr. last week. Police say Gates flew into a verbal rage when officers asked him for identification while investigating a report of a break-in.

On Wednesday, Obama said officers "acted stupidly" in arresting Gates. On Thursday, he softened his stance and said cooler heads should have prevailed.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090723/ap_on_re_us/us_harvard_scholar_disorderly

Basically, the white officer arrested the black Harvard professor after he was seen breaking into a home (his) by a neighbor who called 911. After the cop arrived Gates wouldn't provide information to prove he lived there & now the officer is being critized for racial discrimination for arresting him while Gates insisted he went to get I.D.

I firmly believe that Gates fought the police which made them arrest him. I don't agree with Obama calling them "stupid". No matter what, there's ALWAYS a reason for police arresting someone. They don't just do it for kicks. Obama shouldn't have even said that.

What do you think?

 

[MickeyisBeast]

I dont think it was the Police officers fault at all. Like you said, theres always a reason. And I do not agree with Obama on that subject at all, I think he was being pretty harsh, the officer was doing his job.

 

[PrincessBambi101]

Well, that shows you, you never know what will happen.That's too bad =/

 

[blindsided]

So this has been a big topic in the news right now.



http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090723/ap_on_re_us/us_harvard_scholar_disorderly

Basically, the white officer arrested the black Harvard professor after he was seen breaking into a home (his) by a neighbor who called 911. After the cop arrived Gates wouldn't provide information to prove he lived there & now the officer is being critized for racial discrimination for arresting him while Gates insisted he went to get I.D.

I firmly believe that Gates fought the police which made them arrest him. I don't agree with Obama calling them "stupid". No matter what, there's ALWAYS a reason for police arresting someone. They don't just do it for kicks. Obama shouldn't have even said that.

What do you think?

I completely agree. I don't know why everything has to be made into a racial issue. I'm sure things like this happen all the time, but we don't hear about them. We only heard about this because the guy is a Harvard professor who's apparently friends with Obama. And now Gates is all over TV shows being interviewed complaining about the situation. Ugh, it's made out to be so much more than it should be.

 

[crazytp93]

The police were doing their job.
And I am sure Gates fought off the police.

I have never seen a President get involved in a local incident like this. As if calling them stupid wasnt bad enough.

 

[imabrat]

I really hate racism. Whether you're discriminated against for being black, white, yellow, brown, or orange with purple polka dots and green stripes.

1st off, the President does NOT belong in this situation. This is a local offense.

Second, if you WILLINGLY refuse to provide evidence that is IS your home, you're going to be arrested. It's called "failure to co-operate" and people of every gender, race, and color have been arrested for it. It is the police's job to enforce the rules and monitor the safety of EVERYONE.

I FREAKING HAAAAAAAATE how everything comes down to the color of someone's skin these days. I hear it alllllllll the time living in a predominately black area. "Oh, you only do that because I'm black!" GROW UP PEOPLE! Just because blacks were discriminated against in the past, doesn't mean when you get yelled at now that you're being discriminated against. Maybe for once you were ACTUALLY doing something against the rules? And it's not only black people that are getting bolder and bolder, white people are doing it to. Whether you are black or white, if you are breaking the rules you will be dealt with appropriately.

And even if this guy wasn't black, they'd probably all be up in arms because he's a college professor. Just because someone is educated doesn't mean they're a good person.

 

[KidGoofy]

Obama is the one being racist here...just because the officer was white it has to be a racial offense.

Im going to change the words up from a famous Kanye West quote,"Barack Obama does not care about white people"...lol

 

[My Wild Love]

I think Obama made an idiot out of himself. He basically made the comment without having all the facts.
The police officer was just doing his job... After the police officer had left the house the professor went outside and antagonized him. I don't blame the officer for arresting him for disorderly conduct or whatever.

I can't believe there is such a frenzy over this lol.

 

[BabyPiglet]

We don't really know what happened that night. The only people who truly know are Gates and the officers. That said, I think the President should've stayed out of it.

 

[crazytp93]

BTW Mods- This is not a political thread and should not be closed.

 

[Ms.Squeakers]

Personally, I think it was his own fault. He not only refused, but continued to make a scene. The policeman was just doing his job to keep people SAFE.

I dont care if you're black, white, purple, or rainbow with sparkles.
You fail to follow the law or be defiant about it, you deserve to be arrested.

Thats it. No fine print.

 

[TinkRockz106]

Since I live in MA we have had, this on the news for soo long! I most defintley think that for obama to say that te Police officers acted stupidly was not fair!
Obama said that he only heard "Some" details! So why would he talk about something so harshly that he dosent really know about? He also said that racialness is coming back to haunt us!

Then the reporters asked the police officer that arrested,..... "what do yo think aboutwhat obama said about you acting stupidly?" His reply was " I didnt vote for him!" I was laughing soo hard!

 

[MickeyisBeast]

Since I live in MA we have had, this on the news for soo long! I most defintley think that for obama to say that te Police officers acted stupidly was not fair!
Obama said that he only heard "Some" details! So why would he talk about something so harshly that he dosent really know about? He also said that racialness is coming back to haunt us!

Then the reporters asked the police officer that arrested,..... "what do yo think aboutwhat obama said about you acting stupidly?" His reply was " I didnt vote for him!" I was laughing soo hard!

LOL, that is seriously too funny!

 

[My Wild Love]

Since I live in MA we have had, this on the news for soo long! I most defintley think that for obama to say that te Police officers acted stupidly was not fair!
Obama said that he only heard "Some" details! So why would he talk about something so harshly that he dosent really know about? He also said that racialness is coming back to haunt us!

Then the reporters asked the police officer that arrested,..... "what do yo think aboutwhat obama said about you acting stupidly?" His reply was " I didnt vote for him!" I was laughing soo hard!

lmao! I'm glad the Cambridge police department were demanding an apology haha. What's even worse is that the Mayor of Cambridge didn't even defend the police department.

 

[pitt02]

The funny part is that this police officer leads the racial profiling dept. at the police which helps trains new recruits to not be racist in a situation so NO WAY do I believe that the cop acted wrongly in arresting this guy. He said the guy was cracking jokes at his family persistanly even after asked to stop. Then Obama makes this into a huge deal in the press conference he shouldve just said no comment and not trying to offend anyone but if Bush wouldve done something like this he wouldve been abused by the press.

 

[Sparx]

that man was arrested for one reason, and only one reason. he was black.

why did his NEIGHBORS call the cops on him? do you not know what your neighbor looks like? obviously the neighbors were watching the house closely enough to notice someone trying to open the door, they should know what the man who lives in the house looks like.

the one and only way the professor resisted the cops was when he refused to show id, but later, he did. i 100% believe that this happened because he was black.

 

[My Wild Love]

that man was arrested for one reason, and only one reason. he was black.

why did his NEIGHBORS call the cops on him? do you not know what your neighbor looks like? obviously the neighbors were watching the house closely enough to notice someone trying to open the door, they should know what the man who lives in the house looks like.

the one and only way the professor resisted the cops was when he refused to show id, but later, he did. i 100% believe that this happened because he was black.

In theory you would know what your neighbors look like but maybe not in Cambridge lol. Honestly I can't recognize every single one of my neighbors from my house to theirs...
Also Gates was with a taxi driver and they were both trying to force the front door open. If I saw this going on I would call the cops too.

 

[imabrat]

that man was arrested for one reason, and only one reason. he was black.

why did his NEIGHBORS call the cops on him? do you not know what your neighbor looks like? obviously the neighbors were watching the house closely enough to notice someone trying to open the door, they should know what the man who lives in the house looks like.

the one and only way the professor resisted the cops was when he refused to show id, but later, he did. i 100% believe that this happened because he was black.

Maybe the neighbors were new? Or maybe they saw him from the behind only. If I saw someone entering my neighbors house suspiciously, yes I would absolutely call the cops. Also, you don't have to be watching the house closely to notice someone entering a house.


I don't see any reason for him to have been arrested at all. He could've shown the cops his ID and that would've been the end of it. To me, it almost sounds like he was looking for a fight just because he's black.

 

[Sparx]

i have been hassled by the police for being on my own property. and after that experience, i 100% feel that this man was arrested because that cop wanted to arrest someone. showing id and saying "i live here" isn't enough for some people.

 

[TinkRockz106]

LOL, that is seriously too funny!

lmao! I'm glad the Cambridge police department were demanding an apology haha. What's even worse is that the Mayor of Cambridge didn't even defend the police department.

MickeyisBeast: I know!LOL!

My Wild Love: Yeah, I am also happy that the cambridge police were demanding a apology! I know I can't beleive(?) that the CAMBRIDGE MAYOR was NOT defending the CAMBRIDGE POLICE DEPARTMENT! That is something that I am totally confused about!haha!

I think that the mayor and henry gates were friends, because why would she NOT defend the city she governs? Does anybody else think that too?