No Racism in America, No siree.

[tombogan03884]

First read the news story about this "Renowned Scholar" who was the victim of racist police profiling

http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2009/07/harvard.html

By Tracy Jan, Globe Staff

Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr., one of the nation's pre-eminent African-American scholars, was arrested Thursday afternoon at his home by Cambridge police investigating a possible break-in. The incident raised concerns among some Harvard faculty that Gates was a victim of racial profiling.

Police arrived at Gates’s Ware Street home near Harvard Square at 12:44 p.m. to question him. Gates, director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research at Harvard, had trouble unlocking his door after it became jammed.

He was booked for disorderly conduct after “exhibiting loud and tumultuous behavior,” according to a police report. Gates accused the investigating officer of being a racist and told him he had "no idea who he was messing with,'' the report said.

Gates told the officer that he was being targeted because "I'm a black man in America.''

Friends of Gates said he was already in his home when police arrived. He showed his driver’s license and Harvard identification card, but was handcuffed and taken into police custody for several hours last Thursday, they said.

The police report said Gates was arrested after he yelled at the investigating officer repeatedly inside the residence then followed the officer outside, where Gates continued to upbraid him. "It was at that time that I informed Professor Gates that he was under arrest,'' the officer wrote in the report.

Gates, 58, declined to comment today when reached by phone.

The arrest of such a prominent scholar under what some described as dubious circumstances shook some members of the black Harvard community.

“He and I both raised the question of if he had been a white professor, whether this kind of thing would have happened to him, that they arrested him without any corroborating evidence,” said S. Allen Counter, a Harvard Medical School professor who spoke with Gates about the incident Friday. “I am deeply concerned about the way he was treated, and called him to express my deepest sadness and sympathy.”

Counter, who had called Gates from the Nobel Institute in Sweden, where Counter is on sabbatical, said that Gates was “shaken” and “horrified” by his arrest.

Counter has faced a similar situation himself. The well-known neuroscience professor, who is also black, was stopped by two Harvard police officers in 2004 after being mistaken for a robbery suspect as he crossed Harvard Yard. They threatened to arrest him when he could not produce identification.

That incident was among several that ignited criticism from black students and faculty, highlighting the prejudices that many black students say they continue to face at Harvard.

“This is very disturbing that this could happen to anyone, and not just to a person of such distinction,” Counter said. “He was just shocked that this had happened, at 12:44 in the afternoon, in broad daylight. It brings up the question of whether black males are being targeted by Cambridge police for harassment.”

Cambridge police would not comment on the arrest, citing an investigation into the incident by Middlesex District Attorney Gerard T. Leone Jr. A spokesman for Leone said Gates is scheduled to be arraigned on Aug. 26 and said the office could not provide details on the arrest until that time.

Gates is being represented by Harvard Law School professor Charles Ogletree, who has taken on previous cases with racial implications.

Now read about the belligerent self righteous asshole Boston PD had to deal with, Read POLICE  report at the link below.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/gates_incident_report_redacted.pdf

[fightingquaker13]

Tom
This is surprising. I know Dr. Gates. Not well, but we've been on panels at a couple of conferences and had a beer toghther after one of them. He seems to be a very level headed guy. (Note: I most assuredly do not endorse all, or even most of his politics, but he is the kind of guy who will buy a pitcher and argue them with you. This is what we did about affirmative action in graduate admissions, him for, me against. It was a pretty classy thing for a Harvard department head to buy beer for a UT grad student to argue politics, in my opinion. He clearly could have spent his time with some one else.). I also think that that cop better be telling the truth and Gates was just having a bad day and was on the rag. It happens to all of us. If that wasn't the case the cop is screwed. Gates is pretty well universisally respected as an honest, smart and conscientious scholar even by those who are 180 degrees politically from him.
FQ13

[tombogan03884]

Tom
This is surprising. I know Dr. Gates. Not well, but we've been on panels at a couple of conferences and had a beer toghther after one of them. He seems to be a very level headed guy. (Note: I most assuredly do not endorse all, or even most of his politics, but he is the kind of guy who will buy a pitcher and argue them with you. This is what we did about affirmative action in graduate admissions, him for, me against. It was a pretty classy thing for a Harvard department head to buy beer for a UT grad student to argue politics, in my opinion. He clearly could have spent his time with some one else.). I also think that that cop better be telling the truth and Gates was just having a bad day and was on the rag. It happens to all of us. If that wasn't the case the cop is screwed. Gates is pretty well universisally respected as an honest, smart and conscientious scholar even by those who are 180 degrees politically from him.
FQ13

There were about 7 citizens and a bunch of other cops there, the supporting statement is by a Hispanic Cop from a different Department, This guy was a dick playing they You hassling me cuz I'm Black bullsh!t, when the cop is just trying to make sure this Arrogant bastards house isn't being burgled.
By the by, Do you know who and what W.E.B. DuBuis was ? He was a Communist  Party organizer.

[Pathfinder]

There were about 7 citizens and a bunch of other cops there, the supporting statement is by a Hispanic Cop from a different Department, This guy was a dick playing they You hassling me cuz I'm Black bullsh!t, when the cop is just trying to make sure this Arrogant bastards house isn't being burgled.
By the by, Do you know who and what W.E.B. DuBuis was ? He was a Communist  Party organizer.

Thanks Tom, you beat me to making this point.

This guy reminds me of some of the profs I have known - entitled, protected, even pampered, and used to having arguments that result in nothing more than having an argument, their minds are already made up. And this one didn't have the sense of a turnip that you don't say things like that and behave like that when the police are investigating a possible break-in.

There is no dearth of really stupid smart people in this country - and many of them work at universities.

[tombogan03884]

 He also acted like a percentage of Blacks I have dealt with ( Not all, about half )
"I would have got a machine if I was white !" "No, you would have got a machine if you were ON TIME"
(That little exchange got me hauled in the office at T/C    )

[Sponsor]

[ericire12]

MSNBC(D) covered this story this morning too...... They actually prefaced the whole "racial profiling" angle of the story by saying that there was really no evidence yet of what actually happened...... But by golly, they still took the premise of discrimination and ran with it though, didnt they! Can you say jumping to conclusions?


*BTW this by definition can not be classified as racial profiling...... unless you want to accuse the neighbor who reported the break in of profiling.

[ericire12]

Charges were dropped:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32010985/ns/us_news-race_and_ethnicity/

*Notice the "race and ethnicity" in the URL






*Also intrersting:

The incident began when Gates had to force his way through the front door of his home because it was jammed, his lawyer said Monday.

Cambridge police say they responded to the well-maintained two-story home near campus after a woman reported seeing "two black males with backpacks on the porch," with one "wedging his shoulder into the door as if he was trying to force entry."

[Timothy]

To it's credit, the Boston NBC affiliate, just reported the facts of the case with NO opinion.

Me, as soon as they said "Harvard Professor", my mind wondered to other things, like a hot cup of joe...

I didn't even know the fellow was black until I read this post, two words.....Harvard......Professor.....lost interest....!

[tombogan03884]

Cambridge caves to "race card".

http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2009_07_19-2009_07_25.shtml#1248192928

Gates Charges Dropped:

I'm glad cooler heads have prevailed:

    Joint Press Release from City of Cambridge, Cambridge PD, Middlesex County D.A., and Prof. Gates

    The City of Cambridge and the Cambridge Police Department have recommended to the Middlesex County District Attorney that the criminal charge against Professor Gates not proceed. Therefore, in the interests of justice, the Middlesex County District Attorney's Office has agreed to enter a nolle prosequi in this matter.

    The City of Cambridge, the Cambridge Police Department, and Professor Gates acknowledge that the incident of July 16, 2009 was regrettable and unfortunate. This incident should not be viewed as one that demeans the character and reputation of Professor Gates or the character of the Cambridge Police Department. All parties agree that this is a just resolution to an unfortunate set of circumstances.

Related Posts (on one page):

   1. Gates Charges Dropped:
   2. Arrest of Harvard Prof. Henry Louis Gates, Jr.:

Quite the contrary, it is not the "incident" that demeans his character and reputation, it is his CONDUCT that does that.
Far from being a case of "ironing out a misunderstanding". This is a case of the City allowing an abusive arrogant elitist to insult a working Police Officer because they lack the balls to tell Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson (who were reported to be looking into the matter ) to go to hell.
Welcome to America, Dictatorship of the socialist protesters

[ericire12]

Here is what Sharpton said:

"This arrest is indicative of at best police abuse of power or at worst the highest example of racial profiling I have seen," Sharpton said. "I have heard of driving while black and even shopping while black but now even going to your own home while black is a new low in police community affairs."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32010985/ns/us_news-race_and_ethnicity/