Preface:

Let me state that I’ve been unjustly arrested in the past for disorderly conduct because I was a smart-ass to a police officer.  The charges were dropped because they were clearly bogus but I learned a lesson from the encounter.  I was 17.  Henry Louis Gates Jr. is 58.

I’m quite disappointed in our President and the tenor by which the news of the arrest of Henry Gates has been reported.

Firstly, the President shouldn’t have commented on the event without knowing the facts.  His comment about Cambridge police acting stupidly paints law enforcement in a poor color and potentially endangers them.  Secondly his comments on this event amazed me…without any facts he’s saying that “Gates’ arrest shows that racism still haunts us.”  It shows me that if you don’t cooperate with a policeman until he’s satisfied the situation is resolved you’re bound for trouble.

So let me understand this…Our President doesn’t know the facts but is so eager to believe that “whatever happened” shows America is still racist solely based on his friendship with this guy?  That’s troublesome, and I’m an Obama supporter.

Kudos to the Cambridge Police Department for sticking up for their Officer.  This guy followed the rules and tried to do what he could to secure the scene, his saftey and the saftey of Mr. Gates.

Race was brought into this discussion by Mr. Gates during the incident as a vehicle for attention and I think it’s a secondary issue with for him.  Mr. Gates chose to use the race card to bring even more attention to himself.  So, his real fault, besides being an asshole, is vanity.

Gates states,”This isn’t about me; this is about the vulnerability of black men in America.”  Already with the martyr speak…c’mon, this incident just DOUBLED his fee for lecturing.   He saw this as an opportunity to market himself as person of historical importance.  How better to comment on the social injustices during lectures than to claim to be an example?

On Thursday Officer Crowley told a local TV station that Gates verbally assailed him. The police report says Crowley asked Gates to talk outside, to which he responded “Yeah, I’ll speak with your mama outside.”  I don’t care WHERE you’re from you don’t act like that to ANYONE, much less a Policeman.

“There was a lot of yelling, there was references to my mother, something you wouldn’t expect from anybody that should be grateful that you’re there investigating a report of a crime in progress let alone a Harvard University professor,” Crowley said.  Listen to Sgt. Crowley’s interview with WEEI here.

I guess that I’m just upset that even today when someone does something stupid, like speak poorly of the matriarcal lineage of a policeman, they cry foul when they’re treated like anyone else on the street.  You don’t do that in my neighborhood…why is it ok in yours?

This guy thought he was above having to answer to this policeman.  “Don’t you realize who you’re messing with?” he exclaimed, which never leads to anything good.  So besides being a repugnant exploiter of his own quasi-heritage he’s above the common man.

I cry foul!