Obama and the Henry Gates incident

No. He should have expressed concern and moved on.

Fair enough. However, having expressed his support for his friend, he is correct to not walk back that support, unless some irrefutable facts are brought to light about this modest incident that would cause him to re-evaluate.

I’ll admit that I shuddered a bit when he used the word “stupidly” to describe the police behavior, but loyalty matters, and hopefully some folks can understand why he’s decided to back the version of the guy he actually knows.

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He took this opportunity to have our national conversation about race like he said he wanted to in his speech.

It’s working.

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“In his book “The Audacity of Hope,” Obama said he has personally felt its sting: “Security guards tailing me as I shop in department stores, white couples who toss me their keys as I stand outside a restaurant waiting for the valet, police cars pulling me over for no apparent reason. I know what it’s like to have people tell me I can’t do something because of my color, and I know the bitter swill of swallowed-back anger.”

Good AP article.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20090723/us-obama-and-race/

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gates wants to shout and rant with no apology, while everyone else is held(by him) to a different standard of acceptable demeanor, BASED ON THEIR RESPECTIVE COMPLEXION.

everyone should be treated fairly as a individual, but,
if like Gates, you will not give a white person the benefit of the doubt in this sort of case, how do you dare correct someone who, for isntance, suggests that since blacks commit vastly more crime per their PCT of the, population so its OK to treat them differently.

prejudgement IS STILL prejudgement Gates..

it cuts BOTH ways, either accept both, or neither, but you cant have it only your way of PRE-JUDGEMENT as long as it meets YOUR needs..

if gates wants to complain that blacks are singled out for extra scrutiny by whites,..

is he willing to accept group responsibility when a white person points out in PRE-JUDGEMENT the astronomically disproportionate amount crime committed BY blacks, per their percentage of the population?

have it your way, only applies at burger king, gates..

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Good thing? I don’t know about that. It’s a distraction we and he don’t need at this time.

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Juan Williams brought up something tonight I hadn’t considered. He said that the cops are trained to stick around and fully assess the situation since there might still be a family member with a gun to their head in the other room and the homeowner has been told to get rid of the cops. If they were doing that and Gates got a chip on his shoulder he deserved to get arrested.

I still say that Obama planted that question to come at the end and take the focus off the health care debate though. He had hoped to push it over the finish line with this prime time presser when he asked the nets for the time, but by the time the press conference got here it was obvious it wasn’t going through if any light at all was shone on the details.

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How ’bout the guy who stood up and asked a question when it was supposed to be the Cleveland guy’s turn? The subversive in me enjoyed that. If you pre-plan who you are going to call on, as all Presidents do, you should learn the faces.

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IR/YW

He was doing what all spectaturs should do, let the players decide the outcome.

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I think the bottom line is human beings are human beings; ie sinful and alienated from God and this is just the next chapter of our nations history in that. See Ephesians chapter 2 that shows only Christ can truly bring two ethnic groups into one and break down those barriers. Peace out.

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Obama needs to learn to say things more like this “As Gates’ friend, I share his frustration and anger at what happened. As the President of the United States, it’s a local matter and I don’t think it’s appropriate for me to comment on it at this time.”

But, hey, you talk without notes long enough, eventually you’re going to say something that creates a news story out of nothing on a slow news day.

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Regarding Prof. Gates, if you can’t challenge government’s authority (and the police are an agent of the government) in your own home, where can you challenge it? Remember people, this was his home, pretty much the only place Prof. Gates is entitled to act like a complete jerk, even to a police officer.

Regarding President Obama, while I generally approve open and honest answers from the President, in this case I think he should have refrained from answering. Maybe later, when the tempers have had a chance to cool down.

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It’s a great time to talk about race with the birthers.

Lots of fun

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Oh Joy, more CIC on the job training. I guess Harvard didn’t have any MGT 101 classes.

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Can we just shorten this to Obamagates?

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I posted this in a previous thread, but it belongs here too:
Here’s a different perspective on the Gates arrest: http://www.thenation.com/blogs/notion/454282/skip_gates_and_the_post_racial_project?rel=emailNation

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Obama ’surprised’ by flap over comments on police, Gates

President Obama just told Terry Moran of ABC News that he stands by his comment that Cambridge, Mass., police acted “stupidly” by arresting African-American scholar Henry Gates at his home near Harvard.

Obama did offer a bit of an olive branch, saying he respects the difficulties that all police face and calling the sergeant who arrested Gates an “outstanding police officer.”

I’m so confused!!!

Is Sgt. Crowley outstanding or out standing stupidly?

Nuantsy?

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@@: you paraphrased and then assumed that’s what he said, which it wasn’t. Go back to the transcript and then try again.

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Well slap my forehead:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090723/pl_nm/us_usa_congress_budget_2

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A plan to bring the ballooning U.S. deficit under control passed the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday, requiring Congress to find savings to offset tax cuts or spending increases.

Republicans, of course, voted against it.

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Republicans, of course, voted against it.

Why, of course they voted against it. After all, they are the party of full service lip service.

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Okey Dokey Byte!

“I think it’s fair to say, number one, any of us would be pretty angry. Number two, that the Cambridge police acted stupidly in arresting somebody when there was already proof that they were in their own home.

“Cambridge police” – I assume he’s talking about the arresting officer.

“acted” – performed an action

Stupidly (Adverb)

# in a state of stupor; dazed; stunned; stupefied
# lacking normal intelligence or understanding; slow-witted; dull
# showing or resulting from a lack of normal intelligence; foolish; irrational a stupid idea
# dull and boring; tiresome

Since the act was performed by the officer, he’s pretty much saying the officer was stupid. How he intended it and how it’s perceived are two different things.

Maybe Judge Sotomayor should step up to the mic and say that “his was a poor choice of words” and if he had to do it over again he would have said it differently?

Naahhh, too late…he stands by his comment.

President Obama responded stupidly.

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While we’re kicking this around let’s introduce the police report into evidence.

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Has Reid switched parties?

“It’s better to have a product” that’s “based on quality and thoughtfulness rather than to go jamming something through,” Reid, a Nevada Democrat, said today in Washington.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=awy.vjbDaPLw

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Well, my first comment was up for moderation. After four days of being away and now posting nothing “bad.” I get “moderated”. I think the moderator is a McCarthy liberal offspring mechanism manufactured at Harvard. Yep!!. ETERNAL QUESTION! WHY WAS I MODERATED???? I demand justice and equal rights. etc., etc., etc., It is pure liberal suppression. and the police did NOT do it.! So there!

The jist of my first comment was that Gates was handcuffed as any other person would have been with the same behavior.

Obama’s remarks only show the reflection of listening to Rev. “Hate’em” Wright for twenty years. I am not surprised by Gates or Obama except I had hoped they had both grown beyond the most time worn excuse for bad behavior and attitudes. They haven’t.

The majority of police in my city are “black” and I believe they follow the same law for all people. I don’t think the”white ” policeman with Gates was any different.

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I think President Obama made very bad mistake in forgetting that he is president of all Americans — black and white — when he rushed to “side” with a black man in a supposedly black/white racial confrontation. I voted for him because, in part, I thought he understood this but his stark failure to act on issues assuring equality for Gay/Lesbian Americans and now this foolhardy response to the Gates imbroglio really makes me wonder that I may have made a mistake myself.

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@@,

That police report was linked in the original Boston Globe story, but once Obama weighed in the New York Times owned Boston “news”paper flushed it down the memory hole.

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Dave R –

Gates DID provide his ID, which was why the Cambridge police officer called for the university police.

The question is: why did the officer feel it was necessary to ask Gates to go outside to “discuss the situation” AFTER his identity was verified and AFTER the officer knew that Gates was in the house lawfully? Sounds to me like he wanted to humiliate Gates by questioning him in front of all his neighbors. And why didn’t the officer just hand Gates his card when asked for his name?

While Gates is definitely milking the situation for all its worth, I’m sorry – if someone treated me like *I* was in the wrong for trying to get into *my own house* after I proved that it was, indeed, MY house, I’d get beligerent, too, if they were trying to parade me in front of my neighbors.

Byte Me –

““As Gates’ friend, I share his frustration and anger at what happened. As the President of the United States, it’s a local matter and I don’t think it’s appropriate for me to comment on it at this time.”

now. imagine if you will, what the nattering nabobs of nincompoopery on the right would have said if he HAD said that “ooooo, Obama didn’t have the answer on his teleprompter, so he couldn’t come up with an answer …. oooooo, Obama doesn’t have a spine …. ooooo, Obama shows just how namby-pamby he is”. let’s face it – there is NOTHING he could have said that would have made people like @@ and RW happy.

RW –

Obamagates. now, that’s funny.

meanwhile … someone who says he’s a black Harvard professor says Gates’ problem has less to do with race than it does being a Harvard elitist: http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2009/07/24/gates/

the article is a good read.

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USinUK, Gates initially provided his Harvard ID, which did NOT contain his picture nor address. He then refused to present any other ID until after he escalated this incident with his attitude.

This guy was looking for a confrontation, and he generated it himself. Maybe he’s a little short on cash and needs a book or film deal.

Or maybe he just needs more attention than he’s been getting lately.

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Dave –

“This guy was looking for a confrontation, and he generated it himself.”

he was IN HIS OWN HOUSE. he wasn’t “looking” for anything.

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whiner COULD be more of a racist, but it would require that he iron his sheets and he’s just too lazy for that …

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A black man, elected to the highest office in the United States, by blacks AND whites he got there, babbling on about “racism.”

Some habits are hard to break, eh?

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It accuses the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now of carrying out “a nation-wide strategy of tax fraud, racketeering, money-laundering and manipulating the American electorate.” Specifically, the report accuses ACORN of racketeering, evading taxes, sloppy accounting, defrauding donors, defrauding the U.S. government, filing false statements, obstructing justice, and plundering employee pension funds. -AmSpec

Gee, what a lovely organization this is.

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The cop invites Gates out of his own house for a reason. The cop has more authority outside the house than he does inside. Republicans should understand the notion since they claim to always be fighting for personal freedom and rights. Then again, they are hypocrites, these Republicans with their convenient lapse of faux outrage in this particular case.

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If one approaches each new situation with the attitude it’s going to be just another replay of the past, how does one ever progress?

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It was W’s fault.

Thought I’d get that out of the way.

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“If one approaches each new situation with the attitude it’s going to be just another replay of the past, how does one ever progress?”

If the situation IS a replay of the past…how can we ever progress?

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Heh, Peggy Noonan comes through when you need her-

So this might be an unarticulated public fear: When everyone pays for the same health-care system, the overseers will feel more and more a right to tell you how to live, which simple joys are allowed and which are not.

Americans in the most personal, daily ways feel they are less free than they used to be. And they are right, they are less free.

Hey, if you libs lost Peggy, you’ve lost the squish moderates, hahahaha, suckers.

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Can you imagine if Gates had been a dues-paying NRA member and if that cop had walked in and seen all sorts of firearms and then, out of the corner of his eye, spotted an instant of reflected light off of Gate’s concealed weapon while inside his house. The drama. What are the people’s rights in this place called Cambridge anyway.

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In case some of you have not been paying attention, insurance companies “tell you how to live” all the time in exchange for paying them for their policy. If you don’t understand that, then perhaps you should read the policy.

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a few things are clear. 1- Even the best of people who travel are often exhausted and peevish after a long trip. 2- Many people treat Law Enforcement Officers with disrespect and that has to eventually get frustrating for them. 3- Law Enforcement Officers have got to approach every call as potentially dangerous. 4- Anyone who does not cooperate with Law Enforcement or openly challenges them risks arrest. All the stars were aligned on this one….

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Gee, that’s so Bobby of you Mac.

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Trust Me: Peace, Love, Poverty….

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Dave R. 5:01

[[When the dreaded six words were uttered, “Do you know who I am?” and no immediate recognition was forthcoming, the professor of “race relations” decided to throw a hissy fit in order to get some much needed attention.]]

Reader’s Digest some years back: numerous flights at a major airport were cancelled simultaneously. There was a mad rush of passengers to get in line to rebook. One man in an expensive suit went to the front of the line and demanded to be put on the next flight. The gate attendant told him to take his turn and get in line. He said he had a very important meeting and needed to be on the next flight. The attendant politely told him everyone else needed to get where they were going and to please get in line. Then came the dreaded, “Do you know who I am?!!?” The attendant picked up the phone and over the terminal loudspeakers, all heard, “Attention in the terminal. We have a man at gate 17 who doesn’t know who he is. If anyone knows him, would you please let him know who he is?” To hoots and hollers and applause, he made his way to the back of the line – at another gate.

USinUK 5:37

That’s about the third time you’ve speculated Officer Crowley asked Prof Gates to go outside in order to humiliate him. If you’d read the past reports or the one RW posted, you’d see Prof Gates demanded Officer Crowley provide his name, which Officer Crowey had twice done, and Officer Crowley was done. He wanted to leave. He informed Prof Gates if he had any ‘other’ questions he’d be outside. Do you really think it reasonable (I am not sure what police procedure is) that Officer Crowley remain in the residence in such a circumstance?
And (Trust me) 7:25 – Officer Crowley did not invite Prof Gates outside. He stated he was leaving and if he had further questions, he‘d be outside.

I really don’t understand Prof Gates response of “ya, I’ll speak with your mama outside.” Is this some kind of an insult, racial or otherwise?

Report/Whine 7:00

My impression is candidate Obama studiously avoided race during the campaign, striving to make his campaign about something other than race. Which is one reason why his handling of this incident is causing so much controversy.

A followup question at the next news conference: “President Obama, you began your remarks on the Cambridge situation by stating you did not have all the facts but had a past bias that could influence your outlook. President Obama, can you cite other instances, domestically or internationally, where you made pronouncements and proposed action, where you didn’t have the facts but had a bias that formed the basis of your proposals?”

Finn McCool 7:41

Thanks! Gotta keep stuff in perspective! 

Doggone/GA 7:45

It’s about attitude. Each situation is new. It’s how one looks at it that’s the key.

It’s how discoveries are made. Most look at a situation as a replay of the past. Someone else takes the situation without preconception and conceives a new idea. Discoveries are made.

A newly married woman hears a phrase uttered by her new husband that dredges up unpleasant memories from past interactions with a previous boyfriend. She asks her husband what he means. She then realizes her husband has a completely different intent than the previous boyfriend. Much better result than making an assumption the husband is just a replay of the past boyfriend.

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I though that the President made it very clear that Gates was a friend and that his statements may show bias as a result. Further, he was asked about the case by a reporter that just did not have any more relevant topics on his agenda.

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DoggoneGA

I just reinterpreted your remark “If the situation IS a replay of the past…how can we ever progress?” as a restatement of what I’d written, whereas my previous post answered as if it was a disagreement. In other words, if the situation IS a replay of the past //in either Officer Crowley’s mind or in Prof Gates’s mind// then how can either of them progress to a new level of interaction and understanding?

Interesting, eh?

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“It’s about attitude. Each situation is new. It’s how one looks at it that’s the key”

And if you are tired from a long trip, and frustrated because you can’t get into your house…AT THAT TIME, you just might be running on auto-pilot and not have the energy to look at if differently.

I don’t take sides on this one, I think they both made mistakes. And I think they BOTH reacted as if this situation was a “replay” of past situations.

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Doggone/GA 8:07

The second paragraph – isn’t that the kind of circumstance police are trained to be aware of? I read where the Cambridge police dept stated the officer followed procedure.

From the officer’s perspective, isn’t the replay “I’m responding to a reported break-in, which may or may not be a break-in”? What mistakes do you think he made, and what should he have done differently?

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And to think, you all elected the Barry and Joe! God help us till the next election!

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GtG –

“God help us till the next election!”

he seems to be … leading economic indicators are up, existing home sales are up, on the month, house prices rose indicating that the market is stabilizing, the equity markets are doing well …

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An extremely minor faux pas on the POTUS’s part I would say.

NOT anywhere near the level of idiotic assertions posted here by the conned “faithful”.

One would think he invaded the wrong country and got a whole bunch of Americans killed needlessly or spent half of his first one hundred days in office on vacation…

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USinUK 8:13

I didn’t read it that way. I understand Prof Crowley asked a question for a third time, which Officer Crowley had previously answered. Isn’t it obvious Officer Crowley was satisfied of Prof Gates’s identity and, having turned the matter over to the Harvard police, wanted to leave? Further communication with his base and the Harvard police was obviously necessary. Going outside, where the acoustics were better – and where he did not have to contend with Prof Gates’s loud voice, seems a proper course of action.

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Assuming the police report was acurate, and based on comments above about potential situation training for police, I think the officer behaved appropriately. If there had been a hostage situation, the homeowner might have been able to give the officer information outside the hearing of a home invader. Oncce Gates demonstrated that he was simply on a rant, the officer tried to calm him and finally resorted to arrest. I do not believe he set out to humiliate Mr Gates. I can understand that Gates was frustrated by the need to break into his own home. However, I think I would have been glad that police showed up to investigate. The situation could easily have been criminal.

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As long as we are talking out our a__es and for other people:

Many white people constantly complain about being “pre-judged” based on their obvious bigoted attitudes.

At the same time, they take it for granted that all of Those People are Cadillac-driving welfare queens/kings.

They can’t see through the slits in their sheets.

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It’s not pretty, but this is how our national conversation about race continues. It’s all good in the end.

Really.

Great Jay — turning this into a “warm and fuzzy”…

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Does anyone remember the original call to 911?

The caller stated that TWO people were seen breaking into the house.

I would guess that the officer wanted to get Gates out of the house for is own safety. Then once the ‘other’ intruder was identified Gates could have returned.

If the officer had left the property after Gates proved he lived there and someone else was in the house and Gates was later harmed by the ’second’ person, who would have been blamed for Gates injuries?

The officer for not doing his job.

Could it have been handled differently? Probably.

Who caused the arrest? Gates.

Who should have kept his mouth shut and stayed out of this event? The President!

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As long as politicians have pigeon-holes, there will be political bloopers or poopers, if you will.

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Mrs G, I don’t think he was arrested in his own home. he was outside yelling.

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Yeah Mrs. G… Why shouldn’t he cooperate with the police??? How foolish! The race card is old and worn out.

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of course, if the guy had a big ol’ McCain/Palin sign in his front yard and if Gates was saying “you’re just doing this because I’m a republican”, he would be the natterers’ heeeeeeroooo for standing up to the oppressive gummint …

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Doggone @ 8:38. Sgt. Crowley states he told Gates he would be outside if Gates had any other questions. He did not ask, or order, Gates to go outside.

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EXPAT; Yes He does seem to be lookin out for us, inspite of what Barry is doing to attempt to destroy the American way of life!

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This is so simple to solve…send the cop to summer police acadamy, and make the professor write on the blackboard 500 times “I will not yell at cops ever, ever again. The punishment fits the crime and everybody can go home happy. Oh, and the President has to publicly pardon both of them…

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“AmVet at 8:25 – Isn’t is Escalades, not Cadillacs??”

Good point, Expat. I’m old school and all I can visualize are those caddies that were forty feet long!

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Mrs. G, I have not seen any pics of the story. Where can I see them?

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did you read the news: exaggerations are up ONE MILLION PERCENT this year!!!

So true. Hyperbole is through the roof. If only it had some marketable value. Then again… .

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USinUK,

I did not vote for BHO. And after his first hundred days I gave him a grade of B-. I think that is pretty fair.

I like some of what he has accomplished – overturning some of the anti-environmental and flat-earth anti-science nonsense from BushCo and restoring our image and reputation at home and abroad that intelligent, credible and relatively trustworthy adults are again in charge of the USA.

But I also think he has made some pretty big mistakes already – escalating the quagmire in Afghanistan, keeping the secretive policies of his predecessor in place and using signing statements – and ultimately believe the grade I gave him may drop some. But I may be wrong.

He is a very bright guy and has some good people around him. But the world is a very challenging place right now and lets face it, he inherited a stinking cesspool, both domestically and in foreign matters, from his predecessor.

And the Hero of the Texas ANG was very arguably the worst president in American history. And that is not something that the president or the nation can just shake off in a few months. It’s gonna be a long hard haul back…

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COOL TURNS COLD: OBAMA ‘BELOW 50%’

Mission Accomplished!

Yes we can!

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Could this have something to do with the President’s comments? If someone would explain how to ‘italicize’, I would have the information below in italic.

One reason Barack Obama may think the Cambridge Police Department is “stupid” is that he has a grudge against the law enforcement agency.

Obama, who attended Harvard Law School from 1988 to 1991, lived in Cambridge, and apparently didn’t like the fact he was frequently hit with parking tickets.
In all Obama received 17 tickets for parking violations — and never paid 15 of them until he was exposed by a local Massachusetts newspaper as a scofflaw.

According to a 2007 Associated Press story, Obama was a parking ticket deadbeat for more than a decade — and only felt the need to pay the 15 outstanding parking tickets as his presidential campaign began in earnest in 2007.

Here is the Associated Press story detailing Obama’s negligence:

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama got more than an education when he attended Harvard Law School in the late 1980s. He also got a healthy stack of parking tickets, most of which he never paid.
The Illinois Senator shelled out $375 in January – two weeks before he officially launched his presidential campaign – to finally pay for 15 outstanding parking tickets and their associated late fees.
The story was first reported Wednesday by The Somerville News.
Obama received 17 parking tickets in Cambridge between 1988 and 1991, mostly for parking in a bus stop, parking without a resident permit and failing to pay the meter, records from the Cambridge Traffic, Parking and Transportation office show.
He incurred $140 in fines and $260 in late fees in Cambridge in all, but he paid $25 for two of the tickets in February 1990.
Jen Psaki, a spokeswoman for the Obama campaign, dismissed the tickets as not relevant.
“He didn’t owe that much and what he did owe, he paid,” Psaki said on Wednesday. “Many people have parking tickets and late fees. All the parking tickets and late fees were paid in full.”

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“…your president…” should be redacted to read

“…your previous president yada yada yada… Unfortunately, he had no social graces nor apptitude (sic) for doing the right thing.”

You people need some editors!

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SCOOTER

photo of dangerous handcuffed criminal here…..

http://www.weei.com/sites/default/files/pictures/louis_gates_arrest.jpg

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Jay,

I cannot spot what got my 9:02 moderated. Was it the use of the word “astute”.

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Well, glad to see Night Train found the time to check out this Obama’s parking tickets at Harvard. Maybe next time he can tell us what his hind end looks like.

Have a good day everybody.

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Trust me, apparently the virtual Sarah Palin/book burning wannabe moderator/censor from hell is on the rampage this morning.

I’ve got one held up for gawd knows what…

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RW-(the original)

July 23rd, 2009
11:34 pm

I don’t know what happened and really don’t care. But police reports have never been fabricated? Weren’t the charges against Gates dropped? That’s a pretty good indication he never should have been arrested, which is what Obama was referring to as acting stupidly.

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Correction: Task Force Smith!

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“Doggone @ 8:38. Sgt. Crowley states he told Gates he would be outside if Gates had any other questions. He did not ask, or order, Gates to go outside”

That’s how he reported it. I read it. I think the most telling part of this is that the charges were dropped. That requires some explanation. After reading the report I still think they both overreacted, but I think the police officer, after verifying Gates identity, should have just KEPT WALKING and left the premises altogether.

He was there to investigate a break-in. He confirmed no break-in occurred. Everything after that was irrelevent. He was not physically attacked. He was in no danger. SO WHAT if Gates was “yelling” at him. It was HIS house. The report states that Gates was standing on his porch and “yelling” – that was still HIS HOUSE.

I think the officer cleaned up the report as best he could, but I think he got angry and overstepped his authority when he arrested a householder who was STILL ON HIS OWN PROPERTY.

And, again, the most telling fact is that the charges were dropped.

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USinUK,

I did not vote for BHO. And after his first hundred days I gave him a grade of B-. I think that is pretty fair.

I like some of what he has accomplished – overturning some of the anti-environmental and flat-earth anti-science nonsense from BushCo and restoring our image and reputation at home and abroad that intelligent, credible and relatively trustworthy adults are again in charge of the USA.

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Who else has one of these?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combat_Infantryman_Badge

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If I am standing on my front porch & get arrested for hollering at a policeman, I am going to sue somebody! Remember, per the Constitution & the Supreme Court’s interpretation of it, a man’s home is his castle.
Gates biggest mistake was not staying in jail & getting his lawyer and forcing the issue in the courts. Sometimes you must fight to protect your liberties.

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Some on this blog have criticized law enforcement in the incident at the branch Davidian complex in Waco. In that confrontation, law enforcement suspected child abuse and suspected the members of having automatic weapons, yet I’ve read posts protesting the violation of private property. In this case though one man didn’t show the proper respect for the officer and it’s all the resident’s fault.

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And remember, challenge authority. It IS the American way. Just as Samurai Sarah.

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Trust Me

That was a scare…..

I was afraid you meant…..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uj3CWACel4c

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At 9:16, that should have read “…just ask…” I think I have some misbehaving phalanges or something.

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Kamchak –

WELL DONE on your 9:16.

like I said, if Gates had had a McCain/Palin sign on his front lawn and was yelling that the police hated Republicans, these schmidiots would be declaring him a political prisoner.

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Mrs G –

“Gidget and Ann Marie were my heroines”

I wasn’t a huge fan of Gidget, but I LOVED That Girl!!! (ooohhhh, Donald!)

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What about “The Flying Nun”. She was miraculously light, you know.

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Trust me 9:05

Depends on circumstance, but nope, I don’t require a specific invite. But if a cop says “come with me” that’s an ‘invite’ (strong) to accompany him.

DoggoneGA

Even if on one’s property, disorderly statutes apply (in many communities).

The police enforce the statutes. The District Attorney makes the decision whether to prosecute or not. Has nothing to do with the validity of the arrest.

USinUK

You see the desire to humiliate. I see the desire to extricate oneself from a deadend situation and go to a location where there are witnesses.

Try this at work sometime. Your boss passes by your desk. Ask him/her a question. Get an answer. Ask it again. Get the same answer. Ask it again. Continue until the boss says “if you have any OTHER questions, I’ll be in my office.”

Follow the boss into his/her office. When he/she says “what are you doing here?” say “You invited me!”

But, have a fresh resume handy…

Later –
If a cop says “I’ll be here if you wish to speak with me’ I read that as he doesn’t care if I speak with him or not. So it’s not an invite.

Hate to get personal, but this makes me wonder if you’re female? Reason I ask: had a haircut appt with a person I’d never used before. Had a voicemail from her “I had to change our time to 3pm, if that’s not okay, let me know.” I showed up at 3. She said “I didn’t know if you were going to show, you didn’t return my call.” I said “you said IF it’s NOT okay, let me know. It was okay, therefore, no need to call.” She looked at me like I was from another planet.

Maybe it is a culturally sex-differentiation thing, like women looking at each other while talking while driving or men internalizing more when responding to a question.

Off to collect a guest from the airport – later.

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Tom, what does this story have to do with cons or libs??????

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Professor Joseph Olson of Hemline University School of Law , St. Paul , Minnesota , points out some interesting facts concerning the Presidential election :

Number of States won by: Democrats: 19 Republicans: 29
Square miles of land won by: Democrats: 580,000 Republicans: 2,427,000
Population of counties won by: Democrats: 127 million Republicans: 143 million
Murder rate per 100,000 residents in counties won by: Democrats: 13.2 Republicans: 2..1

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Jay,

What in the world did I say in my 9:28 that is considered inappropriate.

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Depends on circumstance, but nope, I don’t require a specific invite. But if a cop says “come with me” that’s an ‘invite’ (strong) to accompany him.

Only if he says “Please”, Paul. Otherwise, most citizens would likely misinterpret as an order.

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And there would be no outrage had it been black cops and a wealthy white man???

As soon as the officer recognized it was the man’s house, there was no need for him to be there any more. Seems odd, that this cop is supposedly a pro, but he wouldn’t be suitable for crowd control at a Palin rally? Speaking of which…

“Overall, the new poll found that 53 percent of Americans view Palin negatively and 40 percent see her in positive terms”

Alas, do the centerfold, Simple Sarah, and then…go…away

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Professor or not Gates is the proverbial angry black man. (I know plenty of angry white professors too.) As such O’Bama should not have given him support without evidence. O’Bama here is acting like Gates’ pimp.
I predict this will drown O’Bama much more effectively than his Health Care missteps.

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Scooter–because conservatives normally take the view that one’s private real estate is sacrosanct, that it should not be subject to invasion by government employees, and that government employees are prima facie entitled to no respect at all.

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To Jay and all the other libs here: in the famous words of Prof Gates–

“Yo Mama”

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Everyone is missing the real issue here….Obama offered a knee-jerk reaction to this situation based on his association with radicals. If you sit in Jeremiah Wright’s church for 20 years and listen to Black Liberation Theology week in and week out and hear from the pulpit about how bad America is and whitey is, and you associate with community organizations like ACORN who intimidate and bully local communities and stir up trouble with policy, then yes…Obama is going to respond to this situation as his background dictates.

Or, this could have been a ploy to deflect attention away from the hopefully faltering debate on health care.

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President Obama knew before-hand every question that was to be asked.
His answer to the Gates issue was calculated to shore-up his minority falling approval numbers.(they’re still be disproportionally incarcerated despite his promises.)
As an even bigger benefit, this issue divides Americans and and keeps the heat off of the REAL culprit.
Sheeple are easily led.

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USinUK–thanks for the Salon link of earlier. An interesting read and pretty much my point as far as the good professor and his “outrage” is concerned.

I wonder did anyone else notice this or if it was just me. Last night while the talking heads were yammering on and on about this, the screen posted its visuals. Now most of those of the officer presented a rather good looking young man, clean cut all American type. Keith Olbermann’s image, however, was a distorted one which made him look like the village idiot. Why?

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It would seem like a good tactic to me if police use the threat of arrest, and even handcuffs to calm a disorderly person. On the other hand, that action might also escalate a situation beyond public disturbance into violence. I think I will trust the judgement of a career police officer to make that call. Personally, I think Gates should have been happy that his neighbor noticed someone breaking into his house and called the police, and that the police responded quickly. It is not strange at all that his neighbor did not recognize him. Lots of people today would not recognize a neighbor by sight.

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Although, not all police are bad, no one race is immune to the rotten ones that brutalize Americans everyday.

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I think we can call this a success for those looking to associate this event with the discussion on healthcare. Hardly a word about healthcare. Clever, these people that would force us to talk about this. I sense a Jon Stewart moment in the making.

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Gates behavior was atrocious. He should be thankful his neighbor reported TWO individuals “prowling” around and that an officer responded. After the officer shows up Gates begins behaving as the RACIST he is…read his comments…Gates is a racist. His supposed education level, one would think, would leave him more level-headed but no. He just wanted to attempt to exert some type of authority.

What a stupid man this Gates…caterwaling and screaming like some banshee in the night.

The cop did what he should have done. Everyone knows if you become belligerent with a cop you are gonna get cuffed but the again I guess Mr – “you dont know who you are messin with” – Gates was yet again clueless.

Obama should keep his mouth shut.

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Whenever one reads or hears the description “distinguished” by a newsy, it is always crucial to dig a little deeper.

Just prior to this unfortunate incident, Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., had returned from China. While I am ignorant of the frequency of these trips, I am aware of some of the organizations Dr. Gates belongs to and affixes his name to.

One of these is the Bretton Woods Committee, the American-based, international lobby for the ultra-rich. In a recent letter to the US Congress (dated February 11, 2009) which listed Dr. Gates’ name, the Bretton Woods Committee successfully pressured the US Congress to remove the “Buy American” clause from the federal stimulus package.

This acts to promote the next colossal wave of American jobs offshored to China, as well as elsewhere. Should Dr. Gates have received any payment from the Chinese government (or any other Chinese organization as almost everything there is PLA-owned [People's Liberation Army]), he is required by federal law to be a registered foreign agent (FARA, Department of Justice).

Along with Dr. Gates’ name, the other names on this letter included the owners and senior-most executives of Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, National Association of Manufacturers, Citigroup, AIG, JPMorgan Chase, Blackstone Group, KKR, Burson-Marsteller, etc.

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scooter –

“I have been considering moving my money out of the market and into something less risky. Would you be so kind to give me your opinion on this?”

why? the markets are stabilizing

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well, there ya go … if TF and I agree on it, you have your bases covered!

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“there is one concept that will keep a man in everlasting ignorance, that is, contempt prior to investigation”.
Our President and his comments were quite revealing as to what’s really inside that suit.

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I fear Gate’s America where hatred is the motivation behind everything. He has spent his whole career teaching others how oppressed “the Poor Black Man” is. Now all he sees is this oppression. His momma would be embarassed by his behaivor! He was treated too well in my opinion.

“Sir, please step outside before I am forced to beat you with my nightstick.”

WAM WAM WAM

Gates lying on floor..

“Thank you sir for calming down, now may I see some ID please?, oh, and I would leave my momma out of it if I were you!”

just sayin’!

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Speaking of the markets, it looks like the Friday sell offs are beginning. Make your profits while you can boys and girls…

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USinUK…
I guess CNN reported this incorrectly a couple of days ago, I could’ve sworn they wrote that a neighbor called it in. I definitely remember that they specified that she was white though, which I found interesting. (I guess when crime tips are called-in, they’re racially qualified as nowadays).

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Wow, good article Jay…and we agree on something!

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Pennsylvanian

July 24th, 2009
9:00 am

Irrelevant.

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Today I saw video of Professor Gates’ recounting the story and the Police Officer recounting the story. If body language is any indication, I would say that Professor Gates is much more credible than the Police Officer. According to Gates, the officer asked Gates to get his I.D. While Gates was going to the next room to get his I.D, he asked the officer for his name and badge number. The officer refused to answer Gates. Then it escalated. Maybe it could have been avoided if the police officer had just answered Gates.

Politically speaking, BO shouldn’t have called the act of cuffing an obviously non-threatening individual “stupid”. But it was stupid.

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Gandalf of Gwinnesia

July 24th, 2009
10:13 am

Maybe you and your militia buddies can pool your resources and place an order for a couple of hundred F-22s.

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My guess??? Professor Gates’ portfolio has taken a whale of a beating. So to make some money, he pulled this PR stunt to get appearance fees and a nice big fat advance on the soon-to-be announced book deal.

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Normal

July 24th, 2009
10:09 am

Took them yesterday and last night, thank you!

That said, I hope they recover and close out the week with a bang!

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“he didn’t arrest him inside his house, even though Gates was evidently yelling at him there, too. he only did it OUTSIDE, where there was an audience.”

Perspective!!

I’m a police officer in an unfamiliar environment, probably wearing a flak jacket, inside a strange persons house with no witnesses, getting yelled at. What would you do! I get my butt outside and cya, especially in the litigious soceity we have become. People are trying to win the lawsuit lottery every single day. You darn well better have witnesses.

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Is it that hard for people to believe that an elitist liberal Harvard prof would go out of control on a white cop?

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As for pulling money out of the markets – if you didn’t do it on the way down, all you would be doing by pulling it out now would be locking in your loses. Ride it out.

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I agree with Jay. This is another of those Rhorshach tests, like the OJ trial, that show how differently white and black America view an incident. On on the one hand, Gates likely was perturbed that he was seen as breakking into his own home (though I would appreciate my neighbor being on alert if they saw someone trying to force open my door). On the other hand, the police officer was just doing his job by responding. It’s hard to know who’s to blame, if anyone, so we should all withhold judgment, as the president should have. Such events make us uncomfortable because we don’t know for sure what happened and who is wrong. When there aren’t clear answers, we tend to choose sides and make assumptions based on our cultural perspective. Sad, but as Jay says, maybe a good tonic for us in the long run.

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Wow, I’m shocked.

Whiner cutting and pasting AmSpec.

RW sees a conspiracy in the news conference.

Raider listing false info about the HCR from a wingnut site.

Some things never change.

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David –

“I guess CNN reported this incorrectly a couple of days ago, I could’ve sworn they wrote that a neighbor called it in”

you heard correctly – I think the story has been rectified only in the last day or so.

TF –

“Glad we could agree something!! ”

me, too

md –

“What would you do! I get my butt outside and cya, especially in the litigious soceity we have become.”

um. considering that the cop knew by that time that Gates was in his own house, he should have just given the guy his card and left. period.

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Yeah, I was hesitant to use the word carnage, but am now convinced those creatures I listed are not Soylent Green…

Oh THAT minor surge! How silly of me!

Dollar cost averaging, boys. Dollar cost averaging…

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And for the second time, I implore, where the hell is that “Gates fiasco” bellyacher of ours, Kayaker?

Talk about not having the ____ to get into the game and being content to just sit on the sidelines!

Very disappointing…

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hey – I asked earlier, but didn’t get an answer …

does anyone know if Bosch is in for tests today???

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jt

July 24th, 2009
10:30 am

Are you serious?

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md

July 24th, 2009
10:35 am

Not necessarily. May be more prudent to forget about it vs being in the middle of a media storm, or personal favor, etc. May have nothing at all to do with guilt.

PRECISELY…kinda like Michael paying of his victims.

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WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama says he’s gone from praying nightly before going to bed to praying all the time because he has a “lot of stuff” on his plate and needs “guidance all the time.”

Obama says he thinks every president has been humbled by the number of issues they have had to deal with. He says he thinks they are quickly cured of the illusion that one person can solve all those problems.

Maybe if he wasn’t on TV 23 hours a day he could prioritize.

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md

July 24th, 2009
10:35 am

True, but I think it shows the entire incident has been blown out of proportion. Who was it that asked the question of the president?

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I know exactly what the cop went thru because I’ve been on the similar recieving end of what is the HUGE “bigot chip” some black people carry. I bartended at clubs for over a decade, and most had a requirement that to start a tab, ALL patrons had to leave an ID and credit card with the bar. It’s usually iron clad policy. House rules. To be plain, around 20% of the time, a black customer will pitch a hissy fit when asked for the ID/card; “oh, it’s because I’m BLACK?!!?” No matter how calm you are, no matter how you try to explain that EVERYONE must leave the documents as a way that the house protects itself from walk outs…they still scream their “racism!” diatribe. They’ll call me every name in the book, threaten, try and have management fire me, a few idiots have tried to come over the bar and others later in the week had called their lawyer. I had to come to the defense of my other bartenders that go thru the same thing. It is simply part of the business; and I’d bet every white bartender can regail you with many stories of “black-jerk-i-tude”. Moreover, the embarassed look of horror on my black regulars’ faces and their apologies for their “brother”, indicates that African-Americans are also aware that their are race-jerks in their community. GATES IS ONE OF THOSE.

Most people who claim “we should have a national dialogue” on race, don’t WANT an honest discussion about all it’s facets—they just want to continue their lecture about how naturally evil one race is, and how all misconduct from minorities is excusable and acceptable. Well, it isn’t.

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USinUK

July 24th, 2009
10:39 am

Yes, today is the day.

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What Your Country Can Give You: Cash for Clunkers Begins Today…

How many clunkers will wind up right back in the same junkyard they were sitting in yesterday?

And how many times will they be “recycled” right through the $4500 dollar Obozobucks Dog and Pony Show?

Until China runs out of money?

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I think the responses here show just how much each person sees in this incident what they WANT to see. And how much bigotry (not racism) affects the perceptions of some.

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GOOD LUCK BOSCHY!!! WE’RE THINKING ABOUT YOU!!!

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RW-(the original)

July 24th, 2009
10:42 am

Well, at least he still has an hour for prayer.

I agree, tho. Our presidents need to understand the more time they spend in the Oval Office working, the less prayer will be needed. And ground AF1!

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After reading an account of the incident it appears that the officer was behaving more like an azzhole than a racist. Additionally, if you are familiar with any of Professor Gates’ work you would know that in 2006, Professor Gates wrote and produced the PBS documentary called “African American Lives.” It was the first documentary series to employ genealogy and genetic science to provide an understanding of African American history. As a part of the research, Professor Gates traced his own genealogy and found that he possessed some DNA from Western Africa, but to his surprise his DNA most closely matched that of people found in Western Europe.

Professor Gates is not a reactionary. He is one of the most educated and distinguished scholars that exist in this country. Read the full account of the story. He was treated like a jerk by a police officer with an attitude.

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jt

July 24th, 2009
10:48 am

Well, he could have been thrown a curve ball. I sure hope you’re wrong, tho. Surely he would have understood this would have legs of its own.

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Oh I see! Color me mortified! (Not.)

Like most of the irrelevant conned I guess he is just that easy to overlook.

“…like most of black America, has a permanent middle finger up for the white community.”

But he sure is a good little junior cracker! What a shocker!!!

And RW notwithstanding your mastery of hyperbolic rhetoric, DO NOT try to be dramatic or erudite!

You always blow it with your “tantrums”.

OK, off to keep the plutocrats well fed…

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TnG:

Well, it didn’t get started until last night.

No! The Gates v Cambridge Police started over a week ago. It only escalated when Obama weighted himself down.

Let’s find something we CAN agree on, shall we?

Wearing a bathing suit top, mini-skirt and heels when addressing a group of leadership students goes beyond the “trashy flight attendant” look. It verges on hooker-ish.

Can we add Mayor Rasmussen to the images of Democrat Women

Lawd ah mercy that woman’s eewwwgly.

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“Today Gates attorney tells the press that a lawsuit is likely against the Cambridge police dept. and the officer involved.”

Well of course…its preordained and as any good christian knows ie, Jesse, Al, the only way to seek forgiveness is to hand over all your cash.

This isnt about civil rights etc…its about an senile old fool with an ax to grind, who for years has been waiting for his chance to get even with whitey, for years of oppression that he may have experienced during his lifetime.

Based on what we know I would imagine Mr Gates lives far better than most yet that is still not enough. For persons of this mindset their will never be any satisfaction. Sad such a “prominent” person must live such vengeful life…Woe is he!!

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“Let’s all just cut to the chase shall we?

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all white men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, the pursuit of Happiness and keeping the homies down.”

Sounds serious to me.

Try indicating sarcasm, or joking manner, maybe even a smiley face next time, but sounds like you mean it.

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Yes, md, my inflection gives me away…

And I don’t do emoticons.

Later good peeps…

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Thogwummpy, you can’t make the distinction between what happens while dealing with bar patrons and what happened to Professor Gates? Do you really think that people with any sense would entrust their ID and a credit card to the safekeeping of a bartender and the barbacks that run around behind the bar? R U Serious?

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Wow… Obama must have completely pooped the bed if Bookman disagrees with something he said. And I thought all this time he was another blind loyalist with a closet full of Obama t-shirts.

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Turd Ferguson

July 24th, 2009
11:01 am

I’m betting no lawsuit will be filed.

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Here’s your specific example, Paul.

“Professor Gates was driven to his home by a driver for a local car company. Professor Gates attempted to enter his front door, but the door was damaged. Professor Gates then entered his rear door with his key, turned off his alarm, and again attempted to open the front door. With the help of his driver they were able to force the front door open, and then the driver carried Professor Gates’s luggage into his home.

Professor Gates immediately called the Harvard Real Estate office to report the damage to his door and requested that it be repaired immediately. As he was talking to the Harvard Real Estate office on his portable phone in his house, he observed a uniformed officer on his front porch. When Professor Gates opened the door, the officer immediately asked him to step outside. Professor Gates remained inside his home and asked the officer why he was there.

The officer indicated that he was responding to a 911 call about a breaking and entering in progress at this address. Professor Gates informed the officer that he lived there and was a faculty member at Harvard University. The officer then asked Professor Gates whether he could prove that he lived there and taught at Harvard.

Professor Gates said that he could, and turned to walk into his kitchen, where he had left his wallet. The officer followed him. Professor Gates handed both his Harvard University identification and his valid Massachusetts driver’s license to the officer. Both include Professor Gates’s photograph, and the license includes his address.

Professor Gates then asked the police officer if he would give him his name and his badge number. He made this request several times. The officer did not produce any identification nor did he respond to Professor Gates’s request for this information. After an additional request by Professor Gates for the officer’s name and badge number, the officer then turned and left the kitchen of Professor Gates’s home without ever acknowledging who he was or if there were charges against Professor Gates.

As Professor Gates followed the officer to his own front door, he was astonished to see several police officers gathered on his front porch. Professor Gates asked the officer’s colleagues for his name and badge number. As Professor Gates stepped onto his front porch, the officer who had been inside and who had examined his identification, said to him, “Thank you for accommodating my earlier request,” and then placed Professor Gates under arrest. He was handcuffed on his own front porch.”

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LOL…are you kidding? Last bar I was in some form of collateral was required to “run a tab.” Thats just common sense on the business owners part.

deegee

July 24th, 2009
10:54 am

“Distinguished”…LMAO…comments such as “yo Mama” coming from such a distinguised individual…too funny dg…try again.

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Rickster at 10:20 is the first poster to get it.

Professor Gates knows the difference between Public Relations, which he must use to float his books and TV shows, and PUBLICITY–which quite literally showed up on his front porch.

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Doggone/GA

July 24th, 2009
11:09 am

They’re both probably telling the truth as they see it.

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jt

July 24th, 2009
11:11 am

I think we’ve all just about agreed it would have been better if he had refused to answer. You’re certainly entitled to your opinion, but I think he and his staff are a little smarter than to stage somethng this explosive.

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Doggone/GA

July 24th, 2009
11:16 am

At this point, I doubt if either knows.

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It is so easy to throw the race card. I, a white male, have nobody to blame but myself.
Always be nice to a cop, right or wrong.
And he teaches at Harvard ?
Obama sounded like Rev Wright.

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from The Baltimore Sun

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/zontv/2009/07/henry_louis_gates_soledad_obri.html

Prof Gates: “what it made me realize was how vulnerable all black men are, how
vulnerable all people of color are and all poor people to capricious
forces like a rogue policeman. And this man clearly was a rogue policeman.”

Hmmm. “ALL black men? ALL people of color? ALL poor people?” Poor people? Say what?!!? Hyperbole on autopilot? Someone else was correct – not just a lawsuit, but appearances and a book deal. And increased status at Harvard.

So much for reducing the level of cynicism in discussions about race in America.

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Hey guys. I was just sitting here in my new non-Oval Office in Dallas (don’t mess with Texas) and read about this story. I was shockified to hear about it. You know, when I was at Harvard and I got in trouble with the Cambridge police (every month or so, give or take), I just called Dad and it got taken care of. All we had to do was clean up the mess, get rid of the keg and return the goat. Maybe Professor Gates should just call my Dad and it’ll go away.

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“Maybe Professor Gates should just call my Dad and it’ll go away.”

He already did, charges are dropped.

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Man, are you kiddin? Me and those Kennedy boys used to party all the time. I’d pick up the booze and Teddy would bring the girls. Just don’t ride home with him. Remember, friends don’t let senators drive drunk. And staying away from bridges is a good strategery, too.

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It seems PresBO without his teleprompter suffers from ‘foot-in-mouth disease’ — saying physicians scam and police act stupidly. Take away his teleprompter and he reverts to his community activist days…

On the bigger picture, take a look at the daily news in Atlanta and tell me why racial profiling is wrong!!!!

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Doggone/GA

I am not making assumptions. YOU are. Unless there is a video recording every sound bite that occurred, you nor I, will never know what really happened.

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Uh, George, you weren’t supposed to tell everyone about that. It was going to be our little secret. That and that Marilyn Monroe story I told you. Anyway, next time you visit Poppy up in Kennebunkport, swing by the compound and we’ll fire up the Hibachi and lay in some Dewar’s.

Anybody got a Tylenol?

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What a totally lost blog! Everybody KNOWS what the other is going to post.

Liberals say Gates was an angel being thrown from his heavenly home by monsters..

Conservatives believe that policemen actually do their assigned jobs no matter who is being questioned.

Alas and alack…I give Paul points for being totally factual. RW for reviewing; what is actually written. USinUK get points for being the most educated brainwashed liberal to post on Bookman’s Yo’Mamma Blog. ( A good Gate’s totally racist remark to a policeman.) Does it fit?

AmVet gets appropriately described as “one with issues”. Woohoo and what issues.

And congrats to a few who brought in a lie or two about Bush and one or two tender moments about Palin.

Well, I guess it is move-on time for Bookman. Is the MODERATOR ready for the next one? Should we put (R) after our ID so “it” would have less trouble?

Anyway, let’s have a nice blog on our view of the Pusillanimous Pelosi or the Oscillating Obama. I am sure Bookman feels they show us perfection in government as the craziest Medical bill ever to hit Congress looms in the distance. Talk about a fiasco. It is enough to make you SICK.

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Whats all this fussing and fighting? Lets all meet at the bar around 1:30 pm…Drink are on ole Teddy!!

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As I said earlier, everyone’s made up their mind based on their own political and cultural views. Too often these days, we refuse to look at the evidence of a particular issue or incident. We launch right into our assumptions and conveniently delete any facts that create cognitive dissonance and don’t fit what we believe. It’s why people actually watch and listen to Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity, Michael Moore and Bill Maher. They preach to the choir. And caught in the middle are the 8 to 10 percent of us who choose not to make up our minds so easily or launch into “our side’s” talking points by rote. I think Jay is among us, though I often disagree with him; I find him willing to seek the truth and think rather than just react emotionally. So while the rest of you can’t hear how vapid Sarah Palin or Nancy Pelosi sound to the rest of us, we stand above the fray. It’s a lonely perch, but I shan’t give it up and wallow in the mosh pit of partisan sloganeering.

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If Uncle Teddy isn’t allowed to drive, we could take my plane.

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The Emperor’s clothes are shedding, poll numbers are dropping, and reality is setting in……now the fun begins. Be careful what you wish for.

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After the party, let’s go skiing!

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Big surprise Obama has yet another racist buddy.
So if you are white it must be your fault according to obama.
Must be a big splash of cold water for you fools who bought the Obama line he never heard the racist rants of Rev Wright (Obamas personal mentor) for the 20 years he sat in his church.
Now we know obama was nodding saying AMEN! the whole time.

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“You have a “BAD” history as a race, and whether you like it or not, just like a Harvard Professor can be judged like all black men you have to suffer the consequences of all your people.”

You did well until this part.

The only consequences anybody of any color should suffer are those related to his/her own actions. If not, you will have a never ending cycle of “consequences”. Yes, there were atrocities comitted by whites on other races, but other whites should not be held accountable unless they themselves committed those atrocities.

Should all “blacks” continue to suffer the consequences of those blacks currently in jail or associated with gang activity? Absolutely not.

This country will never heal until we all take responsiblitiy for our own actions and stop pointing at others. We control our own actions, emotions and choices, as we choose everything we do.

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Just wait’ll Cynthia Tucker gets this police in her sights. Obama’s criticism will seem mild.

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Mr. Gates, initially, refused to show an ID. My understanding is he produced it as he was being cuffed. A neighbor of Mr. Gates called police and told them she had witnessed two black men forcing their way into the home. That happened! Mr. Gates and his driver, both black, did force the door open. When the officer arrived at the address, how was he to know who the legitimate occupant of the home was? The residence is owned by Harvard. Mr. Gates, it seems, was offended that the officer didn’t recognize him and was unaware of his celebrity. He didn’t feel the officer had a right to enter his home and he became hostile and verbally abusive. The officer though was responding to a call that specified two black men had been seen forcing their way into the home and here was a black man in the home and he wouldn’t produce identification. Frankly, I think police would respond to such an incident in the same manner here at my home. Mr. Gates claims racism was to blame here but I think it was his out of control ego. He is responsible for what took place and he could have shown the ID and prevented all of it. As for what the president said relating to this incident, it was wrong. I support Obama, I voted for him, but characterizing the behavior of the police in Cambridge as stupid, without knowing the entire story was an injustice that pre-supposes that a white police officer is always a racist. That is stereotyping and it’s as wrong to do it to white police officers as it is for white police officers to view every black person as a criminal!

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Just wait’ll Cynthia Tucker gets this police officer in her sights. Obama’s criticism will seem mild.

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So apparently some of you guys were there when it happened and know EXACTLY how it went down. The fact that there were so many witnesses should make this an easy case to dismiss of. Though one wonders why some of you were in Prof. Gates’ home. Were you, in fact, the intruders that the neighbor reported? Otherwise how can you be so sure of the details of the event? Me, I believe evidence, not someone’s account, particularly when that someone was a participant and has every reason (as both men do) to cover their bee-hinds.

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If we are able to have Mista Hoova dress for the occasion then perhaps and FBI inquiry is needed.

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Hoova….

Size 18 dress…..flat shoes?

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I would be interested to see someone in the press interview the woman who called in the complaint…if she was a neighbor, did she not know that Mr. Gates lived there? Ask her to explain why she called it in.
Time will tell whether President Obama will have to retract any of his words. As the officer indicates he will not give an apology, the next move will have to be in Mr. Gates’ court. Seems he would need to do something quickly as more articles come out that the officer in question is highly respected and has been a teacher for five years or more on the exact thing that Mr. Gates’ is accusing the officer of. Time will tell.

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Obama clearly indicated in his statement that he was viewing this situation through biased eyes. As the POTUS he does NOT get to do that publicly. Once he says that, he can no longer be viewed as unbiased.
Can you imagine the outrage created if a white President indicated a group of blacks hanging around a business were just waiting to rob it.
The POTUS must appear to remain neutral to the situation until he has learned all the facts about a situation. While he may be new to this office, he is not new to politics. He has just seen the backlash created by Sonya Sodamayer’s (sp) “a wise latino woman” statement.
I myself am seriously reflecting on this man who has been elected POTUS.
Since taking office he has given statements that make our strongest allies vary of his support and bowed to the King of a country where the majority of the 911 terrorists came from, while not bowing to any other leaders of countries. I won’t go into my personal feelings about his healthcare plan or governmentalizing both Chrysler & GMC.
Perhaps he is not emotionally/mentally prepared to be the leader of the free world.

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I agree and feel the same as Pat, “It’s good. It’s making us talk.” Also, I voted for our President, but in my opinion he should’ve left that question alone or used another term besides “stupidly.” That night was about “health care reform,” which I wanted to hear more about. Race relations should be a topic of discussion. In the Midwest where I’m from and went to college, we offer race relations courses. The discussions as well as heated discussions did not turn us against each other. There were no limits on discussions. We became closer, understood each others views, respected each other, etc. Now I have to continue to remind myself that I’m in Georgia. A whole different ballgame.

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What would you underachieving rep-ugnats and dem-wit parasites do without Boooookman to fuel your daily left – right babble. …just wanted to comment that I am sooooo glad Obozo, Lord of the Obomonation (now apparently Black Lord),is bringing all of us closer together as a nation. Who would have thought a Liberal Harvard black man and a white police officer could have become such close friends. Rep-ugants get back to work, Dem-wit parasites head for the free cheese line, Booookman make yourself useful and develop a means to convert babble to energy or maybe free cheese for your peeps.

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Put a sock in it DebbieDooDooHead. A similar situation happened to me a few years back, here in Roswell. There evidently was a disturbance in our neighborhood and somebody called the cops. I had no idea what was going on and I was outside getting some tools out of my truck. The cops came rolling up and shined a flashlight in my face and wanted to know what I was doing. I told them and they asked for some ID. I complied, without any complaining and they asked if I had seen anything suspicious around the area – I said “no” and they were on their way. SIMPLE AS THAT. In all of these other situations, the cops ask these people to follow some simple instructions and THEY WILL NOT DO IT. That’s what the problem is. STUPID PEOPLE WILL NOT FOLLOW BASIC COMMANDS.

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I tell you what; you make a bunch of threats to a cops face about his mother and see if you don’t end up in jail, white or black. Gates is a racist; he feels that he is aloud to say what ever he wants to “whitey”. We already have a different set of rules for the use “N word” for each race. Why not just say African-Americans are aloud to say what ever they want to cops but God help you if you are not African-American. Time to stop all the BS either you are American or not no hyphenated bull$**t. And better yet we ALL follow the same rules and laws. By the way being an a$$hole to a cop is just flat stupid, and this guy is teaching our children…. It does not surprise me he is friends with Obozo…

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@ Jack – 12:45pm. I agree. When “Old Hag” Tucker writes about this, it’s going to be lights out for that police officer. Gates is probably a good friend of hers as well.

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There are some people on this blog who have been watching too much of CNN’s Black in America. The “lash of discrimination” – what a bunch of bull. When are you going to quit your whining? Millions of African Americans moved pass this years ago. There will always be those of every race who hate those of a different race. Get on with your life.

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A similar situation happened to me a few years back, here in Roswell

Yes, but you lived to talk about it and weren’t beaten, thrown in jail and harrassed. I wonder why? PS: I have the right to free speech too, guess you didn’t notice that huh?

you make a bunch of threats to a cops face about his mother and see if you don’t end up in jail, white or black.

And you know this HOW?………Oh that’s right YOU WERE THERE right!!??!! You people are dumber than rocks!!

Guess what…that’s what the officer did, but instead of acting like a man who appreciates that the officer was there to protect his home from a burglar or home invader, Gates refused to produce an ID and began to insult the officer and act in an unprofessional, childish, and disorderly manner

Sorry but given the PAST HISTORY OF COPS IN AMERICA, that sounds MORE LIKE the cops acted childish and stupid. Or did we forget so suddenly the PAST FEW MONTHS?

Big surprise Obama has yet another racist buddy.

BIG surprise YOU’d say that!!! Racism in America…..WHAT racism in America? “The negroes are happy with their life!! They sing and dance all the time!!! Now tell me, if someone was unhappy with their lot, would they be singing and dancing?” Plantation Owner before the Nat Turner rebellion.

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“Obama calls white policeman who arrested scholar”

http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/obama-calls-white-policeman-99582.html?cxntlid=homepage_tab_newstab

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“Sorry but given the PAST HISTORY OF COPS IN AMERICA”

Folks need to start painting with a smaller brush, the broad ones getting worn out.

Try “## percentage” of cops in america and be part of the solution.

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Oops sorry! Since you weren’t human enough to call me by logon name; I shouldn’t call you by yours!! Erase Jeff and insert JerkoffJizzagoon instead. Thanks!!

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Debbie Do said:”Can perhaps explain why white males make up 95% of all serial killers? Why child pornography is proliferated by white men in droves? Why the ABC Network “To Catch A Predator” series caught 98% WHITE MALES soliciting sex from KNOWN minors? Can perhaps explain why Columbine, Arkansas, the Amish School Shootings, Platte Canyon High School, etc. are ALL done by WHITE MALES??? Can ya? Huh? HUH? HUH????

All I know Debbie is that I watch the local news twice a day and the pictures I see of wanted persons and persons committing crimes are black. You can spin that anyway you wish, but you need to leave your argument at home because you’ll lose every time.

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Perhaps debbie doo doo should move out of the trailer park. Maybe obambam will give her a chunk of the stimulus, since the idiot is using it for everything but creating jobs.

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Ralph: Yeah, but the serial killers killed everybody not just whites.

Most minority minors are pregnant and are not desireable….

LOL, I can be insane too.

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When you look at this closely, the media, newspapers, and radio jarheads have once again gotten all of us to bite right into there apple of negative thinking…Md historically did all Black Folks suffer because of his or her “OWN” actions? Reality is reality, and reality, whether we want to face it or not rears it’s ugly head.. We as a nation can argue the facts, but if you ever want to see people cringe(especially White Folk) put them in a room and show films, not of 2 or 3 hundred years ago, but of the sixties( which some of you participated) or the seventies. It’s not about Black Folks being Racist, but like I’ve said reality is reality, and as long as there are camera’s, reality is on film.

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Wait! We have found what DebbieDooDoo’s purpose in life is. She is a Police HATER!!! She thinks all cops are the same. She is racist against COPS!!! OMFG!

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goto go…Why cant we all live together in harmony…as AMERICANS!!

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I bet this is the last time Obama lets Joe Biden write his responses for him…

If I, for some reason, were trying to break into my own house or car, I would expect that someone who didn’t know me would see it happening and call the police. I also expect that since I know that what I’m doing looks shady, I’m going to be polite, cooperative, and provide the documentation necessary to clear the issue.

Sounds like Dr. Gates ignored that last part, and went straight into, “I bet the cop will be a jerk because I’m black.”

The policeman involved in this is the one who teaches the diversity courses at the police academy. He was appointed to that job by a black police chief. Somehow the only black person who thinks this guy is a racist is Dr. Gates.

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I am a black LEO, growing up I know the frustrations of profiling and sometimes and can be frustrating when you are on the short end of it. However profiling goes on in every aspect of life. Especially in the black community. When we see a young man with his pants down we assume he is a thug. When we see a young lady in revealing clothing we assueme she is a garden tool. In the financial world we have Gold Diggers who hang a certain spots where money hangs and try to “Score” the big guy. I hear in certain women converstation that I would leave my B/F if this certain celb asks me out. Men catergorize women in away with she bangable or this one is the wifey type. Blacks again have their profiling of Black Republicans. We have a profile of gays and lesbians. We profile Asians and Latinos(a). But I will say that profiling will continue to go on. as LEO’s we have to investigate suspicious activity. However there are those persons of many races who feel that as a LEO I cannot approach and ask any questions from them because the feel priviledge and they pay my salary. However no matter what race,economic stature, what side of the track you are from……….If I see something out of the ordinary I’m going to investigate it until I proven wrong….(no arrest) or proven right…..(arrest with proable cause). However when I do see something strange………I as a REASONABLE PERSON will investigate the PERSON IN QUESTION. Sometimes I am wrong but when I am wrong I learn from that and I let the person go. Inwhich the constitution covers me in that aspect. I also know that I deter crime based on the fact that I do my job within the boundary of the law. Based on the FACTS OR CIRCUMSTANCES the officer felt the need to question Mr. Gates in return Mr. Gates has a right to be upset but you cannot raise sand about an officer doing his job. I probally would have not arrested Mr. Gates for being disorderly because he would have just embarrased himself on that. Now had that been any “Joe” on the street and he was really breaking in the house……..Would that officer be appreciated for stopping a crime??????? especially from Mr. Gates……..? We would never know. So in turn I say that as a Black Man I know racism exists, however I also know by fact as a black man I still must be Reasonable about my actions. We all know that are many blacks and other races commit crimes and there are blacks out there who do more than their share,and we cannot go about our days “acting” like a thug. Because it walks like a duck, it must be a duck.

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This home had been previously broken into. Gates lost his keys, WAS indeed breaking into his home when observed by a neighbor who went out of her way to call police. She didn’t recognize Gates & probably knew he was out of the country. Gates DID successfully break into his home. Police COULD NOT know WHO the man in the house was without ID & proof of address. He could have been an armed robber holding the owner & family hostage. The police were risking their lives to protect Gates, his family & his stuff! Gates used poor judgment & was rude, combative & racist. The officer was experienced, respected & had been selected to teach classes on racial profiling. Obama called the police officers’ actions “stupid” & later said “cooler heads should have prevailed.” The only hot head appears to have been Gates. Today Obama said the police officer & Gates probably both over-reacted. Gov. Patrick said he was upset that an individual cannot raise his voice in his own house without risk of arrest. The ruckus was outside & had caused a gathering on the street. The president & governor contributed to the escalation. The incident was audio-taped & there were witnesses.
We all need to be respectful & cooperative with law enforcement officers. We should stop, move out of the way, get down, be quiet, as they instruct us to do, immediately. We should be thankful for each & every one of them. I hope that Gates does not have a home emergency any time soon.
There is no racism in my life in any way. I see no racism in my community among the youth or middle-aged people. We don’t see color. We are just people. We choose not to participate in racism. The only time I see racism anymore is by old angry black men like this one. Only the older generation keeps it alive. In a few years it will be totally gone.

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Linda, you’re right, it’s the older generation of blacks, like sharpton and the likes. I don’t recall any middle aged 20 something black guys filing complaints-maybe because they realize the difficulties they are experiencing are called REALITY and not racism.

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I guess Debbie would vote to ban all law enforcement. What would our society be like if those brave men and women weren’t around to protect us?

They put their lives on the line every day and all you can do is point out the fact that there are a few bad ones. That takes a lot of brains. Every profession has a few bad apples. Do some research and you’ll learn that there are far more good cops than bad. And then maybe you’ll appreciate what they do for you. It’s time for you to grow up a little and thank a cop the next time you see one.

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“It’s time for you to grow up a little and thank a cop the next time you see one.”
Uhh, for what? Cops actually only help anybody a small fraction of the time. Vengeance doesn’t help anybody, nor does paperwork.

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debbie doo doo, How much money do you think the City Of Atlanta lost because of bad cops?
Not even a small percentage as much as they have lost from citizens and tourists alike making one trip into the city never to return because of the thugs running loose. Most of whom are ( a hush falls over the room as he utters the fateful word ) black. Guess in your trailer park I’m a racist, in my subdivision, I’m just honest.

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I don’t know why the term “taking sides” keeps coming up. No one is “taking sides”. Is it too much to ask a police officer just to walk away from a 60 year old man on a walking stick even if he is irate?

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DebbieDooDoo – Now you’ve changed your tune to say that not all cops are doing “bad” things. So what’s your beef? These cops did what they needed to do to Gates – he is a racist that went berserk. He didn’t follow directions.

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debbie doo doo, I’m sorry for my failures but someday I hope to be as professional as you and be able to diddle with both hands at once. Sadly, while I pride myself on being a True American, we are slowly being replaced by you bedwetting crybabies, the New Americans. Quick question, did you take the wheels off your home or leave them on?

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Huckabeen: Yes, we all know that you are sorry. However, you have taken the first step and you RECOGNIZE the problem!! Good boy!! Now, I know your keys are probably sticky right now, but, with your one free hand, type these words, “Yes, I CAN!!”

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Mr. Gates was at fault for overreacting and not initially showing ID.

Mr. Crowley was at fault for overreacting and arresting someone who proved ownership of the home.

End of discussion.

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O is backing and filling in the hole he dug!! “I don’t all of the details BUT let me tell you my opinion”. The Forrest Gump answer…Stupid is as stupid does!!! The glare of the spotlight is not a comfortable place when your opinion doesn’t jive with the facts!

I will hand it to him…he did reachout to the officer! My cynical mind says that the reason he did so is that no one is talking about his healthcare proposal because he added fuel to the fire with his comments. Got to get that teleprompter working again…no more off-the -cuff remarks.

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Seen in West Cobb on side of car in big letters today OBAMA= One Big A$$ Mistake America.
Priceless

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Obama has once again proven himself to a minor leaguer playing in the big show. The man is a moron.

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Eddy, one more thing. The cap & tax has nothing to do with climate cooling, warming or change.

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Is Cynthia McKinney gonna to monitor us?

Hawt.

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The only people in this story who seem to be guilty of bias and prejudice are Dr. Gates and the President. They are the ones who jumped to conclusions without the facts… they are the ones who wanted to make this problem larger than it was.
The president got his way. He comes off looking like a rush to judgement bigot who is backing “his guy” without regards to the facts. Dr. Gates is an arrogant prick who thinks he that threaten and bluster his way through life.
Both men are likely to have an unpleasant weekend.
Mr. Obama should have apologized while he could.
His failure to do so shows a lack of humility and an arrogance that he is somehow above making a mistake.

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ByteMe – “talk without notes” come on man, he’s always got his teleprompter running, he said what he said because he believes it, didn’t matter if he knew the facts…

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Normal

July 24th, 2009
10:09 am

It was more like a whimper, but at least it recovered.

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I’m SCHOCKED!! You mean to tell me that the COPS ARE SUPPORTING EACH OTHER??? OMG!!! I had no idea of that!! It’s like some black officers from Atlanta supporting those officers who shot down the 92 year old grandmother even though they KNEW the warrant was obtained under false pretenses!! OMG I’m so shocked!!!

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The professor seemed in a hurry to be a race victim. He brought race into the situation like he was pulling a gun. When he was yelling race, race , race. He reminded me of a child that is taken by the hand and told he is going to be spanked. As soon as you take the child’s hand he screams OW! OW! OW! before anything happens. I think he has enjoyed every minute of this nonsense.

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DebbieDooDooface – This girl is not all there upstairs – but I’m sure you already new that.

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the harvard teacher is a racist.

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barack should apologize soon for his dumb comments!!!

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http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/07/24/officer.gates.arrest/#cnnSTCVideo

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It’s amazing how many different versions of what happened has been put forth here.

“Black scholar agrees to beer with Obama, policeman”

Sat Jul 25, 2:24 pm ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A prominent black Harvard University scholar has accepted an invitation to have a beer with President Barack Obama and the white police officer who arrested him in a racially charged case.

Professor Henry Louis Gates said Saturday he was willing to have a peace-making beer with Obama and Cambridge, Massachusetts, police Sgt. James Crowley.

Gates was arrested last week at his home after a neighbor called police to say that a man was breaking into the house. Obama said Cambridge police had “acted stupidly,” prompting an outcry from police groups and a resulting media blitz.

Obama later telephoned both men and, on Crowley’s suggestion, invited the two to the White House for a beer.

“I am pleased that he, too, is eager to use my experience as a teaching moment, and if meeting Sgt. Crowley for a beer with the president will further that end, then I would be happy to oblige,” Gates said in a statement on TheRoot.com, an Internet newsletter he edits.

Gates said he hoped his arrest would help reduce racial profiling by law enforcement agencies.

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Enter your comments here

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Obummer will cure all ills with one system:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hj01Sqi0zic

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Obama as President should be careful talking about disproportionality of arrests of minorities–specifically african-americans. Why? Because a disproportional amount of african-americans ACTUALLY commit crime(black on white/ black on black)!! Therefore isn’t it logical that a disproportional number of african americans are arrested! Da! The President of the Untited States has experienced as much a sting from (racial profiling) as I have as a white american. I have had black police look at me with a synical eye in the city. Have I felt slighted–NO because I’m not looking for an excuse. Obama, you were elected because of the white vote–grow up and stop showing your TRUE COLORS. You can’t be President of these great states and subscribe to the thinking that the WHITE MAN is out to get you!!

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I have nothing against Harvard professors, but I wouldn’t want my sister to marry one.

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To his eventual embarrassment,

Racist… Mr. Gates seems to be the one who is the racist. This man is supposed to be highly educated, so with such presumed high intelligence I assert that he knew exactly what he was doing. He wanted to try to provoke a response. When he denied to produce an identification card and then to throw the RACE CARD out, he knew eventually that he would get the response he well deserved. Wake up America! “This is what happens to black men in America.” No Mr. Gates, this is what happens to all individuals in America. Mr. Gates was asked to step outside and his response was, “Ya, I’ll speak with your mama outside.” If you, me or any other citizen responded to a police officer in such a manner all would, and should get the same treatment. Sorry Gates, just because you profess to teach at Harvard does not mean you are above the law. The charges should not have been dropped; if it were you, they would not have been.

This individual has been a racist from day one, otherwise why would he write in his Yale University application “As always, whitey now sits in judgment of me, preparing to cast my fate. It is your decision either to let me blow with the wind as a nonentity or to encourage the development of self. Allow me to prove myself.” If a “White American, Indian American” etc. wrote this in their college application they would not have even been considered acceptance to said college.

Gates should be appreciative that the police even showed up to investigate a break in.

We are enduring sad times when any Professor of an Ivy League school can get off the hook by turning the situation of his embarrassing mistake around to make it a racial situation.

Once again, wake up!

As for President Obama, well, he just embarrassed and discredited the Presidential position. Our founding fathers are rolling over in their graves.

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