Obama vs Caimbridge Police - Racial issue?

[Silvia Crow]

Four sources.

1. "I don't know, not having been there and not seeing all the facts, what role race played in that [Gates case]. But 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; and, number three, what I think we know separate and apart from this incident is that there's a long history in this country of African-Americans and Latinos being stopped by law enforcement disproportionately. That's just a fact."

2. Politico article
3. Boston.com news article with video

4. Fox News

So, anyone want to try and defend Obama for this?

Edit: Yadda yadda yadda, Obama saying the cops acted stupid, yadda yadda yadda. But what of Obama turning this into a racial thing?

Clip from Link #3

Boston.com

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

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

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

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

[Redem]

As has been covered in another thread, the police were stupid to arrest someone and treat them as a criminal after multiple forms of photo ID were presented. They could and should have acted civilly in that case and simply taken steps to affirm the ID was genuine instead of hauling the guy of in a police car.

[Silvia Crow]

Redem

As has been covered in another thread, the police were stupid to arrest someone and treat them as a criminal after multiple forms of photo ID were presented. They could and should have acted civilly in that case and simply taken steps to affirm the ID was genuine instead of hauling the guy of in a police car.

And what of Obama calling the police stupid and commenting on a situation that he does not have all the facts of?

[Omnileech]

Obama was right, the police were acting like morons and added insult to injury when they charged the man for getting angry at their incompetence.

[Lord Cameron]

Omnileech

Obama was right, the police were acting like morons and added insult to injury when they charged the man for getting angry at their incompetence.

ha you finely said something right

[Redem]

Silvia Crow

Redem

As has been covered in another thread, the police were stupid to arrest someone and treat them as a criminal after multiple forms of photo ID were presented. They could and should have acted civilly in that case and simply taken steps to affirm the ID was genuine instead of hauling the guy of in a police car.

And what of Obama calling the police stupid and commenting on a situation that he does not have all the facts of?

He was asked to comment on it, and as he acknowledged his judgement was based on incomplete infromation. My own reaction was a little more subdued, but I'm not a black man who's lived in American.

[Less Than Liz]

I absolutely have no problem backing Obama on this one. The police were stupid.

[Spencer Veritas]

http://www.politico.com/singletitlevideo.html?bcpid=1155201977&bctid=30367173001

You'll see that he acknowledged his opinion was based off of reports.

[largo round]

seems the cops were in fact being choads

not that i like obama, but it doesnt take a rocket scientist to call out some pigs when you see them

seriously, more and more i feel like the cops arent there to help (except themselves)

i check nothingtoxic.com daily and about every day er two its another video of a cop abusing their power

just because they are cops does not excuse them from being retards

*edit* after reading into this more and more, it seems like the cop did some dumb s**t, and the harvard professor is acting like a race whore right now

******** both sides, cops are dumb to arrest a dude in his own home, and the dude is acting like he was beaten and road hauled because he was black

so, both sides are ******** loser-shoes

[largo round]

http://chrudat.com/funny/obamanotes.html

[mitoguard]

Silvia Crow

So, anyone want to try and defend Obama for this?

Defend him from what, exactly?

[Director Danguy]

Silvia Crow

Redem

As has been covered in another thread, the police were stupid to arrest someone and treat them as a criminal after multiple forms of photo ID were presented. They could and should have acted civilly in that case and simply taken steps to affirm the ID was genuine instead of hauling the guy of in a police car.

And what of Obama calling the police stupid and commenting on a situation that he does not have all the facts of?

Stupid is as stupid does. It'd be inappropriate to call them smart

[Dubyamn]

Alexander Blake

http://www.politico.com/singletitlevideo.html?bcpid=1155201977&bctid=30367173001

You'll see that he acknowledged his opinion was based off of reports.

Except of course there are no reports that match Obama's version of events.

http://www.theroot.com/views/lawyers-statement-arrest-henry-louis-gates-jr

Gates own lawyer doesn't back up that version of events that upon Gates proving that it is his house the cop arrests him.

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2009/0723092gates1.html

nor the police report which indicates that Gates pursued the police as they were clearing everything up and leaving.

[Director Mann]

Redem

As has been covered in another thread, the police were stupid to arrest someone and treat them as a criminal after multiple forms of photo ID were presented. They could and should have acted civilly in that case and simply taken steps to affirm the ID was genuine instead of hauling the guy of in a police car.

This.

Silvia Crow you are like stretching to attack Obama with every thread you make. I can sum up nearly every opening thread post you make as "OMG YOU'LL NEVER GUESS WHAT OBAMA DID!"

[JettaKD]

it really was quite stupid. Even stupider is that in new reports, the arresting officer who refused to accept the professor's id? He's refusing to issue an apology. Even after the President called him out. That's stupid, right there.