Prosecutors dropped a disorderly conduct charge Tuesday against prominent black scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr., who was arrested at his home near Harvard University after a report of a break-in.
The city of Cambridge issued a statement saying the arrest "was regrettable and unfortunate" and police and Gates agreed that dropping the charge was a just resolution.
"This incident should not be viewed as one that demeans the character and reputation of professor Gates or the character of the Cambridge Police Department," the statement said.
Supporters say Gates -- the director of Harvard's W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research -- was the victim of racial profiling.
Officers responded to the home Gates rents from Harvard after a woman reported seeing "two black males with backpacks on the porch," with one "wedging his shoulder into the door as if he was trying to force entry," according to a police report.
8 comments:
Gates was caught by surprise when the officers entered his home. Presuming that they were racists and that they were only there to harass him because he was a black man, he got in their face and refused to be cooperative. Is there racism in America? You bet there is, and we should call it out whenever we see it. But this was most definitely NOT a case of racism. It was a matter of a rude and belligerent man challenging the authority of police who were investigating a potential crime. Shame on Gates.
Well said John. I've read some of Gates articles in the past and there is no doubt he is super smart. He didn't show it that night unfortuneately....hopefully we can get past this relatively quickly.
It sounds like racism was present in the situation, but on the part of Mr Gates. If the reports are correct, Mr Gates seems to be the one that brought up color during the confrontation. If the reports are correct, it seems Mr Gates was the antagonizer. You can't really blame the police and racial profiling for questioning what appeared to be a black man breaking into a home in an affluent, predominantly white neighborhood. That is just being a vigilant police officer. It is no different than if a white kid was walking in the Bronx late at night. The cops would stop that kid and assume he is looking for drugs. You could call it racial profiling, but really it is statistics.
Henry Louis Gates Jr should have showed his ID instead of his IGNORANCE
It is standard procedure to ask a possible suspect, which is what Gates was at the time, to step outside to speak with the investigating officer. Gates responded to this request by exploding and hurling insults. Instead of using his superior intellect to diffuse what should have been nothing more than a misunderstanding, he decided to turn the situation into a racial incident. Clearly, Gates has some personal issues concerning his color, in that it seems to have given him a sense of entitlement and untouchability. He owes an apology to this police officer.
I was expecting to see a barrage of "GATES WAS A VICTIM OF RACIAL PROFILING" in all caps across these posts. I am happy to see so many people looking at the facts of the case without emotion. The worst thing you can do when dealing with a police officer is argue or get confrontational. When an officer asks you to show your ID, you do it. Period. Had Gates done this, the issue would have been over in 30 seconds.
I just had two cops at my house this week because someone called in an address similar to mine for a possible crime, the street address was off by 100 but they still checked out my house. They walked around back, through my yard, and then finally to the front door to ring the bell. Were they suspicious? Certainly, and they quizzed me pretty good. Instead of being a jerk to them, I expressed my gratitude for the job they do.
Instead of lamenting how poor Mr. Gates was a victim, there should be some real discussion as to why a black guy forcing open a door makes someone suspicious... face the facts, a statistically significant amount of violent crimes are committed by black men, particularly in DC. Too bad the academics can't be bothered with facts, or even more sad, speak openly and honestly about the real reasons why the so-called stereotypes exist.
It absolutely amazes me that this man of a supposedly high intelligence acted in this manner. President Obama made a statement that the Cambridge police acted "stupidly" in the arrest, but there is no mention of this man's "stupid" behavior. I am one of the 'other' minorities in this country that are supposedly profiled to excess, but I do not pull out the race card at every opportunity for attention. And now, I am sure that lawsuits will come forth just as we all expect. You see, this is how racial stereotypes get started and continue to rear their ugly heads so that we can never move forward. Congratulations, Mr. Harvard Professor. You have set this nation back further.
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