Colin Powell to Skip Gates: “You don’t argue with a police officer”
posted at 5:44 pm on July 28, 2009 by Allahpundit
Via Mediaite, something to start the conversational ball rolling at that not-all-awkward White House drink-up on Thursday.
Mediaite has obtained a transcript from former Sec. of State Colin Powell’s interview on CNN’s Larry King Live tonight, in which Powell comments on the Professor Gates story, as well as Sarah Palin and more…
“I would say, the first teaching point is when you’re faced with an officer trying to do his job and get to the bottom of something. This is not the time to get in an argument with him. I was taught that as a child. You don’t argue with a police officer. In fact, in our schools today, in order to make sure that we don’t have things escalate out of control and lead to very unfortunate situations, we tell our kids, when you’re being asked something by a police officer, being detained by a police officer, cooperate. If you don’t like what happened, or if you think that you have been exposed to something that’s racist or prejudicial or something that’s wrong, then you make a complaint afterwards and you sue him.”
Prudent advice for the average person (especially if the cop’s gun is drawn, needless to say) since the average person may find himself powerless against agitated police, but if a nationally known figure who knows his rights can’t talk back to a cop in his own home, what rights does he have, really? I’m squarely in the Hitchens and Herzog camp on this, as any libertarian should be. The proper objection to Gates isn’t that he was rude to a cop, which is perfectly legal if boorish; it’s that he and our Post-Racial President assumed bad faith and demagogued the race angle by suggesting it was a case of profiling when it almost certainly wasn’t. Less worrying about arguing with police officers and more worrying about race-baiting to score cheap political points, please.
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racist
gatorboy on July 28, 2009 at 5:46 PM
The enemy of my enemy?
JohnJ on July 28, 2009 at 5:47 PM
OK, finally Powell say something that makes sense. Don’t argue with cops, always cooperate and be respectful.
disa on July 28, 2009 at 5:47 PM
I’m starting to think that when Officer Crowley agreed to go for a beer it was one of those, “yeah, sure one of these days we’ll do that” and not an actual acceptance of an awkward invitation.
myrenovations on July 28, 2009 at 5:48 PM
No comment about rushing to judgement (say at a press conference) about something you knew nothing about and were not a witness to, I see.
Marcus on July 28, 2009 at 5:48 PM
Professor Gates began his tirade almost immediately according to the tapes. Could it be that he saw a white cop and began his narrative that he is so well schooled in?
d1carter on July 28, 2009 at 5:49 PM
If only. I would not want to be the white guy in that beer sandwich…
disa on July 28, 2009 at 5:49 PM
Was an audio released? I thought Gates was described as agitated and angry and confrontational–much more than mere “talking back.”
JiangxiDad on July 28, 2009 at 5:50 PM
I totally agree, but is the supposition that the arguing was why he was arrested?
And who is Hertzog? No snark. Should I know that name?
Spirit of 1776 on July 28, 2009 at 5:50 PM
I’d watch these 2 videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8z7NC5sgik&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08fZQWjDVKE&feature=related
Be respectful, don’t argue. But do the absolute minimum required of you. Nothing more.
lorien1973 on July 28, 2009 at 5:51 PM
Allah didn’t mention that in the same interview he talks about Palin.
upinak on July 28, 2009 at 5:52 PM
Aw crap, I think I agree with Allah here. Is there some sort of treatment for that?
Texas74 on July 28, 2009 at 5:52 PM
it’s like the pot.. oh , never mind.
the_nile on July 28, 2009 at 5:53 PM
Yes, you should always lean toward the cooperation side. If you are pulled over for speeding, for example, “Yes Sir” “Sorry Sir” and “Here’s my license Sir” may go a long ways towards getting only a warning instead of a ticket. If it’s more involved than that, say a potentially violent situation, you STILL should cooperate, you can always sort things out downtown. It’s very hard to set the record straight from the morgue.
JamesLee on July 28, 2009 at 5:53 PM
What I mean to say is that, that sounds like “The cop was wrong, but the race-baiting was worse.”
To which, Crowley and co shouldn’t have to stand for as he said no apology now or in the future should be forth-coming. So I agree that the race-baiting is the issue of merit to talk about, however, not at the expense of labeling a cop guilty by dismissing the facts of the incident. He wasn’t arrested for yelling at Crowley in his house (like Hitch would suggest).
Spirit of 1776 on July 28, 2009 at 5:53 PM
Are the people that write this junk for HotAir RINO’s? It is so easy to sit there and say that you have a “right” to be boorish – even smart mouthed to Police Officers when you sit in your air conditioned office safe as can be. Get out in a squad car at night and when the radio says, “Break in at 123 Main Street.” – then let’s see how brave you are. Police have NO IDEA what to expect when they arrive on scene – and many are in the grave now for going to some minor little thing only to be slaughtered by “normal” people gone nuts, even for an instant. Police come to protect. They lay their lives on the line day in and day out. They don’t sit in air conditioned offices slurping 7-UP and thinking how cool they can be by typing garbage. Gads – are you HotAir folks on drugs?
Cinday Blackburn on July 28, 2009 at 5:53 PM
Powell will be all reasonable and sane until Nov. 2010 and Nov. 2012. I’m finished with Colon.
JiangxiDad on July 28, 2009 at 5:53 PM
I will never trust Colin again…
d1carter on July 28, 2009 at 5:55 PM
Does he have a job now, Mr. Colon Power?
disa on July 28, 2009 at 5:57 PM
Backpedler , slowly.
the_nile on July 28, 2009 at 5:58 PM
Maybe. They’re too insulated, that’s for sure. Obviously the author of this piece is unable to put himself in the officer’s shoes, or realize what the officer’s job entails. But that might require some alpha thinking…
atheling on July 28, 2009 at 5:58 PM
Of course you can’t argue with a police officer. The meatheads would taze you to death if you did so.
The Dean on July 28, 2009 at 5:59 PM
Shut up, Colin. You will never, ever achieve any sort of relevance again. Stop trying, you’re only embarrassing yourself.
califcon on July 28, 2009 at 6:00 PM
Where are the marches led by al and jessie for this?
Competition in the race baiting business.
lexa on July 28, 2009 at 6:00 PM
I think Colin should’ve checked Gates’ breath; could’ve been the alcohol… which opens up a whole new can of worms.
CynicalOptimist on July 28, 2009 at 6:00 PM
“Meatheads”?
Allahpundit on July 28, 2009 at 6:00 PM
He mentioned it. I think it safe to say that it will be a seperate thread.
Cindy Munford on July 28, 2009 at 6:01 PM
I think Powell is right about this.
But Allah, it is one thing to argue with a cop, it is another to start ranting and raving like a loon just because the man showed up at your doorstep. If the cop pulled him over and starting hassling him or something I could understand it. If the cop showed up on his doorstep and said I am here to bother you because things are slow and you are a black man I could understand it…but it seems to me that the cop was trying to do his job and Gates just went off on him.
Should Crowley have arrested Gates? I am not sure, I think you could argue that. But I don’t think there even needed to be an argument at all.
Terrye on July 28, 2009 at 6:02 PM
meatloaf.. meatballs..
I am hungry.
upinak on July 28, 2009 at 6:05 PM
… which is also perfectly legal if boorish? One can only object to illegal things? What exactly is your point? The guy was impeding an investigation. Surely there’s something in there that a good libertarian could find objectionable. No?
Ronnie on July 28, 2009 at 6:07 PM
Gee Terrye, d’you think? Wasn’t this all about Gates and his race-baiting from the get-go?
disa on July 28, 2009 at 6:07 PM
Sorry; you may be correct that one has the right to be boorish to a policeman while lawfully in his own residence – even if the cop is lawfully present as well. But there are still some common sense rules – like let’s not be boorish when there is no reason to be boorish. From all I’ve heard, the cop asked for ID – and was getting ready to leave. Right or not, it was the wrong time to get boorish, whether it’s about race or whatever. I don’t think you have a right to get boorish just to get boorish.
Even if the cop was in the house illegally (he wasn’t), ask him to leave. If he does (and Crowley was leaving), that should be the end of it.
ManUFan on July 28, 2009 at 6:07 PM
We don’t have all the facts surrounding the incident. Thus, I believe it is a bit premature to beat the libertarian “police brutality” drum. With that said, don’t you find it interesting that every person other than Gates who was present at the scene–including witnesses and other police officers–have publicly opined that the police did not act improperly in effecting the arrest? Typically in police brutality cases, the witnesses are shocked and horrified, videotape the incident, and provide those videos to the media immediately. I’m not saying the policeman was entirely without fault because, again, we don’t have all the facts, but I think the reaction of the people on the scene is worthy of note.
In general, Colin Powell’s advice is very sound, both from a pragmatic perspective and from a legal one. You have remedies for police misconduct: you can file a citizen’s complaint with Internal Affairs or sue the police department and the officer. (The brother of a colleague of mine has made a lot of money as a plaintiff’s lawyer who sues police departments for violations of civil liberties–so this IS a viable option.) For obvious reasons, courts will not sanction “self help” remedies against police misconduct in all but the most extreme situations.
Outlander on July 28, 2009 at 6:07 PM
Then you’re squarely WRONG since Hitchens based his whole rant on the incorrect assumption that:
1) Gates was arrested for [calmly] disagreeing with the officer; and
2) Gates was arrested INSIDE his house.
Seriously Allah, if you can’t get the basic facts straight then please quit blogging and let Ed take over.
Sheesh.
Religious_Zealot on July 28, 2009 at 6:07 PM
BuckeyeSam to Gates: I’m a cracker white guy, and I was taught this too. It’s not a racist sentiment; it’s fricking common sense. Grow up and join the human race, you twit.
BuckeyeSam on July 28, 2009 at 6:08 PM
What about bribing a police officer (union)???
The Most Expensive Teachable Moment in History
h/t MKH on twitter.
mad saint jack on July 28, 2009 at 6:08 PM
In fact if I remember correctly Crowley actually told Gates he was becoming disorderly by way of a warning and of course the Professor just followed him outside and kept screaming. I have to say, that I think some people need to watch a few shows of Cops. People have been arrested for less. But most of them were not college Professors so it is not that big a deal.
Terrye on July 28, 2009 at 6:08 PM
Is Larry King still alive?
Knucklehead on July 28, 2009 at 6:08 PM
Uhm, what does being a “nationally known figure” have to do with it? Do “nationally known figures” somehow have more or superior rights than the rest of us possess? Few things in this world tick me off more than elitists claiming that due to their (birth status, money, celebrity, etc) they are “better” than anyone else and possessed of greater rights and privileges than anyone else. What a load of cr*p!
And, exactaly what “right” is being exercised by talking back to a cop (Hint: It is NOT freedom of speech)? I guess maybe its the “right” to be an a-hole?
Talking back to a cop is no more an exercise of some libertarian right than is berating a waiter because the soup isn’t up to standards?
This kind of attitude is a big part of what is wrong with our nation. No considerations of common courtesy, just a incessent demand to exercise “rights”, especially the “right” to be a victim. So sad.
Fatal on July 28, 2009 at 6:09 PM
oooohhhh! The great “moderate” speaks!!!
WhatsRight on July 28, 2009 at 6:10 PM
Then who will tell us what kind of pants the president is wearing?
Ronnie on July 28, 2009 at 6:10 PM
disa:
Well yeah. But it seems that Allah and some other people think that Gates was just having an argument with someone. I was simply pointing out that the argument itself was not necessary. The cop was answering a call. If Gates had just been rational the whole encounter would have been over in a couple of minutes with no one arrested.
Terrye on July 28, 2009 at 6:11 PM
Long ago, I had a highway patrolman as a client. He raised and trained quarter horses. I had spent the better part of a Sunday nursing a colic case for him and because he was grateful, he offered an invitation to ride with him for a shift on night duty. Everything went swimmingly till about 4:00 AM when he pulled up to a junker on the side of the road at a lonely intersection with 4 tough looking dudes inside. Right then, I realized it takes some special stones for a single LEO to walk into something like that and control the situation, so I’ll cut them some slack now when they are rude and arrogant on occasion.
a capella on July 28, 2009 at 6:13 PM
Well maybe Allah should stick with the Beta male and entertainment news and let Ed stick with the political news.
It’s interesting that Allah’s post has lots of discussion about rights but NO discussion of RESPONSIBILITY.
And, seriously, when did cooperating with the police become a violation of our rights?
Or when did acting rude become something we should lift up?
Religious_Zealot on July 28, 2009 at 6:14 PM
gates is the racist. his contempt for authority and respect toward the police is evident. he should be fired from harvard. what bothers me the most is he is an acknowledged friend of obama. birds of a feather?????
rjoco1 on July 28, 2009 at 6:15 PM
Does this mean I have to give back my libertarian card?
I think you mean anarchist instead of libertarian.
There is ideologue and there is pragmatic. Which do you think gets more accomplished?
cozmo on July 28, 2009 at 6:15 PM
I just wanted to know. How is Palin no longer a force in the GOP because she resigned her job, but Powell IS a force even though he’s a limp wristed Republican at best and he supported Satin’s Spawn in the last election.
Jeff from WI on July 28, 2009 at 6:16 PM
I imagine Gates with a spit-bag over his head, strapped to a chair like in Jail.
disa on July 28, 2009 at 6:16 PM
Powell: If you feel something is racist you can sue them.
Thanks Powell, don’t bother mentioning that the racism you feel is all in your warped mind like in this case.
Jeff from WI on July 28, 2009 at 6:17 PM
1) When you are stopped, be polite.
2) Do not advance on the officer unless asked to do so. If you are in a car, stay there unless the officer directs you to get out.
3) Keep your hands visible. If you are in a car, roll down the window, then put your hands on the steering wheel.
4) If it dark and you are in a car, turn on the dome light.
5) If an officer asks for your I.D. (likelihood: 100%), say, “It is in my back pocket [or wherever]. Can I reach back and get it?”
6) If an officer asks, “Do you know why I stopped you?,” the correct answer is “No.”
__________
RJGatorEsq. on July 28, 2009 at 6:18 PM
Terrye on July 28, 2009 at 6:02 PM
yep
funky chicken on July 28, 2009 at 6:18 PM
You have to check out Iowahawk today.
disa on July 28, 2009 at 6:18 PM
Points well taken. Cooperating with the police goes a long way, especially when, in this case, they are simply doing their job to protect you or your property.
I don’t have many run-ins with the police, but I’ve been pulled over for speeding and California stops, but I’ve always managed to get away with just a warning because I’m polite, cooperative, and reasonable with them. They’re people too, and deserve to be treated with civility when they are doing their jobs, just as everyone else is. Only childish people with a chip on their shoulders behave the way Gates did.
atheling on July 28, 2009 at 6:18 PM
“He repeated his assessment that the former Republican vice presidential candidate had not been ready for the Oval Office last fall, but said she was worth watching.”
But he still thinks Obama was ready? Or Larry King Levi didn’t want to ask that.
the_nile on July 28, 2009 at 6:19 PM
OK, yes – I agree. But that isn’t who Gates is, now, is it?
disa on July 28, 2009 at 6:19 PM
1. The arrest record mentions the arresting offense happened outside.
2. Gates was not coerced to behave in the manner he did when they were outside.
anuts on July 28, 2009 at 6:21 PM
Nationally known figure? What, would you have known him before this blew up? I sure wouldn’t. Why would a cop?
Yeah, famous Harvard professors are well known for demonstrating their “your mama” jokes to law enforcement. Way to blend, Prof.
S. Weasel on July 28, 2009 at 6:21 PM
You’ve got five superfluous question marks there.
disa on July 28, 2009 at 6:21 PM
I’m seriously hoping that Allah was being sarcastic here, because this is basically the current liberal meme being circulated at sites like HuffPo and DU.
If not, Allah is suggesting that:
- only “nationally known figures” have rights
- cooperating with police somehow invalidates your rights
- the only and most important right a person has is to argue with officers inside their house.
BTW, Allah, what if the argument is OUTSIDE the house?
Religious_Zealot on July 28, 2009 at 6:25 PM
He was wrong on both counts. You can make your point to a police officer without going ballistic. Never a good idea whether you’re a libertarian or an ultra leftist. And then to pull the race card — obamanable.
Christian Conservative on July 28, 2009 at 6:28 PM
How bout the commonsense and reality group?
Why were the cops called?
Because someone was breaking into a house.
What did the cops do?
Responded to the call to “catch the burglar”
Whos house was being broken into?
Prof Gates.
Who’s house were the cops trying to protect from a burglar?
Prof Gates.
Did Prof Gates thank the cops and his neighbors for looking out for HIS interest, ie: his house?
No.
What did Prof gates do?
Accused the cops of racial profiling.
Exit question.
Had there been a real robbery at the Gates house while he was away, would Gates have
thanked the cops for not doing anything.
or
Would Gates, claim Racial bias cuz none of his neighbors call the robbery in, and the cops just turned there heads when a black mans house is robbed?
DSchoen on July 28, 2009 at 6:29 PM
Could of been worse,the National Civilian Security Forces
could of paid Gates a visit,oh wait,there not operational
yet!!(Sarc)
canopfor on July 28, 2009 at 6:31 PM
That seems like common sense advice to me. One thing I’ve always wondered, though, is a common theme on Cops… The cop pulls two guys over because their tail light is cracked or something. Cop asks “is there anything illegal in the car?” Guy answers “no.” Cop says “do you mind if I look?” Guy says “oh sure, go ahead,” whereupon the cop finds the bag of dope. Why on Earth don’t you just say “well, yes I do mind” and refuse consent? My understanding is that if they don’t have probable cause, the most they can do is try to get a drug sniffing dog out to your car in the time it takes them to write a ticket.
Outlander on July 28, 2009 at 6:33 PM
No. It’s obvious that the man is dead. Just watch his show. No live person actually looks and acts like that. And, from what I’ve heard, the aroma from his breath is further proof that he is no longer among the living.
Buford Gooch on July 28, 2009 at 6:34 PM
Absolutely false. Show me the quote where Obama said that the cop was racist. He didnt say it. He explicitly avoided saying it.
orange on July 28, 2009 at 6:35 PM
I_C on July 28, 2009 at 6:35 PM
In that perfect libertarian utopia, you, Hitchens and Herzog could be alpha males doing the “yo mama” dance in the face of cops all day long . . . with NO reaction. In reality, Police already have their adrenal levels above the legal limit at hello! Unless we plan to employ robots to replace them, this libertarian who lives on this planet agrees with Colin Powell.
IKIDYOUNOT on July 28, 2009 at 6:36 PM
what bothers me the most is he is an acknowledged friend of obama. birds of a feather?????
rjoco1 on July 28, 2009 at 6:15 PM
rjocol: Birds of a feather.I see a pattern,here!
Rev.Wright,now Gates,but I suppose there just
neighbours in Obama’s community,just like Ayers!
–(Sarc).
canopfor on July 28, 2009 at 6:37 PM
If I were Sargeant Crowley, I’d check my beer REALLY well or BYOB. The way things have gone for both Obama and Gates, I’m sure one of them are going to spit in his beer!!!
sherryande on July 28, 2009 at 6:40 PM
If only Gates had been wearing a wife beater, he could have been on COPS. A little dance to the taser would have been an Emmy winner.
BTW: I (a honkie) was also taught that the only responses to a LEO was do what the Officer said, answer politely “Yes/No Officer” to questions asked; and, if appropriate, say “Thank You officer”. If something happened that was wrong, deal with it later with appropriate authorities.
Dingbat63 on July 28, 2009 at 6:41 PM
Especially not a HARVARD Professors cuz we all know how superior their intellect is.
Professor convicted of murder in woods
A HARVARD professor, Dirk Greineder, was convicted yesterday of murdering his wife during a walk in the woods.
Ex-Harvard Med School Professor turned Cross-Dressing Murderer Hangs Himself in Jail Cell
by Adam Clark Estes | January 7, 2009 at 1:44 pmWife-killer and cross-dresser Richard Sharpe
Former Harvard Medical School Professor Convicted of Attempted Grand Larceny in L.A.
Vilas Vishwan Likhite, a 67-year-old former physician and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, was convicted as charged
I recall a HARVARD grad who also got a PHD from University of Michigan and became an assistant professor at the University of California, Berkeley at age 25.
His name? Ted Kaczynski
Oh and Ted Kaczynski WAS arrested in his own house.
DSchoen on July 28, 2009 at 6:42 PM
I found this article yesterday, on American Thinker.com. Most interesting, as in my opinion, the true racist in this entire mess is, Dr.Gates.
“This past March 29th, Professor Henry Louis Gates was being interviewed in front of a small group by Walter Isaacson on C-SPAN’s Book TV. Thirty-three minutes into the discussion about his new book on Lincoln, Professor Gates began a detailed account of his own genealogy. He said that in doing so he had discovered he was about “50% white”. He said that this was ”
http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/07/impersonating_a_victim.html
capejasmine on July 28, 2009 at 6:44 PM
I guess a Harvard degree isn’t what it used to be. Maybe it is what it used to be and that is the problem.
volsense on July 28, 2009 at 6:47 PM
Funny just heard about Jack Jacobs (you know that Medal of Honor winner) talking about the same type of event. He cooperated, but his drivers license had a different address on it so he stood in a corner with his hands behind him for 1/2 hour while the police straightened the situation out. Amazing he didn’t believe his civil rights were being trampled… but then he was only a white guy. Believe the interview was on IMUS or a local host this AM on WTTK in Boston.
unaffiliated on July 28, 2009 at 6:51 PM
Chris Rock agrees with Colin Powell:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uj0mtxXEGE8
muggedbyreality on July 28, 2009 at 6:52 PM
I was stopped once by a cop with a horrible attitude. I am a white woman in a four-door car with 3 and 2 year-olds and a newborn in the car. He asked me if I had a job, I told him I was a homemaker. He responded that he meant a ‘real’ job, and it went downhill from there. So, it is not only young black and latino men that get treated bad.
TXMomof3 on July 28, 2009 at 6:53 PM
Hey Colon. Nothing like waiting till the coast is clear before sticking your neck out and making a statement.
Geochelone on July 28, 2009 at 7:01 PM
Allahpundit, I cannot believe you would consider arguing with a cop a good thing.
As I’ve said on other threads, in a situation like the Gates break-in, police are trained to get the homeowner out of the house to make sure they are not being held against their will. This happens A LOT, particularly in domestic abuse situations. Crowley is trained to get Gates out of his home to make sure there’s no one holding a frickin’ gun to his head. Gates threw a fit while Crowley is putting his own life on the line to save him, and you think he was justified?
Good heavens, what a ridiculous thing. Argue with a cop? Argue? What kind of idiot would argue with a cop?
bonnie_ on July 28, 2009 at 7:03 PM
Your wish is Allah’s command.
OhioCoastie on July 28, 2009 at 7:06 PM
have to disagree, it’s prudent advice for all persons, don’t care who you are.
I thank Colin for his service to our country, but that’s about as far as I can go…he really disappointed me
cmsinaz on July 28, 2009 at 7:08 PM
My first CO in the Army cautioned us paratroopers, in reference to an up coming routine, annual IG inspection: “You don’t get into an pissing contest with a skunk.” (Before a troll interjects, he wasn’t implying that the IG was a skunk…only that the IG was better equipped to handle a pissing contest.) This was before Political Correctness.
I found these to be words of wisdom on so many levels in my life. Thank you LTC Don Martz…RIP.
Dingbat63 on July 28, 2009 at 7:10 PM
Nice.
Mr. Joe on July 28, 2009 at 7:11 PM
Of course not – all Obama said was that the police had acted stupidly, and then on a completely unrelated topic, mentioned that “Hey, you know what I read the other day? Seems there is a long history of racial profiling of black people by police! Get. Out! I mean, WTF?!”
drunyan8315 on July 28, 2009 at 7:12 PM
Lorien 1973 on July 28, 2009 at 5:51 PM
I agree with you Lorien. I am not rude, never argue, just give the policeman the information he/she needs and no more, but most importantly, I am honest and won’t lie even if it means receiving a ticket. It must be that Girl Scout thing in me.
yoda on July 28, 2009 at 7:12 PM
DSchoen:
Yeah, there have been some really scary professors, no doubt about it.
Terrye on July 28, 2009 at 7:18 PM
Colin, you missed your opportunity to be conservative…move on please.
Spiritk9 on July 28, 2009 at 7:23 PM
So are liberals done pretending they respect Colin Powell yet?
Speedwagon82 on July 28, 2009 at 7:26 PM
Thank you.
bridgetown on July 28, 2009 at 7:30 PM
Orange as the above quote clearly stated Obama absolutely suggests the race angle. And if you ever bothered to read Obama’s words he not only suggested race was a cause, but a primary cause.
Obama: “Now, I don’t know, not having been there and not seeing all the facts, what role race played in that,” Mr. Obama continued.
“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.”
The president then said that a racial profiling bill he worked on in the Illinois state legislature, which was prompted by “indisputable evidence that blacks and Hispanics were being stopped disproportionately,” was a sign of how “race remains a factor in the society.”
After admitting Obama had “NO FACTS” to go on he Obama pulled the race card.
“what role race played” “African-Americans and Latinos being” “racial profiling bill he worked on in the Illinois”
If he wasn’t calling the cop racist then why did he bring race up?
BTW Obama is a moron. People get arrested ALL THE TIME in THEIR OWN house!
“the Cambridge police acted stupidly in arresting somebody when there was already proof that they were in their own home”
Mr. President it happens all the time. The seen
Knock Knock at the door.
The cops shout “Police! open up! We have a warrant for? Who ever.”
And often arrest them in their house.
Now please try a little intellectual honesty and just admit Obama is an idiot.
DSchoen on July 28, 2009 at 7:32 PM
And we need to knock them off their pedestal and show that they are no better than anyone or group out there. They are possible, as a group of ego maniacs, worst than most.
DSchoen on July 28, 2009 at 7:36 PM
fify
thomasaur on July 28, 2009 at 7:38 PM
Ah…is this more of the “Don’t Snitch” movement? I mean I don’t think Collin Powell is telling Gates to stop just stop doing it right now. How many cops are getting laid off across the country answer a lot- all that stimulus but no money for police? Huh lets see when unemployment goes up crime goes up Progress math reduce police force. Sure that makes sense if your sitting on your brains.
Dr Evil on July 28, 2009 at 7:38 PM
Hard to imagine, Rev Wright’s prodigy ‘profiled’ a cop. Who’d a thought that possible? If being a cop was “a race” or “a sex” or “a religion” The Constitutional Scholar may have committed ‘a hate crime’.
GarandFan on July 28, 2009 at 7:39 PM
Colin, did you forget to take your meds?
Wade on July 28, 2009 at 7:40 PM
Does this apply to domestic problems also or is this another liberal view of pick and choose when to put on a nice face?
Wade on July 28, 2009 at 7:44 PM
WTF……..?
You were in the house and witnessed the situation?
On a side note I wish they would release the audio tapes if they exist. The chances are that Gates, who has a history of some amusing but disturbing “whitey” quotes, might have gone off yet once again.
patrick neid on July 28, 2009 at 7:44 PM
Allah:
There’s a big difference between cooperation and subservience.
Just as in this forum, one can voice their disagreement without interfering with the ability of others to express their own opinion.
Again, for those who have read the reports AND are have taken the time to read the actual language of the law: What Dear Perfesser did inside his own home only demonstrated the shallowness of his character and his complete dependence on the racial narrative. When he chose to follow the sergeant outside to continue creating a disruption and interfere with the sergeant’s ability to perform his job a different set of rules came into play. There is a lesser degree of an expectation to privacy once one freely ventures out into the public view.
I agree with you that what one does in one’s own home has greater protection. But please don’t blur the lines by omitting the singularly most important issue at the heart of the Gates discussion. It was not about Gates’ race, it was about his conduct after he exited his residence. Gates has a right to expect privacy inside his home, and Sgt. Crowley had a right to leave the residence when he had completed his investigation of the reported forced entry into the obnoxious @$$clown’s house.
Gates could have and should have let his encounter with Sgt. Crowley end. He chose to prolong it, even after the sergeant attempted to physically remove himself from the location. The issue was Gates’ conduct, not one of government intrusion.
Tom_OC on July 28, 2009 at 7:49 PM
Look, cops put strangers they interact with in the course of their duties into one of three categories, suspects, know-nothings, and assholes. You really want to be a know-nothing, a person who knows nothing about the life of a cop. It’s safest for you.
Al in St. Lou on July 28, 2009 at 8:02 PM
Colin Powell … LOL
HondaV65 on July 28, 2009 at 8:07 PM
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