Was President Obama Ever Racially Profiled?

So that white woman I stopped in Walmart the other day because I had a question and thought she worked there – was I profiling her? Yeesh, Barack, grow a thicker skin and stop looking for trouble.

Why is it that folks who are so sensitive about “racial profiling” do not recognize they are often guilty of “police profiling”. The Gates episode has to be evaluated on the basis of the facts relating to the specific episode. Many people, including President Obama, let their own biases control their reaction to the actions of professor Gates and Sgt Crowley.

Dear Concerned Citizen,
You are adhering to stereotypes and things that you hear and see in the media. It would be interesting to find out if you are friends with anyone of color. A good way to view the full “Black” experience would be to review the CNN expose on “Black in America”. The current installment looks at people like myself. Not all people are ill-educated and all welfare my friend. Some of us to attend top universities and grow up in exclusive neighborhoods whose parents did not obtain their money by being athletic. My family came from very humble beginnings from Northern Louisiana. My family was taught the value of education and having ambition. Undergraduate education was and expectation as was post-masters education. I have been followed in stores to make sure that I didn’t shoplift and I would see it and then leave. My father has had people not want to see him high end item because they think he can’t pay for it because of his skin color. These incidences happened since 2000. So Concerned Citizen, I do not think that you are a racist, jut someone that has not been privy to the point of view of someone like myself. FYI there are some people in my family that behave like the people in your post, but I think that every family has people like that.

Well said Bill!

The restaurant example is not a very good one. Hasn’t anyone been in a store looking for something and assumed the person who has a clothing that is similar to the clothing as the clerks in the store? You ask them where this so and so stuff is located and they look at you like your insane.
I will not go as far as to say there are no issues concerning race but I think misunderstandings, mistrust goes both ways.

People you need to wake up! EVERYBODY is profiled in one way or another. How many times have you heard, “He/She would never do that. He/She comes from a good family.” or, “You have to watch those people. They are homeless.” I often hear religious fanatics say things like, “I would have nothing to do with that family. I saw the father/mother/child drinking a beer.” I grew up as a poor farm boy in West Tennessee and many kids were not allowed to play with me because “he is that sharecropper boy.” Being of Native American ancestry, some of my family were rather dark skinned and were referred to as “those damned indians.” YES! We all get profiled so the black people just need to stop crying and get on with life!

greyghost, amen!

well, here we go.

The whole incident is really unfortunate, for the arresting officer, the professor, the President and the country. I can understand the frustrations on all sides; when I was in college in the early 1970′s in Missouri, I was harassed repeatedly by the local police. Apparently, back then, it was illegal to have long hair.

maybe someone can answer a question i’ve had for some time. just because a minority perceives something to be racially motivated, does that automatically mean that it IS racially motivated? because that seems to be the way it works these days. the actual intention of the person accused of being a racist is seemingly irrelevant. during the 2000 election there were news stories that some minorities were intimidated by the presence of police officers at polling centers. there were no allegations in the stories i read that the police did anything other than stand around, but the media reported that people were complaining about racism being involved. but it appeared from the articles that the “racism” claim was based simply upon the fact that the minorities felt intimidated by the policie presence. so, to the subjective intentions of the supposed racist have anything to do with the analysis anymore?

I’m a white female and I too have been asked if I worked at a store when I was simply shopping.
Its a profiling I will never forget, I am shaken to the core by this incident to this very day.
*rolleyes*

Obama’s tome on racial reconciliation rings hollow. When in front of the camera, he knows just what to say. But behind closed doors he seeks out men like Jeremiah Wright. How can we take this man seriously? As to the “incident”, Gates needs to shut the pie-hole. Having a policeman challenge your ownership of a house when you’re caught forcing the door should have flattered the man, evoking a sense of security. Gee – isn’t it nice to know that the police are watching out after my property? That’s the normal reaction, isn’t it?

I am a white male and I have been mistaken as someone working at an establishment when I myself was a customer, or, also mistaken as a store clerk in a toy department. It happens. It’s not necessarily about race.

ABC is trying to minimize Obama’s stupidity.

You know what. Obama has just widened the racial divide by his prejudiced comments. The fact that he feels he was slighted (by others in his past) is no excuse for our Commander-In_Chief to do and say what he did.The Chicago Tribune just printed a story as there was a black officer present at the arrest and he backs up the white police officer 100% as he was there as an eye witness. This is reverse discrimination at its worst.
It seems obvious to me that Professor Gates is full of himself, feels self-important, especially since he is alleged friends with Obama and he was the one who made a racial incident out of it. Why is no one talking about this side of it.. why is the media not exploring this possibility. Why don’t you Jake, as a reporter, look at the flip side of the coin here. Gates is the one who made it a race thing, not the white police officer and he did it because the officer was white. Why couldn’t Gates have been cooperative and grateful the police were protecting his home? People are talking about this too. But you won’t see this side of the story published by Obama’s media sympathizers. Shades of Jeremiah Wright!

As the overall IQ level of the country rapidly decreases, the amount and severity of racism increases. It will get worse,not better, with the help of the Internet.

once the police came to my door because a neighbor complained of a foul odor. i was just minding my own business, cooking up some gefilte fish for passover. when i screamed “i am a jew in america” i too was arrested, by a gentile police officer! so, i DO know how henry “skip” gates feels. oi vey.

My great,great grandmother was 8 yrs old when she and her family had everything taken from them, their land and homes by the government because they where cherokee. They where taken at gun point to a stockade like they where cattle and of little value. Then they where made to walk hundreds of miles to reservations. Many of my tribe died on this walk and my grandmother endured hunger, sickness, cold, abuse by the soldiers. All because the US government found gold on their poperty. Missouri in their state history had indians outlawed just because of the color of their skin. We all have a story. The Officer was doing his job, we complain about where are the police and when they show up. And then instead of thanking them for coming to check out your property because your neighbors thought they saw someone braking in your house. You get mad and try to bring race into it, instead of being thankful of the police doing their job. The president needs to man up and admit he was wrong.

Sounds like Obama is the one doing the profiling…. Iv been in multiple stores and have been asked questions and/or asked for help. That is not necessarily racial profiling… Unfortunately there are multiple layers of bigotry in this country color is just part of it. Unfortunately Obama weighed in without all the facts and used very ill conceived wording…

There’s a massive effort being put out by the MSM…directed by Rahm Emmanuel.. to make the RACE BAITER in Chief look like the victim here..But its not going to work.. We KNOW who Barrack Obama is and its NOT what the media darlings portray him to be….

The REAL ISSUE here is that the President didn’t know the facts, and yet sided with a black man over the police department. What does this tell our children? Don’t listen to the police? What does it say to policemen? This will probably cost police lives. Once again as with Soetomayor, we have a double standard. If any white person in government had said they didn’t know the facts, but sided with a white policeman over a black man, they would be crucified. Yet once again our media gives Obama a pass. Don’t you think Obama was “racially profiling” the policeman?

I too have been racially profiled on several occassions. Because I am white, I have had black folks insult, and try to intimidate me for percieved slights. I can honestly say that I have never acted in a racially discriminating manner in the work place, yet due to their own racisits perceptions, I have been yelled at and threatened by blacks. I think it would bode well for A/A’s to do a little self analysis to see if they are profiling whites!!!!!

obama faced discrimination so great that he was only able to graduate with honors from harvard law school and become president of the united states by the time he was what, 43?

Obama had 15 parking ticket when he was in Cambridge. Is he saying that it was because police know the driver of the parked car was black?

ABC report the news, stop trying to manipulate it.

Probably all of us blogging were not present during this particular situation. In my mind, we are all just giving OUR OWN OPINION, as did the President of the United States. Difference being, Dr. Gates is a friend of his. So perhaps, we need to step back, allow Dr. Bates and Sgt. Crowley handle this. Mr. President, I voted for you to run this country, not necessairly intervene for any one personal situation. If so, I have something to say about the injustice at my place of employment! NO! Get this mess of an economy, housing, unemployment, health-care reform and two wars under repair.! Racism was here before your Presidency, and unfortunately will probably be here long after you’re gone. If our laws cannot handle it, then God surely will, when it’s time.
Meantime fellow Americans, each and every one of us, stop hating and playing with those that are of different colors, races, economic,relgious, gender…and so on. We each have a personal duty to ‘Do that thing which is right towards another human being!
Rose from Ohio

ENOUGH with this story already! It’s getting old. The truth is that blacks and whites will never really be united. Period. There will always be some resentment.

Who has not been asked to seat someone in a restaurant or asked to direct someone in the right direction towards an item in a store? I am white and this has happened numerous times. Get over it – not everything is because of the color of your skin.

My son, a former LA cop said nearly every time he dealt with black suspects, he would hear the refrain, “you’re just doing this because I’m black. To which my son would say, “you are just saying that because I am white”! I know my son very well, and his retort was far more accurate than the suspects!

I think it’s funny when I read below an article and see all of you folks chiming in as if your opinion matters. It really doesn’t, and posting your little rants and accusations changes nothing, but it does give us all a little insight into your petty insecurities about your own place in the world. Enjoy the rest of your day, ya’ll, I’m going outside to live my life. You should try it–getting a life that is!

Even if he had experienced instances in the past, this does not allow him to say that it was due to racial profiling, instead, he should say that the incident should be thoroughly investigated and the law implemented if so. However, many incidents are deemed as racist from the word go, whether it be true or not, and this excuse use for everything, sometimes for one’s own motive. Trying to blame ‘race’ for every ill and ailment is not a solution. Obama was WRONG.

I have been stopped during traffic at least five times. I had been served later than people who show up later than me in many places. Not once I thought it was because my race. Things like this happen to many people in any race. Stop blame everything on your color or people been racists. Stop looking for reasons from your color. The whole country should stop making decisions based on color, including electing a president.

Eric Holder was right. There are a load of clucking chickens responding here, pretending that there’s no day-to-day racism at the core of our society. It’s not just racism, either. It’s sexism, too and ageism–there’s discrimination happening against people who are not like you, and that all comes down to fear of change. But change is coming, and this incident is going to kick that can WAY down the road. You can either get on board, or step aside.

It’s becoming clearer that Mr. Obama is an exaggerator, a hypocrite and a liar in his past, present and future actions.

The exact same thing has happened to me at least 10 times in my lifetime — at various stores, restaurants, etc. And I’m white. Not everything is about race.

I’m white and there have been several times I can remember where I’ve been shopping at a store and approached with a question by another customer who though i worked there. Is that racial profiling?

The daily reality for many African Americans and Latinos is that racial profiling is very real and tangible. It is not imagined or made up – we’re frequently victims of it. I commend the President for bringing this issue right to the fore even if it was unintentional. I don’t think he has anything to apologise for because he has neither done or said anything wrong. For all the caucasian commentators on this story who are recounting how they were also once mistaken as restaurant or valet staff and somehow using that as evidence that the President’s experience were not related to his colour… all I can say is get real. You know racially profiling happens, you know you’ve done it subconsciously yourselves, so let’s make America a better place by honestly debating and tackling these issues head on. By the way, I think Mr President is doing a good job on the economy, with health care reform, on foreign policy and in restoring America’s image around the world. Does anyone genuinely believe that McCain/Palin could be doing better right now..? C’mon, that would’ve been a monumental disaster on so many fronts.

I think News reporter better stop discussing as US has lot of problem and let Cop do his job and Gate do his and let Obama do his. There is error in everyone’s part and there is a need in the country to go in the right direction than doing petty FIGHTs .

“You know racially profiling happens, you know you’ve done it subconsciously yourselves.”……………. I believe I’m learning most blacks now assume ALL whites are racist.

Based on BO’s first comment… he is GUILTY of racial profiling….

Wow I guess everyone on this board who have issues with the President’s comment must be perfect people. They do and say everything right! Wow perfect people why don’t you come up with a plan for the economy. Why don’t you solve world hunger. Why don’t you solve cancer. After all you have all the answers. The rest of us wait for your perfect solutions. Oh I’m sorry that’s right your too busy bringing down everyone else who is trying to do something.

The only thing I care about are conviction rates. Why you ask? Because suspects are convicted by their ‘peers’ or by a judge.
If the conviction rate is higher for minorities than caucasians we might have a problem. Might? Yes, because caucasians sometimes have better ‘representation’ on their side than do others who have to rely on public defenders.
It is societal a problem that deals with economies of scale. Those who have the means can get the representation. Those that do not have the means more times than not.
Statistics and not numbers are the best indicators of actuality, and not necessarily factuality. To degrade public servants like Police Officers is an injustice because they are taught to apprehend ‘suspects and criminals’.
The judge and jury decides the fate. That maybe where many problems lie.
The best way to stay clear of trouble is to steer clear of things that are illegal. The Truth usually wins out. If you are poor though, sometimes you need a lot of luck.

There is no victimization in truth. I have no doubt at sometime in his life he has been treated suspiciously because of his color. And I think anyone that is white needs to show some understanding and compassion. I think it’s hard for younger people because they really haven’t seen as much. But, it still happens. My husband and I had an uncomfortable experience 25 years ago. On MLK day we were eating dinner at a restaurant with a buffet. There was a table of black teenagers ranging in age from 15 to 19. They were well dressed and had obviously come from a MLK celebration at church. They were giggling and having a good time, though a little rowdy. When we were walking to our table the boy seated at the end turned in his seat and stuck his knee and foot in the isle to force me around him.And we noticed any white person that walked by he did the same.When my husband returned to the buffet he stepped on his foot and then turned and put his hand firmly on his shoulder and apologized. Though he told me later he stepped on his foot on purpose to get him to stop without causing a scene and having them thrown out. After we ate my husband left to go to the bathroom. The kids were becoming loud and unruly. I felt a chicken bone hit my shoulder, bounce off my plate, and land in the middle of the table. When my husband returned I began telling him what had happened and he looked at the table of kids. My husband is a very tall, muscular man, though a teddie bear, very intimidating. The door was across from our table. They all jumped up and ran out. One boy turned and came part way in and said I’m sorry. I accepted his apology and it was over. My experience that day I’ll never forget. I knew they had been emboldened by the day. And being young, I forgave their behavior. And to some degree I understood it. I knew their acting out was a direct result of things they had probably endured. But the apology gave me hope. Things have changed since then, but not nearly enough.

tsukiehill – Being female? I can tell you that that is how women feel.

i personally think America is more tolerant than European nations. but i have also been pulled over many times without violations, obviously let go all the time except one night when they put my butt in jail. long story short, it was after the unfortunate events of 9/11 and my name being “muhammad”. the misdemenor charge against me was dropped “the cop couldnt remember what happend” haha. but to come out clean in records i didnt care and i never kept any grudges. i had to look at the sensitivties at the time. but other times i got pulled over because they considered i mightve been an illegal hispanic. they let me go abviously upon proof of insurance and license. but ya things happen. some in our control, some not in our control. we just have to move on and stop having negativity.
muhammad

If that example of being asked for being seated at the country buffet is an example of “racial profiling” i think it is ignorant example. Could it be that Obama was dressed nicely and the patron wasn’t thinking when he walked in and went up to the nicely dressed man as the manager. maybe it was a ‘nicely dressed profiling’. Cmon! Assumptions are ignorance……. If that’s the best example of racial profiling than we are doing pretty good as a nation and i can think of ‘racial profiling’ examples that Obama just did that are worse than that example on the police officer. I really like Obama and voted for him because of his wisdom and thinking through things before answering. His fly by the seat answer in this case is a contradiction to me in the reasons i voted for him. Wisdom, knowing all the facts as he put it before engaging as he mentioned about Afghanistan….. let’s be consistent…. having said that i still like his intelligence and believe it can be a “teaching” opportunity.

And how has racial profiling benefited Obama?… Oh yeah, it is the ONLY reason he was elected over Edwards and Clinton in the primaries and then again in the general election. Anyone that denies that is extremely delusional.

Tanarg,
You failed to say what did Gates do that was illegal that warranted an arrest and false imprisonment!
NOTHING- That is the problem. Can you honestly tell me if that was Larry Bird or Tom Brady and they acted oppositional that they would have been thrown in a jail as well.
Gates did not break the law. He didn’t help himself acting the way he did but he did not break the law. That is the paramount issue here!
Tell the whole story rather than your contrived opinion.

Once again, the media only talks about Black & White and all other races only are considered when Black put themselves with minority. First of all White and Black are NOT Minority at all. The Gates issue “which the prez was wrong” Gates tries to tie himself with latinos and other minorites, when it is in his best interest.
If the media, political fiq, entertanment stop making everything a Black vs White issue, and stop using the word minority with them. The real people who need a voices hear will get there time.

I am a Obama supporter, but I have to say that he does need to learn when to speak and when to not have an opinion. Just because you can speak, does not mean you should. This issue has wasted precious time, and received way more attention than it needed to. I believe that the officer was doing his job, and Gates was mad because of what all he had to deal with that night and took it out on the officer who was only doing what he was suppose to in the situation. I believe he was arrested because he could not leave well enough alone, and thinking that because of “who he is”, that he needed to make a point, and then got arrested and then tried to cry racial profiling. It is ashame that we take things way to far. It happens enough as it is, and it is not necessary to make it an issue when it is not really one. That is so sad, but it does speak to what we have come to in this country, no one will step up and be the better person and just do what needs to be done to turn the situation around.

Hi Rudy,
Thank you for your service. Just a tip, though, instead of responding angrily, as you said you did, it have been better to respond politely and professionally. You would have had a bigger impact. Remember, what others do is on them. How you respond is about you. Don’t let the thoughts or actions of other determine who you are, or your actions. I give this advice from long experience.

the cops eyeballing and stopping a black man in a rich area late at night is racial profiling. But stopping a white man in a poor area under the same circumstances is called called probable cause. i cant count the number of times i have been pulled coming home late using a shortcut that saved time. if it looks out of place sometimes it is. deal with it and quit crying

It’s very evident: OBama is a racist……he plays the “race” card every chance he can. I’m glad his numbers are now below 50% . This is a one term President that is worse than Jimmy Carter ever thought to be.

Articles like this feed the frenzy of people who are unhappy with President Obama. Did it say in the news article that the President complained about being mistaken as wait staff in Illinois? NO – but everyone immediately had to state that they had a similiar experience and so that proves that racism does not exist. Shakes head in disbelief.

When Sgt. Crowley announced through the glass-paneled front door that he was here to investigate a break-in, Gates opened it up and roared back: “Why? Because I’m a black man in America?”
That’s the equivalent of a woman screaming sexism every time she gets asked for a cup of coffee.

Bea…beautiful post. And, as everyone’s attitude should be. You and your husband should be held as an example of how to understand the problem and not giving in to provocations, even though you were treated wrong. Historically, there is enough blame to go around to everyone in this world. Your post gave me hope that there ARE sensible people who know how to deal with the “-isms” problems.

ABC and the rest of the major media use racial profiling in the way they report stories…… how come that its OK ABC for YOU to do it….. how come ABC has blaring headlines when its white on black crime… and downplay or ignore the black on white crimes….

I believe that racism exists in this country but sexism is even a bigger issue, as is proven by the mere fact that Obama got elected and Hillary did not, or that people were far more critical of Hillary and Palin then they were of any of the male candidates. Black men had the right to vote in this country before women ever did. That should tell you something. I hope that Michelle Obama becomes more vocal on this issue.

I was wearing an orange shirt in Home Depot and someone asked me a question about plumbing.lol, I didn’t assume it was any type of profiling. Also Restaurants usually put attractive people as the hostess so I would think it would be a compliment.
Anyway Gates said “unspoken slights” during an interview and he could tell the officer was a racist and decided to appoint himself as a judge of what is racism and this officer’s character. He did not know anything about this person but started to make accusations that could ruin this officer’s life. The word racist is sometimes just thrown around lightly and used against whites when black people are not getting what they want. That word should only be used when there is REAL racism and there is proof.
Also black people are not nice to other black people and white people aren’t nice to other white people. Yet when two people from two different races meet and are not fawning all over each other- oh it must be racism! If Gates assumed he was getting an unspoken slight from another black person, he would just by annoyed. However if he assumes a white person is doing it-it must be racial. Someone’s perception does not equal reality. We should be respecting each other and not rushing to judgment.

what’s so offensive about someone thinking he worked there anyways? if he was dressed in a suit and tie or swim trunks and a t-shirt, then the person asking the question would simply have to be a moron. but if he was dressed in clothing similar to that worn by the staff at the restaurant (kakis, button down, whatever), then what’s the issue?

Hi, Terry:
Your point is well taken.
I will say this, though. It’s easy sitting here on this blog to dispense such advice, however, at the moment when these incidents happened, as a human being having another human being make an assumption about who I am based strictly on my skin color, despite wearing the uniform, I reacted emotionally, disgusted that even though I have been shot at defending this country in Vietnam and other places, to these people I was a “colored person” assumed to be only capable of working in certain positions. I agree with President Obama that maybe all this is a teachable moment for all of us in this nation to learn as we continue to move to a color-blind society.

“You failed to say what did Gates do that was illegal that warranted an arrest and false imprisonment!
Posted by: tylerkad | Jul 25, 2009 11:12:46 AM
—-
Read the police report yourself of Sgt. Crowley, and perhaps that of the other officers there.”
actually, i did. calling a police officer a racist and other names, even at a loud tone of voice, is not illegal.

PRESIDENT Obama and the rest of the black community must understand that it is they who are “profiling” the police. Today’s racism is not the white-on-black racism of yesteryear, most racism in today’s world is in the opposite direction.

poor obama boo hoo…someone thought he worked in a restaurant…how could anyone other than a typical racist white person (that is to say every white person)think he was from the working slob caste. ABC your contortions to make excuses for every questionable thing obama says and does is hilarious

A President is elected by the people and for the people. Any personal bias he has should not be put out there like OBama did with the Gates issue. It’s apparent that OBama is a racist and biased in this incident. And I thought healthcare reform would be OBama’s “Waterloo”. Guess I was wrong. Obama is a one term president that is sinking to the low of Jimmy Carter. Obama’s numbers this morning are below 50%. Caters werent even this low at the same time in office. 2010 will usher in a conservative congress and 2012 a conservative will be elected President. I can’t wait!

He followed the officer outside yelling at him and a crowd was forming, listening to the spectacle. He was told twice to stop or he would be arrested for being a disorderly person. He didn’t stop. If you still can’t understand why he was arrested. Watch the police conference. The lawyer goes over it.

Affirmative action is a form of institutional racial profiling because it is based on the premises that certain races don’t do well as other races and they should be treated with lower standards. In that sense, Mrs. Obama was probably racially profiled to enter Princeton. It also raises question whether Pres. Obama was racially profiled to be admitted to Harvard, which I doubt.

Reading some of these comments makes me think of comments “Hannity” made to defend his case against Michele Obama so called reverse racist comments. He said something like “My Irish, German ancestors had a hard time when they came to this country too”. Oh really,Hannity! Did they arrive with chains and shackles, were they auctioned off and given numbers instead of names. Were their children sold out from under them. Were they beaten by the “Master”. How many Irish, German Americans endured “Mississippi appendectomies were performed on them. I am of Irish German ancestory and would never be stupid enough to make those kinds of comments.

Who hasn’t been treated differently, at some point, by somebody, because of their race or sex or some other over-generalized prejudice? Nobody has that privilege. So, in other words, stop whining. Obama was doing much better when he stayed above the fray.

Remember, Obama started the race issue up in his campaign by calling his grandmother the “typical white person”. Also, he felt so inclined to state that reparations would be given to each and every african american. Yes…Obama is a racist, its evident from the news conference. Sgt Crowley was just doing his job. Gates and Obama want the race issue brought to mainstream media again to take the pressure off the health care reform. Al Sharpton and Jessee Jackson are now jumping on the bandwagon. Obama IS about CHANGE…changing America for the worse…!

“Did they arrive with chains and shackles, were they auctioned off and given numbers instead of names. Were their children sold out from under them. Were they beaten by the “Master”.”
Note that NONE of Obama’s ancestors — unlike those of American blacks — were slaves. O’s African progenitor (who soon returned to Kenya, where he died drunk in a ditch) was a globe-trotting academic whose travels were financed by corporate largesse.

There is a profile for all of us. Why does this issue keep making the national news? Oh yeah — liberals want blacks to believe thy need to ride the small yellow “special” bus. Is it possible the professor is a racist for bring up race — or being hypervigilant over race? Yes. Does a person who is hyper over race or having a flat affect have a personality disorder. yes. What is interesting is that there are 8 million blacks in poverty and 22 million whites in poverty. Poor is poor – it does not see race. Interesting that the poorest of whites are below blacks in poverty.”Marger” Liberals leave the black man alone. They do not want to ride the “special” little yellow bus. Will racism continue from black and white? Yes. But only from a small group who seem to make head lines – Sharpton and Jackson. From a Black stat prof, “Studies done in the 60’s, 70’s 80’s 90’ and some 2000 need to be thrown out because the social study “Cooked the books”. They used the wrong stat to produce bias free studies. PUT THAT IN YOUR PIPE AND SMOKE IT! I love that the media can not censor everyone because of technology. Although, CNN try’s their best to censor.

I was pulled over by a policeman also, for no apparent reason. He came to my window, rudely asked for my I.D. and proof of insurance. I asked why I was pulled over, he yelled that I honked my horn, and that violated the noise ordinance! I was very frightened by his attitude. Luckily, I was not ticketed for honking my horn…..and by the way, I am WHITE. See, it happens to everyone!

I don’t know if this officer is a racist or not, but I do know that he is an egotistic cop. He did not have to arrest Gates. Why isn’t the arrest being prosecuted if Gates committed a crime? Crowley supporters should be demanding a prosecution. How many arrests has Crowley made that didn’t result in convictions? I would not have acted as Gates did, but I am not a black professor of Black Studies. Both of them, Gates and Crowley are going to make out very well over this incident. Crowley will probably wind up as a talking head on Fox. Obama should not have apologized. The arrest was stupid.

Eleanora, I noted that Obama made the point of noting the, “seating person” was a woman.
So in answer to your point, where you say, “by referring to the woman who was seating people in the restaurant: if, in fact, it WAS a woman doing the seating, then how was he supposed to refer to her? “That thing” over there? “It”?”–Let me say what I would have said.
If someone presumed me to the person seating people,and asked me to seat them, I would reply, “I’m sorry, I’m waiting for a table, too, but the person seating people is doing that right now–they’ll be back in a minute”.
Try looking at this point not from a sexist point–as Obama did–but from a racial point.
I am white. If someone came in and asked me to seat them, while I was waiting for my table, and I replied, “I’m waiting for my table, but the black woman seating people will be back soon”, it would be clearly viewed as racist.
The fact that the person was black would be extraneous information, just as the fact that it was a woman was immaterial.
Obama appeared to be profiling and stated that it was a woman, since he, as a male, wouldn’t be doing that sort of work at a buffet restaurant. Women’s work.

“Remember, Obama started the race issue up in his campaign by calling his grandmother the “typical white person”.”
Why a post pointing out that the formerly-imminent Dr. Gates was “your-Mama”-baiting Sergeant Crowley was removed, I don’t know.
It’s difficult to avoid the conclusion that Gates did ALL he could do to GET arrested, and that he maligned at least TWO women in the process — Crowley’s mother, and “some white woman” who “called the cops”.
It is inconceivable that Obama actually didn’t — as he claimed on television — know the details of Gates’ arrest, by the time He used Lynn Sweet to tack the Gates case on to his “press” event.
Come Monday, EVERYBODY will know those details — and the spinner-in-chief’s outrageous and cynical excess on Gates’ behalf (using the networks’ bully pulpit, given for a press event on health care, to intimidate the Cambridge police) will have been for nothing.

Obama is such an embarrassment.
Worst. President. Ever.
And I suffered through the Carter years, so that’s saying something.

There are white and black racists who are stuck in their own misery. On top of that the old civil rights movement’s beliefs and language are dying a slow death. In the future,a new evolved movement will take it’s place with a younger diverse group from different races. There are plenty of white and black people who happily live, go to school and work together and that will continue into the future.

Obama can apologize to the rest of the world about the USA – But can’t make a decent apology to the honorable Police force around the nation- Wake-up America Obama is unfit to lead this GREAT COUNTRY!!

Obama engaged in “racial profiling” in selecting is Supreme Court nominee

Recently AFTER A LONG DAY AT WORK I REMOVED THE TIE AND GOT INTO SOME GRUBBYS WHO CARE CLOTHS MY SON OF 14 AND HIS FRIEND ASKED TO GO TO A LOCAL VIDEO GAME FUN SPOT TO PLAY SOME GAMES AFTER A COUPLE OF HOURS WE STOPPED BY A LOCAL DINNER FOR ICE CREAM ON THE WAY IN THE KIDS HORSEING AROUND GETTING OUT OF THE CAR THREW A PLASTIC CARD UP IN THE AIR, AS WE GOT INSIDE THE EATERY A CUSTMER DEMANDED THAT THE KIDS PICK UP WHAT HE THREW IN THE AIR MY RESPONSE WAS ARE YOU THE LITTER POLICE AND SAT DOWN ACROSS FROM THEM, AFTER SOME ICE CREAM I NOTICED THREE POLICE CARS PULL UP IN FRONT THE PERSON THAT DEMANDED THE KIDS PICK UP THE PAPER CARD CALLED AND SAID THERE WAS A 3 YEAR OLD LEFT IN OUR VEHICLE WHILE WE WERE INSIDE ,AS THIS PERSON CAME BACK INTO THE RESTRAUNT WITH A POLICE OFFICER TO HAVE THE KIDS PICK UP THIS PAPER CARD I THOUGHT TO MYSELF WAS I BEING HARRASSED BECAUSE OF THE WAY I WAS DRESSED IF I STILL HAD MY TIE AND COAT WOULD THESE OFF DUTY OFFICERS PROFILED ME DIFFRENTLY

I think Chris Rock ( the comedian ) is right. The most racist people in the country are older blacks!

The nutty professor of Black Studies,
instead of cooperating politely with the police, acted stupidly and pushed
things to the point the cops had
no choice but to arrest him.

This is getting ridiculous, so mistaking Obama as “staff” is racial profiling, I’ve been mistaken as staff in places and I’ve a white man, I’ve mistaken people, white people as staff at times. It had NOTHING to do with race. Gates didn’t get arrested because he’s black, he got arrested because he had been and was still screaming in the cops face. Cops can lose their temper just like everyone else. Gates is getting a free ride on this issue BECAUSE he’s black

DIMP, you give no examples. I said it is no different (here is California) when one is pulled over. This policeman was crazy. If I had talked rudely, acted crazy, I would have been arrested. NO DOUBT. ALL FOR HONKING MY HORN. Maybe you should move here if you are having trouble where you live.

So basically BO has told all blacks that they can ignore the orders of white police officers….

Obama is a bum he blew this out of the water! he is just trying to impress the black community with all of this. he just needs to sit back and take care of some important stuff like national security or the troops in the war instead of some random black guy.

So what needs to happen now…. when blacks are involved… don’t send white police officers… because “FACTS” don’t matter… once a black person yells “RACIST”… its the white cops who are the guilty ones….

And NOW we know for sure… we have a racist President…… Can you imagine the outcry from the Government run media if a “white” president had said this about a “black” police officer….
Posted by: Vet1973
yeah, just imagine the outcry if unarmed black americans were beaten, arrested, shot for no reason by police…
just imagine the outcry if a lil old white 80 year old grandma was tasered by a policeman as he felt ‘threatened’ by her.
just imagine if the officer, once he found out that Gates was the owner, and there was no crime.. left.
just imagine if there wasn’t KKK, white christian identity groups murdering, hanging, bombing black americans for so long
just imagine if it didn’t take until the mid 1960′s to get voting and civil rights as a ‘black’ american citizen..
just imagine if the outcry over Gates, birth certificate, Sotomayor wasn’t a not so veiled
racist rant by those who are to cowardly to come out and say what they mean.

vet1973…..You said….”So what needs to happen now…. when blacks are involved… don’t send white police officers…”…..They would still complain that it was racism. In fact, when Gates was arrested there was a black officer present. That officer said he supporter the police officer 100%

Rose….Get a grip. It has been 8 months since Obama took office. Obama has led the country close to bankruptcy. Professor Gates is an arrogant jerk. He was arrested not because of the color of his skin but because of his actions. Obama’s comments were insulting to all police officers in this country. Obama used very poor judgment.

I’m sure that the Obama media outlets are working overtime to try to find anything they can to go after the white cop and prove he is a racist… Hey ABC how many reporters do you have researching the Cop ??

“Why do they call Obama a black president? His mom was white right? Why don’t they call him a white president. I think that racism is dumb.”
Racism IS dumb, but talking about it has worked to the advantage of David Axelrod’s organization — which first elected “Obama” prototype Deval Patrick governor of Massachusetts, and on the strenth of that managed to hijack the Democratic Party and elect Obama, who looks “black”.
Obama was raised by white people, went to “white” elite schools, is handled by whites, and most of his apologists in the press are white.
Aside from building his “black”-politico resume with a “community organizer” sojourn (for which he was well paid by a non-profit corporation), Obama’s done nothing for poor and/or black people in his entire political career, and He’s never GOING to — He doesn’t even mention them.
But for a zillionaire black academic in the Ivy League, his outrageous interference knows no bounds. Go figure.

Why does Obama feel it only applies to African Americans? I’m a white female and my husband a white male that works in the construction industry, we are treated with discrimination becouse of our lack of education and money! Yes I have been to the store many times have I been thought to be working there, The difference between Obama and I is I just take it with a grain of salt and move on. I know people by nature will be this way and I dont try to change them! A black man commented to me yesterday that black people feel empowered right now and are just waiting for white folks to screw up becouse of the sins of our fathers….pretty sick attitude and I wonder if Obama is on board with this way of thinking!

“The race card has been played.”
The race card having been insufficient to change Obama’s polls, next week will be completely devoted to “terrorism” drills. (Actually true.)
What an unbelievable charlatan.
psst! — don’t forget Afghani$tan . . .

I usually don’t comment on these boards but I feel I have to speak on this incidence. I believe a lot of people make statements on these treads just to provoke anger or arguements because they have sad petty lives. Keeping it real racism is alive and living in America. I am a 40 something black women and I experince racism on a daily bases. I’m from stl and have been harrassed by the police for being in the wrong nieborhood at the wrong time. The difference is in the mid-west blacks only have to deal with racism from whites but currently living in California I deal with it from every foreigner that chose to come to this country to pursue their dreams. Working in the medical field I see it all the time. Most blacks that have made it have had to let some things slide off their backs. They had to keep their eyes on the prize to avoid the pit falls of this society that would harrass citizens or arrest them because they were not given their due respect. I think that the Gates case was not a racial profile case but a case of a black man not bowing down to “respect” this cop authority. Some people in authority position should not be thete because they abuse that position. I think that this officer abused his power and I pray that President Obama does not apologize for his comment. I think Mr. Gates was just a little frustrated with the door being stuck after getting home from an oversea’s trip and lost his cool. The officer (of the people) should have handle this situation differently but he had a strong desire to put this “boy” back in his place. That’s why he had him step outside of his house to arrest him. To all of those people that say that racism does not exist and you are a non-black walk one day in the life of a black or brown skinned person and see what we see and feel what we feel for one day. Then you will understand why hypertension is so high in the black community. It comes from unexpressed rage!!!

“It’s quite OBVIOUS that BO made his “Stupid” comment based on the FACT the police Officer was white… so I guess ole BO has no problem with racial profiling, since he engages in it…..”
Meanwhile, while He’s crying “racism” and “stupid”, and running presidential interference on a formerly-MINOR — except that it involved one of His supposed friends at Harvard — local police matter in Massachusetts, BO Himself presides over an ACTUAL police state.
“Terrorism” is the supposed excuse for spying on everybody in the US, while invading and occupying other countries — a largely-”racist” undertaking which inflicts dire damage on armed forces personnel and to the crippled US economy — for no good reason.
No wonder the kvetcher-in-chief prefers to talk about the supposed scourge of “racism” in the mansions of Cambridge, Mass.

CW, it has been just over six months since Obama took office, and the current economic crisis was years in the making. We have actually been in a recession since December of 2007, for reasons that date back to a period when no one outside of Illinois had ever heard of Barack Obama.
That said, I feel that he had no business commenting on this incident. He should have known that he would be asked about it and should have been prepared to point out that since he was not in possession of all the facts (whether he felt he was or not), it would be inappropriate for him to comment — that the matter needed to be worked out between Gates and the Cambridge police. That he evidently did not realize that any substantive comment made by a sitting president made would add fuel to the fire disappoints me.

I think we understand more than you think. The majority(white) population voted Obama into office. Obama could not have won (not even come close to winning) with the black vote alone. I think this pretty well proves that the race issue is less prevalent than some think.

Everyone gave Obama the benefit of the doubt on Rev. Wright, even though the man clearly hated white people. Sotomayor has concealed her prejudices enough to get by a “guilty white” bunch of liberal democrats in the Senate. Obama’s comments on the Gates issue made it clear how he thinks with regards to race. And it will cost him most of those white independents who put him in office.

“But there he stood, at a country buffet in Western Illinois, fielding a question from a white customer as if he worked there.”
This is an example of racial profiling? Oh puleeze! I’m white and have had the same thing happen to me.
BO had a nice upbringing as a white person thanks to his white mother’s side of the family, and he now claims to be black so he can get the black vote and enjoy the White House. As more people start to see him for what he really is, his popularity will fall. Hopefully enough people wake up before the next elections so we can get him and his corrupt cronies out of office.

“But there he stood, at a country buffet in Western Illinois, fielding a question from a white customer as if he worked there.”
Oh, the horror!

Get over it. I’m a woman, and I’ve heard petty comments directed at females.

oBAMA IS A RACIST AND MORON……WHY DID ANYONE VOTE FOR HIM?

Boy was that ever a ‘fair and balanced presentation of the news. You interviewed a lot of black people, far more than their per cent in the population. Was ABC ‘racially profiling?’
I haven’t seen such an even handed approach by ABC since Charlie Gibson asked Sarah Palin about the ‘Bush Doctrine.’

“Get over it. I’m a woman, and I’ve heard petty comments directed at females.”
Along with complaining that “some white woman called the police” — one suspects that most, if not all, of Dr. Gates’ zillionaire neighbors, and passers-by among the Cambridge mansions, ARE white — Gates “your-mama”-baited Sergeant Crowley with fighting words (like Obama’s “acting stupidly”) calculated — er, “calibrated” — to give grave offense.
Obama’s past slurs on white females — from his own grandmother to Clinton to Palin — fit right in with those coming from His potty-mouth “friend” at Harvard.
Some “teachable moment”. Unleash David Gergen! Jonathan Alter!

Obama is so arrogant that he thinks his charm and the offer of a beer will just wipe away his foolish comments about the police.
He has put all police in greater danger and set back race relations instead of helping them.
First the CIA and now the police.

“He’s taken affirmative steps to calm this little tempest in a teapot by inviting both parties to the White House to discuss it over a beer.”
Notice how the Sergeant Crowley DIDN’T leap to accept this patronizing invitation to play odd man out while the thin-skinned “soul” duo of Gates and Obama hoist a few proletarian intxoicants at another White House performance for the media. Hurray for Crowley.
Obama’s assumption that alcohol’s the sure cure for Gates’ legal troubles is just plain weird, ANYway.

Most of “you people” just don’t get it do you? Too bad you can’t be black for a year and see what the mindset of our society really is.
===========
I think we’d all benefit from imagining what it might be like to be in another’s shoes, without resorting to the idea that someone else has it sooo much easier.
In general, no matter what people may *think*, no matter what personal ill feelings you have, it is best to treat individuals as if they aren’t a member of a group.

“But there he stood, at a country buffet in Western Illinois, fielding a question from a white customer as if he worked there.
As recalled by a campaign staffer from that time, Obama was standing with three staffers, waiting for their table, when a white man came in and asked for a table for him and his three friends.”
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
If this particular incident can be seen as racial profiling, it seems we’re in a no win situation here.
Over the years I’ve made the honest mistake of assuming someone was an employee of an establishment I’ve frequented; black, white, young, old, etc., etc., and have had the same asked of me. I’d be willing to bet President Obama or his wife have too. I had no idea I may be offending someone (and if I did, they never said anything or led me to believe I did offend them) and I’ve never, ever taken offense at such a question. I guess I’ll just play it safe from here on out and stop talking to people I don’t know unless they look just like me. Is that what we really want? This is just sad all the way around.
Anyway, nice article, Jake. I found it very interesting.

When the police audio is released (unless BO stops it) Gates will sound like another screaming Rev Wright.
It’s no wonder Obama is backpedaling.
This isn’t over.
Obama showed who he really is at the news conference–boring and anti-police.

“When Sgt. Crowley announced through the glass-paneled front door that he was here to investigate a break-in, Gates opened it up and roared back: ‘Why? Because I’m a black man in America?’”
In any neighborhood beyond the mansions of Harvard, with any officer less particular than Crowley, any less-”imminent academic” Gates figure would have been likely to spend the next 72 hours chained to a bed in some state psychiatric facility before anybody would even CONSIDER letting him call a lawyer.
Followed by months or years of court and bureaucratic hassles, forced “anger management” counseling, prolonged probation precluding exposure to firearms and alcohol, and maybe jail.

I read the police report, and if it’s true, Gates brought this on himself by not cooperating. He refused to step outside and just identify himself to the police officer. I know he was in his own home, but he made it worse by calling the cop’s boss on the phone, right in front of the cop, and saying that he had “a racist police officer in my home.” At that point Gates escalated it, and put the cop in a position of having to cover his behind. The racsim charge is very serious and sould not be thrown around.
If the cop had just left at that point, Gates could have accused him of anything and the cop would have had no way to disprove it. By arresting him he could prove that no harm was done to Gates.
No too smart Skip!

Reading this board is truly a sad statement on America. Racism is here and clearly demonstrated on this board.
As a white affluent educated man, this whole episode and America’s response to it has been exceptionally disappointing.
Crowely messed up. Gates was wrongly arrested. There is absolutely no competent judge that would uphold the charge and accusation.
This was a wrongful arrest true and true.
Reading statements from the majority of this board is downright disappointing. Nobody respects each other and the purpose of law. Gates freedom was violated. He is allowed to protest an officer no matter how distasteful it may have been.
If it was a black cop taking in Tom Brady for this incidence, I wouldn’t even want to be around for that outrage by the now “I love the police” crowd.
For those of us that don’t have racial hatred or bias, this is indeed a very sad and frightening moment in America.

“Same for Obama, it was a question meant to stir the pot … ”
Ah, but it was OBAMA who wanted to stir the local police pot: he KNEW that Sweet’s question was about Gates, and had His “acted stupidly” salvo — soon echoed by Axelrod’s OTHER protege, governor Deval Patrick of Massachusetts — ready in advance.
If in doubt about this, watch the “press conference” tape.
Too many cheap shots: The One is done.

“Racism is here and clearly demonstrated on this board.”
It’s perfectly possible to hold a “black” person — particularly a political operator who cries “racism” every time He’s under scrutiny or criticism of any kind — in complete contempt for reasons other than “racism”.

Well gee, I guess I’m a victim of racial profiling and didn’t even know it. Practically every store or restaurant I go into someone assumes I work there and I’m a caucasion woman. He’s such an idiot.

When Gates screamed at Sergeant Crowley, “you don’t know who you are messing with”, he was certainly thinking of his friend and bro in the White House.

Nothing wrong with racial profiling. Look at the race of the majority of the prison populations charts. The numbers speak for themselves as to which race is more likely to be criminal.

This will never happen again. All around the country the rules for the actions of police responding to calls about attempted burglary.
First the policeman will never even suspect that the person appearing to break into the building in question is not lawfully entitled to do so.
Second, if the “suspect” does not care to produce identification indicating that he “lives there”, the officer will quite simply apologize for asking and leave.
Third, if the person claims to not have identification on his person, but suggests that he/she be allowed to enter the house, unaccompanied by an officer, to get the appropriate identification, this should not be questioned by the officer.
Fourth, if the suspect seems irritated, screams, yells, acts fierce and accuses the officer of bothering him/her in an illegal racially based way (no matter what the races involved), this cannot be interpreted in a negative way.
Simple? Yes, quite simple!

Obama can now be called the Racist in Chief. His true colors continue to show. This man has created a huge gulf in race relations and set race relations back 25 years. He is obviously a racist at heart. A man who sits in the Oval Office should not be saying the things he says and then find a need to retract his statement or admonish those he believes do not agree with him. And the press thinks he can do no wrong….

“[Stupid] IS “EXACTLY” WHAT HE SAID AND THERE IS NO DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT HE MEANT IT.”
Difference of opinion, as the old folks used to say, is what makes horse races.
There’s no doubt in MY mind that Obama knew the facts of the Cambridge case, and knew that in fact the police had, considering the deliberate provocation, acted with laudable restraint.
In other words, Obama KNEW the police had NOT “acted stupidly”.
Obama ALSO knew that the charges against Gates hadn’t been serious, and that Harvard would fix whatever it was without His intervention.
So … WHY did he fan the furor on national teevee?
The latest seems to be that Gates has — according to Newsday — gone incommunicado, cancelled his plans for lawsuits and a documentary, now says it’s “time to move on”, and has borrowed Obama’s “This is not about ME” line, for the moment.
Something’s really fishy, and getting fishier, about the Sweet-Obama-Gates story.
One thing of which we can be pretty sure: theroot — the Washington Post’s “black” online mag, presided over by Gates — is never gonna be the same.

The aging prof seems to have spent his whole life reading, studying, teaching and writing about slavery in times now long gone. He behaves erratically. He is maladjusted to the world of today. Hello Harvard, he needs help.

In the last week I’ve read so many instances of alleged racial profiling here and elsewhere that mirror experiences I’ve had. I’ve had people approach me thinking I worked at a restaurant or store I was in, but you know what? I figured it was because I was standing by the hostess station wearing a white blouse and black slacks, like the wait staff or clerks – not because I was being racially profiled. I’ve been pulled over for minor traffic infractions – like having my license plate partially concealed by the holder, or driving with an expired inspection sticker (twice in one night), or having the taillights out on my car. And you know what? The plate was partially obscured, and my inspection sticker was out of date, and my car had blown a fuse and knocked the taillights out. All fairly minor, but I got pulled over and I took my medicine and didn’t scream about it and get myself arrested. I’ve had cops drive down the road behind my car for blocks or miles. Intimidation? Or were they just going the same direction as I was? I guess if I was a minority I could claim all of that was racial profiling. But I’m white.
If what you really want is to see profiling and bigotry everywhere, you can characterize just about any everyday occurrence and interaction that way. But why do so many people want to do something so unhealthy?

Personally I think what he said was very anti-white, anti-police and borderline racist. Oh well I guess he did not forget the teachings of his church. LOL.

“Simple? Yes, quite simple!”
from The Harvard Crimson:
“Gates’ home had previously been broken into, before the arrest” . . .
Now that the Gates-Obama drama is resulting in a panel to investigate the whole case in Cambridge — not what Gates had in mind at the time, perhaps — it might be better if “friends” of Obama who enjoy beyond-the-law status while He’s in the White House could be so designated in some way that’s visible to all, police and civilians alike — that way, they’ll NEVER be arrested, always move to the front of the line, have automatic right-of-way at traffic instersections, and the like.
Tattooing Obama’s friends’ foreheads might work, along with affixing a statue of His Specialness to the hood or fenders of their limos/bicycles, etc.
There may be some catty “mark of the Beast” and “Anti-Christ” remarks on the blogs, but it’ll save the police a lot of time, which will save some of whatever public funds have yet to be transferred from the Treasury, to Obama’s friends in favored corporations.

I am very dissappointed in the President. I guess old habits are hard to break. It is so easy to throw the race card around when things get tough. This is a case of a black man filled full of hatred. This police officer was trying to do his job and couldn’t leave until he was sure this man was the property owner. If it was my house I would be grateful for the police officer coming to check my house and grateful for my neighbor for calling them. But, some people want to live in the past. Stop the hatred and embrace that we are all one nation under god. Remember we can do this, “YES, WE CAN”.

It seems that observers here break down into two camps: those that live in a “reality-based community,” and everybody else. As an investigator/social worker for the Florida Department of Children and Families, I work daily with one of fourteen local law enforcement jurisdictions plus the respected Palm Beach County Sheriff’s; I am continually amazed by (most) men and women in law enforcement who stand calmly by in the face of all sorts of agitation, disrespect, and “venting.” I learn something about restraint and non-reactivity from most of these folks almost every time I go out with them. It is absurd that this officer found the need to arrest Dr. Gates…a sergeant, no less so likely a supervisor; certainly he was no rookie. And to arrest him for “disorderly conduct?” – the classic “trash can” charge. No allegations of battery on a police officer, no allegations of resisting arrest…”disorderly conduct?” This comports well with my experience of living in New England for six years: beneath the veneer of civilized, cultured attitudes is a strong undercurrent of authoritarianism and control, based on harsh classist and racist notions of what is “acceptable” behavior. I don’t care what Dr. Gates said to that sergeant; if there was no evidence that a crime had been committed, and he did not touch the officer, the arrest is inexcusable and the officer should be reprimanded. I am extremely disturbed by the doubt, derision, and criticism that is being directed at Dr. Gates by what are, presumably, white writers. (For the record, I am a 62 yr old, white male born, raised and educated in North Carolina.) But I am most troubled by the level of racism reflected in these comments, most presumably from New Englanders.

there’s an old country saying about this,and it somes it up nicely…he’s “messed in his nest”,won’t be another 4 years

A Disorderly Conduct offense can NOT be applied to a person who is in his own home (Disorderly Conduct: “Conduct that is likely to lead to a disturbance of the PUBLIC peace or that offends PUBLIC decency”). The cop missed this decisive legal point entirely. Fortunately, the Prosecutor did NOT miss it and Nolle Prossed it. In the third from last paragraph in the cop’s complaint narrative the arresting officer states that while inside Gates’ home he told Gates he “would speak with him [Gates] outside” and the cop proceeds to explain WHY the officer wanted to speak to Gates “outside” rather than inside the house. Gates’ conduct outside his home on his front porch, was identical to his conduct inside his home. This conclusively demonstrates the cop did NOT believe that Gates’ conduct inside his home was “disorderly” on its face, otherwise, why would the officer issue a directive that would move that conduct outside, thereby CREATING a “public” disturbance which would never have occurred and would never have been “PUBLIC” if Gates had NOT followed the officer’s directive and had remained inside his home. There are only 2 possibilities. Either the officer, in bad faith, set Gates up for a sucker-punch arrest that he knew he could NOT make if Gates stayed inside his home (Entrapment). Or, the officer never believed Gates’ conduct (inside or outside his home) constituted a public disturbance. Either way, this was a bad, unjustifiable arrest that does not pass the smell test. Entrapment does NOT constitute a valid lawful basis for an arrest.

We have to drop this.
If not Obama is going to make another race speech.
Haven’t we seen enough of Obama?
His speecnwriter is one busy guy.
And poor TOTUS.

Let’s hear the tapes!
Probably will be just as entertaining as Rev Wright’s sermons.
Your mama!!!

Any police official who claims that the Gates situation could not be quelled without an arrest, given the known facts, is either incompetent or is lying through his teeth, and should NOT be on any police force. Typically, they are the ones who arrogantly and unjustifiably refuse to provide their name and badge number when citizens request it.

“I don’t see why this makes so much national news.”
1. Because it was a “racism” set-up
2. Because Obama — with the help of Chicago news-marm Lynn Sweet — used the television networks’ “press conference” time to further the “racism” set-up

“Dumb people…”
OK Smart guy: Why did the officer instruct Gates to go to his front porch then?

“Typically, they are the ones who arrogantly and unjustifiably refuse to provide their name and badge number when citizens request it.”
Careful: the “your mama” tapes are yet to come. And the police who refuse to provide names, and tape over their numbers, are usually those cracking heads among crowds of demonstraors in the streets.
There’d have been no reason for Crowley not to give his name and number — presumably he was wearing his badge, and he’d already identified himself. Besides, Gates was on the phone, complaining to Crowley’s superior about Crowley’s supposed “racism”.

Obama is a lying self-pitying fool.

TWENTY YEARS WITH REV WRIGHT? SURE IS SHOWING UP NOW. BYE, BYE BAMA

“Why did the officer instruct Gates to go to his front porch then?”
According to the police report, that was because the echoes of the racket Gates was making in the kitchen was keeping Crowley from being able to hear his radio, on which he was communicating the situation.
Remember that a black officer who was with Crowley supports both his account, and his actions at the time.
All of it’s online, easily reachable.

>
Because Gates is connected. His friend, the mayor called and insisted the charges be dropped. Then she blocked release of the tapes (yes tapes!) of the incident, and ordered the police not to speak to the press.
Anybody ever do this for you? Yeah – me neither. Us poor dumb working slobs have to go to court and make a plea. Rich connected people like Gates are above the law. The officer’s big mistake was in failing to realize that when Gates shouted it at him.

I wonder if Harvard would stand behind a white professor who treated a cop of any color in this manner? A responsible university would do a psych eval of Gates before they turn him loose on students again. Any bets on whether Harvard will?

Interesting that Obama paid a bunch of overdue parking tickets to Cambridge about two weeks before announcing for the presidency – I GUESS HE HADN’T PAID THEM ON TIME AS HE PROBABLY THOUGHT THAT HE WAS BEING RACIALLY PROFILED???

I, too, have been mistaken for an employee in an establishment where I was, in fact, a customer.
Yet I am white.

GATES, A SOCIAL STUDIES PROFESSOR? FITS TODAY’S PROFILE AS A NUT JOB. BACK IN THE LATE 50s, I HAD A PROFESSOR…….. WHO ACTUALLY TAUGHT SOCIAL STUDIES!!!

“Gates should be happy he doesn’t live in San Diego, his abuse of the officer could have ended much, much worse.”
Spitted on his own cane, or merely left in a closed cop car to soak up some solar gain, WOULD have been worse.

My problem with Gates is that he INSTANTLY started in with the racist crap, before he even IDed himself. What was the cop supposed to do, just say “Oh excuse me mister burglar” and walk away?

I wonder if Obama would have been so quick to side with Gates if Gates weren’t his close friend. Kinda makes his comments worse if they were based solely on a personal level. He’s supposed to be EVERYBODY’S president including the police.

“He’s supposed to be EVERYBODY’S president … ”
He has some kind of special waiver, apparently, for poor people, sick people, women, white people over 50, doctors who speak out against His muddled “health care” blabla, Republicans, recalcitrant Democrats, single-payer and peace advocates, and people who don’t care for total surveillance.
It’s the Chicago Way.

“If someone came in and asked me to seat them, while I was waiting for my table, and I replied, “I’m waiting for my table, but the black woman seating people will be back soon”, it would be clearly viewed as racist.
The fact that the person was black would be extraneous information, just as the fact that it was a woman was immaterial.”
This wouldn’t be extraneous or immaterial information to anyone who was actually looking for that person in a hungry crowd, perhaps seeking to cross her palm with silver in order to be seated sooner.
Just as a woman calling to report “two black men” breaking down a door is being descriptive, not “racist”.

The officer initially asked Gates to come outside because he was responding to a report of a break in involving TWO men. He was only talking to one. Would a lone officer go inside with two possible criminals? That would be stupid. He also couldn’t leave right away because Harvard owns the apartment. Harvard requires that HARVARD POLICE/SECURITY has to be there. So all the officers, not just Crowley had to wait. BTW Crowley’s name and number was on his uniform. And for the 100th time the woman who called was walking to work, not a neighbor.

If I was the Sergeant in this case, I wouldn’t go to the White House. The invitation is a farce. Gates is a flake.

When Whites discuss racial profiling they begin by displaying their lack of understanding and empathy. Any white person wish to live as a Black Man any where in White America for a few days?

The officer was inside the house and had already seen Gates’ ID when he told Gates that if he wanted to get his name and badge number, he would have to follow him outside.
The reason the officer did this is that in Mass. a disorderly arrest requires that the behavior of the person be public.
A classic set-up by the cops.
The cop knew exactly what he was doing.

If there was a tape of there conversation, i bet you would have heard Gates being way out of line, Just because the cop was white he assumed he was prejudice. Sad, gates should apologize…

ELMO – NOT ONLY DID THE SERGENT HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF OTHER BAD GUYS AROUND(HOW WAS HE TO KNOW?), BUT THE VERBAL ABUSE TOWARD THE SERGENT COULD HAVE TURNED PHYSICAL VERY EASILY (HOW WAS HE TO KNOW?). HE DID THE PROFESSOR A FAVOR BY ARRESTING HIM – AND LOOK AT ALL THE THANKS HE GOT!! IF I WERE THE SARGE, I WOULD STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM THE WHITE HOUSE, FAR AWAY – JUST MORE BS!! OBAMA MEANT WHAT HE ORIGINALLY SAID – NO MISUNDERSTANDING OR WRONG IMPRESSIONS ABOUT IT!!! OBAMA IS STILL SORE ABOUT THOSE UNPAID PARKING TICKETS HE HAD TO COUGH UP TO CAMBRIDGE BEFORE RUNNING FOR PRES!!

If you have not been in the receiving end of racial profiling then you will not know what it feels like and how bad it is done by Police Officers! I think we all could agree that their is abuse of power in some police departs. OK maybe Sgt. James Crowley did or didn’t do it but hey why are you going to arrest someone who is or was mad at the time for unknown reasons it’s just a waste of time and money spent when as we all know the next day the charges were dropped!!!! Before we all start making judgment calls Remember if you have not had been pulled over for no reason or harassed by Police Officers cause of your skin care or race then you have no way to understand. The President did the right thing We need to put a light on these type of matters! This President can handle it as he has proven it!

KATRINA – I DON”T KNOW HOW THINGS ARE DONE IN CAMBRIDGE, BUT I’M PRETTY SURE THAT IN OHIO, VERBAL ABUSE TOWARD A POLICE OFFICER IS AGAINST THE LAW, NO MATTER WHAT THE PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCE – AND IT SHOULD BE. I DISAGREE WITH MY BOSS ON OCCASION, I READY GO OFF, BUT THEN I REMEMBER THAT HE HAS THE BIGGER PICTURE – I DON’T – AS IN THIS CONFRONTATION.

“When Whites discuss racial profiling they begin by displaying their lack of understanding and empathy. Any white person wish to live as a Black Man any where in White America for a few days?
Posted by: Herbert Barker | Jul 25, 2009 8:59:03 PM”
As a white person…that would be my biggest nightmare to trade places with you…even if you are wealthy.
I’m well aware that what happened to Mr. Gates would never happen to me. Not all of us are facetious and many of the ugly comments you’re reading are from racists who flock here from certain hateful sites. They despise Obama and if you read their sites, they revel in racial tension.

“I hope the Police Sgt, does not go to the White House.
Posted by: Larry Wallace | Jul 25, 2009 9:31:50 PM”
I’m sure that would ruin a lot of things wouldn’t it. ;) What else have you guys got?

Posted by: Mark | Jul 25, 2009 9:29:51 PM
——————–
You’re a great American! God bless your soul. I pray good people like you will not let this country go back into the hands of extremists from both side.
When I watched the last BET Awards, I said to myself that it was a shame that good honest citizenship, country, family values, et al were not the focus of the night. I pray this will not continue to be the face of blacks in America. But I also know that whites cannot be described by some racist rants here and other places.

As more and more evidence becomes known, Gates is clearly the problem here. Gates obviously didn’t get Chris Rock’s public service video on how black people should interact with the police; be polite and shut up. But no, Gates had to force his black racist agenda as testified to by the supporting present NON-WHITE officers and the neighbor who called in the alleged burglary. The police audio tapes, which we will never hear thanks to White House suppression of the truth (what transparency?) also supports Sgt. Crowley’s version of events. Gates wanted a soapbox for his black racist agenda. He got it at the expense of an exemparly officer of the law. I suggest the next time Gates needs help for a burglary, he call Ghostbusters. As for the beer at the White House, please Sgt. Crowley, tell the President to enjoy it with his racist buddy, but you won’t be there. Of course, we all know you will be there, pressured to go or lose your job and pension. So much for change. So much for business as usual. So much for “improved” race relations in this country. I expected more from the change candidate – silly me.

Flash Override, the reason he asked him to step outside was because in cases of reported breaking and entering, they need to clear the premises to be sure no one else is in the home who should not be there. That’s also why he asked if Gates was the only one there.

Mark: “As a white person…that would be my biggest nightmare to trade places with you…even if you are wealthy.
I’m well aware that what happened to Mr. Gates would never happen to me. Not all of us are facetious and many of the ugly comments you’re reading are from racists who flock here from certain hateful sites. They despise Obama and if you read their sites, they revel in racial tension. ”
Gates was wrong. Obama was wrong. Just because some people may “despise” Obama does not mean they are a racist in any way. MORE people can be shown as being racists for voting for Obama because of his race then against.

I’M SURE BARRY OBAMA PROBABLY HAD CONTACT WITH LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT WHEN HE WAS OUT SCORING COKE OR SELLING IT….YOU CAN’T BE OUT ON THE STREET OUT OF CONTROL AND NOT HAVE SOME CONTACT WITH THE COPS.

” It is an honest mistake people of all races make when looking for help.”
I agree – I am black and have made that mistake several times. Lucky for me, the white, asian or whatever did not take offense and start screaming at me about racial profiling them because of their “skin color.”
Gates, despite his “Harvard education” was just another racist person behaving badly. Crowley was just doing his job and Obama? well, Obama, since he didn’t have all the facts, was speaking “stupidly.”

Only Abraham Lincoln had the right idea.
And I don’t mean the obvious idea that
might come to mind when you hear
or read the words: “Abraham Lincoln.”
On, evenso, goes the Wheel of
Politically Correct Politics.
Enough said.

Only the stupid, don’t give a squat types will say that racial profiling and racism period does not exist any longer. Playing the race is not the issue here as far as I’m concerned and I blame the professor for doing so. Yes, I’ll call him an instigator. The police were called and they did their job but, also took it overboard.
The real issue: I have no doubt that the professor was demeaning and use racist overtures and other unsavory epithets to the police officer. However, to quote what one police officer that happens to be white said; “It was stupid to arrest him. We are trained to have thick skin and for someone that supposedly trains other officers in sensitivity when dealing with the public he if anyone should know better. You can’t arrest people simply because they are yelling at you and calling you names. If you did the jails would be overflowing, you couldn’t build them fast enough. We are submitted to that kind of stuff from the public every day. We are trained to ignore it, keep a cool head and do our job without escalating things. Once the professor’s identity and residency was confirmed and there was no burglary taking place, the police should have left regardless of the rant and raving the professor was doing.”
I have family and friends that are police officers and every single one I’ve talked to has said the same thing. Keep your cool, do your job and leave to area as soon as possible so not to inflame the situation. Sometimes your mere present (as a police officer) serves to fuel the fire and if you persist in fanning the fire it could explode and you have a worst situation than what you began with.

Hmmmm, the police tries to do his job and gets called racist for doing it and his mama gets insulted too.
The police should not have to take abuse for trying to protect a homeowners’ best interest.
Maybe we should all act ungrateful and rude to law enforcement officials when they are trying to protect and uphold citizens rights.
I wonder how that would benefit us?

I think Obama was inadvertently throwing jabs at the Cambridge Police Department. They gave him 17 tickets when he lived there and attended Harvard.
He paid 15 of those tickets in addition to some local taxes in 2007 just before he began campaigning. He wasn’t worried about the tickets and taxes for 20 years until he was attempting to clean his trail for the campaign.
I only believe half of what Obama says and have doubts about the other half.
The cop doing his job just happened to come in contact with a “lowly” Harvard professor. Being affiliated with Harvard doesn’t mean you can’t be a racist lowly jackass without manners and respect.

“YES”, the the question was Obama ever racially profiled. Isn’t that why he was elected President? Due to racism or at least the perception of it? USA elected a black as President, therefore the USA isn’t racist. Q.E.D.
Obama was a direct result of racial profiling stigma in that people were so afraid of voting against him, lest they be called racist!

“Gates was wrong. Obama was wrong. Just because some people may “despise” Obama does not mean they are a racist in any way. MORE people can be shown as being racists for voting for Obama because of his race then against.
Posted by: Real Truth | Jul 25, 2009 10:13:18 PM”
I stand by my comment that I would NEVER want to be any race but white. It does matter and it is easier. Anyone who says it isn’t is either facetious or blind.

Patrick,when we talk about disproportionate representation we are also talking in part about the fact that a HIGHER percentage of blacks who commit crimes are incarcerated than whites who commit crimes and racial minorities tend to serve longer sentences than whites — their sentences are set to be longer from the get go. In other words, of all the people who commit crimes, whites get off the hook more often and don’t end up in prison as often despite doing the crime, or when they don’t get off the hook, they are given shorter sentences. That is a double standard– but in the opposite direction you were talking about. The overrepresentation of African Americans in the criminal justice system results to some extent from a higher percentage of African Americans committing certain kinds of crimes, but also to a certain extent from discrimination against racial minorities and the poor. Like I said, and I want to stress this, racial minorities are given longer sentences for the same crimes. And while studies have found that there is a fairly close fit between the percentage of African Americans in prison and the percentage of African Americans arrested for homicide, robbery, and (to a lesser extent) burglary, for drug offenses, African Americans were OVERrepresented in prison by nearly 50 percent. There is a crime problem in the African American community, and both blacks and whites need to be honest about that and work together to change some things, but there also is discrimination — more racial minorites ARE profiled and pulled over and arrested and charged. Sometimes wrongfully. The ideal is equal justice for all, but we’ve never been there. Not yet. We all have to work diligently to get there.

Ed, I voted for Obama because I thought he was the best candidate with the best ideas to get the country back on track after an eight year debacle, and he inspired me. It had nothing to do with being afraid of being called racist if I didn’t vote for him. In my experience the Republican party is more apt to be the heretic hunting, name calling, race-profiling party, though there are Republican exceptions.
Inside the Beltway, you write “The cop doing his job just happened to come in contact with a “lowly” Harvard professor. Being affiliated with Harvard doesn’t mean you can’t be a racist lowly jackass without manners and respect.” I’d hardly describe Professor Gates in that manner, but even if that was an apt description, being a jackass without manners and respect isn’t illegal and doesn’t warrant an arrest from your own home. Civil rights, dude. Civil rights!

I think maybe Sgt. Crowley is guilty. If I were him and not guilty, I would decline the beer invitation or delay coming to the White House until the Professor apologize to him and until Mr. Obama apologize to the American people.

lauren…Two Words: ANGER MANAGEMENT…

SO the then Senator Obama was mistakenly taken as a server ? it happens to anyone. I had the same experience before and I’m not black.
Posted by: Frank
I believe this post sums up nicely how clueless many white Americans are about black history in America…..

and then curses/berates/threatens the police officers and, according to reports, his “mama”? Posted by: Ed
Mr. Gates ‘threatens the police’, the big guy with the gun? … wonder why the officer, after learning of the mistake just didn’t leave, police have a difficult job, sure…..but if saying ‘yo mama’ to a cop causes arrest nowadays, we are all in trouble…..

This is the wost case REAL ABUSE OF POWER in a generation
David from WI
really ?…. ‘in a generation’….?
guess you forgot about the McCarthy Communism ‘hearings’ in the early 50′s, or Watergate, or Iran Contra, or the history of non-whites in america until very recently….
recent torture, ….. what’s the use…so much for history…

Here’s the trend of Obama’s Job Approval:
Jan: Approve 64 Disapprove 17.6 Spread: +46.4
July: Approve 54.5 Disapprove 41.3 Spread: +13.2
That trend is a -4.7 spread per month over 7 months.
Obama has a 49% Job Approval and a Negative 11 Approval Index in Rasmussen among Likely Voters.
The trend going forward:
Aug: Approve 52.2 Disapprove 43.5 Spread: +8.7
Sep: Approve 49.9 Disapprove 45.8 Spread: +4.1
Oct: Approve 47.6 Disapprove 48.1 Spread: -0.5
Nov: Approve 45.3 Disapprove 50.4 Spread: -5.1
Dec: Approve 43.0 Disapprove 52.7 Spread: -9.7
These Plummeting Job Approval Numbers for Obama indicate why there is such a rush to pass this awful agenda.

Are you guys serious first you provoke the president to comment on the stupity of the police. Then you critise him for getting involved.He’s black and YOU asked him what he thinks.If he says nothing supportive he allienates the black community. If he says something ‘stupidly’, he alienates the whites.This is news that you orchestrated.You puppeteer this story then tie knots in the strings.I was on Grants side …at first.When the president of the US invites you over for a beer, a difficult man would say, ” I don’t drink beer”.Grant is an idiot
Stop manipulating the news

A word about the President’s invitation to the two principal figures.
Why should Sergeant Crowley a great police officer be subjected to unnecessary embarrassment? Why does he have to shake hands with a screwball academic like Gates?
That’s like asking smart people to embrace stupid people. The President should ask the stupid people to elevate themselves and become smart first.

“[Obama is] black and YOU [the press] asked him what he thinks.”
Obama SET UP the question from Lynn Sweet — that’s perfectly clear from the tape of the press performance.
Note that the charge against Gates had ALREADY been dismissed, but Gates was playing it waaay up, planning a documentary, law suits, etc. Now, Gates has backed off and gone incommunicado.

As long as I can remember health insurance had been a problem and I am 52 years old and I am sure it has been a problem long before I was born. When individuals and families pay premiums annually, they expect their insurance company to pay their bill but they refused to pay and that is a major problem for the american people. Years ago, insurance companies use to pay 100% when patrons filed on their insurance. Now, patrons pay 20%, 30%, 40%, or 50% of the remaining bill after the insurance has paid plus we are still paying annual premiums to have covered when needed. It does not make sense. What is wrong with this picture?

Professor Gates was wrong, wrong, wrong. He refused to identify himself and berated an officer of the law who was trying to make sure his home was safe and secure. Imagine if there was an intruder inside and Gates was robbed or killed after the officers left?

No way should Sgt. Crowley agree to sit down with Gates and Obama unless it’s made perfectly clear it is an opportunity for Gates and Obama to atone to Crowley for their missteps in this situation.
You can’t have a situation where some, because of history, are allowed to verbally abuse and be uncooperative with the police. Obama has conveyed and validated a view of law enforcement that will endanger both cops and members of the community alike.
When in a law enforcement situation, the cop is in charge, not Gates, and not the president. The president has no legal role to play here, but is framing this in a way that blames Crowley for perceived past wrongs and slights against African Americans, for political purposes.
I commend Sgt. Crowley for not cowering, not apologizing for being white, and for rejecting the “narrative” Obama and Gates are trying to place on this event. He shouldn’t be abused like a stand-in for historical wrongs.
We all want to live in a world where local law and order is legitimately maintained, and the people charged with enforcing it have the respect and cooperation required to make that happen.
Sigh. All part of being a white cop in America.

mark…”you guys??” Ummmm

Crowley should be fired for abuse of power! He epitomizes the pompous attitude of the police.

“Like many African-American men, Illinois state Sen. Barack Obama (D-Chicago) suspects but cannot prove he was a victim of racial profiling when he was stopped by police for no apparent reason.”
Maybe black paranoia should be looked into. Many whites get stopped by the police for no apparent reason and yet they do not suspect profiling. By strongly believing in white racism and the police profiling.
Many blacks are holding themselves back by playing victim when it is simply not true. Seeing racism everywhere waters down public reaction when the rare but real incidents of true racism and profiling are exposed.
Gates called “Race!” a few times too many.
And, from his answer, “No.” Obama has never been racially profiled.

He refused to identify himself and berated an officer of the law
Posted by: Jenna, NYC
when did the cop know that Gates was indeed Gates and no crime was being committed….
at that point if there was no crime, why didn’t the cop leave….. The cop, the big guy with the gun was ‘berated’? Gates was unarmes and the cop knew that… that’s the new standard for arresting citizens? takes a brave man with a gun to arrest an American because they felt a citizen, with no threat to the cop ( with the gun)
‘berated them….. talk about fascism

Racial profiling works,after so many years of chasing and catching criminals and 70% of them black it would make anyone look harder at a black subject that a white subject. Its just a fact more blacks commit crime than whites do.Gates was arrested for disorderly conduct.Not because he was Black.

I watched ABC and CBS today.
On ABC George Wilt tried to push the matter of Racial Profiling under the rug. This is a well educated man,actually I noticed in the talk show he came out a few years ago, he proceeded to say that Ameerica is on the side of Israel against the Arabic Nations that surround the Jewish state. Well, maybe Osama was watching hence the result of what is happening now. On CBS both the candidates talking in Face the Nation, proceeded to talk about what transpired although Mr. Dyson injected that Racial profiling is causing the Police to act like Dictators. No one proceeded to show the TV clip about the Police stoppng a white man who was biligerent on the highway, who tore his traffic ticket and threw it out of the window, all the time cussing and swearing. The problem was protrayed like a joke. The white man while cussing was allowed to drive away.

In another dose of reality for the Axelrod/Obama machine, poll numbers for Obama prototype Deval Patrick, governor of Massachusetts, are ALSO sinking:
“Patrick’s favorability rating has dropped sharply over the past seven months, with just 36 percent of respondents holding a favorable opinion of him, and 52 percent viewing him unfavorably. As recently as December, 64 percent of voters viewed him favorably.” (Boston Globe)

Ummm, blacks make up only 12% of the population yet blacks commit over 70% of the crimes. If you believe that, you must be stuck on stupid!!

As he was passing me I was slowing down to a red light.He then did a u-turn and was behind me,making me nervous.I went through the green light and was immediately pulled over.He said failure to turn off high beams.I told him the road was very dark.Then he said I was speeding.47 mph in a 40 mph zone.I was at a red light,how could I have been speeding.He gave me a warning tag for speeding and not the lights.This harrassment happens at lease once a month.

You know, every time someone throws down the race card, and it’s not true, it just diminishes the next time it’s thrown down. Read the parable of The Boy Who Cried Wolf. If you lie about something enough times, no one will believe you when you tell the truth. Anyone who’s really been racially profiled should be appalled that they won’t be believed thanks to the likes of Gates.

Here’s a story I experienced personally some years ago. A friend of mine named Betty, an African-American, and I worked at a major financial institution. Betty worked through a temporary agency and was hired as a temporary worker working full-time hours as a receptionist. Betty was separated (soon to be divorced), with 2 children. She was very nice, kind, well-groomed, a top-notch receptionist. She could handle many phone lines with top skills and quite professional and was at work on time everyday. I knew all this because we were co-workers and lunched together. Betty was looking for a full-time job and applied for the position. I assumed she would get the job without fail. Well, one day Betty was no longer there. I was told by the manager that they had hired someone permanently. They had hired one the VP’s neices. She was white, blue-eyed with blond hair and about 18 years old, no skills, no experience, tardy and could not handle the multi-line phones. I hate to say this but she was a total klutz. She didn’t need the job. For some reason, I guess to brag, she let me see her checking account bank book and she had a balance of well over $1,000 in it, and all she talked about was partying and clothes. No professionalism on the job. Needless to say she lasted less than a month, and was fired, and I had to fill in until they found another temporary receptionist. But I never could do that job as well as Betty. Betty was a pro. I didn’t think about it at the time, but as time passed, I finally accepted the truth. I was puzzled and talked to a few people because I really missed Betty and always hoped things turned out well for her. She WAS racially profiled on the job because of her dark skin. Racism is still very much alive. You can’t sweep it under the rug. Call it for what it is.

OBAMA IS VIOLATING THE PEOPLE RIGHTS WE NEED TO IMPEACH OBAMA

Hey Rambow99, why do you want to impeach the SAVIOR, the one who promises CHANGE? You’all should have thought of that before you voted the post turtle in.

Before the election I predicted that in 6 months you would not be able to find anyone who would admit to voting BHO into office. Well I must apologize, I missed it a month or two.

If this is what bothers the POTUS, he has a racial issue. I can’t tell you how many times I have been profiled for working in a place I am not employed at. Sometimes it’s just because I look as if I know what I’m doing. I’m white. The same thing can be said of any race. Example, a mexican in a mexican restaurant, and he could be a Congressman. Or a Chinese doctor in a chinese grocery store. Nonsense, utter nonsense. It just proves that racism exists in all of us including the highest elected officials. What is wrong is to play that race card when we are trying to see people as individuals.

Well, Gates certainly treated Crowley differenty based on his race. so it must be true.

There is the neighbor’s picture, Crowley’s report, the other cops reports and all the witnesses. They all tell the same story. Even if the 911 tapes are released it won’t change anyone’s mind. The Gate defenders will still make excuses. The poor woman who called it in has a lawyer now to defend the racist attacks.

What’s the difference between Black commentators calling Crowley a “racist profiler” because of memories THEY have of other cops doing so,
And White commentators “racially profiling” Blacks because of previous burglaries or assaults in their own experiences?
Nothing, really.
Professor Gates PROFILED the white cop unfairly, and assumed he could get away with screaming “racism” because Obama was his buddy.
And Obama fell into his trap.
What a teachable moment this has been, indeed.

OK…please do not confuse BIGOTRY – and anyone can be a bigot – with RACISM. Racism requires POWER. For example, have White people suffered from bigotry as THE LAW OF THE LAND? (Don’t even try it if you’re Irish, Jewish, et al. – your ancestors did not come to this continent against their will!) Racism also has a historical context. How many White people were lynched back in the day? Please stop saying that Black are “racist or more racist than anyone.” It is utterly ridiculous and it is an insult.

President Obama is being racially profiled RIGHT NOW.
When have we monitored every move of a president like in this case: NEVER
- they are now measuring his second 100 days in office. GIVE ME A BREAK
Everyone is so critical of our President and this economy, the wars, and all the other inherited problems, somehow expecting these huge problems of epic proportions, comparable to the Great Depression and Vietnam War to turn on a dime. These issues are not mazarattis that can go from zero to 80 in 5 seconds and turn on a dime. It is more like oceanliner taking a long slow turn, therefore 6 months is definitely not enough time to sort these problems out. And the party (GOP) that got us into this mess is now trying to be credible consultants on getting us out. ANY MORE JOKES?
Bush has the blood of thousands on his hands and pushed us 5 trillion dollars in debt with NOTHING to show for it.
NOT ONE TEA PARTY. NOT ONE CRY OF A SINISTER PLOT TO TAKE OVER THE COUNTRY. NOT ONE MENTION OF HOW YOUNG INEXPERIENCED AND UNASSUMING old Dubya was.
But now. The most intelligent President we have had in a generation, and now all of a sudden folks hair is on fire screaming
- Obama is not an “American”
- Obama is a “socialist”
- Obama is a “radical”
- Obama is some “unassuming”
- Obama is a threat
- Obama is a muslim
all buzz words for stoking racial sentiments.
Teabags are flying off the shelves
The lady at the townhall meeting “the birther” screaming “she want her country back” says it all.
No one took her country.. So what was she really saying…. you be the judge.
But yes Obama is being racially profiled RIGHT NOW because there are millions out there yet living in the antiquated past still wondering how an African American can be the Commander in Chief.
As I predicted on November 4th 2008, this will be the most closely watched President in history.
My prediction has proven to be true.

How do all you numskulls say that A PRESIDENT has NO PLACE in any issue???? DUH he is the President. A President boldly going where others have shyed away from because they don’t was to deal with ripping the bandage off a wound that is still infected and festering still dimishing this country from its greatest potential. This problem that began long before ink met paper in crafting the Declaration of Independence yest lingers today.
Who can address it better than the President of the United States.
True there will be backlash, like what we are experiencing now.
Did the President pick the wrong words YES
Did Gates act like a bafoon? YES
Could Crawley have used his powers as a Policemen in a better and civil way? YES.
All at fault but this is a national issue that needs to be addressed on a national scale. No fingers pointing. Like the president said, This can be a teachable moment.
learn from it
don’t create more problems with it.

WE are allowing the wrong people run our lives and make OUR decisions
.Posted by: Bill Church
yeah,..you tell em’..
btw: there’s a ‘tax tea party’ and an ‘Obama has no birth certificate’ meeting at the local Republican ‘holier than thou’ philanderers club.
later in the week, there will be a revival of the Terry Schiavo ‘lets have the republican/christians in congress tell my family what to do health wise club’.
later this year, we will honor the new federal holiday, ‘lets let New Orleans drown’ day

Posted by: Ripper | Jul 27, 2009 11:01:51 AM
Great post.

I read this as being a little humorous and sarcastic. Obama was talking about racial profiling like he has had first hand experience with it. Like I said earlier, everyone talks about it like “we all know” rather than keeping to the facts. It’s just comes across as another rich, educated politician pretending to know the plight of the common man.

Posted by: Lila | Jul 27, 2009 11:08:40 AM
Someone coming from the background of being a street organizer in the south-side of chicago may know just a tad more than most on this issue.
I think racial profiling knows no level of income or education.

If he knows so much about the issue he should be using specifics. In his response to the Gates question, he said he didn’t know the facts yet he made a judgment anyway. That’s ridiculous.

Again you words are revealing
WHAT DOES THE CONSTITUTION HAVE TO DO WITH RACIAL PROFILING?????
Amazing. You just can’t cloak your TRUE feelings. Can you?

the question I keep hearing remains. Did race play a role in the arrest of Professor Gates? Gates, and more importantly an uninformed and stupidly talking POTUS said in no uncertain terms yes. This was racial profiling. Cops say no. I Agree with the president and Mr Gates, that race definitely played a role in Mr Gates arrest. And the police should acknowledge it. See, that fact that Mr Gates himself, did indeed invoke race into the conversation, and then literally elevated into a racially skewed verbal altercation, does indeed prove that race contributed to his arrest. But it was obviously Mr Gates who was sterotyping the cop, playing the victim, instead of courtiously thanking the officer for attempting to protect his property, and possibly the well being of his family. Gee, waht if it were a burglar, and Officer Crowley were killed? I guess the cop would have been acting stupidly to put himself in putting himself in a position to get shot. Asking a man for his ID, in his home or not, regardless of race, is not racial profiling. I do believe racial profiling exists. I have seen it hands down with my own eyes up close and personal. This is not what happened to mr gates. Had the cop frisked him for no reason, maybe. Had the cop pulled him over for no rreason. Maybe. The cop was dispatched to a possible burgulary call. Yes, race played a role. Unfotrunately, the real racist was Mr Gates himself, playing a victim, and getting help from his Racist In CHief buddy Obama.

A great 12th century poet said,
“Beyond the ideas of what is right and what is wrong, there’s a field,
I’ll meet you there.”
President Obama’s idea of meeting with the Professor and Sgt. Crowley,
for a friendly discussion regarding
what has been characterized as a
“regretable incident,
is a good one.
Rather than continue to point fingers at each other, perhaps
the President, the Professor,
and Sgt. Crowley can initiate, through meaningful dialogue,
that “teachable moment” which might make us wiser in our ways, and more sensitive to the needs of others
no matter what one’s religious, ethnic, or racial background is.
Obama’s meeting
at the White House is,in my opinion,
a new beginning; a healing in miniature-
the prerequisite for healing
beyond the self.
For how can one help
to heal this society, if they/we are not first healed?
Perhaps, at the suggestion of President Obama, all three men, will meet in the Field.
the President, the Professor, and Sgt. Crowley can initiate dialogue

I like how Obama handled the ‘mistaken for a restaurant worker’ situation with a comment that didn’t embarass the person making the mistake. That’s classy.
My son, who’s white, had long hair for a while and noticed the difference when he went in stores and malls from when he had short hair. Wearing the same kind of clothing but with long hair, he was followed regularly by security guards, questioned by them and generally made to feel uncomfortable. We should all be careful that we are not ‘judging a book by its cover’.
And once again I must point out, Obama never called anyone stupid. He said ‘acted stupidly’. We have all acted stupidly at one time or another but it doesn’t mean we are stupid. Think about it.

I agree with Obvious. Mr Gates seems to have been the racially motivated one. Why is it that people who carry “chips” on their shoulder want to be taken seriously. AND – what good would a dialogue between Gates, the Officer and Obama accompllish? Only that Obama wants to intimidate the officer by his position of “I’m the PRESIDENT. My friends are too important to be questioned.” So what? if he is a friend of Gates? The actions of the cop were “right on” for action to an alleged burglary, why was Gates so ugly, instead of grateful for an alert police force guarding his property. Had it been me, I would have responded, “sure, here’s my ID, thanks for checking.”