Raiha Posted July 25, 2009 Share Posted July 25, 2009 [COLOR="DarkOrchid"][left][FONT="Times New Roman"]I'm sure you've all heard by now about how Professor Gates tried to get into his own house but was too incompetent to do so. And thus began the debacle which resulted in him being arrested for disorderly conduct after telling a very distinguished and upright police officer (who was white) that he was a racist and calling him a variety of names which won't make it through the censor here. In short, a police officer responded to a neighbor's call of a break in, and since there had been a series of break-ins and other thefts in the area he simply asked Gates for an ID. When Gates didn't and got angry and cranky and acted like a toddler, the police officer responded as I would've on any dark night with an angry jerk calling me names and harassing me while I simply did my job. Then just when things could've died and been chalked up to a misunderstanding and Gates being an uppity self-righteous professor at any ivy league school, Obama gets out and says the police 'acted stupidly' in the manner. Then he had to back pedal and more people were called racist, and then the police union got upset and then it turned into Gates-Gate and so on and so forth. So it boils down to were the police out of line to even dare him to ask for an ID? Should we expect police to know the faces and names of every person who lives in an area that they patrol? Should they have simply not worried about two men trying to get into a house with limited success? I find our president saying because he knew Gates it was all the police's fault to be appalling and a complete abuse of his position. He should've stayed out of this and just let the situation resolve itself without feeling the need to jump out there and exacerbate the situation and piss off anyone who can think at least a little logically. Or at least not rush to condemnation before all the facts are in.[/font][/left][/COLOR] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kei Posted July 25, 2009 Share Posted July 25, 2009 [color=darkblue][size=1]Wow, is it hot in here or is that me? Anyway. With regards to the actual event, it is true that things could have been handled better. He wasn't aware that there had been a break-in attempt while he was away. That's not really an excuse for railing on a person trying to do his job, but to go so far as to call it racist is a bit much. It's also a bit much for him to say that the cop in question should "beg for his forgiveness". That's going a bit too far for me. I personally don't blame the officer for not wanting to give an apology. I have family members in the police force and just from the stories I've heard from them, the police have it rough sometimes and more than a few of them would have reacted in a more negative manner than what that guy did. As far as President Obama goes, it was a bit much for him to say that the police department "acted stupidly", yes I agree. But the fact of the matter is he was asked for an opinion and gave his honestly, just like a lot of other people would. Is it an abuse of his position? No, I don't believe so. I think people are reacting so strongly to what he said just -because- of his position and the fact that he's Obama. He's a celebrity president, so everything is put under that much more magnified a microscope. Were he a regular guy, people would have likely said "eh" and forgotten about it a week later. He may have jumped the gun a bit with his response, yes, but in all honesty, he just answered a question that was given to him. *shrugs*[/color][/size] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachmaninoff Posted July 25, 2009 Share Posted July 25, 2009 [quote name='Raiha][COLOR="DarkOrchid"][left][FONT="Times New Roman"]So it boils down to were the police out of line to even dare him to ask for an ID? Should we expect police to know the faces and names of every person who lives in an area that they patrol? Should they have simply not worried about two men trying to get into a house with limited success?[/font][/left][/COLOR][/QUOTE]I think it's a given that asking for ID is acceptable and knowing who everyone is in their area is unreasonable.[QUOTE=Raiha][COLOR="DarkOrchid"][left][FONT="Times New Roman"]I find our president saying because he knew Gates it was all the police's fault to be appalling and a complete abuse of his position. He should've stayed out of this and just let the situation resolve itself without feeling the need to jump out there and exacerbate the situation and piss off anyone who can think at least a little logically. Or at least not rush to condemnation before all the facts are in.[/font][/left'][/COLOR][/quote]Complete abuse of power to have an opinion? Rubbish. Obama, like everyone else, is human. Expecting him to be politically correct every moment of the day is rather absurd really. However, my understanding is that he already commented on this event: [URL="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/25/us/politics/25gates.html?hp"][U]Obama Tries to Calm Debate Over Gates Arrest[/U][/URL] I think it just shows that like any president, he's not perfect and will make mistakes or respond to things in a manner that will cause problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eleanor Posted July 25, 2009 Share Posted July 25, 2009 [font=trebuchet ms] Thanks for the source?[/font] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathan Posted July 25, 2009 Share Posted July 25, 2009 [FONT="Arial"]I fail to see how having an opinion is an abuse of power. Nothing is going to happen to Gates or Crowley, and if not for Obama's comments, it would have probably been forgotten already. So to say that him answering a question with his opnion is an 'abuse of power' is completely inaccurate. Also, Obama is the president so naturally anything he says is going to be cross examined and torn apart to find meaning that isn't there. [/FONT] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrina Posted July 25, 2009 Share Posted July 25, 2009 [FONT="Tahoma"]What I read indicates that both sides made mistakes and overreacted to the situation at hand. Gates yelling at the cop and them arresting him instead of just walking away. However I'm sure there is a point where they treat an upset individual differently if they don't calm down. As for Obama... I'm not sure I follow the reasoning that Obama is abusing his power by feeling that the police acted stupidly. I couldn't find anything that indicated he actually did anything or even used his position as President to influence the outcome. It seems like it's the public, who because of Obama's position, are the ones refusing to stop nitpicking something that is done and over with. [/FONT] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chibi-master Posted July 25, 2009 Share Posted July 25, 2009 [quote name='Sabrina'][FONT="Tahoma"]What I read indicates that both sides made mistakes and overreacted to the situation at hand. Gates yelling at the cop and them arresting him instead of just walking away.[/FONT][/QUOTE] I don't think arresting him was a mistake. He didn't comply with the simple task of showing an ID, instead throwing a fit. When asked to calm down and not disturb the neighborhood with his yelling, he continued on calling the policemen racists and doing exactly what he was asked not to. He was then arrested for disorderly conduct, was he not? Is that a mistake? No, that is what the police are trained to do in those situations. Anyway, I fail to see how President Obama could form and opinion when he admitted himself that he did not know all the facts. I also don't understand why this is even an issue the President needs to be commenting on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sangome Posted July 25, 2009 Share Posted July 25, 2009 [quote name='chibi-master'] I also don't understand why this is even an issue the President needs to be commenting on.[/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]Because he actually knew the man personally, if I remember correctly. Anyhow, I think Gates calling the racist card is out of line. He failed to do something simple, and I believe the police acted accordingly. As for Obama, eh. I don't really think he acted out of line by forming an opinion [and trust me, I'm not an extreme left-wing frothing fangirl of him by any means]. And as for "not knowing all the facts", how can we be so sure [I]we[/I] know all the facts? Sure, it's a stretch, but hey. I just think the news bit should die already, though. But that's just me.[/SIZE] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaos Posted July 26, 2009 Share Posted July 26, 2009 "Henry Louis Gates Jr. is perhaps the most widely recognized African-American scholar in America. Mr. Gates is also a one-man intellectual and media conglomerate: a co-founder of the genealogy Web site AfricanDNA.com and the director of the W. E. B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research at Harvard; editor in chief of the Web site Oxford African American Studies Center; editor in chief of The Root, a Web site on African-American news, culture and genealogy. He co-edited the eight-volume "African American Biography" (Oxford University Press, 2008); the five-volume "Africana: The Encyclopedia of the African and African American Experience" (Oxford University Press, 2005); and "Finding Oprah's Roots, Finding Your Own" (Crown, 2007)." -New York Times' website. But apparently not smart enough to just pull out your goddamn state-issued ID when a cop asks for it. ...And for locking himself out of his own house. Is it bad that this is the first I'm hearing of Henry Louis Gates, Jr.? I mean, most of what he has become famous for isn't exactly a targetted study of mine, and he really doesn't strike me as someone I SHOULD know. This whole incident, at the miniscule glance that I have cast over it, seems to put him in a not-so-progressive light. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaryanna Posted July 26, 2009 Share Posted July 26, 2009 [FONT="Tahoma"][COLOR="DarkGreen"]If the police ask you for ID, you just show them. o_O It's not that hard after all. So I don't think they were out of line. I don't have a problem with Obama having of all things, an opinion. Last time I checked, having one wasn't an abuse of power. =P If he had done something, then I'd consider it, but just commenting on the situation doesn't come close. Also, like Sangome, I too think people need to just let it die and move on.[/COLOR][/FONT] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horendithas Posted July 27, 2009 Share Posted July 27, 2009 [FONT="Arial"][COLOR="Indigo"]The joys of not being able to make a comment without this kind of reaction... Which is... [I]Welcome to having your every word and action examined to the point of stupidity![/I] In plainer words, yes following procedure is important and the police did so. More important though, no, it's not an abuse of power for the President to answer a question or give an opinion. [/COLOR][/FONT] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delta Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 [COLOR=#35425e]Say, would Gates throw a fit if an African-American cop responded?[/COLOR] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chibi-master Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 [quote name='Chaos']Is it bad that this is the first I'm hearing of Henry Louis Gates, Jr.?[/QUOTE] Nah, this is the first A LOT of people have ever heard of him, I'm sure. Not a very dignified first impression though, if you ask me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raiha Posted July 28, 2009 Author Share Posted July 28, 2009 [quote name='Delta'][COLOR=#35425e]Say, would Gates throw a fit if an African-American cop responded?[/COLOR][/QUOTE] [COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]Well we know that there was a Hispanic cop at the scene or involved with the reports, but most of the response to that was Blue is stronger than Black. Implying that cops are all cops before they'll be whatever race they are. I'm not sure precisely how much further this could possibly go, now that Obama has decided both of them need to come over to the White House for a beer. Personally, I'd just as soon not go if I were Crowley, because the real wrong that's been done to him is what was said by both Gates and the president.[/FONT][/COLOR] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allamorph Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 [FONT=Arial][URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KQCqBDCbIA#t=0m24s"][COLOR="Blue"]Synopsis of opinion.[/COLOR][/URL] [COLOR=#EDEDED]Also, regardless of the ability of opinion, a person in a position of prominence has a responsibility to remain objective. It's called being above reproof, and while being wrong is always understandable, it is not always permissible.[/COLOR][/FONT] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gavin Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 [SIZE="1"][I]Has no idea who this person is, does not believe there was any racism involved and went through most of the thread wondering how Bill Gates could be racist to a white cop before someone kindly used a longer name than simply Gates.[/I][/SIZE] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachmaninoff Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 For a brief moment Gavin, I thought it was referring to Bill Gates as well. =P But that didn't make any sense so I found an article on it. Then my reaction was... who? Since I'm not familiar with the other guy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vicky Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 [size=1]I just think it's rather sad that people always pull the racism card. I wish I could do that.[/size] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Maul Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 [center][IMG]http://img.filmxa.net/_ph/1/2/882986386.jpg[/IMG] [/center] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachmaninoff Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 [quote name='Vicky][size=1']I just think it's rather sad that people always pull the racism card. I wish I could do that.[/size][/quote]I agree. Kind of stupid really. Also, I'm now laughing at people whining because the supposed get together which is talked about in this article here: [URL="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32210408/ns/politics-white_house/"][U]Not a summit, just a beer, Obama says[/U][/URL] Apparently doesn't include American made beer. [quote][FONT="Arial"]Jim Koch, Boston-based brewer of "Samuel Adams" beer, laments to CNBC over the fact that no American-owned beers will be featured at Obama's "beer summit."[/FONT][/quote]Honestly, people are just dumb. There doesn't need to be representation or some other crap in every single thing surrounding the President. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raiha Posted July 30, 2009 Author Share Posted July 30, 2009 [quote name='Rachmaninoff']Apparently doesn't include American made beer. Honestly, people are just dumb. There doesn't need to be representation or some other crap in every single thing surrounding the President.[/QUOTE] [COLOR="DarkOrchid"][LEFT][FONT="times new roman"]Well, it's the same thing as people making a flap over his wife [Most Angry Millionaire Woman In America] not wearing enough black fashion designers, or American made clothing. It's the theory that if the people involved are in an office that is meant to [theoretically] represent the American people, they should use American products. It's the theory that what the President does should benefit the people. So if you see Obama drinking a Sam Adams, the sheep that are the people of America will all mindlessly start drinking/buying/promoting Sam Adams beer. [/FONT][/LEFT][/COLOR] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horendithas Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 [FONT="Arial"][COLOR="Indigo"]Oh you know it Raiha, people don't pick their drinks based on taste or silly things like that. They only choose it based on someone else using it. Gotta love that kind of pointless assumption that people can't think for themselves. Seriously though, they really do need to just let this paticular story die already. No we don't need a point by point review of what happened. Let them have a brief chat and share a drink, [I]without[/I] the rest of the nation reviewing it. [/COLOR][/FONT] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaos Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 [quote name='Indi'][FONT="Arial"][COLOR="Indigo"]Let them have a brief chat and share a drink, [I]without[/I] the rest of the nation reviewing it. [/COLOR][/FONT][/QUOTE] But then what will I tweet about? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allamorph Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 [FONT=Arial]Actually that's because American beer just sucks in general. Samuel Adams may be an exception, but that's about it.[/FONT] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachmaninoff Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 Oh I know, perish the thought that they pick a beer based on whether or not they like how it tastes vs where it was actually made. lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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