Bill Cosby comments on Obama’s statement on Harvard prof’s arrest

[Heracles 417]

I see what you guys mean. Considering America has such a low crime rate then of course, it is wrong of Police to respond to a threat called in by someone else and aa abuse of power for them to ask a person to step outside; considering for all they know this could be another person's house.

Edited July 24, 2009 by haza

[alienlovechild 75]

I would be interested in hearing what the cop on the bottom right of the picture has to say.

Gates said on CNN that he was scared when he came out of the house so black cops scare him, too.

"Flashy, entrepreneurial, self-promoting, and outspoken, Gates sometimes comes across more celebrity figure than academic, for which he is frequently criticized by his colleagues in academia. He is wealthy, powerful, and elitist, and has been seen by some black activists as having abandoned efforts to help the less fortunate."

http://www.echofoundation.org/Past%20Proje...s/Biography.htm

Surprised? Nah.

[Heracles 417]

conformational? what is that?

confrontational

[Perseverance 1]

In my opinion it hard to make judgements or comments about racial profiling unless you have experienced it for yourself first hand. It is interesting to me that so many people have an opinion about something that they may never experience in their lives. I have been a firsthand witness to racial profiling with my husband.

When this is happening to you, you seriously think that this type of thing is impossible, people have rights...

This happens far more in this country than anyone is willing to admit. It is humiliating and degrading. It is an outrage that this continues to happen.

Please step back put yourself in the situation and ask yourself, how would you react? Feel? What would you do?

How would you like to come home from a long trip, and then have a run in with the police in your own home? What would you do? How would you react?

When our situation happened to us (it has also happened to my husband when I have not been with him as well)I was horrified, I felt helpless, I felt violated. I was in utter disbelief that this was happening to us. I replayed the senario over and over in my head...how could things have gone differently??

As long as we as a country continue to let this behavior pass, as long as we as a country continue to look the other way, it will continue to happen.

Maybe if it were to come so close to your own lives you would see it in from a different view.

[mendeleev 67]

The correct action for the police, *IMMEDIATELY* after they learn the occupant is the lawful occupant, is to apologize and back off. That didn't happen in Gates's case, and it didn't happen to me and my wife, either. Instead, harassment continued.

I'm a 50-something white guy and probably "don't get it" when it comes to abuse people of color have. But this may not have been all about race. Far too many cops have this notion that the public, even the law-abiding public, are there to be pushed around.

At least, that's what I experienced and that colors what I read as a pretty analogous situation.

[Heracles 417]

I would be interested in hearing what the cop on the bottom right of the picture has to say.

Gates said on CNN that he was scared when he came out of the house so black cops scare him, too.

"Flashy, entrepreneurial, self-promoting, and outspoken, Gates sometimes comes across more celebrity figure than academic, for which he is frequently criticized by his colleagues in academia. He is wealthy, powerful, and elitist, and has been seen by some black activists as having abandoned efforts to help the less fortunate."

http://www.echofoundation.org/Past%20Proje...s/Biography.htm

Surprised? Nah.

Of course not. Only a fool would not realize what this opportunist was up too. The only thing he has drawn attention to is the sheer double standards in this country. First off, for anyone to act that Boston out of all places is some sort of 60's Alabama town is just ludicrous. Like Jesse Jackson, he does what he can for his five minutes of fame.

Edited July 24, 2009 by haza

[Heracles 417]

The correct action for the police, *IMMEDIATELY* after they learn the occupant is the lawful occupant, is to apologize and back off. That didn't happen in Gates's case, and it didn't happen to me and my wife, either. Instead, harassment continued.

I'm a 50-something white guy and probably "don't get it" when it comes to abuse people of color have. But this may not have been all about race. Far too many cops have this notion that the public, even the law-abiding public, are there to be pushed around.

At least, that's what I experienced and that colors what I read as a pretty analogous situation.

The police officer asked him to step outside to ask him further questions, with regards to the police call. Gates basically branded them a racist from the get go. The 'correct action' would have been for him to take out his ID and say this is my house officer and my door was jammed. The police would have thanked him for his time and walked away. Don't act as if they dragged him out for being black because that is what you want to believe. After all, the guy hardly looks like a criminal.

Edited July 24, 2009 by haza

[Ban Hammer 12,838]

In my opinion it hard to make judgements or comments about racial profiling unless you have experienced it for yourself first hand. It is interesting to me that so many people have an opinion about something that they may never experience in their lives. I have been a firsthand witness to racial profiling with my husband.

When this is happening to you, you seriously think that this type of thing is impossible, people have rights...

This happens far more in this country than anyone is willing to admit. It is humiliating and degrading. It is an outrage that this continues to happen.

Please step back put yourself in the situation and ask yourself, how would you react? Feel? What would you do?

How would you like to come home from a long trip, and then have a run in with the police in your own home? What would you do? How would you react?

When our situation happened to us (it has also happened to my husband when I have not been with him as well)I was horrified, I felt helpless, I felt violated. I was in utter disbelief that this was happening to us. I replayed the senario over and over in my head...how could things have gone differently??

As long as we as a country continue to let this behavior pass, as long as we as a country continue to look the other way, it will continue to happen.

Maybe if it were to come so close to your own lives you would see it in from a different view.

maybe it's just me, but i let my neighbors know when i'm leaving on a trip and when i expect to be back - plus stop over to let them know i'm back.

[alienlovechild 75]

Far too many cops have this notion that the public, even the law-abiding public, are there to be pushed around.

Lot of knee-jerk cop haters in this country, too. If you had work in a job where you had to carry a gun into unknown situations and usually dealing with suspects, criminals and victims, you'd have a different view, too. Cops meet the worst people around and become really cynical because people lie to them on a daily basis.

Funny how many people assume are supposed to understand what's happening the moment they arrive on scene. It's not TV.

[Heracles 417]

Far too many cops have this notion that the public, even the law-abiding public, are there to be pushed around.

Lot of knee-jerk cop haters in this country, too. If you had work in a job where you had to carry a gun into unknown situations and usually dealing with suspects, criminals and victims, you'd have a different view, too. Cops meet the worst people around and become really cynical because people lie to them on a daily basis.

Funny how many people assume are supposed to understand what's happening the moment they arrive on scene. It's not TV.

Very well said.

I wonder how many here have volunteered to be auxiliary police officers for a week or a month.

Edited July 24, 2009 by haza

[Perseverance 1]

In my opinion it hard to make judgements or comments about racial profiling unless you have experienced it for yourself first hand. It is interesting to me that so many people have an opinion about something that they may never experience in their lives. I have been a firsthand witness to racial profiling with my husband.

When this is happening to you, you seriously think that this type of thing is impossible, people have rights...

This happens far more in this country than anyone is willing to admit. It is humiliating and degrading. It is an outrage that this continues to happen.

Please step back put yourself in the situation and ask yourself, how would you react? Feel? What would you do?

How would you like to come home from a long trip, and then have a run in with the police in your own home? What would you do? How would you react?

When our situation happened to us (it has also happened to my husband when I have not been with him as well)I was horrified, I felt helpless, I felt violated. I was in utter disbelief that this was happening to us. I replayed the senario over and over in my head...how could things have gone differently??

As long as we as a country continue to let this behavior pass, as long as we as a country continue to look the other way, it will continue to happen.

Maybe if it were to come so close to your own lives you would see it in from a different view.

maybe it's just me, but i let my neighbors know when i'm leaving on a trip and when i expect to be back - plus stop over to let them know i'm back.

ALL your neighbors?? Or just the a few you are closest to? It could have been someone from down the block who happened to drive by at an opportune time...we really don't know do we?

Yes Charles I do notify my neighbors and we keep an eye out on things for each other, but not everyone has that type of relationship with their neighbors.

[Jenn! 918]

not everyone has that type of relationship with their neighbors.

Especially not here in the Boston area, I'd have to say.

[Ban Hammer 12,838]

In my opinion it hard to make judgements or comments about racial profiling unless you have experienced it for yourself first hand. It is interesting to me that so many people have an opinion about something that they may never experience in their lives. I have been a firsthand witness to racial profiling with my husband.

When this is happening to you, you seriously think that this type of thing is impossible, people have rights...

This happens far more in this country than anyone is willing to admit. It is humiliating and degrading. It is an outrage that this continues to happen.

Please step back put yourself in the situation and ask yourself, how would you react? Feel? What would you do?

How would you like to come home from a long trip, and then have a run in with the police in your own home? What would you do? How would you react?

When our situation happened to us (it has also happened to my husband when I have not been with him as well)I was horrified, I felt helpless, I felt violated. I was in utter disbelief that this was happening to us. I replayed the senario over and over in my head...how could things have gone differently??

As long as we as a country continue to let this behavior pass, as long as we as a country continue to look the other way, it will continue to happen.

Maybe if it were to come so close to your own lives you would see it in from a different view.

maybe it's just me, but i let my neighbors know when i'm leaving on a trip and when i expect to be back - plus stop over to let them know i'm back.

ALL your neighbors?? Or just the a few you are closest to? It could have been someone from down the block who happened to drive by at an opportune time...we really don't know do we?

Yes Charles I do notify my neighbors and we keep an eye out on things for each other, but not everyone has that type of relationship with their neighbors.

the ones that i know keep an eye on things. which is the two closest to me.

from what i recall out of the original thread on the story, it sounded like a neighbor living very close to the house, not someone from down the road.

not everyone has that type of relationship with their neighbors.

Especially not here in the Boston area, I'd have to say.

maybe boston ain't that great, eh?

[Jenn! 918]

not everyone has that type of relationship with their neighbors.

Especially not here in the Boston area, I'd have to say.

maybe boston ain't that great, eh?

Depends on what you like. I don't really care to know my neighbors. Nosy bastards would probably call the cops on me.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

The correct action for the police, *IMMEDIATELY* after they learn the occupant is the lawful occupant, is to apologize and back off. That didn't happen in Gates's case, and it didn't happen to me and my wife, either. Instead, harassment continued.

I'm a 50-something white guy and probably "don't get it" when it comes to abuse people of color have. But this may not have been all about race. Far too many cops have this notion that the public, even the law-abiding public, are there to be pushed around.

At least, that's what I experienced and that colors what I read as a pretty analogous situation.

Yep. Power corrupts and some cops (not all) are on a big power trip. In their mind, you're suppose to respect their authority....and they have absolutely no people skills. They probably kick their dog when they get home and feed him gun powder.