Friday, July 24, 2009
Canbridge Police Refuse To Apologize For Stupidity
The Cambridge Police and Officer Crowley refused to apologize to Dr. Gates, even though the President of the United States said they behaved "stupidly". It just goes to show you that the word of a Black man, either professor or President, means nothing compared to a white police officer. Now Police across the country are supporting the Cambridge Police against the President, even though he has been one of their biggest supporters with the stimulus package keeping more of them on the streets. That this one arrest would expose so many issues is mind boogling.
First. The scenario. Black man arrives home from a trip to China! Regardless of who he is, he is tired and ready to see home. Tries to open the front door and finds it jammed. Goes around back, uses his key, and enters. Shuts off the alarm, and proceeds, with the help of his driver (unfortunately another Black man)try to fix the front door. He still needs to use it after all. After trying a few minutes, gives up, tips the driver and calls the property company to fix the door. So far so good. Here is where the "stupidity" begins.
A concerned neighbor, seeing two Black men on a porch trying to open the door, calls the Cambridge Police Dept., who show up while the tired, 58 year old, Black Professor is ON THE PHONE with his property management company. I'm sure he came to the door and quickly explained that he lived there and was on the phone. At this point the cop had every right to ask for I.D., not to ask him to step outside his own home. When Dr. Gates went to retrieve his I.D., the cop FOLLOWED him inside the home, without asking permission. Dr. Gates had every right to be upset as he is repeatedly being asked to step outside while showing his I.D. He asks for the Badge Number of the cop, is never told, and upon stepping onto his own porch, is arrested and handcuffed for disorderly conduct. I guess the conduct occurred while in his home alone. No matter how mad Dr. Gates was no one has indicated that he used loud, profane, or indecent language. Only demanded to know why he was being treated as a criminal in his own home. Long story short. Booked and mugged, signs a statement saying the incident was not a reflection of the Cambridge Gestapo, charges dropped.
Profs. Eric Dyson and Boyce Watkins were on CNN American Morning today and raised some interesting points.
Prof Watkins defended the police stating that Dr. Gates, "could have been a husband breaking into his own house" and that the cop had a right to be concerned for his safety. That the incident was not racist at all, simply good police work. His father was a cop, so I can see his (stupid) perspective kinda. But, how many burgulars, robbers, or thieves shut off the alarm and use the phone? An old man with a cane, luggage all around? What are you, STUPID? Once he presented his ID there was no need to arrest him. As a cop you should have better things to do than arrest college professors for talking shit. But Dr. Gates "sassed" him. Can't be having that now can we?
Prof Dyson raised a far more interesting point. What if Dr. Gates had been Henry Kissinger returning home from a long trip. A Black police Officer showed up and arrested him, and George Bush defended Henry Kissinger during a press conference. Everyones head exploded! Good job Eric! I doubt if any police or mayors would come out in support of the Black officer, no matter what Kissinger called him. The scenario is innapropriate however, as a Black officer would never be this stupid. He would lose his job before he could get back to the station.
Black intellectuals are shocked and amazed that someone of Dr. Gates stature could be racially profiled and arrested in his own home. Black and Hispanic poor people knew it all along. White "liberals" can't admit on television that the whole incident was racist, on television, and want to hear "all the facts". That's white mans tounge for water it down through false accusations and forget about it.
It is also appalling that Dr. Gates signed a statement saying that the incident was not a reflection of the police department or city, when they are saying they did nothing wrong. In addition, Officer Stupid is in charge of training other officers in avoiding racial profiling. More like how to avoid getting caught, while racial profiling. Any good officer would have asked if Dr. Gates required anything further and been on his way to fight real crime, or eat doughnuts. Probably doughnuts.
Welcome to the real world Dr. Gates. Just be glad they didn't sprinkle crack on you and shoot you!
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Shortly after this incident took place in Harvard Square, I had a major theft from my apartment in East Cambridge. I had recently lost my home because of {www.ficovictims.com; it's explained there} and took in a close friend to help pay $1,100 rent.
ReplyDeleteStolen were a $5,000 antique Swiss music box, 6 AUTOGRAPHED Beatles albums, all of Phil's, my, and my late wife's gold jewelry, several hundred DVD's, and far, far more I would discover afterward.
When I came in on Monday morning, I noticed that the music box wasn't on my tall chest where I always kept it, and my Harvard diploma had the glass smashed. I called the police, and an officer took a report on it.
The case was assigned to a detective, as I recall by the name of Sullivan. Phil and I both knew who was responsible; when asked if they knew the suspect by name, the answer came back "Oh, Yes." He lived half a mile away, and within a few days after the robbery, a posting showed up on craigslist offering the music box for sale. I called this detective, told him where the thief lives, and was promised a follow-up.
From there, the Cambridge Gestapo did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.
His name is Larry. The living room was littered with fast food wrappers, pizza boxes, and beer bottles of a brand we didn't drink. Larry stayed all weekend, slept there, tried to access my computer, play my piano, and thoroughly scrutinized every drawer, cupboard, cabinet, and box. Weeks after the theft, we went to the new Cambridge Gestapo headquarters on 3rd St., half a mile away with beer bottle, food wrappers, cigarette butts, and more.
I contend that the Cambridge Gestapo is one of the most incompetent, corrupt excuses of "law enforcement" agency in the nation today. These are bar room thugs wearing blue uniforms who puff out their chests and shove that brass badge into your face, not responsible police officers in any fathomable function or capacity. A good cop wouldn't last a week on that squad. They would run him out on a rail, tarred and feathered, if the decent policeman didn't get the hint right off the back, and walk away.
From this joyous little event in 2009, to getting mugged in the daytime in Central Square 30 years before, they can know who commits crimes of this nature, but won't do a damn thing about it. But not to despair; there is one aspect of law enforement the Cambridge Gestapo does flawlessly:
In season, street cleaning begins at 8 AM on alternating even and odd # sides in each designated area of the city, on a rotating basis. During the winter, a snow emergency can be declared hours before the first flake is to fall. If your car is out there at 8:03 AM, you're going to have a ticket. By 8:15, every vehicle parked on the wrong side of the street will be in a tow yard. They also tow on a prediction of snow; you WILL get a violation for this even if it rains, or in the event of no precipitation at all. You'll get towed with the sun shining, and not one speck of snow or ice anywhere.
I am aware of more aggregious miscarriages of justice the Cambridge's Gestapo quietly sweeps under their "procedurial and investigative" rugs, be it by looking the other way to repay a favor, would just rather not do their jobs, to actually committing crimes themselves, for personal profit, and sometimes other purposes I am not at liberty to discuss at this time.
And that's the way it is, and probably was,.. long before Archie Bunker took a fancy to spitting raspberry seeds at Walter Cronkite, CBS NEWS.
Good night.