thebin
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Post by thebin on Jul 24, 2009 9:05:27 GMT -5
theexcorcist makes an important point. Although I don't think the arrest (or others like it) should have been made, clearly the only victim we have right now is Crowley. He is the working class stiff who has been totally maligned with an irresponsible accusation from a highly educated, affluent, and powerful man from whom better should have been expected. In many ways Crowley's career as a beat cop in Cambridge have probably been forever changed for the worse based upon the tantrum of a spoiled egghead accustomed to total deference. Unfortunately this incident re-affirms for the millionth time that in this country today racism is the charge for which there need be no evidence, and in this case there was LITERALLY NONE. The mere accusation stands in for a conviction in the public mind much as child molesting does. And the uber-intelligent Skip Gates can now join the ranks of the millions of the less-than-critical people for whom we have that situation to blame.
Cops need to stop reaching for the cuffs when they are feeling offended. And blacks, but particularly scholarly ones in places of privillege, need to stop reaching for that race card so damn fast. Until they do, they are partially responsible for the lack of racial harmony in this country along with their strange bedfellows in actual biggots.
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thebin
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Post by thebin on Jul 24, 2009 11:09:18 GMT -5
I have to agree with this even though I think the racism angle is totally unjustified........ " But many police officers demand more than orderly conduct; they demand submission and deference.....Maybe Gates, who is well-acquainted with the history of American racism, raised his voice in anger or fear. Maybe he even unfairly berated Crowley. But there's no way that the slight, 58-year-old Harvard scholar, with his cane, posed a threat to public order that justified his arrest." www.slate.com/id/2223472/pagenum/2 |
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DanMcQ
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Post by DanMcQ on Jul 24, 2009 11:24:26 GMT -5
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TC
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Post by TC on Jul 24, 2009 11:52:38 GMT -5
To be fair to Crowley, he didn't take the bait on WEEI when they offered it to him to smack down Obama and he focused on the incident itself. The article calls him clueless - I don't know whether he regrets arresting Gates or whether he thought Gates had broken the law because the WEEI interview was so fawning and one-sided that they never bothered to ask him anything like that. Otherwise, great piece. |
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thebin
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Post by thebin on Jul 24, 2009 12:26:49 GMT -5
Both Gates and Crowley seem like very decent men, you really think the two of them could get together apologize to each other privately and end this thing. I'd like to think by now both of them have some idea that they over-reacted and their over-reactions caused the other's overreaction.
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Boz
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Post by Boz on Jul 24, 2009 12:43:40 GMT -5
Well, let's keep in mind the reactions and statements that Gates had made since this incident occurred.
They don't sound like the words of a man who has ruled out the possibility of litigation against the officer, the department, the city, or who knows.
Given that, I don't think there is any chance of an apology, public or private, whether it is warranted or not.
It would not surprise me that Crowley has been advised by the counsel for the police department that, under no circumstances, should he offer an apology to Gates.
In a perfect world, these two could meet for a beer and apologize to each other. In the world we live in, if the police officer does that, he basically just lost any law suit that might be forthcoming.
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thebin
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Post by thebin on Jul 24, 2009 12:52:58 GMT -5
Sad but true.
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TC
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Post by TC on Jul 24, 2009 13:57:17 GMT -5
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Post by jerseyhoya34 on Jul 24, 2009 14:26:16 GMT -5
In a perfect world, these two could meet for a beer and apologize to each other. In the world we live in, if the police officer does that, he basically just lost any law suit that might be forthcoming. ABC reported that Obama discussed the possibility of a meeting over beer with Crowley, Gates, and Obama present. |
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Boz
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Post by Boz on Jul 24, 2009 14:48:40 GMT -5
Cheers and applause to Obama on both counts, TC & Jersey. I'm glad he took those steps today.
I will say this though:
"Obama also joked that no one's been paying much attention to health care because of this story."
Hmmm....coincidence?
;D
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DanMcQ
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Post by DanMcQ on Jul 24, 2009 15:00:15 GMT -5
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AvantGuardHoya
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Post by AvantGuardHoya on Jul 24, 2009 15:13:48 GMT -5
Wow. That's what I'm talkin' 'bout! |
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DanMcQ
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Post by DanMcQ on Jul 24, 2009 15:14:13 GMT -5
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EasyEd
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Post by EasyEd on Jul 24, 2009 16:00:56 GMT -5
This was a non-apology and was typical of politicians. What I would have liked to have heard him say is "I made a mistake. My comments were uncalled for, were totally wrong, and I am mostly to blame for escalating this affair. Because I am the President of the United States it was I who was mostly responsible for casting this as a national racial affair and for insulting Crowley and the entire police department. I am totally responsible for my words and for that I apologize from deep in my heart".
What he actually said was he chose his words poorly and did not mean to demean Crowley or the police department, but is not sorry he accented the racial issue because we needed a national discussion. He then tried to pass it off as nothing because he spoke to Crowley and they joked around. Crowley, of course, was delighted to have the President of the United States call him. Who wouldn't?
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TC
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Post by TC on Jul 24, 2009 16:23:53 GMT -5
You.
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EasyEd
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Post by EasyEd on Jul 24, 2009 18:35:28 GMT -5
I prefer to speak for myself, thank you very much. |
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FormerHoya
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Post by FormerHoya on Jul 24, 2009 18:39:53 GMT -5
I prefer to speak for myself, thank you very much. How about this? Obama would not be delighted to speak with you? ;D |
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DanMcQ
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Post by DanMcQ on Jul 24, 2009 18:55:31 GMT -5
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EasyEd
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Post by EasyEd on Jul 24, 2009 19:24:48 GMT -5
I prefer to speak for myself, thank you very much. How about this? Obama would not be delighted to speak with you? ;D Maybe Obama prefers to speak for himself, thank you very much. |
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DanMcQ
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Post by DanMcQ on Jul 24, 2009 19:33:49 GMT -5
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