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Obama: Police "Acted Stupidly" in Prof Arrest

Geo avatar
GeoBeach Fanatic
8,691 views
Anyone been following the story about the Harvard Professor who was arrested?

Short of it is that he lives in a prominent neighborhood in Cambridge, Mass and had just returned home from a trip from China. The front door was jammed so he went through the backdoor and then with the help of his driver was able to force the stuck front door open. Apparently, a neighbor saw all of this activity and informed the police about a possible break in.

Cops came and asked the professor for his id and to come outside for questioning. Allegedly, the prof didn't want to comply and asked the officer for his id and badge number. The prof eventually came outside and presented the id but then accused the officer of racism (the prof is African American). He felt that he was guilty of being "black in America" and that the officer had no business asking him for his id in his own house when he had done nothing wrong. Apparently, the conversation got out of hand and the cop arrested the professor for disorderly conduct. Since then the charges have been dropped and the mayor of Cambridge apologized.

Interestingly enough, the POTUS weigh in on it today.


Obama: Police who arrested professor 'acted stupidly' - CNN.com

Replies

244
Will B avatar
Will BModerator
#77
Actually, I misquoted her. Was going by memory. The quote is actually, "I know that I know that I know."...

Followed immediately by "I know you are, but what am I?"

She sounds like she was channeling Pee Wee Herman! :floor:
Alicia Leonard avatar
Alicia LeonardSoWal Insider
#78
I think if they all moved to Oakland, they would get along better :blink:
Beach Runner avatar
Beach Runnerbeats on hood
#79
A quote from my post on the health care thread:
I couldn't believe how uncomfortable and tentative Obama was last night. Never seen him like that -- felt sorry for him. Then he had the mental slip of giving a personal opinion regarding the Cambridge arrest.

Today he was backpeddling and said that he didn't expect health reform to pass before the recess. He just wanted the bills to get through the committee level before the recess. That's not what he said last week. See my earlier post with a direct quote taken from CNN.

Other than a few exceptions, police officers I've experienced get an apparent sick and twisted testosterone surge out of being in control of others and treat people with unnecessary brutality. I know many others in our town who have been treated this way by police, including the M.D. across the street and other white professionals. If the physician across the street and I (well-dressed with expensive cars, prestigious addresses, good friends with the superior court judge, etc. ) have been treated brutally by police for minor traffic infractions as if we had dead bodies and a hundred pounds of cocaine in our trunks, how would the police treat a less privileged person? It frankly scares me.
What I should have added is how would the police treat a black, Latino, or Asian person (regardless of apparent means or not) in the same situation as I was in if they treated me in the inhumane way in which they did?

Edited

TooFarTampa avatar
TooFarTampaSoWal Insider
#80
Did you have make-up/hair to make you look like them and were you opening the door at Sir Paul's or George's residences at the time?

The ID issue is a bit muddled - there's a bit of a prof said, cop said situation going on. The Professor claims he produced id, then the cop continued to question & harass him etc.

Aleo - you only say that you fear me because you know me - a stranger working on stereotypes and visual cues thinks I am non-threatening. 😀

Anyone else think it odd that a former campus cop doesn't recognize a tenured faculty member of 18 years?

First of all, you are skeery. 😀

Second of all, I agree with you on your last point. Henry Louis Gates Jr. isn't just any faculty member, he's nationally famous, at least in a wonky name-recognition sort of way.

But, I do think the whole thing was overblown, by all parties. I have some sympathy for the cop and for Gates, and honestly I think Obama was cranky and should have kept his lip zipped. But I do agree, and I KNOW there are parents out there who will admit this, that calling someone stupid is not the same as saying someone acted stupidly. Haven't y'all ever wanted to call someone a jerk and instead asked them to just stop acting like a jerk?

Followed immediately by "I know you are, but what am I?"

She sounds like she was channeling Pee Wee Herman! :floor:

If she would be willing to don the Pee Wee clogs and do that silly dance on her last day as gov, I would donate to the Alaska Fund Trust!
GoodWitch58Beach Fanatic
#81
I also find it strange that a policeman who teaches a course in racial profiling would let such a situation get that out of hand...he is, one would think,aware of the history of racial profiling, racial harassment, the studies that show how often this kind of thing happens, etc, etc. and if he is teaching other police officers how to behave/handle these kinds of situations, and he is the one with the power in the situation...and still lets it get to this point. A bit strange I'd say.
Bob avatar
BobSoWal Insider
#82
I absolutely did not say that Bush knew what was coming his way. I absolutely did say that Obama does. It's no secret. Where have you been? It's bad enough that even the liberal press, who supports him, complains about it because they aren't getting called on. Obama's own people have admitted that they vet all the questions prior to conferences, and there has been a first hand account from a reporter about how he was contacted and how it was discussed regarding what he was going to ask.

I'll start your homework assignment for you...
Obama, Like All Presidents, Tries To Manage The News - Boston News Story - WCVB Boston

The Liberal Lie, The Conservative Truth: OBAMA PRESS CONFERENCE UNIMPRESSIVE HAND PICKED SOFTBALLS Oh my God! A conservative link!

White House reporters take aim at format of Obama's health care town hall meeting - syracuse.com

The Press Revolts Against Obama ? The Foundry Yeah yeah...Heritage.org. Whatever...

Scripps columnist: MSM eating out of Obama's hand | No Silence Here | knoxnews.com

I could go on and on...

I'm sure all past Presidents have tried to use the press to their advantage, but Obama seems to be the master. The problem, now, is that everybody knows it so his question and answer sessions are basically a joke. I'm sorry if you truly thought that all the questions he gets are legit.

What would I like to see? I'd like to see one of the hand picked reporters turn around and ask Obama a really hard hitting legitimate question on a serious topic of the day. You could be sure of a couple things...
He would be a hero in the press corps
He would never be allowed in another press conference (Gee...wouldn't that be obvious)

Sorry...not trying to hijack the thread. Let's get back on topic...
liberal lie, that's the high road
happy2BmeBeach Fanatic
#83
Slowly, but surely, Obama is unraveling into the simple "politician" that he is.....and his approval rating is slowly, but surely, highlighting that fact. The "Messiah" is no more than a man.....
Bob avatar
BobSoWal Insider
#84
not knowing what actually happened, i would say the threshold for arresting an agitated black man is much lower than an agitated white man even in an upscale residence. based upon everything i've read, i can only think the professor was indignant about being deemed a suspect in his own home, and the cop had a limit to the amount of crap he was going to take that day. i understand the reaction from both sides. it's a no win situation.
Bob avatar
BobSoWal Insider
#85
Slowly, but surely, Obama is unraveling into the simple "politician" that he is.....and his approval rating is slowly, but surely, highlighting that fact. The "Messiah" is no more than a man.....
great point
TooFarTampa avatar
TooFarTampaSoWal Insider
#86
Gah! Anderson Cooper is going on and on and on about this! I mean I do love Anderson, he's pretty harmless and seemingly agenda-free, but he is such a slave to the news cycle and short attention span of TV viewers. I don't think I've heard the words "health care" yet. Did see a "tease" to an Erin Andrews story. :roll:
happy2BmeBeach Fanatic
#87
I agree with Bob....I'd be indignant in my own home as well, if I knew that I was without fault.....it is truly a no-win situation. That neither side will admit that maybe they over-reacted as well doesn't help, though.....gives fuel to the Jesse Jackson/Al Sharpton side, as well as to the side of the "white supremacists". I'm with Rodney King....can't we all just get along?
BobskunkBeach Lover
#88
Wrong Police

Had this been an Iranian officer beating a protester, President Obama would have taken at least six days to formulate a lukewarm response.
Lake View Too avatar
Lake View TooSoWal Insider
#89
Is it just me, or does it seem like events like this are somehow amplified by the media or "those behind the scenes" as a kind of smoke screen to divert attention off the major things that are happening like health care reform, the withdrawl from Iraq, and the escalation of the Afgan war. ??
LuciferSam avatar
LuciferSamBanned
#90
My point exactly. The lives of police are in jeopardy every day they are on duty. Most are polite but don't have time to placate an adult having a temper tantrum. Good lord.

I'm talking about the policeman's initial response before the tantrum occurred (I read the arrest report). Also it is becoming increasingly clear that some on this board have a poor understanding of the fact that some people value their privacy over their safety. An officer at your door when you've done nothing wrong bossing you around. WTF?

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