It's 1999, summer, and night has just fallen. I'm a faculty fellow at the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute at Harvard, and another young black faculty member, Arnold, and I are walking down Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge, near the campus. A passing police car veers abruptly across the avenue to cut off our path. The officer orders us against the hood of his car and frisks and cuffs us. No explanation, despite our repeated requests for one, despite identifying ourselves as Harvard faculty members. The officer doesn't want identification; he doesn't even ask for it.
Instead, Arnold and I are made to stand in the blue strobe of the patrol-car lights as three or four more cars roll up, passers-by staring. Finally, a police car arrives with a white woman in the back seat. She scrutinizes Arnold and me. After an interminable beat, she shakes her head "no," saying something to the officer behind the wheel. Her car pulls away and, in quick order, so do the others.
The officer who stopped us unlocks the cuffs. He explains that a house has been broken into in the adjoining neighborhood. "And you're stopping all black men on the street!?" Arnold or I or both of us said.
He doesn't reply. He doesn't apologize.
In that instance, and in others before and since, I used, or attempted to use, my class privilege to extricate myself from, or at least lessen the potential threat of, an encounter with the police. That night, Arnold and I had been joking and laughing (maybe even shucking and jiving) before being stopped. Yet though we'd done nothing wrong, I immediately switched to a mainstream style of speaking when addressing the officer, and called attention to my professional status. It was reflexive. I'd been in situations like that since I was a kid, and had responded at times in an accommodating manner; at others, belligerently, and had come to understand that the best way, however demeaning, is accommodation.
So when I read the details of the confrontation between Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Sgt. James M. Crowley of the Cambridge police, I recognized the situation.
Gates acknowledges having brought up race. Gates, in an interview with his daughter for the online magazine The Root, recalled asking Crowley, "Is this how you treat a black man in America?" (The official police report says that Gates stated it as accusation, pugnaciously, repeatedly, and loudly.) The subtext of Gates's words, even calmly articulated, is clear. Gates was accusing Crowley of behaving in a racist manner; by extension, Gates was calling Crowley a racist, to his face, in front of other officers, at least one of whom is black.
Those are fighting words. And Gates knows it.
The brouhaha surrounding the July 16 arrest strikes me most for the reasonable voices that have lost all sense of reason in response. From President Obama to the countless others who have weighed in, all focus has been, in one way or another, on the victimization of Gates. Professor Gates has become a stand-in for the "average black man," subjected to humiliation and abuse at the hands of a racist police force. But Gates, while obviously black, is not a stand-in for the many African-Americans, men and women, who daily are victims of profiling and worse.
Was Gates profiled? Richard Thompson Ford makes a compelling argument on Slate that Gates was not. Sgt. Crowley was responding to a potential crime in progress; he was performing his duty, by all indications, in a professional manner.
The more interesting question, it seems to me, is, was Crowley himself profiled—as a racist police officer? The answer is, unequivocally, yes—not only by Gates but by the rest of us, in newspapers and magazines, online and on TV, even by the White House.
Yet many commentators and self-described acquaintances and friends of Gates have defended his response to Crowley, based on their impressions of Gates's character. "I know Gates," Richard Thompson Ford asserts in his otherwise interesting analysis, "and find it very hard to imagine him engaged in 'disorderly conduct.'"
But Ford misses the point. Gates understands what it is to be black in America; he knows the rules of the game. His 1994 memoir, Colored People, tells us so.
The word "'nigger' was hung on me so many times," Gates wrote, "that I thought it was my name." So it would seem to follow that he would know just as well as I do how to respond to the police—which is to say, don't argue, don't provoke. But Gates chose to escalate the encounter.
Gates is also keenly aware of the distance between himself and other, less-privileged blacks. Witness the 1998 Frontline special "The Two Nations of Black America," in which we learn about the homeless men in Harvard Yard whom Gates greets on his way to work each morning. Gates understands himself to be something other than just any black man. He's an exemplar of contemporary African-American success in mainstream America—academic, author, filmmaker: "Head Negro in Charge," as Boston magazine titled its 1998 profile of him. Gates is not to be confused—even by himself—with the number of black men and women who live in poor, depressed communities and who are for those reasons regularly harassed, profiled, and worse by authorities.
The problem appears to be that Gates wants it both ways. When asked by Sgt. Crowley for identification, Gates first produced his Harvard faculty ID—not his passport (which, as he was just returning from an overseas trip, he would have had handy) or his driver's license, either of which would have indicated his address, quelling any doubt that he resided at the house. The not-so-subtle message (though still infinitely more subtle than the angry threats the police report states Gates yelled at Crowley): Gates was identifying himself as a local Brahmin, not to be messed with.
I act similarly—when stopped by the police for traffic violations, for example. I always manage to bumble my University of Illinois faculty ID out along with my license. First and foremost, I'm attempting to offset any stereotypes that, I fear (and that experience has taught me), the officer may have about me. But if flashing my faculty ID will keep me from getting written up (like the crying jags that many women can supposedly unleash when pulled over), all the better. As often as not, it's worked.
Not so for Gates with Sgt. Crowley.
Is profiling someone like me or Gates less wrong than profiling someone of lower income or social status? No. It's just so much rarer for us than for so many less-privileged blacks, and recourse is so much more accessible, that I'm loath to find Gates's or my profiling emblematic in any way.
And it's therein that President Obama's response (and Gov. Deval Patrick's relative lack of response) truly disappoints. The president's playful invitation to get the three of them together at the White House for a beer diminishes the significance of what is, in fact, a grave national problem. The cases of Sean Bell, Abner Louima, and Amadou Diallo —true victims of racial profiling—demand that we treat the matter seriously.
Much of Professor Gates's public posture since his arrest has been obdurate and inflammatory. Yet if he is truly committed to making a "teachable moment" of this event, as President Obama has suggested, Gates should use his high profile, along with the national visibility and access to the White House that the encounter has proffered to him, to invite the Cambridge officers and representatives of other police forces to the table and initiate a frank national discussion about race, privilege, profiling, and policing. The roundtable should be inclusive, with experts from government, the academy, and community organizations. President Obama should encourage it, and Governor Patrick endorse it. Such a conversation could lead to policy recommendations that are long overdue.
Comments
1. _perplexed_ - July 30, 2009 at 12:04 pm
Suppose that Professor Gates had been white, but the scene developed in the same way (with necessarily different "fighting words" from the Harvard prof). Would there be an arrest? Would it be justifiable? I understand that in a public setting, verbal abuse can turn a crowd into a mob and so police might detain someone for disruptive behavior to preserve peace-- but on the private property of the loudmouth? As I see it, Sgt. Crowley acted to coerce submission when he failed to receive appropriate and deserved respect. Forbearance was called for, but Sgt. Crowley couldn't deliver.
2. jaysanderson - July 30, 2009 at 12:33 pm
No sympathy for Gates until the tape of the encounter is released. Instead of all the emotion and compelling stories of the difficulties of life, Crowley's actions could be judged fairly. Why is it that so many feel that they must be SO special and above the travails of the common man?
3. rlenhart - July 30, 2009 at 05:03 pm
"Crowley himself profiled" . . . looking at all sides, I hadn't considered that. Interesting thought.
4. omololaogunyemi - July 30, 2009 at 05:04 pm
How is the situation you described (on the streets of Cambridge) the same as a man being harrassed within his own home? I get the need to be accommodating most of the time, but surely there are times (e.g., after a tiring 17 hour flight from China) when a person is allowed to be rude, nasty, obnoxious, unaccommodating, *within the confines of his/her home*? I mean, we aren't all robots. Otherwise, your vision is of a world in which police can order me out of my home at any time, without a warrant, without identifying themselves, just because, and I meekly say "yessir" and accept it. I don't want to live in that world. I get what you're saying - part of the resentment on the part of Gates is a class thing: as a black man, no matter what your achievements, you may never be accorded the benefits of your class status unless you draw attention to them, because the automatic assumption is that you are working class (a situation that many whites don't have to think about or deal with). Unfortunately, telling people to "get over" this is easier said than done.
5. livefreeordie2 - July 30, 2009 at 05:06 pm
Mr. Wright has nailed it. Skip Gates brought this on himself. Had he acted with simple courtesy, there's little doubt the officer would have gone on his way satisfied. Perplexed's question about a white professor is interesting, but not quite on target. The more interesting analogy would be this: A black police officer responds to a 911 call at a private residence and asks for a white professor's ID. The white professor responds beligerently and tells the black officer that he will "come out and talk to your mama" prior to having the cuffs slapped on him. I can all but guarantee that the white professor would be looking for employment. . .and Barry Obama would be praising the Cambridge police for their restraint in dealing with this beligerent racist.
6. gmargoli - July 30, 2009 at 05:14 pm
There is no doubt in my mind that ego got in the way on both accounts. This was not a case of racial profiling or bias-based policing. It was "contempt of cop." I'm disappointed in Prof. Gates as I think he baited Sgt. Crowley and his ego is out of control. I have greater expectations from a member of the academy, and someone of Prof. Gates' stature. I'm only slightly less disappointed in Sgt. Crowley that he let Prof. Gates' arrogance get the best of him. Walk away... just walk away. By all accounts, he's a good cop and Cambridge is fortunate to have him. He'll struggle with this label now. Given the problems that African Americans (and all racial minorities) have historically experienced with law enforcement (and government, frankly) in the United States, instances like this cloud the real issues of race and bias, and give an excuse to those who continue to promulgate bias and failure to acknowledge its existence.
7. rclements - July 30, 2009 at 05:18 pm
All of this proves that people need to engage their minds before their mouth. I was sorry to see our President get himself into this. He forgot his Aloha spirit for a moment. It seems cooler heads have now prevailed and a cold beer will solve this incident or will it?
8. jgpeters - July 30, 2009 at 05:42 pm
David, I found your post to be courageous and insightful. We still have a long way to go in this country and the solutions are not easy. I feel embarrassed by the encounter with the police you describe, but I am also perplexed on how to deal with issues like this. For example, if someone was assaulted by a tall person and the victim gave a description of a "tall man" it seems perfectly logical that you would not question someone 5' tall, but someone 7' tall might be detained through "height profiling". Please don't misunderstand me, I am not suggesting that racial profiling should take place, but there is a profound difference between questioning Gates after a report of a break-in at his address and pulling over a black driver in a white neighborhood because he "seems out of place" there. Sometimes race is an issue and sometimes it is not. Unfortunately, it may be hard to tell the difference (especially when all you have to go on is other people's potentially biased reports) between a police officer who is legitimately paying attention to the race of a potential suspect and a racist cop hassling random minorities. David, I think you have it right when you say that avoiding the inflammation of a situation is often the more reasoned approach, even when you are totally in the right and the other may be wrong. I for one would rather be respectful to a police office who was a jerk than spend the afternoon in a jail cell because I wanted to make a point.
9. ludwigandrose - July 30, 2009 at 05:42 pm
Professor Wright makes several excellent points. With all of the attention that has been paid to this, it seems that we still don't know that race would have been an issue if Professor Gates hadn't invoked it. I am a 60-year old white woman who was stopped by a belligerent white traffic cop a couple of years ago; for driving 8 miles over the speed limit (admittedly on a city street), I was charged with four offenses, two of which were dismissed on the spot when I later visited the police station. I was deferential and am not aware of having done or said anything to provoke him (unless driving a BMW and wearing a fur coat fill that bill). In fact, (i) none of us always acts perfectly; (ii) Professor Gates was almost certainly exhausted from his trip and annoyed at having to break into his own house; and (iii) we do not want our police to walk away without satisfying themselves about the circumstances for which they were called, and we do want them to demand respect.
10. michael_o - July 30, 2009 at 06:04 pm
Please. You can put your sympathy where you like, but the question here is was the law being appropriately enforced, and the answer is clearly "no." It is not possible to do anything in Massachusetts inside your own home that can be considered "disorderly conduct." As a number of jurists have pointed out, disorderly conduct must, by definition, occur in public. Pity Gates for being Black in America. Pity Crowley for behaving in a racist manner. Pity the country for being in a place where this kind of thing happens every day, but usually under the radar. But I truly hope that you do not think that Gates should have ducked his head or just "acted White," and waited for the officer to go away. It was Crowley's job to act professionally and not to lose his head while being chastised by an elderly man who was in his own house.
11. gharbisonne - July 30, 2009 at 06:41 pm
A while back, I was stopped on the New Jersey turnpike. I was driving a truck at the time, with a couple of graduate students (both Asian) riding with me. I was told to step out of the truck, and frisked. The police then asked to look in the back of the truck. I obliged. They were disappointed (it was almost empty, except for our suitcases), but asked to look through the suitcases. I gave them permission to search mine, but told my students they had the right to refuse the search, if they wanted. The police officer rounded on me and said, and this is close to an exact quote "Oh, you're one of those card carrying ACLU members, are you? Well, let me tell you, if I want to, I can pull you in, and write you up for $1000 worth of violations on this truck". Since I didn't have any convenient victim status to use, being a member of the oppressor class, I apologized, but said I felt obliged to remind my students, who were foreign nationals, of their rights under US law. He wanted to know why I was driving an empty truck across the country. I told him I was chemist moving lab equipment to my new University, and was returning. "Oh, he said, a chemist, designer drugs, huh?" (Disciplinary profiling, right there!) I pointed out, if I were making designer drugs, I could afford to fly a lear jet across the country -- I wouldn't be driving a truck. He let us go. The next day, I called up the New Jersey ACLU, and told them I'd been subjected to an illegal search on the NJ turnpike. They asked if any of us were African-American, because they were investigating profiling. When it turned out none of us was, they told us they couldn't help us. Huh. Two points (1) It doesn't just happen to one group. (2) If you get snarky with a cop, he'll find a reason to arrest you. It may offend your sensibilities, but being a cop is a crappy job, and not terribly well paid. If he were a patient, compassionate person, he'd have gone into nursing; if he were attuned to the civil liberties implications of all his actions, he'd hve gone to law school.
12. adamreed - July 30, 2009 at 07:42 pm
I'm astounded that the actual cause of the arrest - namely, that Gates criticized a government employee in public - is not a crime. If our cherished freedom of speech means anything, it must mean that every citizen is free to criticize government officials and employees, including police officers, without facing arrest for it. I blog about it here: http://borntoidentify.blogspot.com/2009/07/free-speech-and-disorderly-conduct.html
13. jobescomforter - July 30, 2009 at 10:56 pm
If the worst that Henry Gates has had to contend with in his life is having the word "nigger" hung on him many times, he is more fortunate than he knows. This is a word banned to whites while blacks still use it with impunity...go figure!
14. gharbisonne - July 30, 2009 at 11:32 pm
Good grief. Have y'all any idea what the police deal with, day in, day out? Borderline and actual psychotics, slobbering drunks, as well as just mere criminals. Sure, you can expect some fusion of the Dalai Lama and Alan Dershowitz for your $ 50 K a year, but that's not what you're not going to get, and neither a Buddhist monk, nor a civil liberties lawyer, is going to make a very good beat cop, anyway. If you're very lucky, you'll get a cop like Sgt. Crowley. And if you're even slightly intelligent, you won't act like Prof. Gates. Get real, people.
15. rickinchina09 - July 31, 2009 at 03:56 am
Dr. Wright: As one who has posted elsewhere on this website on this very unfortunate incident and who is an academic who previously worked and live in the inner city, I found your analysis most compelling and reassuring. Yours is a voice of reason, or at least an eloquent appeal to it if I might say so at the risk of being patronizing. Thank you for your daring, for indeed in this era of polically correct thought, it is just that. Because you are a Black man you also run the risk of being labeled an Uncle Tom, as Officer Lashley, who was on the scene at the Gates' home has been. Instead, you have taken a principled stand, and one held by conviction. It requires no obfuscation, no dissembling or, worst of all, no double standard. As you ironically point out (and as I independently came to the same conclusion), Gates profiled Crowley. He also engaged in hyperbole by insisting he was "terrified." Now, at no point has Gates or his lawyer friend and colleague Dr. Ogletree ever accused Sgt. Crowley of vicious baiting or intimidation, which would justify such feelings. As Gates well knew, he was responding to a 911 call about a possible burglary and he was in uniform and clear about what he needed from the professor. But Gates elected to escalate matters rather than draw back on his intellectual reserve. As you have implied, what is most unfortunate about this incident at this point in time is that what could have been a genuinely teachable moment leading to real reform on the issue of racial profiling was bungled by a President who by his own admission didn't have all the facts. It was a matter of the right case at the wrong time directed against the wrong individual. As an aside, your take on this incident to some extent mirrors an article John McWhorter recently wrote for The New Republic, although I think you take the more objective view. Although I am White I have been the victim of prejudice both from Blacks and Chinese, the latter even in terms of racial profiling. So I have some sense of what nightmarish images this must conjure up for many African Americans and while I am sympathetic I share your position that we must choose our battles prudently. Otherwise we will be accused of baying at the moon.
16. lee77 - July 31, 2009 at 08:29 am
Re: Gates' arrest in his own home - I read the police report online (but it was gone when I went back), and I was left with the distinct impression that the arrest took place outside because the disturbance was outside - Crowley was trying to leave, Gates followed him outside to the porch, still shouting, and a "crowd" was starting to form. I'm actually puzzled how little has been reported from the other officers or by-standers (or even the limo driver!) about what they saw and heard - from all the reports, you'd think Gates and Crowley were the only two on the scene.
17. ptravers1957 - July 31, 2009 at 09:01 am
Let's face it, Gates blew his top, lost his cool, stepped out on his porch and put himself into an arrestable situation. Obama fell for the media bait. He should have kept his mouth shut and stuck to his health care push. I'm sure he regretted the "stupidly" comment as soon as he said it and his comment cost him a week on health care. The "beer" thing was an effort to fix Obama's verbal faux paus. As for Crowley, he used the law to support his anger and hotheadedness at what Gates was accusing him of which may or may not have been accurate. In essence, they were all wrong, so instead of admitting their mistakes they'll drink beer....Let them.
18. jobescomforter - July 31, 2009 at 09:06 am
You are right Lee, I saw a photograph of Gates being arrested and he was surrounded by police! Perhaps the others kept quiet hoping the incident would just go away, or perhaps they kept quiet because they did not want to be hounded, harassed and labeled, (or libeled) by the media. This incident turned into a hot potato. Who in their right mind after seeing the woman who did her civilian duty, (her good deed for the day) being pilloried the way she has been, would want to stick their neck out? Not I... Animals learn by example, if you watch someone having a hand cut off because they stole a loaf of bread it sure as hell teaches you a thing or two.
19. blue_state_academic - July 31, 2009 at 09:23 am
Kudos to Professor Wright for his perspective. There clearly was fault by both parties in this encounter. But the assumption that only one was - and could be - acting in a racist manner is false. It would be difficult for a white academic to write such a column, but in some ways it's even more difficult for a black man to do so. Good for Professor Wright for having the courage.
20. trtudor - July 31, 2009 at 09:55 am
I just returned from an international trip, which involved 24 hours of total flying time (including waiting for the next flight) and my having no sleep or bath made me look weary and homeless. I was so tired that I couldn't think properly and was quick to get angry at even small things. However, none of us really knows what fully happen during this incident. I do note that the handcuffs were in the front and not in the back. I do also note that the immigration officer that I experienced entering this country was very rude. My wife thought he was having a bad day. Although it would be racial profiling, I have not seen any statistics for this geographic area as far as what percent of crime is committed by race in that area. Unfortunately, we have no video to know what really happen.
21. salchaktoka - July 31, 2009 at 10:30 am
Umm, okay, so which law did Gates violate by displaying hubris? Come on; there was either an offense that warranted arrest, or there wasn't. Is hubris a violation of Massachusetts or federal law?
22. wconnor - July 31, 2009 at 11:06 am
For once, a very reasoned approach to the situation. Thank you Dr Wright.
23. virginiaperry - July 31, 2009 at 11:21 am
Is there anyone out there that might feel good about the fact that a passerby cared enough to call in what appeared to be a break in...rather than deciding not to get involved. Is it out of the realm of possibility that a homeowner/tenant might take some solace in the fact that had it been an actual break in (say, the previous day when he was still away), the trespassers would have been caught? I can't help but think that if it were me, even though I was tired, I would have proved my residency (by showing a drivers license rather than a school ID or passport) and send them on their way feeling content that the police and the community were doing their job looking out for their territory. And I would thank them for their efforts. Isn't that a good thing?
24. rhancuff - July 31, 2009 at 11:33 am
I'm so glad that Chronicle readers now accept that hubris is an arrestable offense. Perhaps during the next round, we'll all agree that displaying arrogance carries a mandatory sentence, like maybe 2 years. Given all the people writing in about what a tough job it is to be a cop (and I don't doubt that it is), you'd think Sgt. Crowley would have developed some better coping skills when dealing with man irate about being harrassed in his own home.
25. grgarza - July 31, 2009 at 11:35 am
If Gates was arrested in side his house, that would have been a stupid mistake. But he wasn't, it was outside, and he was causing a disturbance. Gates lost his cool, temper, and composure. He thought he was better than the arresting officer because he was a Harvard man. Nothing would have happened if Gates had been temperate.
26. rick1952 - July 31, 2009 at 11:35 am
I will echo what several previous posts have stated: this is an excellent commentary that provides us with another perspective about this incident in particular and the context in which we might consider it. I respect enormously Dr. Wright's honesty in detailing his own experience while also being clear that those of us who have achieved a higher social status by virtue of our education and career trajectories are not in the same situation as those who "remain behind." As Dr. Wright points out, the tragic circumstances surrounding the deaths of Sean Bell and Amadou Diallo as well as the assault of Abner Louima, illustrate clearly why this issue needs to be addressed with greater honesty and care. The unfortunate fact is that those three cases occurred in the media hub that is New York City, garnering greater attention than the countless other similar incidents in other, less media saturated communities. Whether in New York City or elswhere, profiling can be a matter of life or death for those who are profiled, no different than for law enforcement officers (who voluntarily take on that risk.) We need to develop a better response, in policy and practice, for this issue. Dr. Wright offers us a compelling argument about what we need to keep in mind as we struggle with this issue. Again, thank you Dr. Wright for your honesty and courage in sharing a different perspective on this issue.
27. dorvos - July 31, 2009 at 01:40 pm
Dr. Wright, thank you for a well-written article. As an 'odd' academic who started his career as a paramedic, one shouldn't question a police officer's response to a B&E call until one has been on one. As discussed, this isn't racial profiling as the officer was responding to a 911 call. Second, an officer gets nervous as a scene escalates and the first thing to go through his or her mind is to get the suspect out of the house. While never a police officer, I found my encounters on an active crime scene to be nerve racking. And police officers have those encounters daily. Sgt. Crowley responded in a professional manner.
28. bgilmore62 - July 31, 2009 at 04:16 pm
How is a citizen who did not commit a crime, get arrested in their own house? And now that the caller states she never mentioned race, it is obvious Crowley did "profile" Gates. All of his conclusions were his own conclusions. He didn't know what he had but saw a black man and said - crime. If he would have seen a white guy he would have waved and kept going. Black man? Need to ask that guy a few questions. I think people underestimate racism as Gates did leading up to the incident. They think it is like some abstract ideal; it isn't. It is as part of us now as the air we breathe because this country, greedy and cowardly, allowed it to entrench itself 400 years ago. Unless we are willing to take bold, bold steps to confront it; it isn't going anywhere. It is a cancer, and here we have another educated person defending racism (white supremacy). That is what it is by the way, and Gates, thinking he was "in" is as guilty as the officer because he thought and thinks it is over. Those of us who put up with racist cops regularly know better.
29. labronx - August 01, 2009 at 11:38 pm
People who based their argument by saying "But what if Gates had been White..." or "What if Crowly had been Black..." remind me of when my eight year old daughter whines by saying "But Savannah can stay up late..." When will you people realize how silly you sound when you base your arguement on such "what if's" Stick to the facts, stick to the law, argue the racism or lack thereof. But cut this comaparison nonsense as it does not advance an argument.
30. eelalien - August 03, 2009 at 11:58 am
From what few "facts" appear to be operatively known here, I would dare say that what occurred was actually all theater - Gates portraying himself as innocent-black-victim protagonist versus police profiling by a racist white cop as his imaginary antagonist, and Crowley portraying himself as the duty-bound officer-of-the-peace confronted by an imaginary foe - and potential threat - as portrayed by an uppity academic who is verbally affronting him. Each plays their role out with all they've got. A round of applause, now curtain down. Show's over.
31. edmccourt - August 03, 2009 at 01:33 pm
Well done. I'm glad we are understanding this as an issue of privilege and class difference rather than solely one of race. Hopefully this does not distract us from true instances of racial profiling -- the victims of which are not usually members of the Harvard elite. My fear is that this case (and Gate's continued legal action "for the larger good of the black community" as he indicated in the referenced interview) may cause some people to discredit other viable instances of racial profiling...
32. elained - August 03, 2009 at 02:56 pm
Imagine you are a white man. The police come to your door in response to a 911 call. The police officer explains why he's there and asks for your ID to make sure you are who you say you are. What would be the response? I imagine if you were a professional man without a huge chip on your shoulder, you would act in a reasonable manner, understand that the police officer wants to make sure you're safe and not in harm's way and you would respond accordingly. However, this did not happen. Professor Gates, who has his own preconceived opinions regarding race relations; he decides that this officer was profiling him-(but, what you said in your arcticle I believe is true, Gates was profiling Officer Crowley, imagine that!) He says, aha!, A great "teachable" moment. But, for what? Professor Gates was not being profiled; he was not arrested because he was a "black man in America"; he was arrested for DISORDERLY CONDUCT, because he was out of control. Professor Gates, your teachable moment is this: Black or White, Man or Woman, if you behave in a belligerent manner in front of the police, you will be arrested. In my opinion, Professor Gates acted in a very shameful manner, unbecoming to a man of his alleged stature. I surmise he is a highly regarded Professor at Harvard University-a professional man, an educated man. I work at a College and I cannot imagine any of the professors here acting in such an unprofessional manner. Professor Gates is trying to use the Race Card in order to promote his own agenda. He saw an opportunity for media exposure, for name recognition and he went with it, knowing full well this would turn into a media circus, not just in Cambridge, MA but across the country. What a feather in his cap. Watch for his new book in the fall--"A Black Man in America"-My personal experiences with race relations in America " Wouldn't be wonderful to put this behind us now that they had their "beer summit"-no more media coverage, no more interviews with Professor Gates, Nope, the beat goes on (and on and on....)