POTUS Obama Says Cops Who Arrested Gates "Acted Stupidly" Vs Nixon's "Manson Guilty"

[JoeTheJuggler]

Refreshing? Had Obama been more circumspect, he wouldn't now be inviting the "racist" cop to the White House.

Who are you quoting that called the cop "racist"? You do know that Obama didn't call him racist, don't you?

 

[JoeTheJuggler]

I wonder if the JREFer posters who cheered POTUS Obama for his initial remarks will be "ready to publicly revise their position?"

I'm disappointed, but not surprised, that Obama revised his remarks to be more politic.

I still think it was refreshing to get a straight answer in plain (even blunt) language on his reaction to the story. But, yeah, he's still a politician and has to try to keep everyone happy.

 

[Cicero]

Who are you quoting that called the cop "racist"? You do know that Obama didn't call him racist, don't you?

But his good friend Gates did.

 

[Cicero]

What the devil are you talking about? Who here is faulting the cops for not recognizing him?

Here? Well, Gates faults the cops for not recognizing him and so does the lame stream media.

 

[Brainster]

I wonder if the JREFer posters who cheered POTUS Obama for his initial remarks will be "ready to publicly revise their position?"

Do you mean to say that Obama threw them under the bus?

 

[Cicero]

Do you mean to say that Obama threw them under the bus?

I doubt the Greyhound driver even noticed.

 

[joobz]

Do you mean to say that Obama threw them under the bus?

I think the phrase should be "Arrested them on the porch."

 

[Cavemonster]

Here? Well, Gates faults the cops for not recognizing him and so does the lame stream media.

Really? The campus police did recognize him. I don't know what every media outlet said, but I never heard them say that the arresting officer should have. Do you have a quote?

 

[FlamingMoe]

If you consider people getting arrested for trying to enter their own home anything other than insane, you're an idiot.

Well it's a good thing no one has put forth the notion that it isn't insane, since that's not what Mr. Gates was arrested for, isn't it?

 

[Cicero]

Really? The campus police did recognize him. I don't know what every media outlet said, but I never heard them say that the arresting officer should have. Do you have a quote?

DYSON: "This man got a Ph.D. from Cambridge University in English. He was one of the first four people awarded a MacArthur Genius Award. He was a stringer for "TIME" magazine. He was named one of the 100 most influential people by "TIME" magazine a few years ago, and he's been all over PBS and all over America. So, he is one of the most prominent members of our collegiality, as it were. He's a professor of extraordinary prominence."

DYSON: "And then the fact that, in this neighborhood, his own neighbors call the police, and, when the police come, they can't distinguish between a very prominent professor and a common everyday so-called thief."

BLITZER: "And I think it is important to note, he is not only one of the most prominent African-American professor in the United States. He is one of the most prominent professors in the United States."

DYSON: "Absolutely, widely regarded as one of the greatest intellectuals of his generation. And I think that we need to pay attention to the fact that, if it can happen to him, it can happen to any of us. And I think that is the message we need to hear."

http://www.blackplanet.com/your_page/blog/view_posting.html?pid=423107&section=Newest

 

[Cavemonster]

DYSON: "This man got a Ph.D. from Cambridge University in English. He was one of the first four people awarded a MacArthur Genius Award. He was a stringer for "TIME" magazine. He was named one of the 100 most influential people by "TIME" magazine a few years ago, and he's been all over PBS and all over America. So, he is one of the most prominent members of our collegiality, as it were. He's a professor of extraordinary prominence."

DYSON: "And then the fact that, in this neighborhood, his own neighbors call the police, and, when the police come, they can't distinguish between a very prominent professor and a common everyday so-called thief."

BLITZER: "And I think it is important to note, he is not only one of the most prominent African-American professor in the United States. He is one of the most prominent professors in the United States."

DYSON: "Absolutely, widely regarded as one of the greatest intellectuals of his generation. And I think that we need to pay attention to the fact that, if it can happen to him, it can happen to any of us. And I think that is the message we need to hear."

http://www.blackplanet.com/your_page/blog/view_posting.html?pid=423107&section=Newest

Yes? None of these quotes say the police should have recognized him as an individual.

 

[Cicero]

Yes? None of these quotes say the police should have recognized him as an individual.

So in your world the word "prominent" (never mind "extraordinary prominence") means anonymity? Of course they are saying that the Cambridge cops should have recognized this -readily noticeable, conspicuous, widely and popularly known, leading- professor.

 

[Cavemonster]

So in your world the word "prominent" (never mind "extraordinary prominence") means anonymity? Of course they are saying that the Cambridge cops should have recognized this -readily noticeable, conspicuous, widely and popularly known, leading- professor.

A) Dyson is not a member of the media.

B) His awkwardly made point (which I disagree with) is that the officer should have made the distinction between an elderly, distinguished academic man and his view of a theif which would be a young, low class man apparently in his mind.

I disagree with his assesment that the age or appearance of Gates should have colored the officer's judgement too much and I think his statement is a bit class-ist. However, reading the entire interview, no one there is suggesting that the officer should have know who Gates was, but that they should have known what Gates was, a position I disagree with.

 

[Cicero]

A) Dyson is not a member of the media.

B) His awkwardly made point (which I disagree with) is that the officer should have made the distinction between an elderly, distinguished academic man and his view of a theif which would be a young, low class man apparently in his mind.

I disagree with his assesment that the age or appearance of Gates should have colored the officer's judgement too much and I think his statement is a bit class-ist. However, reading the entire interview, no one there is suggesting that the officer should have know who Gates was, but that they should have known what Gates was, a position I disagree with.

Dyson is a CNN pundit. Does Wolf Blitzer qualify as a member of the media? He said Gates is, "one of the most prominent professors in the United States."

That is absurd. Of course they are saying "who" not "what." Gates isn't wearing a uniform, unless fashion faux pas are confined to college professors.

 

[Cavemonster]

Dyson is a CNN pundit. Does Wolf Blitzer qualify as a member of the media? He said Gates is, "one of the most prominent professors in the United States."

That is absurd. Of course they are saying "who" not "what." Gates isn't wearing a uniform, unless fashion faux pas are confined to college professors.

Okay then, if you think that's a valid reading

 

[linusrichard]

But the police report in this case, if it ever made it into criminal court before the case was dropped, would find its way into the courtroom since Gates' attorney would most assuredly attempt to impeach the cop's original testimony.

Let's reread what you posted:

unless their original testimony is impeached in some way and the report can rehabilitate the testimony

The police report doesn't rehabilitate the testimony just because it says the same thing. If the cop testifies to something, and then the defense suggests that, for example, this is a recent fabrication, the police report can come in to show that the cop isn't changing his story, he's been saying this from day one. But if the cop testifies to something, and the defense suggests that he has a motivation to lie that existed all along, then the police report proves nothing at all, and wouldn't be admissible for rehabilitation or anything.

 

[Tricky]

I need to pull out my old copy of Amos and Andrew.

 

[Brainster]

I need to pull out my old copy of Amos and Andrew.

Al Sharpton has to be the Kingfisher!

 

[gtc]

I'll add the same point I made in the other thread on this topic: I find it refreshing that Obama gave a straight, and un-PC answer to the question. He could easily have hidden behind a vague statement about the "unfortunate incident" or said "mistakes were made" or some such, but instead he gave a straight answer when asked about his thoughts on the incident.

That is a good point.

Contrast the forthrightness of his initial statement to his waffling clarification:

http://www.smh.com.au/world/obama-backs-off-from-race-row-20090725-dwiq.html

US President Barack Obama said his remarks about the arrest of Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. should have been "calibrated" differently as he sought to tamp down a growing controversy overshadowing his agenda.

The fact that it has garnered so much attention, I think, is a testimony to the fact that these are issues that are still very sensitive here in America," Obama said today. "My hope is that as a consequence of this event, this ends up being what's called a teachable moment, where all of us, instead of pumping up the volume, spend a little more time listening to each other."

Is it better to have a leader who says the right thing in a waffling manner or the wrong thing in a forthright manner? In Obama you seem to have both.

 

[gtc]

Who are you quoting that called the cop "racist"? You do know that Obama didn't call him racist, don't you?

He did insinuate that the officers were racist:

And number three -- what I think we know separate and apart from this incident -- is that there is a long history in this country of African-Americans and Latinos being stopped by law enforcement disproportionately, and that's just a fact.

If he did really believe that it was 'seperate and apart from this incident' then he wouldn't have brought it up in response to the case.