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Top scholar Gates arrested in Mass., claims racism

Dr_Patrick said:
There is no need for hyperbole. Based on the information given, the truth tends to lean towards the officer's account of what happened more than Gates. Do you have anything to back up your assertions about Gates? Are all cops racist to you? Is it that hard to believe that sometimes black people pull the race card in situations where it isn't warranted?
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He has Prez Obama on his side now, isn't that enough. I mean the Prez has now become "black enough" to make a credible statement about racism.
 
Coronado said:
The professor need not prove his innocence at all. It's assumed until proven to be otherwise.

It's really disturbing to me to see so many police apologists. I guess we didn't really need all those silly rights after all ...
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Since this is being played out in the media, instead of the courts, I have a valid right to expect the perpfessor to prove his assertions.
 
American said:
Since this is being played out in the media, instead of the courts, I have a valid right to expect the perpfessor to prove his assertions.
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Alrighty then. Just keep believing what your television tells you and all will be okay ...
 
WillRockwell said:
I don't think Dr. Gates has ever complained that "the man" was "holding him down". But if he was arrested in his own house, it is possible that racism played a part in it.
What I find curious is your knee-jerk defense, and your use of archaic racial slogans in defense of the arresting officers. You speak of perpetuating myths...behind your hysterical reaction I see the shadows of men in sheets.
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Correction, arrested outside of his home on the public street.
 
FreeTh!nk3r said:
Why, their action were stupid. The mad proved it was his home yet he still gets arrested? This is acceptable behavior why?
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Because he followed the police outside of his residence to curse and swear and causing a disturbance, was warned, and refused to stop, so he got arrested for disorderly conduct.
 
aps said:
Pun intended?

Frankly, it's NOT comforting to me to hear the President speak without having conducted the proper research (i.e., reading the police report).
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Maybe he was calling their actions of dropping the charges stupid?

I would stand for that.

However, with this president, I know this to not be true.
 
Not going to read this whole thread. I'm just going to add my two cents based on the news reports I've read. It was a legitimate call for service, the professor was acting like an idiot given the circumstances, the cops were idiots for arresting the man (nothing in the report warrants this man going to jail), The cop should be officially reprimanded if not suspended for a couple of days. It was a bull**** arrest and obviously retribution for the professors loud, obnoxious behavior. But in this country we still have free speech. I got called every name in book on multiple occasions, but I didn't have to take anyone to jail over it. Calling a cop a racist is not a crime. Yelling in your own home is not a crime. Obama is HUGE ****ING MORON for getting involved and making comments on this issue.

Sometimes discretion is the better part of valor. Our President talks too much.
 
Caine said:
Because he followed the police outside of his residence to curse and swear and causing a disturbance, was warned, and refused to stop, so he got arrested for disorderly conduct.
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That's a bull**** charge Caine, you and I both know that. He can stand on his porch and call them names and it's not breaking the law. That is not disorderly conduct. He was on his own property.
 
Coronado said:
:rofl

So the more "facts" you provide, the more truthful the report must be? It's impossible to make up that many facts, I guess.

Since police reports are always the Gospel truth, it's kinda redundant to have a trial, isn't it? Imagine how much money we could save if we just did away with the judiciary and let the arresting officer be the judge!
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Honestly, it depends. I have seen plenty of people provide complete lies with detailed information. But part of my basis for finding that such facts are NOT credible is that these details are provided decades after the incident in question. In this situation, the police report was written on the same day of the incident in question. The story described in the report is credible, TO ME. The details he includes in the report sound like ones I would provide if I was describing the incident in question (and, of course, I am totally credible ;)). But I read the story and not once do I think, "Bullcrap."

I read Gates's rants, and he sounds like a jerk. Also, I haven't seen any evidence that Gates refutes the facts presented in the police report. It was debatable whether Gates should have been arrested. In other words, it could have gone either way, IMO.
 
Dr_Patrick said:
There is no need for hyperbole. Based on the information given, the truth tends to lean towards the officer's account of what happened more than Gates. Do you have anything to back up your assertions about Gates? Are all cops racist to you? Is it that hard to believe that sometimes black people pull the race card in situations where it isn't warranted?
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However nothing in that police report indicates an arrest was warranted. Who cares if Gates called him a racist. Cops are big boys, shrug it off, get in your cruiser, and get back to your job.
 
disneydude said:
The sad thing is that this type of thing goes on day after day in this country. The only reason this came to the light it has is because the victim in this case had some social status.

Everytime it begins to appear that we have moved forward as a country, something like this comes along and shows how far we have to go.
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Yes, its just so so sad that you can't yell curse scream and act a god damned fool on the sidewalk of the public streets and not be arrested. Especially when your black, you should have special privileges to do this apparently. :roll:

disneydude said:
Aps...c'mon. Do honestly believe that police write their police reports accurately? No. They are written to justify an arrest. Gates probably did get out of control, after the officers got out of control and failed to accept his offer of identification.
Too often the police respond to a situation and immediately look for any evidence to substantiate a claim.
Its the arrest now and ask questions later mentality that has to change in this country.
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A. Reports ARE written accurately. B. The 'arrest now ask questions later' mentality keeps officers from getting into a physical altercation later that ends up in injury to suspects or victims. C. They left the house, the stupid man followed them onto the public streets cursing and acting a fool, was warned several times, and then arrested. Why is that part getting ignored by everyone?


WillRockwell said:
Gates is free to say anything he wants in his own home, that's one of those personal freedoms you righties whine about. Remember? The point about this case is that if Dr. Gates, who was named one of the 25 most influential Americans, can be arrested in his own home, what chance does a random black man have?
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Yes, but he followed Officers out onto the sidewalk where he was warned and then arrested. Big difference. And still getting ignored.


aps said:
Oh, I am sure some police officers don't write accurate reports. This police officer wrote a rather detailed report. I thought the details he provided were such that I found them credible. Now that I know his history (having provided mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to a black man), I am assured of the accuracy of his facts. Why would he lie? Others were present to provide their account of the situation. There was a black police officer present. To me, he would be a complete idiot if he lied about the facts. I don't find him to be an idiot. It's that simple.
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The report isn't false, thats all disneydude and his race baiters have left to do is say.. "Uhh.. uhh.. THE REPORT IS A LIE, YEAH!" "Yes The report is a lie, its the evil evil po-leece being racists again because I said so!"
 
Coronado said:
I'll thank you to not put words in my mouth, sir.

The cop is one witness, no more or less credible than any other random human being. He has no corner on the "truth" market. He has his version of events, which should be weighed by a jury in light of other evidence. Just because he says something doesn't necessarily make it so.
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I wasn't putting words in your mouth. I was asking you questions.

I never said that the cop has any corner on the truth market. However, as you put it he is no more or less credible than any other random human..so why do you side with Gates?
 
Lerxst said:
That's a bull**** charge Caine, you and I both know that. He can stand on his porch and call them names and it's not breaking the law. That is not disorderly conduct. He was on his own property.
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According to the report linked, which is not available any longer for some reason, the man FOLLOWED police out onto the sidewalk.

Its unfortunate that our liberal media is too busy trying to make a dime off of this to report the truth, just like with Jena 6.
 
Lerxst said:
However nothing in that police report indicates an arrest was warranted. Who cares if Gates called him a racist. Cops are big boys, shrug it off, get in your cruiser, and get back to your job.
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I disagree. Read my post where I describe what a defense attorney says must be shown for a person to have violated the law Gates was accused of violating. He was outside of his home and "disturbing" the public (the police officer describes the effect Gates's screaming had on the public). It's a judgment call.
 
American said:
He has Prez Obama on his side now, isn't that enough. I mean the Prez has now become "black enough" to make a credible statement about racism.
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All he said was that they made a "stupid" mistake. Did he choose the wrong words? Absolutely. However, I didn't really see a blatant comment about racism in what he said.
 
Coronado said:
Alrighty then. Just keep believing what your television tells you and all will be okay ...
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So because someone wants Gates to prove his assertions it means that they must believe what the tv tells them? You really need to work on your debating skills. :2wave:
 
arrestofhenrylouisgates.jpg



The cop in the lower right hand corner is clearly a racist!
 
Dr_Patrick said:
However, as you put it he is no more or less credible than any other random human..so why do you side with Gates?
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Because the assumption rests on the state to prove the crime, not on Gates to disprove it. Innocent until proven guilty and all that.
 
Coronado said:
Because the assumption rests on the state to prove the crime, not on Gates to disprove it. Innocent until proven guilty and all that.
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This also isn't a court case. We are talking about the incident itself. Plus, the officer himself isn't the state. As you said, he is no more or less credible than anyone there. So again, I'll ask you...why do you automatically side with Gates?
 
Dr_Patrick said:
So because someone wants Gates to prove his assertions it means that they must believe what the tv tells them? You really need to work on your debating skills. :2wave:
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Straw man. Try again.
 
Dr_Patrick said:
This also isn't a court case. We are talking about the incident itself. Plus, the officer himself isn't the state. As you said, he is no more or less credible than anyone there. So again, I'll ask you...why do you automatically side with Gates?
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I'm not sure how many different ways I have to explain it to you before you get it. I don't care that it's not a court case; the onus is always on the state because the alternative to that is tyranny. I don't want to live in a country where the police are correct until they can be proven wrong.
 
Dr_Patrick said:
How is it a straw man? That is exactly what you said. :doh
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I'm not going to hold your hand on this. Go back and read the series of responses in their entirety if you still don't get it. Thanks.
 
So . . .

Whatever the government says in any instance is false until it proves it's not?
 
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