tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post5233669458852585998..comments2024-02-24T05:19:10.949-05:00Comments on Durham-in-Wonderland: I Don't Recall . . .kcjohnson9http://www.blogger.com/profile/09625813296986996867noreply@blogger.comBlogger81125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-6593735002439195032009-08-01T08:01:36.816-04:002009-08-01T08:01:36.816-04:00TO "Gregory"--
A long time ago, I would...TO "Gregory"--<br /><br />A long time ago, I would have agreed with you that Gates had a "distinguished" career.<br /><br />Maybe.<br /><br />But for quite some time now he has displayed--in both word and deed---the same hideous mindset as the Gang of 88.<br /><br />The little "race" documentaries he pumps out are superfluous ego massages. No different than someone researching their own ancestry.<br /><br />Not true and significant scholarship.<br /><br />And by the way, I don't care how stressed a person is from travel, etc.....<br /><br />Gates had all those tired meta-narratives and accusations inside his head, trigger-ready to spew at a moment's notice.<br /><br />Similarly, you don't use epithets to describe groups of people so easily unless you're accustomed to doing it. This illustrates how an individual thinks.<br /><br />The so-called anger is the trigger to what already exists.<br /><br />Check out Gates in some of those YouTube videos.<br /><br />His outdated dialogue.<br /><br />He still disparages Duke in the most extreme ways.....giving his listeners the impression that the school is quite the opposite as we all know it to be.<br /><br />Is Duke University <i>really</i> hostile to "minorities"?<br /><br />What a joke!<br /><br />This whole Lacrosse Hoax took place precisely because Gates' words are such total lies.<br /><br />Review what we actually know to be facts.<br /><br />The entire Duke campus and the administration cater to "minorities" nonstop.<br /><br />At the expense of authentic scholarship and reason.<br /><br />Mary DBT Semans, a Duke heir, philanthropist, and ever-present force has always bent over backward to make the campus anything <i>but</i> what Gates described when he taught there for a short time.<br /><br />Duke had not yet turned the place into a haven for what Gates intended......along the lines of Cornel West rap CD's and <i>floating "phalli"</i>.<br /><br />No doubt, Mary Semans would have offered Gates one of her own daughters if she had had one left and he had asked.<br /><br />After all, one of her daughters is already married to a black man.<br /><br />There would have been anything but a "hostile and racist" atmosphere at Duke such as Gates is fond of describing.<br /><br />My senses tell me that with John Hope Frankln very much around at the time, a building named in his honor, and an entire department of study devoted to him.....Gates could not have run the show and have been the "Big Daddy" as he would have liked.<br /><br />That scenario is the most plausible one.<br /><br />He went north where he was able to cop a better deal at the time.Debrahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04567454727276881424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-2713717774361706962009-07-30T19:01:34.035-04:002009-07-30T19:01:34.035-04:00To Chris and the anonymous @ 9:25:
Both of those ...To Chris and the anonymous @ 9:25:<br /><br />Both of those explanations are plausible. It could be that Crowley wanted to entrap Gates by getting him outside, or, it could be that Crowley wanted witnesses to Gates' odd behavior and to protect himself from charges of racism.<br /><br />One major fault I have with the "entrapment" argument is that Crowley could've arrested Gates inside the house just relying on the pretext already contained in his report (i.e. refused to show identification) or even a made-up pretext -- if he was like that. The only problem with this argument is that Crowley might have been leery about hidden video cameras in the home. <br /><br />It also could be simpler. Crowley mentioned in his report that he couldn't hear his radio in the house over Gates' remonstrations. Going outside would have helped that. Or, since Gates just got home, the house was really hot and Crowley was in his full uniform and etc..... <br /><br />I don't think Juan Williams has it right at all. His speculation does not logically fit the timeline. By the time Crowley left the house, he had already walked through it to make sure that there were no "hostage-takers." I agree that that was likely Crowley's reason for initially wanting Gates to walk outside, but not the motivation for what actually happened later. <br /><br />I see this as two good and productive people who were both tired and stressed out (Crowley coming from a domestic disturbance call; Gates coming from China), who, at a time of weakness, lapsed into an easy narrative that they both had avoided throughout their distinguished careers.<br /><br />********************<br /><br />The funniest meme coming from the left side of the aisle is that Cambridge dropped the charges, which, in itself, proves that they were bogus, unconstitutional and never had legitimacy.<br /><br />We all saw in the Duke case how easy it is to keep bogus charges on the books in some jurisdictions. It is not hard to imagine that it would be just as easy in those towns to dismiss charges. MOO! GregoryAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-45883696936655590362009-07-29T05:27:56.350-04:002009-07-29T05:27:56.350-04:00I remember being profiled. I was on my way home f...I remember being profiled. I was on my way home from my job as a bartender, and it was sometime after 2 am. I had seen the officer's car in my rearview mirror and did not want to be pulled over. I was tired. As a result, I slowed my car down to the speed limit - I had been going 5 mph over the limit.<br /><br />That's what the officer pulled me over for: driving the speed limit. At that time of night, someone driving the speed limit is probably drinking.<br /><br />But being the butthead that I was, I had gotten out of the car (in my bartender's uniform, which made me look like an organ-grinder's monkey) and asked - demanded, actually - why I was being pulled over. I didn't use bad language, I didn't reference the officer's "momma," making it personal: I wanted to know how I could avoid being pulled over on my way home from work in the future. Should I exceed the speed limit?<br /><br />Since I've grown up - apparently more than Professor Gates - I understand why I was "profiled." DTS: Driving Too Slow. But having seen the results of motorists' after they'd been slaughtered by drunk drivers, I understood the need for that kind of behavioral profiling.<br /><br />By the way, Israeli airliners are rarely hijacked. That's because the Israelis are terrific at profiling BEHAVIOR. And the behavior Gates' exhibited seems consistent with what we might expect of the hated "88."<br /><br />KC, you are simply wrong on this one, and the examples you've cited are lame.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-69263914423716169282009-07-29T05:08:00.076-04:002009-07-29T05:08:00.076-04:00Juan Williams said it best about the incident: whe...Juan Williams said it best about the incident: when the police come to his Washington D.C. home and ask him to come outside because of a call, they're doing it because he MIGHT be under the influence of a hostage-taker. Asking the man - Gates, if you can call him a man - outside would be for Gates' protection, and for any other innocent party inside the house.<br /><br />Of course, since Gates wanted to be another Houston Baker, it would make sense that he was setting up his own victimhood, his own narrative. He was a "mee-too" victim.<br /><br />And if Gates were at Duke during the Hoax? Very likely he would have signed the letter, and it would read "89."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-23084752459436074812009-07-28T17:24:56.623-04:002009-07-28T17:24:56.623-04:00Put another way: Crowley asked Gates to come outs...Put another way: Crowley asked Gates to come outside the house, and he asked Gates to behave in a civil manner. Are the consequences really Crowley's fault if Gates chose to follow only the first of those requests?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-29601842659443479182009-07-28T15:48:08.867-04:002009-07-28T15:48:08.867-04:00Chris,
What is wrong with the standard explanatio...Chris,<br /><br />What is wrong with the standard explanation that the police are trained to ask people to step outside for everyone's safety?...especially when there could be an intruder in the house? <br /><br />The Cambridge situation and how it's handled by the President, the Officer, and the Professor likely will set a standard for citizen and police behavior in future police investigations. I, for one, am pretty confused at this point, although I certainly tell my kids to be extremely polite to police officers, comply immediately and graciously with their requests for ID, and request a consultation with a lawyer. <br /><br />How much abuse should the police be asked to tolerate in the course of an investigation? Do we really want to establish a right for citizens to insult police officers and impede investigations? Maybe a ticket with a large fine was more in order here, but there has to be something to help the officer manage the the abusive and uncooperative citizen.<br /><br />ummm...the police report seems to be checking out based on the other evidence, namely recordings of the call and radio transmissions. The facts seem quite straightforward now...AM I MISSING SOMETHING? Now we just need to determine whether Officer Crowley abused his discretion in arresting Professor Gates. Nothing else Officer Crowley or the 911 caller did seem the least bit controversial. (I am still perplexed by the idea that it's racist to acknowledge race in describing a possible suspect, which as we now know the Lucia Whalen, the world's sweetest 911 caller, did NOT do...but if that is racist, then is acknowledging whether the potential perpetrator is male or female somehow sexist...should we forego descriptions of potential suspects altogether?) <br /><br />ObserverAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-33593356964473059092009-07-28T09:25:46.909-04:002009-07-28T09:25:46.909-04:00halides1 said...
A friend of mine put forth a pla...<i>halides1 said... <br />A friend of mine put forth a plausible explanation of the officer’s behavior. The officer asked Professor Gates to step outside. One cannot be arrested for disorderly conduct in one’s own home, but one can in the presence of other people. The officer must have known this, and therefore he set Professor Gates up to be arrested. The officer should have left once he learned Gates’ identity. I don’t care for the angry studies crowd, but my friend’s explanation has made me rethink the incident. I have not seen this point raised before, but I may have missed it.</i><br /><br />Chris -<br /><br />One of my friends has expressed this view (in frankly rather a toxic fashion which means I quickly leave his presence when he gets on this subject.) He refers to it as if it were absolutely incontrovertible that the officer engaged in "entrapment".<br /><br />I can understand the hypothesis, and I agree that it <i>could</i> be the case, but it doesn't fully convince me. Other hypotheses seem as plausible if not more plausible to me, such as that Crowley hoped the presence of witnesses who were not white presumed-racist cops would induce Gates would moderate his behavior so as not to embarrass himself. Or, a hypothesis that becomes ever more plausible the more this thing spirals into a media firestorm, Crowley wanted any interaction between himself and Gates to be witnessed by as many people as possible so that he could have a hope of defending himself against charges of racism.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-27209201241505723072009-07-27T18:27:48.776-04:002009-07-27T18:27:48.776-04:00A friend of mine put forth a plausible explanation...A friend of mine put forth a plausible explanation of the officer’s behavior. The officer asked Professor Gates to step outside. One cannot be arrested for disorderly conduct in one’s own home, but one can in the presence of other people. The officer must have known this, and therefore he set Professor Gates up to be arrested. The officer should have left once he learned Gates’ identity. I don’t care for the angry studies crowd, but my friend’s explanation has made me rethink the incident. I have not seen this point raised before, but I may have missed it.<br /><br />ChrisChris Halkideshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14933976220776524122noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-69801005497041000282009-07-27T15:56:21.718-04:002009-07-27T15:56:21.718-04:00My grandfather had no legal training, no history t...My grandfather had no legal training, no history training past third grade, and no love of politics, but he gave me good advice on that type of situation. "You should always be deferential to the police." Gates acted stupidly and deserves no beer and no praise for his actions or his "advanced learning". "Obama had no place commenting on the situation either", I can hear him say!skwillihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17216150339054413310noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-52241412740806555592009-07-27T11:52:22.983-04:002009-07-27T11:52:22.983-04:00OMG ...
the Duke LAX story will NEVER fade ... an...OMG ... <br />the Duke LAX story will NEVER fade ... and how it illuminates the Gates flap. <br /><br />The woman who made the 911 call, Lucia Whalen, never mentioned the race of the two men <br /><br />...according to her attorney, who is ... Wendy J. Murphy, Esq.<br /><br />http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view/20090727gates_case_shocker_woman_who_called_cambridge_police_says_she_never_referred_to_intruders_as_black/srvc=home&position=0<br /><br />Murphy's statement is confirmed by Cambridge Police Commissioner Robert Haas.<br />http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/07/27/gates-mentioned-race/?test=latestnews<br /><br />However ... Sgt Crowley DID speak with the 911 caller, Whalen, BEFORE he approached Gates' house. Whalen had stayed in phone contact with the 911 dispatcher. There presumably is no record of what Whalen and Crowley discussed on the street, before he went to the residencea Nice NJ Guyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05776159775859690321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-75305478905384591762009-07-27T07:54:12.533-04:002009-07-27T07:54:12.533-04:00Just like Dick Brodhead, Barak Obama missed a real...Just like Dick Brodhead, Barak Obama missed a really good opportunity to keep quiet. In effect, Obama said "If Officer Crowley didn’t do it, whatever he did is bad enough." Soon he'll make the excuse "the facts kept changing".<br /><br />Not what you are looking for in a President of any kind.Locomotive Breathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15501722094860082283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-24344263324048661012009-07-27T00:35:39.072-04:002009-07-27T00:35:39.072-04:00Wow.
Now we have theatre in real life,....
...wi...Wow.<br /><br />Now we have theatre in real life,....<br /><br />...with a scholar worthy of the moniker: "88 is not quite enough for me" ...<br /><br />[How is it that a Harvard professor who focuses on "angry studies" deserves deference or consideration and the 88 Duke professors do not? I'd appreciate hearing KC's and other's reconciliation of this apparent contradiction.]<br /><br />... and a police officer from whom Gottlieb (et al) surely could have taken lessons ...<br /><br />[Here we have a police officer who has the support of his colleagues and counterparts, both black and white, ... who collectively assert praise for the lack of racial animus ... rather than a rogue cop hell-bent on a race/class/gender-defined notion of justice.]<br /><br />...and a President who talks about how an arrest for disorderly conduct deserves comment because it is a part of his "portfolio"...<br /><br />[Again, give me a break. O'Bama thought he'd win some political points by interjecting himself into a rather petty local and misdemeanor violation of law (if any). The fact that he said anything other than "I have no comment" when asked the question strikes me as evidence of his predisposition to play the race card. <br /><br />What's next. A comment on traffic tickets?]<br /><br />and ...GoodGodaMickeyMighty ... otherwise thoughtful folks who have argued the facts of the Duke Lacrosse Burning are now loudly contradicting their previous statements, trying to mitigate the all too apparent racism of the supposedly pre-eminent scholar and the President.<br /><br />In this case, the only point at which racial profiling can be alledged is at the point that the 911 caller said "two black men." Give me a break. When I've called 911 to report a possible criminal act, I've always provided the best description possible. In this case, there <i><b>WERE</b></i> two black men involved. How else ccould they be described. That's the description that any reasonable person would provide. And if it had been two white men (which frankly would have been more suspicious given that the occupant of the house was black), that is also what a reasonable person would report.<br /><br />____________________________________<br /><br />This is simply a case of a man who has studied angry people for his entire career and who now is all too ready to express that same anger.<br /><br />And it's a case of a President that is now showing his true colors.<br /><br />_______________________________<br /><br />I wonder if Obama will invite others accused of disorderly conduct to the White House for a beer? <br /><br />______________________________<br /><br />I must admit --- I'm observing this whole charade with some glee ... for the race card is now being seen for what it is ... it has no suit ... it is simply a joker.inmannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-20655166804518240712009-07-26T22:49:20.556-04:002009-07-26T22:49:20.556-04:00As many have mentioned, none of us knows very much...As many have mentioned, none of us knows very much about this Officer Crowley, although his work in the department speaks for itself.<br /><br />All his fellow officers---white, black, or whatever---have nothing but praise for him.<br /><br />I do, however, have a relatively large mental <i>cache</i> on Gates---both anecdotal and factual.<br /><br />And it isn't exactly glowing.<br /><br />I do wish that Crowley and the other officers had just left Gates standing there screaming on the porch, but I think they didn't want a conclusion with Gates calling them "racists".<br /><br />IMO, that was the breaking point.<br /><br />Gates continued yelling those words.<br /><br />And we all know---none more than those who use them so promiscuously---how damaging they can be if they are true or not.<br /><br />But let me say this, having read that it was Crowley who gave mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to the dying athlete who was a black man:<br /><br />It takes all kinds of people and most of us know whether or not we're suited for one profession or another.<br /><br />I never entertained interest in any area of the medical profession simply because of the negative aspects of coming into close---very close---contact with the bodies of strangers.<br /><br />Think of the constitution and the cast iron stomach one must have not only in operating rooms and emergency rooms, but many times just during a regular examination.<br /><br />But one of the most difficult things to do, IMO, is to give mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to another person.<br /><br />It might seem quirky to some; however, I'd have to place much emphasis on Crowley's efforts to save that athlete and what he did in that circumstance.<br /><br />It's doubtful that a "racist" would have been so motivated.<br /><br />I'd have trouble giving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to an acquaintance or a relative, much less a total stranger who'd just been engaged in a strenuous sports activity.<br /><br />And yes, it's just the Diva's opinion.Debrahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04567454727276881424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-53211292271881786842009-07-26T22:29:33.905-04:002009-07-26T22:29:33.905-04:00Anon at 3:25 PM said:
I'm actually surprised ...Anon at 3:25 PM said:<br /><br /><i>I'm actually surprised by the number of people here who seem to be taking the police report as gospel. Did we really learn nothing from the Duke case?</i><br /><br />I'm glad someone else is picking up on that. While most of the comments here seem quick to judge -- dare I say, even <i>rush to judge</i> -- Prof. Gates' action, even going so far as to condemn him simply because he was a professor of African-American studies, few have been willing to question the police department's line at all. <br /><br />If society is going to learn from the Duke Lacrosse case, we need to learn from <i>all</i> of it, not just the nuggets that we like. For some people, that means reevaluating the state of race relations in the US today and opening the possibility that reverse racism might be as dangerous as racism. For others it means understanding that the police are both human and fallible.<br /><br />These are just two of the things that the Duke case can teach us, and <i>both</i> of them need to be applied to the story coming out of Cambridge. There are other issues as well, some with echoes of Duke in the spring of '06 -- town-gown relations, classism, elitism, the media, and general stupidity -- each of which can help us to better understand and interpret what went on for those who do not have the experience with the Duke case that so many of us have. To ignore any of this and reduce the case simply to Gates being racist is not only stupid, but it does a disservice to the events at Duke, Prof. Johnson's work, and our own intelligence. <br /><br />Please, before you fall to the level of diminishing Prof. 'Skip' Gates as 'Skippy,' or are tempted to say things like "Knowing it was an AA professor almost certainly assures that he was generating a crisis" (No Justice No Peace, 7/21 @ 8:43), or "I'd love to just slap him" (Debrah, 7/20 @ 3:42), take a moment to consider what we have learned -- <i>all</i> that we've learned -- from the Duke case. Doing so should prevent a kneejerk reaction, and may keep you from looking a tad hypocritical.<br /><br />I hope that everyone is enjoying their Sunday night. --ssAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-91787578129678336152009-07-26T20:19:28.847-04:002009-07-26T20:19:28.847-04:00JinC finally has up another one of his masterpiece...JinC finally has up another one of his masterpieces.Debrahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04567454727276881424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-30291230285497388552009-07-26T18:07:43.344-04:002009-07-26T18:07:43.344-04:00Lawrence Auster runs a blog called View From The R...Lawrence Auster runs a blog called View From The Right. He calls himself a traditionalist. Here is an exchange with a black reader (http://www.amnation.com/vfr/archives/013806.html) of his blog concerning the Gates Affair and police abuse of blacks. You may not like what Lawrence Auster writes as he is a man with strong opinions.<br /><br />DNAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-33739409952794853572009-07-26T16:05:14.878-04:002009-07-26T16:05:14.878-04:00KC--
I am a keen admirer of yours, except for you...KC--<br /><br />I am a keen admirer of yours, except for your Obama blind spot. The President just can't do anything wrong as far as you are concerned...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-29049791254186264232009-07-26T15:25:47.659-04:002009-07-26T15:25:47.659-04:00I'm actually surprised by the number of people...I'm actually surprised by the number of people here who seem to be taking the police report as gospel. Did we really learn nothing from the Duke case?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-61803798231684700062009-07-26T13:47:28.393-04:002009-07-26T13:47:28.393-04:00Every day across this country there are decent ind...Every day across this country there are decent individuals who have the metanarrative that Gates himself used spat at them. This race baiting behavior is used to justify narrow and stupid and selfish behavior litterally. These accusations are so toxic as to make anything less than deference to the accuser a possiblity. It is why college presidents as happened at both Duke and Harvard walk around accusations of race. There is even an intellectual construct that black people cannot be racist, and as a result no one takes head on what often amounts to a collection of lies. Mr. Gates behavior was contrived of many parts of this thinking, but it was not composed with decency or a sense of responsible citizenship or for that matter just thankfulness that an officer came to what should have been his rescue. What a fraud this man is, and like Sotomayer's fireman or the Duke lacrosse team, Gates put a decent person in his sights who was merely attempting to do his duty. The fact of the matter is that this country has been deconstucted so by these academic self-serving psuedo-racists so much so that it has lost its confidence in its ability to function.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-23376545354748893712009-07-26T13:37:29.100-04:002009-07-26T13:37:29.100-04:00Does any of this sound familiar? Now Gates says.....Does any of this sound familiar? Now Gates says...<br /><br />- He wants to "move on"<br />- It isn't "about him"<br />- Sees the opportunity to use this as a teaching moment...<br /><br />I translate this as<br /><br />- Oh SH#T, I am on the wrong side of the law, have embarrassed myself and exposed my self to actual criminal/civil liability...time to duck and cover.<br />- Same as above<br />- Does not realize that HE is the one who needs the lesson, and would never admit he has no importance or impact in American life<br /><br />The "move on" statement is what caught my attention, just at the Klan of 88 wanted to move on when reality broke out and public/legal opinion started to swing the other way.<br /><br />One can only hope, but not really expect, that at some point there are consequences for such behavior and are then self-limiting.<br /><br />ES Duke 1990Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-21930963952057796142009-07-26T12:28:08.362-04:002009-07-26T12:28:08.362-04:00Ah, yes, here's some of the Cambridge/Harvard/...Ah, yes, here's some of the Cambridge/Harvard/Ivy League context that I've been looking for:<br /><br /><a rel="nofollow">http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2009/07/24/gates/</a><br /><br />The (anonymous) author can clearly be critiqued on any number of points, but his/her insight into the nuances of the situation are quite revealing.<br /><br />Have a good day, --ssAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-20938690136997733622009-07-26T10:16:27.837-04:002009-07-26T10:16:27.837-04:00Well!
What happened to the Sunday morning line-up...Well!<br /><br />What happened to the Sunday morning line-up?<br /><br />On MSNBC earlier this week, it was stated that Gates would be on <i>Meet the Press</i> for the full hour.<br /><br />Obviously, at some subsequent time.<br /><br />Oh, but Hillary is <i>so much more significant</i>.Debrahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04567454727276881424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-81299644798973138852009-07-26T00:47:41.806-04:002009-07-26T00:47:41.806-04:00Is Duke a state school?Is Duke a state school?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-91045045224332062762009-07-26T00:41:35.177-04:002009-07-26T00:41:35.177-04:00The police report submitted by Crowley and the int...The police report submitted by Crowley and the interview with Gates are more complementary than contradictory. In fact one gets a pretty good idea what happened by reading both of them. The rest is speculation.<br /><br />I didn't like the articles suggested by KC because like most of the commentary, they were based more on the point of view of the author than the evidence that is known.<br /><br />Gates felt he was being profiled as soon as he saw the officer approach the house. Crowley only knew he was responding to a possible burglary in progress. <br /><br />The 911 report said two large men had forced open the door. So Crowley observed from the outside one small older black man so he needed to ascertain where was the second person or where were the other two since Gates didn't seem to fit the description. <br /><br />Crowley wanted Gates to step out of the house because it would be safer to deal with the possible burglary if Gates stepped outside. Secondly, he was concerned about the second person and furthermore Crowley has stated that after Gates had identified himself as the owner of the house, he was concerned that Gates might be unaware that a burglary was in progress.<br /><br />Gates did provide identification and Crowley believed him to be the owner. He said that he reported that Gates was the owner of the residence but he was acting irrationally.<br /><br />My reading of the statements of the two antagonists is that Crowley went up to the house suspecting to encounter two burglars and Gates believed that harm was coming to him from the officer because someone had seen him force his way into the house and assumed he was a thief because he was black. <br /><br />From Crowley's perspective he was putting himself in a potentially life threatening situation to protect the life and property of the owner of the house. <br /><br />From Gates point of view he was being treated as a criminal because he was a black man forcing open the door of his own house. <br /><br />I don't think Gates was listening to the officer because he was too busy berating him for profiling him. He kept demanding to see his badge and give him his name. Crowley says that he told Gates his name twice. I believe him because from Gates own description of the situation he seemed too angry to necessarily be listening to what the officer was telling him. <br /><br />I read Stanley Fish's op-ed in the New York Times and I found it very disturbing. Clearly Fish had no interest whatsoever in the evidence in the case. Since Fish had hired Gates and respected him the officer was at fault. It was the familiar line that essentially it is only the narrative that counts, facts be damned.<br /><br />Gates is not a group of 88 type. <br /><br />Whether he would have signed the letter if he were still at Duke is a matter of speculation. But he is different in that he is a real scholar and writer. And generally he, like Crowley, is basically someone who tries to tone down racial animosity rather than exploit it. <br /><br />I don't think Obama should have weighed in on the situation without knowing the facts but I am glad that he stepped back from the confrontation and has tried to diffuse it. If he hadn't, it could have gotten a lot uglier.Jonathan Cohennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-23142911222274508722009-07-26T00:27:26.679-04:002009-07-26T00:27:26.679-04:00sdsgo - One would not expect a 58 year old Harvard...<b>sdsgo - </b><i>One would not expect a 58 year old Harvard professor to start screaming that someone was racist for no apparent reason.</i><br /><br />Unless that 58 year old Harvard professor was a member of the Angry Studies crowd, of course.Carmine Burtonnoreply@blogger.com