The recent arrest of Henry Gates, Jr. in Cambridge, Massachusetts is an example of one of the ways racism is manifested in America. Only, the racism exhibited in that event was not what you might think, i.e., a white police officer performing racial profiling. Rather, race became an issue in Gates' arrest because he made it so.
Gates is Harvard professor and director of the Center for African and African-American studies. He is also a friend of President BHO, but more on that subject later. The police officer involved, Sgt. James Crowley, is a well-respected officer, who also happens to have taught a course training officers to avoid racial profiling for the last 5 years, to much acclaim.
Here's what happened, directly from the (Download Gatespolicereport) police report filed before this story became a media sensation. I tend to put much more stock in contemporaneous documents, rather than what is said after an event becomes a media circus. Gates, of course, now claims it is full of "falsehoods", but it rings true to me in light of so many other similar incidents.
A neighbor called Cambridge police to report a break-in at Gates' house. She stated that she observed two men forcing their way into the front door. Crowley was in his patrol car, was in the vicinity, and responded to the call. Upon arrival, the neighbor met him on the sidewalk and repeated her story, indicating Gates' house as the scene of the "crime."
Crowley went to the house, and through a front window saw Gates in the foyer of the house. He asked Gates to come out onto the porch to speak with him, to which Gates responded, "No I will not." Gates asked Crowley to identify himself, and Crowley said he was a police officer investigating a report of a break-in. Gates stepped out to the porch and loudly asked, "Why, because I'm a black man in America?" Crowley asked if there was anyone else in the residence, to which Gates stated it was none of Crowley's business, and then Gates repeated the allegation that Crowley was a racist.
Gates then picked up a cell phone and appeared to be calling the "Chief." He told Crowley that he didn't"know who he was messing with." Gates continued to yell and demand to know who Crowley was, even though Crowley had identified himself, and Gates continued to call Crowley a racist and repeat that Crowley "didn't know who he was messing with." Gates was so loud Crowley could not communicate over his radio, so Crowley asked Gates to come outside into the yard. Gates responded, "yeah, I'll speak with your mama outside." Gates initially refused to provide any identification, but finally produced a Harvard University ID card.
Gates continued to yell at Crowley, to the point where Crowley reported that the scene was alarming the neighbors and passers-by. He asked Gates to calm down several times, but he would not do so. The arrest was not for breaking and entering, as many media outlets have reported, but for disorderly conduct, based upon the yelling, and the refusal to cooperate and speak rationally with police officers investigating a report of a crime.
Are there incidents in America where police assume wrong-doing based on a person's race? Certainly there are improper incidents of profiling, but at the same time I do not think we can demand that police be completely color-blind where there is a rational basis to think something wrong may be afoot. There is a reasonable middle ground which can and should be found.
Gates' case, however, is not a situation where any profiling should even be at issue. There had been a neighbor's report of a break-in at that specific residence, based upon what she observed as two men forcing the front door. In this world, where things such as home invasions and brazen daylight robberies are growing more common, it is not unreasonable to be concerned. Indeed, the very reason Gates and his friend appeared to be forcing the door was because there had been a previous break-in attempt which had damaged the door.
Officer Crowley responded to the call and went to the door to speak to the person he saw inside. A calm, rational person would have answered the door, and explained that this was his home, and explained the problem with the door. Crowley would have gone on his way, and we would not now be hearing of it, one way or another.
Instead, without provocation, Gates turned this into a racial incident. There was no reason to assume that Crowley was doing anything racially-motivated. He was responding to a neighbor's report of a possible crime in progress. This was not a random pick-up on the street, but was an attempt to interview the person(s) in the house at which a possible crime had been reported. Crowley did not draw his weapon, nor did he arrest Gates on sight. There is no report of any racial epithets or slurs being used, at least not by Crowley. The only conclusion that can be drawn is that is is Gates, not Crowley, who was the racial profiler, and thus the racist, in this incident.
Was it an over-reaction to arrest Gates, rather than just walking away? With 20/20 hindsight, one might say so. Yet it is patently unfair to judge the scene from afar. Police officers are trained in dealing with difficult situations, yet still must rely upon their on-the-scene judgment in how best to defuse a given situation. Crowley reports confusion at why Gates was so agitated, and reports that neighbors and passers-by were becoming alarmed. What should have been a 2 minute conversation had become a much longer verbal altercation, with no legitimate provocation.
What this looks like to me is but another example of a person of color in America using the spectre of racism as an offensive weapon. Offensive, in every sense of the word. We see and hear all too often, when a person of color is accused of some wrongdoing, or even questioned about some wrongdoing, he or she begins to shout "Racism!" regardless of what is going on, as if they should be automatically given a pass because of their race. This, in my opinion, is also racism, and is as divisive and negative toward the goal of a harmonious society as any of its various forms.
As for President BHO, his rush to defend his friend by stating that the Cambridge police behaved "stupidly" in arresting Gates was, well, stupid in and of itself. Any police officer knows that one does not draw such conclusions until a full investigation is complete. Besides, what business is it of the President of the United States to be making any statements about what is, and should be, a local matter? This only once again shows that Obama has no idea of the Federal vs. State sovereignty issues he keeps trampling by trying to force things like universal health care down our collective throats. And, the fact that Gates is a friend of Obama's alone should have caused the president to keep his mouth shut because he is unquestionably biased, regardless of the racial overtones brought to the event by Gates.
The bottom line here is that if African-Americans, Latinos, or any other racial group want fair and equal treatment, it is incumbent on them to stop the practice of using the broad brush of the accusation of "racism" as an offensive weapon to question even legitimate actions by white Americans. Any claim of "racism", if falsely made, is damaging to the entire cause of racial harmony in America. You just cannot have it both ways.
UPDATE: President BHO has said today that he "did not mean to malign the Cambridge police department" when he said they "acted stupidly" in arresting Henry Gates, Jr. He conceded, however, that his comments were instrumental in "ratcheting up" the attention being given to the incident.
Typical politician. BHO cannot simply admit he screwed up even commenting on a local situation, much less one about which he admittedly did not have all of the facts.
Also, Gates says he will not let the matter drop, and will continue talking about it. Gates says, "This is not about me; this is about the vulnerability of black men in America." Sorry, Professor, but we aren't buying that nonsense. Only your own actions made you in any way vulnerable - had you simply conversed with Sgt. Crowley in a normal, adult fashion, the whole thing could have been over in 10 minutes. Could it be, Professor Gates, that you saw this as an opportunity to draw attention to yourself and grab some spotlight time? This surely is about anything but "the vulnerability of black men in America": this is sounding more and more about feeding the ego of a Harvard professor.
When the officers determined it was the professors home - that ought to have been the end of it. Whether he mouthed off or not, doesn't warrant arresting the man. This is where the officers's ego stepped in and might I add, exactly what I expect from too many cops. They don't know when to walk away. They become 'the problem.' May this be a lesson to all officers, check your ego at the station. This cop was behaving as if he were the professors daddy. Way out of line.
Posted by: Dan | July 25, 2009 at 12:53 AM
Sorry, Dan. I disagree. The ego checking needed to happen with Gates. Also note Mr. Gates refused to produce ID until after he had escalated the matter to where he was actually disturbing the peace. I've set my alarm improperly had it go off and while in the process of disarming, the police arrived. I am a female but I still had to produce ID. Suppose I had yelled at them, "why -because I'm a female, you bunch of mysogynst pigs." Something tells me I'd be cooling my heels in a jail cell.
Posted by: Jackie | July 25, 2009 at 10:40 PM
This article was spot on - I especially agree with the comment that false claims of racism are damaging to the cause of racial harmony in America. Yes Gates seems almost pleased by the chaos he managed to create - this is certainly great material for his next book.
Posted by: maureen quill | July 27, 2009 at 05:28 AM
Was Gates protesting too much, as if he was attempting to hide something? An officer comes up to the place to check on a possible burglary and Gates starts yelling, perhaps to divert attention from some possibly illegal activity. Even if Gates had an ID listing that as his residence Crowley could not be certain that he was legally able to be in the residence. Gates could still have been a husband violating a restraining order to stay away from his wife's residence.
Gates complained about Crowley following him into the kitchen but considering Gates mood, Crowley could not be sure Gates was not going into the kitchen to obtain a firearm.
When Crowley left the residence that should have been the end of the situation, but Gates followed him outside in an emotional state that sometimes leads to violence. I don't know if Gates took his cane outside with him, but any Irishman knows that a cane is a potential weapon.
Posted by: reasonmclucus | July 29, 2009 at 08:44 PM