"What it made me realize was how vulnerable all black men are -- how vulnerable all people of color are and all poor people to capricious forces like a rogue policeman," he said. "It was the fault of a policeman who couldn't stand a black man standing up for his rights right in his face."
I understand Gate's may be a good guy, but someone needs to help him re-assess the situation. This was no rogue cop. Gates should admit he completely over-reacted (blame it on jet lag if need be) and stop trying to make this an issue on race, when it wasn't.
More...
Quote:
Two black officers on the Cambridge force have stood solidly by their comrade. Sgt. Leon Lashley was outside Gates' house when the professor was arrested. He has no problems with the way Crowley handled the situation.
"It happened to be a white officer on a black man, and the common call a lot of times is to call it a racist situation," said Lashley. "This situation right here was not a racial-motivated situation. ... There's nothing rogue about him. He was doing his job."
Lashley acknowledged that if he, as a black officer, had entered the home first, it likely would've been a different outcome.
Kelly King, another African-American Cambridge officer, said she has known Crowley for more than a decade and that he's "a good police officer, a good man with character."
"I think Professor Gates has done a very good job of throwing up a very effective smokescreen, calling race into this. It had nothing to do with it," she told CNN's Don Lemon with Crowley at her side.
Again, from this and other accounts, it appears the only racist present at the arrest was the scholar, Gates.
So when will someone stand up and say, "Professor Gates, you may be well respected in your field, however you messed up here and owe the officer and others who have experienced true racism an apology for the smear and lies you've told against the officer?"
I wouldn't read or watch anything from Gates ... not after this. He has no credibility now. He lied about this incident, so what's to say he hasn't lied about other things ... other times he's encountered racism? Sorry, but that's just me.
Two black officers on the Cambridge force have stood solidly by their comrade.
Sgt. Leon Lashley was outside Gates' house when the professor was arrested. He has no problems with the way Crowley handled the situation.
"It happened to be a white officer on a black man, and the common call a lot of times is to call it a racist situation," said Lashley. "This situation right here was not a racial-motivated situation. ... There's nothing rogue about him. He was doing his job."
Lashley acknowledged that if he, as a black officer, had entered the home first, it likely would've been a different outcome.
Kelly King, another African-American Cambridge officer, said she has known Crowley for more than a decade and that he's "a good police officer, a good man with character."
"I think Professor Gates has done a very good job of throwing up a very effective smokescreen, calling race into this. It had nothing to do with it," she told CNN's Don Lemon with Crowley at her side.
If this is the case then the white officer has suffered prejudice and racism.
Pure and simple.
If we are going to be against prejudice and racism we need to be against it... at all times... no matter who it is from.
Linear Mode
