Strengthening Constitutional Self-Government

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The Pathetic Gates

Having once had a stupid run-in with the local sheriff’s department out in California (I was not arrested, because I was sane throughout), I can have some sympathy with Henry Louis Gates, as I’m often testy after flying anywhere on modern air travel. But, my god man, the race card business is really weak even if you are short tempered from jet lag.

As the Wall Street Journal points out tomorrow, "Mr. Gates lives in a city with a black mayor, a state with a black governor and a country with a black President." Get over it, dude, and apologize to the cops. Then STFU.

Discussions - 19 Comments

"STFU"?? Oh, very classy!

I'll also note that white conservatives who live in towns, states, and an America with white leaders rarely restrain themselves from claims of black-on-white racism.

The WSJ's and the right's repeated mantra that racism is all gone now that Obama the Kenyan is in office is ridiculous.

The whole matter was pathetic. Gates as hot-headed disturber of the peace, outraged because the police were investigating someone breaking into his house, is ridiculous. He does not want to appear ridiculous on personal terms, so he claims racism by the cop. I know many other men (and even a few women) who get themselves into trouble by when everyone doesn't see them on their own terms. Any justification for their outrage will do and ugly behavior will do. The basis in fact may be small, as appears to be the case -- yes, sometimes people are racist. No, that does not seem to have been Crowley's problem.

The policeman, Crowley, became outraged because Gates was behaving outrageously. Initially he was just doing his job. Really, what kind of a public outrage would have ensued if someone had actually broken into Gates' house and the officer had done nothing? Then the tirades would have been that white cops are not as careful to protect black-owned properties, being more careful with houses owned by whites. Though how you could tell the color of the owner of that house by the outsides, I don't know.

However, if the police can just arrest people for being obnoxious, self-righteous fools, then I am not very comfortable about that. That kind of behavior may be out of line, and I think it a bit stupid, but is it criminal? Fortunately it is not. I married into an Italian/Polish family and if arrests for people having public tirades on little provocation were the norm, life would have been even more uncomfortably interesting.

Why wouldn't Gates just thank the officer for doing his job, even though the report of a break-in was incorrect? What has he done to his reputation? When I looked him up on Wikipedia (to see if what I thought I remembered about him was true) half of the article is about this incident. Seriously, this whole thing is pathetic. Gates' race is not why the officer and arrest were wrong. He was wrong because if you put every foolishly huffy citizen in jail, there would be no room for real criminals.

Funny how people will take the police officer's report (they NEVER fudge those to their advantage, do they? Or are they exceptions to the flawed-humanity rule?) as some sort of gospel but automatically assume that Gates was being "obnoxious" and "self-righteous" in taking offense at his bogus arrest in his own home. What Gates was arrested for, even all race aspects aside, was for not being ridiculously deferential. As soon as the officer determined that Gates was at his own home, he should have simply stepped up and been a true professional and said "Good day, Sir." After returning to his cruiser he could've let loose with some obscenities against Gates for being a royal pain.

Putting him into cuffs and hauling him away was only utilizing his authority for petty purposes, as Gates clearly posed no danger to anyone or anything except, apparently, the officer's ego.

Funny how extreme left-wing partisans like to give themselves monikers such as "Independent".

automatically assume that Gates was being "obnoxious"

It is not open to debate that Gates was being "obnoxious", as you yourself concede in your subsequent sentences.

None of this has anything to do with Gates or with racism. Your Idiot Prince has idiotically hung his own reputation on supporting Gates, so all his minions are spreading out across the internet to try to defend Obama.

What Gates was arrested for, even all race aspects aside, was for not being ridiculously deferential.

If that's your descripton of acting like an asshole, sure. The moron went to great pains to talk himself into getting arrested. His skin color is the only thing protecting him, just as it is the only thing keeping him employed.

dangerous logic is being used by the right here. should you be able to "talk" yourself into being arrested? Is being an asshole a crime? If it is I fear we shall have to build a lot more jails.

Logic is not your strong suit, Brutus.

should you be able to "talk" yourself into being arrested?

I repeat, logic is not your strong suit. The answer is "yes, you should". People do it on a regular basis. It is not hard to get arrested if you want to be, as Gates did.

Especially if you have the skin color which can "protect" you, right John M.? I mean, after all, it's their own fault that this PC crap exists, right? They love it - "those people" - and just use their color to keep us white people out of work and out of good colleges!

All Gates had to do was be polite, and especially not follow the officers out to street yelling at them and calling them racists. But he's a longtime race hustler and that's how he does business. Pity the charges were dropped.

Especially if you have the skin color which can "protect" you, right John M.?

Protect you from what, Matty? And your "if" was equally unclear. For a guy who likes to brag about his intelligence (not to mention his moral superiority) your communcation skills seem lacking.

Oh! You caught me!

I was referring to your comment: His skin color is the only thing protecting him, just as it is the only thing keeping him employed.

And do you take issue with that comment? Do you think that his skin color is the cause of his problems here, rather than a "get out of jail free card"? Do you deny that his skin color is the source of his job, his status, his influence? Do you think that the President of the United States would be calling the police "stupid" if Gates was white?

I mean, after all, it's their own fault that this PC crap exists, right?

Well, yes, I think we can take it that "professors" of "African-American studies" are responsible for that "PC crap". Are you attempting to make some sort of point here, Matty? Feel free to dazzle me with this intellect I've heard so much about.

Do you think that his skin color is the cause of his problems here, rather than a "get out of jail free card"? Do you deny that his skin color is the source of his job, his status, his influence?



I don't know, and I'm not quite arrogant enough to pretend that I do. That might just be me buying into my self-righteous and "dazzling" intellect, though.

Obama just apoligized to the cop, which rather undercuts all you morons in your effort to make this Selma.

I don't know

Then would you please shut up and stop pretending that you have something to say?

Good one. Got me again.

Somewhere in the dank recesses of your mind, the idea bubbled up - "It would be a good idea to make a comment which says simply 'Good one. Got me again.' That will show them that I do too have something worthwhile to say."

Well, I mean, I don't really know what to do with your comments sometime. This is a blog which you seem to take very seriously, so I don't want to short-change you by not gratifying your constant stretch for the ultimate liberal "gotcha". I don't really mind what you have to say - this is, after all, a blog where some personally know some but many don't personally know many - so I'd rather placate you than not. But at the same time, I wonder if it isn't more effective to just remain silent, let others read our exchange up to the point in question (when I might or might not respond), and imagine them laughing at how silly all of this is.

Well, I mean, I don't really know what to do with your comments sometime.

I know you don't. And yet, you babble on regardless.

at the same time, I wonder if it isn't more effective to just remain silent

That is the appropriate thing to do when you have nothing whatsoever to say. Too bad your Ashcroft profs never explained that to you.

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