Even in a time where it is felt that things are changing with the election of an African-American president, we are still dealing with a racial divide. Racial relations have been said to be improving because President Obama was elected. I guess we can stop fooling ourselves now.
The Henry Louis Gates Jr. situation is a perfect example of how racial relations are still under par. A woman, not from his neighborhood, called the police because she thought she saw two males trying to break into Gates' home. The police arrived and were informed that Gates was the owner of the house and wasn't breaking in. At this point it should have been chalked up as a misunderstanding and never made the news. But instead Gates ends up being arrested.
Now let's look at the kind of man we are talking about.
Henry Louis Gates Jr. is a Harvard scholar! The last time I checked a person like this hardly fits the profile of a burglar. The police probably didn't know who he was when they showed up at his house, but that's still no excuse for letting the situation escalate into an arrest of a man with no criminal background whatsoever. Why didn't the cops take their time to get to the bottom of what should have been a simple situation?
Reports say Gates was being belligerent and uncooperative with the police. Let's be real here, people. How many of us wouldn't be upset at being accused of breaking into our own house? We are talking about a Harvard scholar being accused of breaking into his own home and then being arrested for being upset about it.
Cambridge Massachusetts police are trying to clean things up by insisting the arrest had nothing to do with race and had everything to do with Gates' behavior. Do they really think this excuses them from the embarrassment this man has suffered because of poor police work? Cambridge police also released the 911 call to try and prove that race was not a motivating factor in the arrest. This in no way clears the Cambridge police department of their reckless and unwarranted arrest of Gates.
The bottom line is the Cambridge police didn't mind arresting a black man for getting upset with them for what amounted to harassment once it came out that Gates' was the owner of the house and no crime was being committed. Was it racial profiling? Probably. Was it terrible police work? Absolutely. Are racial relations improving in America? I guess it depends on who you ask. Based on this incident I have to say racial relations are at the same level they were on before President Obama was elected to office. Situations like this will continue to happen and we will all live with injustices, such as this one, for a long time to come.
Until next time, take care.
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Well, the situation is fucked up on many fronts, but I had the opportunity of listening to the 911 call...it makes the police look even worse. Not only did the caller say she was unsure as to the exact race of the men, but she also said she was calling for a "concerned neighbor." So the police arrive, dude is already in the house, great. Gates wasn't arrested for buglarizing the place, he was arrested for disorderly conduct. What this means to me is "HE WOULDN'T SHUT THE FUCK UP!" While I probably wouldn't have wasted my energy arresting him, Gates should have been able to understand WHY the police were there in the first place. Quite possibly he should have directed his anger at his "neighbor" (why the hell she doesn't know what the hell her own neighbor looks like is beyond me) and not at the police (who didn't know him from adam). Sounds to me like this was one big pissing contest. Police get there, he's upset, goes on about "do you know who I am", "causes a scene" and the prick cop goes "oh ok, Imma show you..." At the end of the day, the police did what there were within their rights to do. I don't agree with the arrest because I can understand why he's upset, but I still think it would of been easier for Gates to just shut the hell up. And one more thing, I don't think the cop should have to apologize either.
ReplyDeleteThere is no excuse for injustice,discrimintion or racial profiling.Sadly we still live in a society that is based on the color of your skin.It is ultimately based on fear fact being that in America we are now the majority and the others have become the minority. When "WELFARE" was initially designed for the woman whose husbands were at war and they had children to take care of. Yet in still it goes to be unnoted that it was the black men on the frontlines, protecting, America.Those are the things that don't get spoke about. Statistically, it goes unreported that in the great melting pot one would think that welfare is solely supporting our black population but on the oter hand it is first the Hispnics, fact being a high percentage are illegal , then there are the Asians, the whites and then the blacks that are utilizing benefits.With that said you may say what is the revlance to this piece; As black people in society we are still being victims although we are not "TOBY", we are still slaves to the close minded people who are now the offspring of the slave owner.It was just yesterday, that we were not able to go in the front door, go to the same schools and use the same bathrooms,and now to run a country is not sitting well with alot.Police feel like they are the rulers of the world and have no recourse for their actions until they are called out on the table. Case in point the shooting at the Baart station on NEWYEARS, that tragedy was pardoned by the force and that officer was not questioned immediately and was even allowed to flea in enough time to Sober up.My great concern is, if the police are suppose to be here to protect us and be our advocates; who is here to protect us from the police? Wrong is wrong and right is right....but I be damned if a police came in my home at any time unwarranted they would be in for a fight.Why shut up in your own home that you own, pay for and pay taxes on, to Uncle Sam,of USA.If Gates relly redirected his anger at his neighbor would that be more commotion, with the police involved..It was a mad crazy nozy neighbor that started the uproar..it was enough that she didn't recognize that it was Gates in the house, but what really made her be a concerned neighbor on this day? Noone is above the law but everyone has rights, to own an acre and a mule.An Apology can not hide the truth, that the police acted wrongly.When can you voice your rights without being insubordinate, and why shut up if you are right?
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