Quote:
Originally Posted by deepimpact2
He is saying that the arrest was racially motivated. Based on the information in the article, I would agree. Yet another situation where people don't believe that a black man can live in a nice neighborhood or own a nice home. And I seriously wonder why this neighbor who called the cops didn't even recognize or know her own neighbor. I hope he pushes this further.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/21/us/21gates.html |
I'm sure race played some role - after all, the caller identified two black men, so regardless of the officer's biases it would be the identifying factor. I'm not nearly as interested in the officer's response - after all, he's responding to a report - but rather the original call . . . would the caller have reported two white men in the same situation? Certainly, if she thought it was a legitimately suspicious behavior, it's incumbent upon her to report it - is it suspicious if it's two white guys?
I can imagine being pissed (during the incident) if I were Dr. Gates - it's my home, and I'm not doing anything wrong in the slightest. Many police departments train officers to enter homes very liberally compared with privacy/Constitutional rights, and I'd imagine Dr. Gates felt he knew his rights better than most - that doesn't mean the officer did the right/wrong thing, but rather that it's a factor leading to potential anger. I'd be irate, and probably would have been cited for interference with official acts at the least (hence why the officer's behavior is comparatively uninteresting). At the same time, I wouldn't be able to really "blame" the officer, unless he got physical or abusive with me. He doesn't know.
I would guess that the charges will be dropped, if for nothing else than to allow for a public apology and to save face for the CPD. Past that, though, how much further should he really 'push' this?
While Boston has a reputation for being a 'racist' town (which is probably less founded than most would expect; it's likely based on a few high-profile douche moves, like the Red Sox being the last MLB team to integrate, or the South Boston/Roxbury clashes), the Cambridge area is relatively affluent while still being relatively diverse, due to the colleges and surrounding corporate entities. This seems less like the CPD being institutional racists, and rather an example of the lingering nationwide notion that crime is a black issue (and subsequent white fears/fearmongering).