[Kevin]

I think the incident is useful in that it does provide a nice springboard for a real nationwide discussion of racial profiling. I think it's a conversation we need to have over and over until something can be done. Listening to NPR yesterday, the DR show had some pretty interesting callers. One pointed out that whites were also the victims of racial profiling, e.g., what could a white person be doing in 'that part of town' at night other than buying drugs or looking for prostitutes?'

It must be an incredibly difficult line for police -- one which I doubt many intentionally cross (but cross anyway) to differentiate between suspicious conduct and suspicion based upon race alone, e.g., a black person sitting in a beat up old car in an affluent neighborhood, seemingly doing nothing.

Because police work is often conducted within grey areas of the law (especially when it comes to obtaining probable cause to search), it becomes very difficult to know what is legitimate and what is not.

At any rate, maybe the conversation should move beyond Gates. He's the not a good example. We all know this goes on, but how to fix it? I'm at a complete loss.