I incorrectly interpreted the Gates situation...

[armyowalgreens]

I initially was caught up by the statements suggesting that he had resisted an officers orders. Which may even be correct. I assumed that this warranted an arrest because of his unwillingness to cooperate with authorities.

But in the grand scheme of things, after the officers realized that Gates was in his own damn house, I don't see why they would feel the need to arrest him on such a ridiculously pointless charge.

Either the officers were trying to flex their muscle (what I believe) or there is an underlying issue of race involved with this situation. Hopefully we will get more and more details as this story unfolds.

Either way, I apologize for being so knee-jerkish.

[elleng]

1. Thanks

.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

2. Good for you -

no one knows what happened.

Something transpired between the time the officer got Gates's ID and the time the cop left the house.

Gates alluded to it in his piece on his website yesterday, but didn't state what was said.

That's the place where everything went wrong, I suspect.

But, we don't have all the facts, and until the internal investigation is completed by the department, we won't know.

It's wonderful that you realized you don't know. NEVER leap to a conclusion. Wait and see, and let others make fools of themselves by their pronouncements of "knowing." All they do is advertise their intolerance.................................

[Mythsaje]

8. "...until the internal investigation is completed by the department, we won't know."

And you're assuming we'll know then, why? When confronted with something like this, the first thing the police usually do is circle the wagons UNLESS someone catches something on tape.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

10. No, I'm not assuming any such thing -

you're making the assumption.

Once the investigation is complete, then we'll all decide on our own, because there will be no more information forthcoming.

Assume much, do you?

Yes, everyone circles the wagons. It's human nature................

[Mythsaje]

13. I'm not assuming anything

other than the fact that we can't trust them to tell us the truth unless there's already something out there making them do it.

I see abuse of authority from such people, and have for years, to have much trust in them to police themselves. Particularly since nearly every police agency in the country opposes citizen oversight, which suggests to me either they think they're better than we are, or that they have something to hide.

Having had that demonstrated very clearly for me TODAY across the street at a neighbor's house, this is not the time to debate with me how much those racist, fascist fuckers suck.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

25. HAHAHA!

It's good you're "... not assuming anything ..."

Thank you for a great big laugh. It's a good addition to an-already-lovely day......................

[seabeyond]

16. no. i dont believe it is human nature. some are honest. some feel that regardless of a wrong

it is still better to own it, resolve it, learn from it and heal.

circling the wagon is cowardly and lacks character

[Tangerine LaBamba]

26. Umm,

do you know what "circling the wagons" means?

Because, if you do, your final sentence makes no sense....................

[seabeyond]

27. not when circling the wagons entail refusal to recognize truth, crisis, problems

that need to be addressed. at that point, if they circle the wagons it is because they are cowards in addressing the problems the police force has. and if they are cowards in addressing their own issues, there will never be acnowledgment of said problems ergo it will fester and grow. not be solved. not be healed

yes

i think that is cowardly

[Tangerine LaBamba]

29. Uh-huh

Gotcha.

Still don't know what it means, huh?

OK, then.................

[seabeyond]

30. are you purposely being obtuse. circle wagons, to protect self.....

they are protecting their profession against all of us... who criticize. does that work for you? us against them. no listening. no communicating. no acknowldging a problem or arriving at solutions. no healing

[Tangerine LaBamba]

32. Oh, dear -

you're all incensed - so dithering, in fact, that you've forgotten how inane your first comment regarding 'circling the wagons' was -

I must now relegate you to a place where your vapidity will no longer entertain me. Alas, it is a great loss, but a necessary one, and, somehow, life will go on.................

<click>

[seabeyond]

33. you think that is cute in any way. you are purposely being obtuse to my post to ignore

what i am saying so you can continue your stance without being bothered.

whatever.

[lexanman]

3. I K and R

but he resisted no officer order. He was falsely arrested. Race, emotions, ranting, whatever you believe or not, the fact is Gates was falsely arrested. And this will go to court.

I personally think it was both. The cop flexing his muscle and his underlying racism. And as story after story comes out, like the officer saying he didn;t vote for Obama, and the union chief saying Obama is a disgrace, you may be persuaded that race had wuite a bit to do with it. No need to apologize.

[BlooInBloo]

4. +1

[BunkerHill24]

5. Thank you for clarifying your position on this..hopefully other knee-jerks will follow suit

K

and

R

[MajorChode]

6. You mean like Obama backed off his knee-jerk?

What people either keep forgetting or refuse to acknowledge is that Obama himself is already seriously backpedaling from his own knee-jerk reaction. So the knee-jerks kinda cut both ways on this one.

[MarjorieG]

11. He didn't back down from the statement, but further said that cooler heads should have prevailed.

[MajorChode]

14. He backed down from the statement

He's made statements as has his press secretary to that effect but you have to be able to read between the lines to understand that's how politics work.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0709/Both_sides_Obama_shifts_some_blame_to_Gates.html

[BunkerHill24]

15. Regardless of what Obama said, wright or wrong..

What is important is that he spoke on the issue, and now, all of a sudden, racial profiling has sparked a new interest. So, yeah, I am glad Obama said something that increased media attention for this previously neglected issue.

[MajorChode]

17. Are you still going to be glad if...

The police officer is fully vindicated by the available evidence during the investigation and Obama has to issue an endless stream of apologies and redact his statements ad nauseum, all of which will detract from the presently more pertinent issue of health care reform.

Let alone the "boy who cried wolf" damage which will significantly set the clock back on your racial profiling subject, and give the wingnuts ammo to wave their finger at every time the issue is brought up for the next 8 years or so.

Be careful what you wish for.

[BunkerHill24]

20. I am not wishing for anything....

...just happy that the media is now talking about racial profiling.

[MajorChode]

21. I'm just pointing out the entire incident has a chance of backfiring significantly

Personally I'm wishing it won't, but I fear that it will.

[bahrbearian]

22. +1

[BunkerHill24]

23. why are you so worried when a democrat says something that you wish he hasn't said anything

hence you were there sitting on eight YEARS on your armchair under Ruthugs without worrying what the other guy said....

Anyways, I would assume we agree on one thing; that we both Democrats, and that we wish the best to our President...and that's whole lot to agree than to disagree.

Cheers!

[MajorChode]

24. It's simply an unneeded distraction

Obama is currently facing the biggest challenge of his entire political career, and now the headlines are dominated by a disorderly conduct charge which carries a $40 fine and has already been dropped. It's crazy.

[grahamhgreen]

7. Thanks!

[bliss_eternal]

9. that's kind of you...

...here's your lesson for today:

when police officers are "called" on their behavior, they typically cite "resisting arrest." which usually means, the guy they're beating turned a couple of times, winced in pain, and probably yelled about how much it hurt, and he begged them to stop.

[alittlelark]

12. I don't know what happened -

But I will give credence to civilians over our militarized cops any day.

[obliviously]

18. I think Bill cosby summed it up better than anyone

I am just going to go with his assessment!

[seabeyond]

19. ? n/t

[Winterblues]

28. Does any person that refuses to identify themself have a right to order you from your home?

When you are within the sanctity of your own home, you do not have to leave it because someone that refuses to give you their identification or badge number orders you to. If the cop places you under arrest they can forcibly remove you but that was not the case in the beginning..

[AspenRose]

31. Character and integrity.

You have it in spades.