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Obama: Cambridge Police Acted 'Stupidly'
The final question during President Obama's prime-time press conference on Wednesday was about the controversial arrest of African-American scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr. for breaking into his own home. President Obama came down on the side of those who say race played a factor, saying the Cambridge (Mass.) Police Department acted "stupidly." Noting that Gates is a "friend," Obama cracked jokes about the difficulty of breaking into the White House, but returned to a serious tone when he argued that Gates' arrest demonstrates how "race remains" an unresolved issue in America.
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jdx60009
He's not wrong.
MrGEAH
Obama admitted that he doesn't know the facts, yet he felt compelled to call one side stupid.
One would think you'd wait until you knew the facts before you condemned someone, but I guess that's not the Obama way.
AiriqS
well said MrG,
Especially if you are the President on live national TV. We may all have our opinions, but should not express them in such a public, authoritative was until all the facts are known.
This is naive on Obama's part.
This comment has been removed by The Daily Beast's editors.
sonofloud
It's the Nancy "impeachment is off the table" Pelosi way too.
drevilo
Every elitist that has opened their mouth about the Gates alleged racism case has not bothered to get the facts. I do not know the facts, but will GUESS that Gates, being black and an elitist, showered the police with lots of four letter words. This is no way for anyone to act and then expect to be treated with dignity under any situation, regardless of your thin skinned color of skin. It must be a tough life when you are in "pretend status" as most of elitist evidenly place themselves hour to hour.
Hey this is an opinion based on Gates words and those of the arresting police officer, nothing more.
loci69
MrGeah
Obama admitted he didn't know the facts and couldn't comment on whether race played a factor. He then went on to say "The police acted stupidly..." with relation to them charging him with disorderly conduct after he had showed identification showing it was his house. Which the higher ups at the police department agreed with, considering they have dropped the charges.Did you watch the speech and q&a?
MaliciousDisorder
This guy stands up for nothing in America. All you should say is yes sir/no sir to the cops. This racist should have know that.
jdx60009
MaliciousDisorder
On another story I accused you of only having a 3 comment shuffle
that you choose from, namely the RINO comment, the Pelosi comment
and the Obama is a failure comment. I forgot about the racist comment.
Sorry about that.
MaliciousDisorder
No problem jdx. I learned those during the other administration. Thanks for the reminder
debk58
Obama is becoming a major disappointment.
I fear he is making all his decisions without all of the facts. Rather sad! And, we will suffer!
I hope he steps up and apologizes to Cambridge PD. Their job is more difficult then his. Those officers go out and protect the public and face things he will never face. Shame on you Mr. President for speaking without knowing!!
NDM1973
Gates is scary, no wonder they arrested him; I mean look at him dressed in that cardigan, carrying his walking stick and books around. Spooky! [/end sarcasm]
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loofah
Since when is it a chargeable offense to mouth off to a cop? If cops want to be respected, then they might try treating people with respect. Just because they plaster a "sir" or "ma'm" onto their bullying doesn't make them worthy of respect. As a practical matter, yes, one should always suck up to a cop and be as polite as possible, since they are power-hungry dimwits who carry guns.
rapierwits
additionally, it is a police officer's responsibility to identify himself to a citizen who requests it with cause; just as Professor Gates identified himelf when requested with cause.
jdx60009
laughorcry
The guy had just deplaned from a 22 hour flight back from China, to find
himself locked out of the house. Have you ever spent 22 hours in an airplane?
He was bone tired, jet lagged, locked out and then arrested in his own home.
That could shorten your fuse a little.
SylviaTucker
Please review the video -- The President said the police were stupid for arresting someone when they had evidence that they were in their own home. The DB sentence gives the false impression that Obama referred to the stupidity of police in regards to racial issues.
periscope
Gates may have mouthed off, no one knows for sure, but once he produced his ID showing he was in his own home, the cop should have told him off and left. Arresting him was stupid.
babylonpersia
arresting him was more than stupid it was WRONG, and racisum, theres no way in hell those cops would have arrested a white male Harvard scholar in his own home for so called mouthing off! put yourself in Gates place, turn into a black man,and see/feel what racial profiling is, OMG i just realized U can't...white people really have no idea the horrible effects of racial profiling / racisum
MrGEAH
Are you going to blame your persistent illiteracy on racism (a word you can't even spell)?
jdx60009
MrGEAH
Next time you make a typo please accuse yourself of persistent illiteracy
and don't forget or make excuses.
rapierwits
see my above.
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babylonpersia
U 4 real? Gates wasinside his own home, and cos HAVE 2 OBEY THE LAW 2, or is this a police state? im sure the cop was not afraid of getting shot by a 58yr old black Harvard scholar 5'6 inchs short,who weighs approx.157lbs. besides just because a cop has to worry about geting shot doesnot give cops cause to violate a persons cvil rights, racial profile, and arrest someone just because cops dont like being called a racist.
mcmchugh99
Yes, we have come close to being a police state over the past 30 years. It has happened gradually and many people no longer seem to notice it.
MaliciousDisorder
Of course he's behind a racist
Plantagenet
Obama says It was stupid of the copes to arrest his friend Louis Gates.
Now I see why Prof. Gates threatened the cop with retribution----Gates really does have some juice in high places.
babylonpersia
His juice is the constitution and, a right to privacy in hisown home, once the cop saw the I,D. the cop should have left, and went looking to arrest REAL CRIMINALS like rapist, murderers, etc. White people are so blessed not 2 have 2 worry about racisum, and racial profiling.
MrGEAH
Your serial illiteracy speaks volumes about your opinion.
wilyhou2
As I understand the facts: 1. The police got a call saying there were 2 black males breaking into a home. 2. They went to the house and the person there refused to give any ID. Additionally Mr. Gates abused the police officer, was irrationally inflamed and racist.
My opinion is that the cop was doing his job. The charges should have stayed in place and included hindering a police investigation and being a race pimp. Harvard should review this gentleman's employment - he certainly isn't someone I want teaching my children.
keepakeeper43
The President used bad judgement, answering the way he did.
Almost in the same breath, he says he doesn't know all the facts of the case, and then says the Cambridge police acted stupidly.
He could have said that both sides probably overreacted, or something like that.
Or that, ok, he didn't have all the details.
I support Obama, but just how did Gates actually behave?
Nobody knows for certain.
Of course Gates was in his own house and apparently finally offered ID.
Anybody who has pissed off a cop knows they can charge you with a number of offenses, and make them stick.
periscope
Arresting someone in their own home for mouthing off at you (assuming Gates did that) is stupid. It's a punishment that doesn't fit the offense. It's not a crime to mouth off to a cop. It may not be wise or polite but it's not illegal. I wonder if it was a white professor in a suit on a telephone to the Harvard Realty office about his jammed doors, if the cop would have taken so much offense.
keepakeeper43
periscope,
Excellent point re the "white professor". Maybe the cops a racist. Surprise, surprise.
We can surmise, but can we prove anything?
In addition, All my post says is that if you mouth off to a cop, he CAN charge you with several different offenses, and you WILL be charged. He Can Make It a Crime! The Cop Can Make it Illegal! Police do this all the time.
My opinion is the President of the United States cannot say he doesn't have all the facts and then take a position and call one side stupid. He has to know EXACTLY what happened before he can offer a casual opinion like that.
And thats the big problem here. Nobody knows the moment-to-moment development of this incident.
All charges dropped. End of Story.
Now we're all guessing.
The President shouldn't.
Plantagenet
Essentially, Obama is telling people its OK to rant and rave and call the police racists.
periscope
Essentially, you'll say anything to disparage Obama. Arresting a person for mouthing off to a cop would fill the jails in America to overflowing if every cop was as stupid as the one in Cambridge. I'm sure if the Cambridge Police arrested a white, conservative professor for speaking his mind, right-wingers would be foaming at the mouth about another "liberal conspiracy." Grow up.
rapierwits
I would think you would want the police to be accountable to the population...
mcmchugh99
It's true. There is a huge amount of evidence to back him up over the last 30-40 years that there is a lot of racism among the police--way too much.
jdx60009
Plantagenet
I'm going to add the phrase 'in their own home' to the end of your post.
I know you won't mind.
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Plantagenet
Two people jimmy a door and break into a house and set off the burglar alarm, and you think someone who calls the police is racist?
Perhaps you think the burglar alarm that going off was also racist?
jdx60009
Plantagenet
I'm coming around to the idea that your posts are not worth responding
to, but for now I'll just add that calling the police in the first place is not
the contentious part of the issue.
BasPos
Crowley did not write or sign the arrest report. It only describes what happened on the porch.
mcmchugh99
I think we have too many police in this country and too many prisons, and that there are better ways of dealing with our social problems, particularly in the poorest and most segregated ghettos in this country.
jdx60009
mcmchugh99
It's going to be hard to discourage the growth of the prison industry
since it's proven to be so profitable. Even Dick Cheney has gotten in
to the act with a major investment in some private prisons in the state
of Texas. It's a much better investment than education.
bezvodka
So the police get notice that a person is trying to break into a home. What are they supposed to do? Nothing?
twinlorna
Do you really think they are supposed to arrest the owner of the house?
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splinter
Bush was the Decider - Obama is the Admonisher - neither one generally knows what the hell they are talking about. Great things are in store for us.
Obama needs to finally realize that he has been elected and that he can stop campaigning. Not all things require presidential comment.
mcmchugh99
He was asked a question and answered it truthfully. If Republicans and Southern whites don't like his answer, that's too bad. I doubt that there is a single black person in this country who has not experienced racism in one form or another, and Obama is correct that the history of minorities and the police has not exactly been a happy one.
splinter
He answered that he did not know all of the details. Yet, he still took it upon himself to say that officer's actions were "stupid". It's fine for you and I to voice an opinion when we may not be fully informed - we are bloggers held to no standard other than the judgment of those who have the misfortune to read them.
He is the President of the United States. His every word is scrutinized by everyone.
squiggy
I truly think this is below his pay grade but he is black so he made the comment. Like it or not. We all get to vote. Hey, did you hear Hill may run in 2016, Biden too! LOL
Thank you.
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