Lessons of the Teaching Moment
Perhaps we’ll never know exactly what happened the night that Sgt. James Crowley arrested Henry Louis Gates, Jr. at his Cambridge, Massachusetts home. Certainly, the nation’s blacks and whites, including the President, have differing perceptions. According to a recent WSJ/NBC poll, 30% of whites believe Gates was more at fault, compared to only 4% of African-Americans.
During this incident much attention was given to the issue of racial profiling, focusing on the history of African-Americans’ negative experience with the police, which many think contributed to Gates’ response. We haven’t heard as much about the other victims caught up in it. I first got a whiff of this while watching MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” when co-host Mika Brzezinski, who had remarked that we did not know yet that Crowley had acted inappropriately, reported that she was very disturbed by the number of hateful and even threatening e-mails she had received.
Next was the pitiful press conference held by Lucia Whalen- the woman who phoned 911 to report what she thought was a break-in at someone’s home. The press incorrectly assumed she had described the men trying to get into the house as African-Americans. She was painted as a racist, hounded by the press, and forced to give a press conference to try to clear her name. Whalen told the assembled TV crews: “The criticism at first was painful for me and difficult; I was frankly afraid to say anything,” she said. “People called me racist and said I caused all the turmoil that followed, and some even said threatening things that made me fear for my safety. I knew the truth, but I didn’t speak up right away because I did not want to add to the controversy.”
On the day of the scheduled beer session at the White House, police Sergeant Leon Lashley, the African-American officer who was with Sgt. Crowley at the time of Gates’ arrest, wrote an emotional e-mail to CNN’s Don Lemon.(You can see Lemon’s report here.) Lashley had been widely quoted as supporting Crowley’s version of what happened. Now, he told Lemon that he was being called by some black people “an Uncle Tom.” Moreover, he added, “as a result of speaking the truth, and coming to the defense of a friend and colleague who just happens to be white, that I have somehow betrayed my heritage.” He asked Crowley to convey to President Obama his belief that Gates’ charge of racial profiling had “caused grave and potentially irreparable harm to the struggle for racial harmony in this country….” He then asked Gates to reflect what he might do to heal “the rift caused by some of [his] actions.”
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. is acting the fool because it pays so well. This guy is likely earning minimally a $200,000 salary + super benefits annually from Harvard University. On top of that, he probably makes an additional $50,000 to $100,000 from his speeches and writings. Gates only gets such remuneration because he is “authentically black.” If he were a conservative Republican—he might be lucky to teach in a high school for $45,000 annually. I have read some of his stuff, and it’s mostly politically correct gibberish. Gates refuses to take to task the permanent underclass values popularized by Afro-American singers and actors. One should never forget that Gates is the same guy who supported the vile rap “music” of 2 Live Crew. Indeed, it is very fair to describe the Harvard professor as a left-wing Uncle Tom. He puts his wet finger into the air to see which way the wind is blowing.
The whole thing is absurd. If cops were called to my house for any reason, and I acted like an obnoxious *ss to them, I’d be hauled to jail too. Difference is, I’m white, so I would NOT have had the charges dropped and I would NOT have had dinner at the White House because of it all. Good to the cops for doing their job. Shame on Gates and Obama for thinking his skin color gets him a pass and special treatment.
I Gates were to now admit he was wrong he would be subject to the same abuse that Crowley, Lashley and Whalen have been. Gates knows this very well.
Thank goodness some adults with common sense are actually giving concise and wise teaching moments to Obama and the left!
1, his PhD is in English. He has a checkered academic record similar to Obama’s. He was denied tenure at Yale. If he hadn’t availed himself of the growth industry in XXX studies, he’d most likely be an unremarkable English professor at a good school.
Race pays, if you are one of the few positioned to play the game. But at his age, he became a victim of his own mental habits and tried to apply the shtick that payed out so well for him at work in the wrong context. Notwithstanding the political mess that he created, he’s probably going to benefit and prosper from this. Ironically, Obama’s much more likely to suffer from this than he is.
And Obama, though younger, is also a victim of his mental habits. And I doubt that he fully understands what this is going to cost him out of his political capital account.
” At no time, does there seem to be vitriol and intimidation coming from Sgt. Crowley’s side. There have been no reports that anyone has threatened Prof. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., or any of his public defenders. Yet all those who have challenged Gates’ account, or who have argued that while Sgt. Crowley may have overreacted, he was not engaging in an incorrect action taken in the line of duty as a police offer, have found themselves branded as racist or worse, and even had their physical safety threatened.”
Um, Mr. Radosh, where have you been during the Beck comments brouhaha? And have you read the comments on the very site on which you post? How many people here have called Obama racist for his comments on the police actions? How many have used the same epithet against Gates?
This is not to condone these actions on either side. But it doesn’t take more than a few minutes “googling” to find “vitriol” on both sides. To those who bemoan that we have learnt nothing from this whole episode, I say we have learnt that all we are doing on the race issue is talking past each other.
“…and I acted like an obnoxious *ss to them, I’d be hauled to jail too. Difference is, I’m white, so I would NOT have had the charges dropped…”
Uh, if you were in, say Massachusetts, then yes you would have the charges dropped, since that is in no way illegal, nor should it ever be illegal.
“At no time, does there seem to be vitriol and intimidation coming from Sgt. Crowley’s side. There have been no reports that anyone has threatened Prof. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., or any of his public defenders. Yet all those who have challenged Gates’ account, or who have argued that while Sgt. Crowley may have overreacted, he was not engaging in an incorrect action taken in the line of duty as a police offer, have found themselves branded as racist or worse, and even had their physical safety threatened.”
Um, Mr. Radosh, where have you been over the past few days in the midst of the Beck brouhaha? And do you actually read the comments on the very site on which you post? How many people acros PJM have branded Obama and Gates racists? It only takes a few minutes “googling” to find plentiful evidence that the “vitriol” is coming from both sides.
This is not to condone such attacks from either side. But, to those who say we learnt nothing from this whole incident, I would humbly suggest that what we have learnt is that we are talking past each other.
In “Gatesgate” we have a black US President who says Crowley acted stupidly, a black MA Governor who calls Crowley’s actions every black mans nightmare, and a black (& lesbian) Cambridge Mayor who appologizes to a perp on behalf of the city.
This is a textbook example of racism in action, black racism that is. Obama’s claim to be postracial is BS, he’s proven himself to be the Racist In Chief with his kneejerk victim mentality commentary and egomaniacal refusal to admit that he’s wrong.
REgarding Lucia Whalen, I have a few questions:
-Why does Ms. Whalen need a lawyer? All she did was call police about seeing a possible break-in. And, not realizing one of the men owned the house, that is exactly what she did see. Is this some kind of a problem? If so, to whom?
-Assuming she was telling the truth, why would it be a problem if Ms. Whalen identified the men correctly, including whether one or both were Black?
..If she couldn’t identify their skin color, and said so, (which is what actually happened), she would have been right.
..If she saw they were Black, and said so, she would have been right.
..But suppose she saw the men were Black and didn’t say so out of some kind of fear that she’d be thought of as a racist. Then she would have intentionally been withholding important information from the police. What is the sense of that?
Suppose there really were burglars trying to break into the Gates home and Ms. Whalen saw their skin color. Wouldn’t that be an integral part of their description – just like height, weight, the clothes they were wearing and whether they had any facial hair? What would be racist about providing the information? And what would be accomplished by not providing it, other than helping the burglars?
-Days ago, Ms. Whalen made a point of telling us she was “olive-skinned” Why should I care about her skin color? What in the world has this to do with whether she saw two men apparently trying to break into the Gates house and told police what they looked like?
Is her point that, if she’s a bit darker, she can’t be accused of racism for calling in a possible breaking/entering? If so, that didn’t work, did it?
Regardless of Ms. Whalen’s personal skin tone, how would it have been an act of racism to tell police there were Black people breaking into a home if that’s what she saw? If they were women, would telling the police be anti-women? If they were older, would it be an ageism issue? How idiotic can it get?
This is what happens when people are so fearful of being called racist – even for doing something that is not in any way racist – that they have to protect themselves as ridiculously as Lucia Whalen did.
That’s a part of the racial dialogue that doesn’t get enough play. Too bad. We should all be thinking about it.
Gates and Crowley have moved on.
So sad that the haters here can’t.
Obama,known America-hater,
Is the media’s sweet potater.
After the Gate’s affair,
The people are aware
He’s a double-dyed race-baiter.
Thanks for telling it straight. I was afraid that Obama’s “teaching moment” might have targeted Sgt. Crowley as the “pupil.” At least he wasn’t pressured to apologize or sing “Kumbaya” shoulder-to-shoulder with Gates.
While I can understand roots of the African American community’s persecution complex, I think they really have to do some soul-searching when it comes to the issue of reflexively closing ranks with other blacks during times of controversy. I’m sure they don’t want to lose their credibility, but that’s precisely what’s happening now. Otherwise liberal-minded whites are starting to lose patience with black excuses.
You should have seen the vitriolic reaction among Sierra Club members (most of whom I would assume to be “crunchy progressives” who listen to NPR and wear Birkenstocks) when their new president proclaimed that their organization was “too white.” We may have reached a tipping point.
I repeat, Gates chose from that first moment to try to GOAD and PROVOKE the policeman into taking some action that Gates could then trumpet was ‘racism in action’, bla bla bla…
Crowley didn’t bite. Gates found himself looking like the fool. And Obama stepped in, to HELP him, by trashing the police.
NOBODY in this case is the least bit sorry for what they did or said.
The problem is, only Crowley should be proud of his professionalism and calmness. The others are all complete buttheads, from the prez on down.
Poor Lashley, now finding out (as are many in Cambridge police and other law enforc. agencies) that telling the truth and upholding the law are TREASON in the eyes of the black radical community of which Obama is the proudest graduate.
I’m hoping this will open the eyes of a few black people to the insanity of the position held by their ‘leaders’. It’s already done this inside Cambridge police.
It is indeed a sad time for America.
It appears as if Mr.Lashley is being attacked by many.
Where are the Civil Rights Groups?
Why have they not come out in strong support of Mr.Lashley?
Why has the President not come out in strong support for Mr.Lashley & Mr.Crowley?
Where is Shelia Jackson Lee?
The Reverend Al Sharpton?
Jesse Jackson?
The Kings?
It almost appears that these people and organizations are in it for one thing, and that is money.
I for one will not support any of their organizations.
I for one look up to Mr.Lashley and Mr.Crowley. They did their jobs in a professional manner, even after someone stood up to them and proclaimed… DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?!!!!!!
Nothing but RACISM, the very thing that Dr.King fought so strongly against.
Bill O’Reilly has pointed out that Obama has never really been critized during his adult life. He has always gotten a pass. Obama still won’t beleive that he is in error.
Three big mouths and one straight shooter over beer, peanuts and cameras, and nothing better to do…
The prejudice of big mouths towards straight shooters is not racial in nature, it’s more like equal opportunity snobbery in the best case, just like is was in the school yard during recess, when the inquisitive kids get trampled by the bullies. 3, 4 or 5 decades later, it’s not necessarily better, and large quantities of beer, peanuts and cameras will not artificially improve this state of affairs.
But Americans may not fancy to play pupil every time the president amuses himself by playing teacher. What we need to find out is whether this president is teachable, or too proud to learn.
Are there any Civil Rights Organization in support of Mr.Lashleys actions?
TO: All PJM readers -
RE #7/ Blarty Blarckleblart: [...] Gates and Crowley have moved on. So sad that the haters here can’t. [...]
Guys, now I realized that Roger came up with a new trick to boost the viewership – he’s hired Blarty as permanent comic relief poster here.
And guess what – it works really well! I laughed sooooooo much at Blarty’s “so sad that the haters here can’t [move from the Gates matter [...]
Great trick, Roger, I must say.
Go Blarty, go! I’ll sure quote your interventions -
This can’t be more clear as a teachable moment; Obama’s too dumb to be taught anything!
We should be sooo impressed that Gates knows Obama, and Obama knows Opra!
I find the vitriol almost always comes largely, if not entirely, from the “left” side of the argument.
What good are lessons of a teaching moment, when the teaching moment is made up of lies. We know that Obama is a racist and we know Gates is a racist, now to make this work we have to make the cops super racist. That will let Obama and Gates off the hook and the cops the scapegoats. For the “useful idiots” and ACORN this should be a simple task.
#19 misanthropicus: you might find McFlarty Fiddlebutt to be humorous, but I am starting to tire of the constant interruptions in these forums by the adolescence “contributions” of McFlarty, et al. In fact, I have avoided coming here lately because of it.
If PJ keeps letting these assholes barge in on our conversations, they can expect to lose some of their supporter base and readership. I’ll find other conservative sites who don’t allow the ants access to our picnic.
I do hope that many of you do as I do and post links to these conversations in other forums.
By the way, the whole “let’s get real over beer, dudes!” thing makes me want to vomit.
Maybe, just maybe, this incident will push the rest of America to the point they’ll finally say “enough” to the race game. And start insisting that the law be colorblind in its entirety – no preferences for anyone, no special deals, and no more attention to race baiters, and no more stupid misuse of the laws that were designed to get rid of discrimination.
Idiotic statements begin with this one.
Gates and Crowley have moved on. Put this behind them. Moron say what?
In point of fact, Sgt. Crowley’s experience dealing with a racist, race baiting university professor probably will be part of the Crowley family narrative for the rest of their lives.
I say family because Crowley’s entire family is being threatened every day, including his three kids.
“From “you’ll die pig” to “know how to disarm a car bomb?”, to “we know where your kids go to school”.
These are the Hallmark sentiments sent from miscreants who “represent the very worst of America’s underbelly.”
Why the phone calls aren’t traced I don’t know. Why Obama, President of the U.S. and crack evaluator of police arrest tactics, hasn’t suggested this I do know.
Why Obama is such a nasty, racist, prideful puke I don’t have a clue.
I do know, however, in this particular racist instance, Barack Obama is the poster child of the proverbial pot calling the kettle black.
When Obama says that Crowley “acted stupidly” (with no apology), the God’s honest truth is that President Obama is the one who acted stupidly, casting hateful aspersions on one of the best and brightest police officers America has ever produced.
Crowley is somebody Obama should be proud of. Even admire. Not chastise without knowing any facts. Of course, in the last sordid 12 months, Crowley is just one of many people that Obama, in irrational fits of pique, decides to throw under the bus.
No, maybe pique is the wrong word. Maybe, in this case, racist profiling is the more accurate set of words. For Crowley is white with short cropped hair and possibly just a touch of Dirty Harry in the eyes.
Of course, I don’t think Dirty Harry ever coached youth basketball. Or gave mouth to mouth CPR to a 25 year old black basketball player trying to save his life.
What would Dirty Harry do after the fact at the Gates meeting? Would he grab Obama by the scruff of the neck like Michael Vick grabs dogs? Would Dirty Harry say something to Obama scary enough to turn the brown eyed handsome man white with fear?
Or would Dirty Harry simply say something witty?
Obama: “Sgt. Crowley, let’s just let this unfortunate incident go; simply fade away. Acknowledge that both of you may have been a little out of line. You know, James, the old Washington two step.”
Harry: “Sorry, Mr. President. But I don’t dance.”
Is Blarty Irish too?
I can see it now. Gates’ new book: “Irish like me”.
Moogie:
By the way, the whole “let’s get real over beer, dudes!” thing makes me want to vomit.
Moogie>>> MyYellow—-@youhost name.
Look familiar?
Houston we may have a problem
I have left a message at the PJMedia contact number for ChadMan explaining this.
Moogie, the damn thing has done it again.
Obama is the tool here, not Gates. You could expect a person to completely lose his cool when being interrogated by police at his own home. He flew off the handle and got just what he should have expected, and I think now that he has cooled down and thought about everything, he does too. Crowley just did his job and because he is so professional about his role, he didn’t get trapped in this left wing victim pincer. Obama, on the other hand, just acted stupidly in a planned response to something he knew very little about. Being the President, he got to have his teaching moment by arm twisting the involved parties into a confrontation on a nationally televised dog and pony show wherein Obama poses as a mentor and counselor to both men. It sure beats posing as a contrite apologist for being the one who acted stupidly.
The Policeman, the President, and the Professor. The good, the bad, and the ugly, eh?
Next subject, please.
7. Allison wrote:
And have you read the comments on the very site on which you post? How many people here have called Obama racist for his comments on the police actions? How many have used the same epithet against Gates?
Peter asks: And how many of them have threatened physical harm to either Gates or Obama. None that I have seen. Yet both Ms. Whalen, Sgt Crowley, and now his co-worker Sgt Lashley and their families require police protection because of the nut-jobs on the left.
RE #22/ Moogie: Re #19 misanthropicus: [...] you might find McFlarty Fiddlebutt to be humorous, but I am starting to tire of the constant interruptions in these forums by the adolescence “contributions” of McFlarty [...]
Moogie, fully relate, but this is the situation – probably the best way to deal with these Soetorotrolls is to ignore them, and so neutralize their very reason for being here and elsewhere – disruption and obfuscation.
Yet, sometimes I fight back, sometimes take a “ridendo castigat mores” attitude, like in the present case – both takes, unfortunately, not very productive, I agree -
Allison:
So asserting that Obama and Gates are racists is “vitriol”. If I assert that the Grand Kleegle of the KKK is racist, is that “vitriol”? The evidence is clear, from Obama sitting twenty years in the church of a racist pastor (oops, more vitriol) to this latest prejudgment.
Here’s the deal. The negroes in America have got just about all the concessions from everyone else they’re going to get. I’m done, because despite 55 years of pushing for equality every way I can, getting in racists’ face, not having a bigoted bone in my body (although that is one of the few faults I lack), I’m still an oppressive, racist pig because I’m white. Well, game over.
For you to equate recognizing that someone is a racist, with phone calls threatening Sgt. Crowley’s kids is obscene. Gates is so obviously a race-baiter (have you seen what kinds of things he has said about whitey, etc?) that anyone who can’t see it is willfully blind.
Everyone should be treated as an individual, judged by the content of their character as MLK said. Race is a ridiculous concept anyway. From an anthropological standpoint, there are negro populations in Africa that differ more from each other than either does from caucasians.
Hello all, for the time being DONOT enter a valid email address.
I was able to obtain the email address for Moogie by refresing my screen.
I have contacted the PJ Media Phone ext #822 and left a message with a Chad Man.
There is no telling how long it will take for him to check his messages.
Moogie, Hopefully that was not your real email address. Check you spam box, I emailed the addy I had seen via an anonymous email client.
Thanks All
Privacy is of utmost priority.
Peter the bubble head, your email address is now displayed in MY Write a Comment section.
sub****@yourhost.net
WTF is going on here?
Hey, fair is fair. If I go up to a black cop and get busted for talking nasty about his mother, can I go have a beer at the White House too?
Peter The Bubble Head, I now have your email address too.
sub****@yourhostname.com
People, do not utilze your real email addys.
Appears to be problems.
22. Moogie wrote:
In fact, I have avoided coming here lately because of it.
Peter writes: Please don’t do that Moogie. I look forward to reading your comments on these forums.
If the libtards are getting you down, just do what I do. Whenever I see certain poster names like jharp, blarty, and a couple of others, I simply skip right over the post and read the next. I figure, as usual, they contribute nothing relevant to the conversation, and when they do make their foolish comments, I leave it to the other regulars to handle them.
31 and 33
Vitriol means bitterness and I am pretty sure I saw a lot of that in post 33.
The threats to Whalen and Crowley are deplorable. But go forth into the blogosphere and find a plethora of comments regarding the should be fate of Gates and others of his ilk.
I suppose “banana eating jungle monkey” is post-racial discourse?
Yup. Red alert. Don’t use email addies.
The lesson of the teaching moment is that it’s still OK to heap hatred on women. And on white cops. And not apologize. Ridiculous.
The lesson of the teaching moment is that it’s still OK to heap hatred on women. And white cops. Ridiculous.
Allison:
You equate an arguably accurate characterization of Gates’ racial attitudes with DEATH THREATS?
To Moogie & all other honest PJM readers
RE: Current Trolling here & elsewhere:
“Attention! Trolls at Work!” – title of an excellent piece in American Thinker about Liberal trolls & trolling, their brutish looks, stupidity & nasty ways –
Maybe PJM picks up the article, too -
40.
Yes. That’s what I am doing…
What did I say about talking past each other?
It’s willful.
it is official …the link to the birth certificate.
http://www.pbase.com/opinion/image/115504379
This is how they should have handled it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ASQKjbuCS8
~B. Blarcklefart #11
Yes, yes, so sad: Like the liberal bigots who can’t resist the draw of PJM sites and threads.
~Blarty Blarcklefart #11
Yes, yes, so sad: Like liberal bigots who can’t resist the draw of the PJM site and threads.
Fine article. Thank you. It’s a relief to have your intelligent analysis of the incident, which most voice in the media have been way too biased to see correctly, so enamored they are with our racist, Kenyan-born president.
In the Presidential election 96% of Blacks voted for Obambi. Now THAT is RACISM writ large.
Aside from Muslims, there is not a more racist group in America than American blacks.
Call the incident what it was: anti-white racism on the part of two black men, Gates and Obama.
I love the universal statement by Mr. Raddish
“Yet all those who have challenged Gates’ account, or who have argued that while Sgt. Crowley may have overreacted, he was not engaging in an incorrect action taken in the line of duty as a police offer, have found themselves branded as racist or worse, and even had their physical safety threatened.”
This seems to be typical of his type of analysis. The fact that you see different reactions from whites and blacks should tell you that we still have a long way to go with racial relations in the US. I think that while Gates overreacted, the police officer should have stepped away. I know that in my youth I have on more than one occasion stupidly challenged a policeman. None of them ever arrested me though if you used the standard of the Gates case, they certainly should have. Of course, I am white.
22. Moogie:
#19 misanthropicus: you might find McFlarty Fiddlebutt to be humorous, but I am starting to tire of the constant interruptions in these forums by the adolescence “contributions” of McFlarty, et al.
Please don’t leave on my account, Moog. I promise you I’m hoping to mature out of my adolescence to the point that I can think of adult wit on the level of “McFlarty Fiddlebutt.”
There two issues involved in this dispute. The first was racial profiling and the second was that of the Black Liberation theology.
If they are not understood, then the dialoge is misdirected.
Personally, I do not think the issue is racial profiling because of the professionalism of Sgt. Crowley.
I do think the issue is BLT because of the emotion of Prof. Gates. I think the same thing would have happened if Jeremiah Wright were in Gates’ place.
Racial hatred is deep-seated and will expose itself in times of emotion.
Who, in the entire affair, was the best example of keeping their emotions under control?
After the “summit”, who was the one assisting Gates down the stairs because of his hip defirmity? A man’s reputation is what people think of you, and your character is what you actually are.
Crowley’s character stood head and shoulders above the other players at the “summit”.
Within President Obama’s racist distorted world, he was going to have the “teachable moment” for Officer Crowley; however, Crowley came armed with his lawyer & his union boss. Therefore, President Obama’s “teachable moment” turned into a turnip photo-op. Worse, President Obama’s beer summit did nothing to turn the people’s perceptions about the subject.
Dick Morris is correct in stating Obama is an Ad Man–not a leader. This, once more, proves Obama cannot gain any traction, despite the slobbering MSM helping him. What’s going to happen when the MSM turn against Obama?
What I saw was Fredrick Douglass spinning in his grave…..
What I saw was Fredrick Douglass spinning in his grave….
Shelby Steele is himself from mixed parents, a black father, Caucasian mother, just like the Bamster.
Seems a little deeper in the understanding category and to have less of a chip on his shoulder than our “racialist” President. Henry Louis Gates Jr. is not very bright (that’s a kind way to say he’s something of an ideological “hahvard” idiot).
Funny PJTV video
…Fredrick Doulass spinnig in his grave.. while the President danced to the rhythm of the heat….
Blarty: Please, so mature promptly. I am encouraged so see that you appreciate the humor of my misnomer of your moniker. Or whatever. Or, as a youngin’ might say: wutev.
Dear Ron: I hope the glitch in the comment form has been fixed. If not, please tell the PJ techies to get to it, pronto!!
The only ‘teaching moment’ is what the general population has learned about the all-too-common knee-jerk complaint of racial profiling. Henry Gates has only tarnished his image among fair-minded people. Those that remain in his camp will support him no matter the evidence. Its the evidence is a liar mentality, also known as deluded ignorance. Henry Gates and Barack Obama aren’t men to apologize for racist attitudes. They too, are deluded ignoramuses about their own racism which is deeply embodied in their souls.
The standard liberal response to being bested intellectually is to attack and denigrate the winner.
Obama knows his strength is in the black bloc and will do anything to please his power force.
“How many people here have called Obama racist for his comments on the police actions? How many have used the same epithet against Gates?”
Truth ain’t vitriol.
“CHILMARK – Black scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. has received numerous death threats since he accused a white officer of racially profiling him in a controversial arrest last month, prompting Harvard University officials to suggest he consider moving, the professor told a crowd yesterday.
“You should die; you’re a racist,” read one e-mail that Gates recalled in his first public appearance since sharing a beer at the White House with President Obama and Cambridge police Sgt. James Crowley, who arrested him July 16. The threats forced Gates to change his e-mail address and cell phone number.”
I guess this is fabricated to give the prof some street cred?
The press incorrectly assumed she had described the men trying to get into the house as African-Americans.
Indeed, they were incorrect, but it was no assumption. They got that impression from Crowley’s police report:
Whalen, who was standing on the sidewalk in front of the residence, held a wireless phone in her hand and told me it was she who called. She went on to tell me that she observed what appeared to be two males with backpacks on the porch of [redacted] Ware St.”
Whalen disputes almost the entirety of Crowley’s description of their interaction saying he spoke to her as he went into the house and she said only three words to him.
Another thing, Gates has had death threats over this issue.
Today, Gates appearing in at a book signing on Martha’s Vineyard told the media he’s been receiving both death and bomb threats and has had to change his e-mail address and phone number. Harvard officials are also suggesting he consider moving.
This is crap reporting at best, willful misrepresentation at worst. I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt that its the former.
Head over to moonbattery and see the important photo from this event. As the three leave the East Wing. Crowley turns and helps Gates down the stairs. Respect for your elders even if they are a bigot, shows class and character. Sgt Crowley is a public servant of the highest caliber. Too bad the same can’t be said about the other two.
“the threats are emanating not from white racists, but from those who claim to be opposed to white racism.”
Really? There have been no threats from white racists at all? Not a single threat against the President or Gates, how peculiar. Oh sorry, what you clearly meant to say was that of course there have been threats but they’re not really news because prominent black intellectuals and the first black President of the US get threats from those guys all the damn time!
http://news.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view/20090803henry_louis_gates_jr_mulls_moving_over_death_threats_calls_crowley_a_nice_guy/srvc=home&position=0
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/barackobama/5967942/Barack-Obama-faces-30-death-threats-a-day-stretching-US-Secret-Service.html
Wow, that took almost a whole minute. This researching stuff is hard work.
#16: “Bill O’Reilly has pointed out that Obama has never really been critized during his adult life.”
This is not even close to the stupidest thing O’Reilly has said, but it will do in a pinch. I hope McCain and Palin read your post, Paul; they could use a good laugh.