Conquer Club

He refuses to identify himself, becomes loud and aggressive, refused to speak with the police, and is arrested. He immediately claims it's because the cops are racist, not because of his actions. "You don't know who you are dealing with" he screams like a jackass. If he hadn't been such a racist bastard, and had been calm and cooperative and respectful of the police officers, none of this would have happened. By claiming it's "all because he's a black guy living in America", he is being racist.


Look at how the officers are standing there relaxed, the one guy is like "calm down calm down now sir", the black officer in front looks like he's holding back the crowds and keeping people away from the crazy lunatic...while Gates is standing there screaming and going nuts.

I would say he over reacted , whether that was justified I dont know, would the police have been called if he was an elderly white guy ?

joecoolfrog wrote:would the police have been called if he was an elderly white guy ?

I think the real question is "would Gran Torino have been such a good film if Clint Eastwood was a middle-aged black guy?"

joecoolfrog wrote:I would say he over reacted , whether that was justified I dont know, would the police have been called if he was an elderly white guy ?

Apparently it was a neighbor who called, so my question is what kind of guy is he that his neighbor's don't even know him if he has lived there so long?

The1exile wrote:

joecoolfrog wrote:would the police have been called if he was an elderly white guy ?

I think the real question is "would Gran Torino have been such a good film if Clint Eastwood was a middle-aged black guy?"

I would still watch it

bedub1 wrote:He refuses to identify himself, becomes loud and aggressive, refused to speak with the police, and is arrested. He immediately claims it's because the cops are racist, not because of his actions. "You don't know who you are dealing with" he screams like a jackass. If he hadn't been such a racist bastard, and had been calm and cooperative and respectful of the police officers, none of this would have happened. By claiming it's "all because he's a black guy living in America", he is being racist.

Look at how the officers are standing there relaxed, the one guy is like "calm down calm down now sir", the black officer in front looks like he's holding back the crowds and keeping people away from the crazy lunatic...while Gates is standing there screaming and going nuts.

From what little I've been able to glean on the situation, it does seem like he is overreacting in a big way. Demanding an apology because the responding policeman asked to see an ID? Asking to see his ID doesn't seem like a particularly offensive thing to do in that situation...in fact, it seems to me that it would be irresponsible for the policeman NOT to do that.

joecoolfrog wrote:I would say he over reacted , whether that was justified I dont know, would the police have been called if he was an elderly white guy ?

Don't know I still haven't heard the full story of why the guy who called the police thought he was breaking and entering. Maybe there was a link in that first post that i didn't see.

Woodruff wrote:

bedub1 wrote:He refuses to identify himself, becomes loud and aggressive, refused to speak with the police, and is arrested. He immediately claims it's because the cops are racist, not because of his actions. "You don't know who you are dealing with" he screams like a jackass. If he hadn't been such a racist bastard, and had been calm and cooperative and respectful of the police officers, none of this would have happened. By claiming it's "all because he's a black guy living in America", he is being racist.

Look at how the officers are standing there relaxed, the one guy is like "calm down calm down now sir", the black officer in front looks like he's holding back the crowds and keeping people away from the crazy lunatic...while Gates is standing there screaming and going nuts.

From what little I've been able to glean on the situation, it does seem like he is overreacting in a big way. Demanding an apology because the responding policeman asked to see an ID? Asking to see his ID doesn't seem like a particularly offensive thing to do in that situation...in fact, it seems to me that it would be irresponsible for the policeman NOT to do that.

Yes everything I've heard makes it sound that the police performed their jobs very well in this situation. He should not be seeking the apology from them but rather the person who thought he was breaking and entering.

PLAYER57832 wrote:

joecoolfrog wrote:I would say he over reacted , whether that was justified I dont know, would the police have been called if he was an elderly white guy ?

Apparently it was a neighbor who called, so my question is what kind of guy is he that his neighbor's don't even know him if he has lived there so long?

I was wondering about that, something seems a bit odd

comic boy wrote:

PLAYER57832 wrote:

joecoolfrog wrote:I would say he over reacted , whether that was justified I dont know, would the police have been called if he was an elderly white guy ?

Apparently it was a neighbor who called, so my question is what kind of guy is he that his neighbor's don't even know him if he has lived there so long?

I was wondering about that, something seems a bit odd

I agree. Nice neighbor for not knowing who his neighbors are. But also a nice neighbor for watching out for his house and calling the police when he saw 2 guys trying to break down the front door.

comic boy wrote:

PLAYER57832 wrote:

joecoolfrog wrote:I would say he over reacted , whether that was justified I dont know, would the police have been called if he was an elderly white guy ?

Apparently it was a neighbor who called, so my question is what kind of guy is he that his neighbor's don't even know him if he has lived there so long?

I was wondering about that, something seems a bit odd

The news said it was a passerby (driving by).

Woodruff wrote:

comic boy wrote:

PLAYER57832 wrote:

joecoolfrog wrote:I would say he over reacted , whether that was justified I dont know, would the police have been called if he was an elderly white guy ?

Apparently it was a neighbor who called, so my question is what kind of guy is he that his neighbor's don't even know him if he has lived there so long?

I was wondering about that, something seems a bit odd

The news said it was a passerby (driving by).

"Gates had just arrived home from China and was trying to force open his jammed front door with the help of his hired driver when a neighbor called the police."
I'm sure forcing open a jammed front door looks like you are trying to break into the place...and his neighbor saw it and called the cops. Good neighbor. The gates is a jackass and gives the cops a bunch of shit so they arrest him. They never should have dropped the charges.

bedub1 wrote: I'm sure forcing open a jammed front door looks like you are trying to break into the place...and his neighbor saw it and called the cops. Good neighbor. The gates is a jackass and gives the cops a bunch of shit so they arrest him. They never should have dropped the charges.

I agree completely.

bedub1 wrote:

Woodruff wrote:

comic boy wrote:

PLAYER57832 wrote:

joecoolfrog wrote:I would say he over reacted , whether that was justified I dont know, would the police have been called if he was an elderly white guy ?

Apparently it was a neighbor who called, so my question is what kind of guy is he that his neighbor's don't even know him if he has lived there so long?

I was wondering about that, something seems a bit odd

The news said it was a passerby (driving by).

"Gates had just arrived home from China and was trying to force open his jammed front door with the help of his hired driver when a neighbor called the police."
I'm sure forcing open a jammed front door looks like you are trying to break into the place...and his neighbor saw it and called the cops. Good neighbor. The gates is a jackass and gives the cops a bunch of shit so they arrest him. They never should have dropped the charges.

Yeah, Gates seems to be in the wrong here. I guess the police figured there would be cries of racism if they didn't drop the charges.

bedub1 wrote:

Woodruff wrote:

comic boy wrote:

PLAYER57832 wrote:

joecoolfrog wrote:I would say he over reacted , whether that was justified I dont know, would the police have been called if he was an elderly white guy ?

Apparently it was a neighbor who called, so my question is what kind of guy is he that his neighbor's don't even know him if he has lived there so long?

I was wondering about that, something seems a bit odd

The news said it was a passerby (driving by).

"Gates had just arrived home from China and was trying to force open his jammed front door with the help of his hired driver when a neighbor called the police."
I'm sure forcing open a jammed front door looks like you are trying to break into the place...and his neighbor saw it and called the cops. Good neighbor. The gates is a jackass and gives the cops a bunch of shit so they arrest him. They never should have dropped the charges.

Given those circumstances, I agree. I am not sure about the "dropped charges" bit .. probably just more hassle then its worth, but the media hue and cry over "racism" seems misguided.

He should be apologizing to the police.

strike wolf wrote: Yeah, Gates seems to be in the wrong here. I guess the police figured there would be cries of racism if they didn't drop the charges.

I'm sure that's true, but that's a very real problem. They shouldn't worry about that. Let the cries come...the legitimacy of the situation would show or not show (as it should).

... The man's career is based on race. This should surprise nobody. Might as well have been Al Sharpton.

...

Woodruff wrote:

strike wolf wrote: Yeah, Gates seems to be in the wrong here. I guess the police figured there would be cries of racism if they didn't drop the charges.

I'm sure that's true, but that's a very real problem. They shouldn't worry about that. Let the cries come...the legitimacy of the situation would show or not show (as it should).

I agree racism cries should not prevent police from doing their job and chances are if this situation played out with a white person or an hispanic or asian etc. The guy (or woman) made a big deal when the cops came by and ended up getting arrested for refusing to cooperated or being overly hostile to the police officers than we probably wouldn't be hearing about them dropping the charges or the cries of racism.

Nobunaga wrote:... The man's career is based on race. This should surprise nobody. Might as well have been Al Sharpton.

...

Yes, Henry Louis Gates and Al Sharpton are the same, in that one is a respected literary scholar, and they are both black.

I've read several comments blaming Dr. Gates for his neighbor not recognizing him. How is that Dr. Gates' fault? I've had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Gates and am truly surprised and saddened by the situation. I fail to see what Dr. Gates did that would make anyone accuse him of racism...

squishyg wrote:I've read several comments blaming Dr. Gates for his neighbor not recognizing him. How is that Dr. Gates' fault? I've had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Gates and am truly surprised and saddened by the situation. I fail to see what Dr. Gates did that would make anyone accuse him of racism...

In my view, to attempt to use racism as an excuse for your own behavior is also racism. Dr Gates actions in this situation are therefore, in my opinion, a mild form of racism, as he attempts to use racism as an excuse for not dealing properly with the police.

I certainly don't blame Dr Gates for his neighbor not recognizing him...that's entirely out of his control. However, his own actions are not.

Once again, my pointy eared friend, I am regretfully forced to disagree with you. Since we covered our respective views on what constitutes racism on an earlier and lengthy thread, I will not argue the point further.

squishyg wrote:Once again, my pointy eared friend, I am regretfully forced to disagree with you. Since we covered our respective views on what constitutes racism on an earlier and lengthy thread, I will not argue the point further.

Fair enough. Racism aside, do you find Dr. Gates actions in this situation reasonable?

squishyg wrote:I've read several comments blaming Dr. Gates for his neighbor not recognizing him. How is that Dr. Gates' fault? I've had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Gates and am truly surprised and saddened by the situation. I fail to see what Dr. Gates did that would make anyone accuse him of racism...

I agree that its silly to accuse him of racism but he does appear to have played the race card and that in itself earns him little credit. Quite frankly Dr Gates should have realised that jemmying a front door is pretty odd behaviour and it was perfectly reasonable for the police to ask him to identify himself, shouting about police racism in this instance looks pretty hollow to me.