While it is understandable that it is an upsetting situation, frankly some perspective needs to taken.
I as a white man have had two similar experiences...one when i locked my keys in my car, and once when i was locked out of my college apartment building....each time, after trying to force my way in, when nothing else was working, eventually the police were called, both times by a concerned neighbor.
that is what good or concerned neighbors do...if something looks suspicious, they call the cops.
Both times, the situations were extremely inconvenient, and involved me calmly, rationally, discussing the situation with the police who arrived...*IMMEDIATELY* with no hesitation or complaint, showing every piece of ID i had, completely explaining the situation, then waiting for the situation to be resolved, no matter how long it take, being polite, and deferential to the police officer *AT ALL TIMES*. Saying Yes Sir, No sir, yes officer, of course officer...i understand officer...
if we can call my father he can bring the spare key to the car, and then i can show you the registration when we get the car open...or, you can call up to my roomate in the apartment, and he can confirm who i am and that i am a resident, or you can call the university office of residential life, who can confirm it...
the fact is, that while i certainly understand the racial slant many have faced such as "driving while black" or living in a nice home, ( i am reminded of the hysterical Dave Chappelle routine about the police knocking him over the head with a billy club... the :49 second mark)
YouTube - Dave Chappelle's Funny Ass Shit
"apparently this ni**er broke in and hung pictures of his family everywhere"
the fact is, the policeman was doing his *JOB*. he did not beat Professor Gates or spout racial profanity.
and he was not arrested for being black and in his home,...he was arrested for disorderly conduct *after* he behaved badly, outside of his home including yelling at the police.
what do you expect? Yelling at the cops is *NOT* a good idea...this guy is supposed to be a genius intellectual, knows the situation and starts telling at the police? What did he think would happen?
YOU DO NOT YELL AT COPS, NO MATTER WHAT COLOR YOU ARE! It always ends with you arrested. If you happen to be black, i would say that increases the chances dramatically.
let us look at what happened
1. A concerned Neighbor sees two african american man forcing open a dorr to a house...not knowing the circumstance, concerned neighbor calls police. If these were two white men, or hispanic men, or asian men, forcing open a door, the neighbor would likely have done the same. two men forcing open a door in an upscale neighborhood, is suspiscious, no matter what color you are,....undoubtedly, being black does not help matters.
2. Policeman (or men) show up promptly, responding to the call, doing their job.
3. this is what happened, according to Gates' lawyer and the police report, (from the MSNBC link, provided by Nude Yorker)
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The professor was inside for several minutes when a police officer, Sgt. James Crowley,
appeared at his steps and asked him to step outside, the lawyer said.
According to his lawyer, Gates told the officer he lived there and showed him his Massachusetts driver's license and Harvard University identification card.
The officer followed him into his house and said he had received a report of a possible break-in, the lawyer said. Gates grew frustrated that the officer was continuing to question him in his home and asked for the officer's name and badge number, Ogletree said.
The police report offers a different account of the incident.
Gates refused to step outside to speak with the officer, the police report said, and when Crowley told Gates that he was investigating a possible break-in, Gates opened the front door and exclaimed, "Why, because I'm a black man in America?" the report said.
"While I was led to believe that Gates was lawfully in the residence, I was quite surprised and confused with the behavior he exhibited toward me," he said, according to the report.
The report said Gates
initially refused to show the officer identification, but
eventually produced a Harvard identification card, prompting Crowley to radio for
Harvard University Police.
Gates followed the officer outside and continued to accuse him of racial bias, the report said.
After Crowley warned the professor twice that he was becoming disorderly, the officer wrote he arrested Gates for "loud and tumultuous behavior in a public space."
Ogletree said the professor was "very frustrated" but never touched or pointed at the officer.
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4. the officer has a job to do, regardless of if Gates lived there. If a police officer asks you to step outside, so he can do his job properly, you comply.
5. This is a man with doctorate who teaches at Harvard...he should understand and appreciate the situation, and respond as calmly, clearly, with as little frustration, provocation and anger as possible. The fact is, as an owner of property, he should be esepcially aware and appreciative of the fact, that the police showed up rapidly, and took concrete, deliberate, lengthy and proper steps to ascertain exactly, and solidly through several layers of confirmation, that the person who indeed appeared to be forcing his way into a property owners vacant domicile, was indeed that person.
Instead, he grew "frustrated"...doubtless because he felt he was being persecuted racially...sadly, that shows that this brilliant man, really is not quite so brilliant. The officer was there protecting *HIS* home...all he needed to do was remain calm, go outside, work with the officer, work with the Harvard police, work with a neighbor if possible, and *FOLLOW* instructions. Say "yes officer", "no officer"...yes sir, i work in the department of such and such, yes sir the person next door can vouch for me...and comply as honestly, nicely and calmly as possible.
6. the fact is, he was not arrested for being black, or breaking into the house, or being suspicious...he was arrested for disorderly conduct and he was being disorderly...not to mention he absolutely failed to do *EXACTLY* what civil rights & race experts always advise innocent people of all races to do when in contact with the police. *COOPERATE & COMPLY FULLY*
does this mean it is nice or fair? No. Have unfair race based issues like this happened in the past to innocent african americans? Absolutely.
But what exactly did a scholar, expect to happen when he chose not to resolve the situation as intelligently, deferentially, calmly, and as cooperatively as possible?
Due to his intelligence, he should know it better than any one else. It is an unfortunate situation.