[Vision2020] Say What?

[Sunil Ramalingam]

Paul,

I think you're missing the points I'm trying to make.

I have never said that Crowley shouldn't have investigated.  I have not and would not suggest anything as absurd as what you suggest here:

'See a black and man and back off for fear of being assumed to be a racist?'  Of course they should investigate whether or not there was a break-in.  But once he knew there was not, it was time to leave and take his injured feelings with him.

Look at the police report: http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2009/0723092gates1.html

On page 2, second paragraph, Crowley writes that with Gates' ID in his hand, he got on his radio.  He never writes that he returned or set down the ID, and I'd sure like to know if he had it when he stepped outside. 

It's clear from page 2, paragraph 4 that Gates was on his own porch when he was arrested; he wasn't on the sidewalk, he wasn't on the street, he was on his own damn porch.   

Did Gates lose it? Obviously. I'm guessing he was tired after a long journey, and pissed that he had to prove he was in his own home.  I don't know much about him, but I'm guessing that it wasn't his first dealing with an officer, and that race has affected his life in ways that I've never experienced. He should have handled things differently, but bad manners is not criminal.  

Unless we are no longer free people, you get to rant in your home, and on your porch.  You get to Paul, I get to, and Gates gets to.

Sunil

> Date: Fri, 31 Jul 2009 20:46:57 -0700
> From: godshatter at yahoo.com
> To: sunilramalingam at hotmail.com
> CC: vision2020 at moscow.com
> Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Say What?
> 
> I can agree with that to a degree.  He was leaving, he could have just 
> let him rant.  However, it was only after he had followed him outside 
> and after he had been warned twice that he actually arrested him.  This 
> leads me to believe that Gates could benefit from an anger management class.
> 
> It's idiotic anyway, because Crowley wasn't the one that made the 
> alleged racial gaffe, he wasn't the one that saw a black man trying to 
> enter a home and made a mistake of racial profiling - as was assumed by 
> Gates.  Therefore, Gates should not have been ranting at him about it.  
> What was Crowley supposed to do?  See a black and man and back off for 
> fear of being assumed to be a racist?
> 
> I'm not saying the lady that phoned the police was racist, the whole 
> racist slant comes from Gates and was directed at the wrong person if it 
> even had merit.
> 
> Paul
> 

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