Posted on 07/30/2009 6:36:55 AM PDT by Captain Kirk
You DO have the right to call an officer a racist on your own property. That was never the problem. He was arrested for behavior, yelling and carrying on, not for what he said. If you’re going to pull the old “I have rights” ploy you had best know just what those rights are and what is and isn’t protected under those rights. Saying anything you want to a cop is protected. Behaving in a disorderly fashion is a crime.
“I am not pro-cop, but he was effectively obstructing justice, or at the very least, acting disorderly.”
I am, pro cop and I agree with you, but not for the sake of being pro-cop, but pro-society.
First amendment rights? Gates and then Obamanation made this about something else completely. Gates didn’t rail on about his first amendment rights but about evil whitey. Then Obamanation jumped in and did the same thing and if not for the public reaction they would have been successful in destroying Crowley’s career because he is a WHITE MAN. Race is being used to destroy this country and Gates, just like Obama and all the other white haters and white cowards can go cram it.
Do you have a ‘right’ to talk about bombs while standing in line at the airport? Do you have a right to yell and scream at a judge in a courtroom? How the right against unreasonable search when you board an airplane or go to a courthouse?
The right to free speech is not absolute, and in my mind Prof Gates, by his behavior, was obstructing an active police investigation and acting disorderly.
The ‘stop snitching’ phenomena in the minority community is just another manifestation of the culture Gates promotes through his despicable actions towards Sgt Crowley.
I guess you know that a pedestrian has the right of way over vehicles.
So I suggest that you stand in the middle of I-95, put your hand up to that semi running at 70 MPH and exercise your right of way rights. Don’t give an inch. Make him stop or dodge you.
Yes we do have rights, but smart people exercise those rights judiciously.
Ask the tea party people about how their right to even politely question a cop, has been enforced..
The author tries to ignore those facts and pretends Gates was arrested in his home.
It's worth noting that Jack@ss Gates himself has never defended himself against the actions of the police officers on the scene on constitutional grounds.
I remember that there was a website up that was promoting offensive speech saying it was a Constitutional right and they had some kind of court case going on it. Can’t remember where it is now, though...
He also is a far-left civil libertarian. I agree that the laws regarding disorderly conduct are vague. But what Gates did was not about being rude to a cop, but causing a signficant public disturbance. If I am having a fight with my wife in the front yard that is disturbing the neighbors, and the cops come and tell us to knock it off and I don't, guess what? I can be subject to arrest for disorderly conduct. And that had nothing to do with being rude to a cop.
Gates had numerous opportunities to de-escalate this. He instead chose to make it into an incident.
It wasn’t what Gates said it is how he said it.
He was so loud that Sgt. Crowley had to leave his presense in order to use the radio.
Gates then followed him outside and continued to berate him to the point that it was attracting undue attention from onlookers.
I've long said that a 911 system is the worst thing that ever happened to this country.
Agreed!
Good piece. Gates is a worthless scumbag race pimp, but he does have the right to sound off.
The arrest still wasn’t about race, and a white person would have been treated the same way. “Disorderly conduct” has become “respect ma authorita or else.”
Let me get this right. You think it is good that Gates was "given his wish" at taxpayers expense. Please note that had Crowley simply shook his head and walked away, he might have been able to use his time later to arrest a genuine criminal rather than a harmless sixty two year old race baiter with a cane.
Sure, I understand that.
But in less than 4 years when the next election comes up and ‘birthers’ and other protesters meet at the DNC stage their outrage against the Gov’t and DNC don’t be upset when they are locked in cages[as per 2000,2004] and only confined to areas to protest.
You have to draw a line the sand and have convictions. Gov’t always uses it’s ‘authority’ over man.
Now, do that while yelling so loudly that the neighbors are all coming out on their porches to see what the heck is going on. Or perhaps you think that someone should be allowed to engage in conduct that disturbs the peace, as long as it is on their own property? What about a loud party at 2AM? After all, it's on someone's property?
You and this writer miss the point. The arrest was not for being rude to a cop. The arrest was for raising a ruckus outside the house and then refusing to stop doing such. That will get most folks arrested who engage in such.
I remember that not so long ago many, many people on FR when lamenting the many cases on youtube when citizens, such as a 72 year old grandma, were tased for the simple act of arguing with cops.
Great post!
FWIW, a freeper was there a week earlier with this analysis! Little ‘ol me.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2299648/posts
parsy.
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