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Obama says police acted 'stupidly' in arrest
AP on Yahoo ^ | 7/22/09 | Anne Gearan - ap

Posted on 07/22/2009 7:16:01 PM PDT by NormsRevenge

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama said Wednesday that police acted "stupidly" in the arrest of prominent black scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. and that despite racial progress blacks and Hispanics are still singled out unfairly for arrest.

"This still haunts us," Obama said.

Obama called Gates a friend, and said he doesn't know all the facts of the case. Nonetheless, Obama said, anyone would have been angry if treated the way Gates claims police in Cambridge, Mass., treated him. Gates, a Harvard University professor, claims he was arrested in his home after showing ID to police who responded to a report of a possible burglary.

"Cambridge police acted stupidly in arresting somebody when there was already proof he was in own home," Obama said during a prime-time news conference that otherwise focused on the health care debate.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: acted; blackkk; cambridge; footnmouth; gates; henrygates; henrylouisgatesjr; leo; mrskippy; obama; police; racemongers; skipgates; stupidly
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To: Sioux-san

With absolutely no false bravado and fully considerate of the short and long term implications of the coming statement my humble, heartfelt, stone-cold sober and rational response to the prospect of such a possibility is ...BRING IT ON AND WE’LL SEE HOW MANY ARE LEFT STANDING WHEN THE EVENT ENDS.


61 posted on 07/22/2009 8:13:24 PM PDT by Sequoyah101 (Half of the population is below average)
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To: NormsRevenge

What in the hell does this have to do with race? Again, 13.5% of the US population in dominating 100% of the national dialogue.


62 posted on 07/22/2009 8:15:15 PM PDT by Toespi
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To: ForeignDude
There seems to be some discrepancy here: “...claims he was arrested in his home after showing ID to police who responded to a report of a possible burglary.” IIRC, he was arrested in the act of forcing the door of a home which the police did not know was his because he REFUSED to show ID. THAT was why they hauled him in.

You are partially right. However, he did show his ID eventually. The cops started to leave but at this time a crowd had gathered. He followed the cops outside and then started his rant about how a black men were treated in the US, he was trying to stir up trouble with the 7 or 8 people who were present and he wouldn't shut up and let the cops leave. He was then arrested. They acted correctly. It is all in the police report. The guy acted like a jerk from the git go, as you stated he at first refused to show ID and screamed at the cops. Bozo is full of sh** on this one and is showing his hatred for whitey.

63 posted on 07/22/2009 8:18:13 PM PDT by calex59 (I, me, myself, am actually Jim Thompson)
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To: Dilbert San Diego

He doesn’t know all the facts and yet thinks America is wrong. What’s the difference?


64 posted on 07/22/2009 8:21:24 PM PDT by winner3000
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To: calex59

Gates behaved poorly. Apparently he lost or forgot his keys and had to jimmy (break) the door to get inside. No problem, it’s not his house. The house belongs to Harvard and Gates just has to call Harvard maintenance to fix the door he just broke.

No wonder tuition is so high at Harvard. They hire these vulgarians, provide them with expensive housing, and give them an audience of adoring young students. (and the parents pay $50,000 a year for the experience)


65 posted on 07/22/2009 8:26:51 PM PDT by ladyjane
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To: NormsRevenge

lets not act like cops aren’t capable of abusing power...it happens way too often and i’ve been a victim of cop abuse myself

they are a government entitity who are more than capable of using their power in the wrong way

too many times freepers are way to quick to give cops the benefit of the doubt


66 posted on 07/22/2009 8:30:39 PM PDT by chevydude26
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To: Texas Eagle

I’m going to shoulder in the front door of the white house and just see what happens to me. It’s no doubt racism.


67 posted on 07/22/2009 8:30:42 PM PDT by boop (Democracy is the theory that the people get the government they deserve, good and hard.)
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To: calex59; ForeignDude
Police Report of the Incident
68 posted on 07/22/2009 8:33:12 PM PDT by kabar
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To: NormsRevenge

Bump for later


69 posted on 07/22/2009 8:39:54 PM PDT by Nachum (The complete Obama list at www.nachumlist.com)
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To: Texas Eagle

“For someone who admits he doesn’t know all the facts about the case, he sure sounds like he knows all the facts about the case.”

That is a classic example of prejudice.


70 posted on 07/22/2009 8:41:36 PM PDT by ViLaLuz (2 Chronicles 7:14)
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To: NormsRevenge

Obama left out a lot of facts that are in the Police report that most of us have read.

IMO the Professor acted stupidly and Obama is covering for another black ma.

That is to be expected. Obama is a racist.


71 posted on 07/22/2009 8:45:51 PM PDT by Venturer
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To: FTJM

He’s the only black I’ve seen who visibly tans from the sun.


72 posted on 07/22/2009 8:46:45 PM PDT by Mr Rogers (I loathe the ground he slithers on!)
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To: School of Rational Thought

Yea, you are right about Dobbs being bumped by a talk show that intervied the black professor. I think maybe it was because CNN was doing a show about “Black in America” tonight. I wrote CNN saying that I felt the situation was a local issue, not worthy of national news——and that was BEFORE I heard Obama answer the question by the news lady in red.


73 posted on 07/22/2009 8:53:08 PM PDT by NorwegianViking (Organizing for America)
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To: TexasFreeper2009

Funny you mention his blue lips. That was the very first thing I noticed tonight about him! Wonder what causes it? I don’t think I have seen other black people with purple lips. Has anybody else seen black people with purple lips.


74 posted on 07/22/2009 8:56:54 PM PDT by NorwegianViking (Organizing for America)
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To: Gator113
0bama says he would get shot if he was caught trying to jigger in the white house? Now that's funny!
75 posted on 07/22/2009 9:12:51 PM PDT by H8N-S8N (I voted for the American!)
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To: Sioux-san
Barry Soetoro is setting the stage for his little foot soldiers to take to the streets and bring this country down. That’s been his goal from the beginning, and it will not change until we stop this coup d’etat.

I bet you're right.

76 posted on 07/22/2009 9:28:57 PM PDT by timestax (CNNLIES..BIG TIME)
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To: Venturer

Czar Obama is now judge, jury and executioner. I guess this is the new cost saving strategy, get rid of the whole Justice Department.


77 posted on 07/22/2009 9:32:02 PM PDT by artichokegrower
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To: Dallas59

It was Obama supporters who overlooked Obama’s communist/Muslim connections to “make history” and elect a candidate strictly on the basis of his alleged race. No more blatant act of racism has ever taken place in America.


78 posted on 07/22/2009 9:44:37 PM PDT by patriot08
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To: NormsRevenge

79 posted on 07/22/2009 9:49:06 PM PDT by FTJM
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To: artichokegrower

Okay Mr. President, lets examine all the other possibilities to see what on earth the police could have done:

1. Not respond to the call. Verdict: Race pimp declares that the police dont care about black communities. “if this had been a white persons house, they would have responded with SWAT. End result, police are racists.

2. Respond, but as soon as police show up and Mr. Gates refuses to provide ID, leave immedately. Verdict: Race Pimp declares that ‘strong black man’ stood up to police, Malcom X style. Also, had the perp in fact NOT been Mr. Gates, see answer #1. End result, Police are cowards, and if they dont get lucky, racists for not stopping perp. Spike Lee to begin filming 4 hour film next week. Studios racist if they dont pony up the 100 million bucks for the project.

3.Respond, but rather than ask if he is the homeowner, assume he lives there after asking neighbors if the owner is a black man. End Result, police are racists because they think all blacks look alike.

4. When Mr. Gates refused to show ID, and all but shouted literally “ I AM PLAYING THE RACE CARD”, they could have tazed him, bro. End result, Police racists, but satisfying.

Clearly, there was only one option to the police....they could have called in Shaft to make the arrest. Short of that, they were going to be racists.


80 posted on 07/22/2009 10:05:02 PM PDT by SoCalTransplant (Old and Busted: Republican or Democrat? New Hotness: American or World Citizen?)
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