Posted on 08/02/2009 6:07:38 AM PDT by Billg64
There is not much question about Gate's attitude regarding race. I doubt that Officer Crowley considered Gate's race when confronting him.
The question remains, does one have the right to act badly in their home and on their property, without fear of arrest? Does an anonymous 911 call allow police to violate the fourth amendment of the Constitution? Since when does speaking rudely to a police officer constitute a crime?
I heard judge Napalitona asking and answering these questions yesterday. His guest was the sheriff from Arizona, he agreed that the arrest was illegal.
What are your thoughts?
He followed the officer out of the house, insulting him, threatening him, assaulting hi, in public. Remember that a charge of assault, does not require physical contact. The officer, once outside, turned to Gates, and told him he was disturbing the peace, he even took his handcuffs out, and held them in his hand, so that any reasonable person would realise they were on the verge of being arrested, but Gates just kept up his loud verbal assault...That’s why he got arrested.
He’s a stupid racist bigot, who has made a career out of hating whitey. If he qwas white, it would not be unreasonable to womder if he was related to Chris Matthews.
What sherrif from Arizona?
Sir/ma'am your intellect is mirrored by the left. Case and point, you insult to win an argument. You equate differing circumstances to make a point. You allow your political bias to determine your point of view on any subject.
you have got to be lidding!!!
To act on racism in hiring, or charity or services is illegal. But racist statements are not illegal yet.
How does a policve officer, responding to a lawful 911 call from an alert citizen, manage to do that? Maybe he should have taken off his badge and gun, put his nightstick back on his car, and beat the snot out of the loudmoluthed crudball -- ya think? Sounds fair to me.
There's a world of difference between being "pissed off" and appearing to be a raving lunatic, screaming unprovoked at police officers on their front porch.
If Crowley had've turned and run away, and Gates had continued to escalate the situation along the same trajectory he had, Crowley would be pilloried right now by the same crew for being derelict in duty. "Why couldn't they have taken him into custody until he calmed down and didn't pose a threat?"
Let's see Gates say that to a judge when the judge tells him to "stand please".....Would love to see Gates' phone log for the next few days after the incident.
Disagree. If I see Professor Gates in Harvard Square and if I start yelling, and carrying on, and shouting the n-word, you can bet I will be arrested for disorderly conduct (like he was) and in addition, I will be slapped with a Hate Speech charge.
Racist statements ARE illegal -- if made by a white.
If that is allowed, I can call 911 any time anyone pisses me off and claim someone told me this person threatened to do some sort of crime.
Our rights to personal property and against illegal search and seizure would be forfeit for rumors.
I would prefer the police observe my constitutional rights. They take an oath to uphold the laws of the land, the primary being teh constitution.
Teh call that came into the 911 dispatcher was a second person witness. In other words, I was told by another that maybe a break in was transpiring. That does not rise to the level of reasonable suspicion to enter without warrant. If upon exterior investigation of the property, the police conclude a break in has taken place, the dynamic changes. But the testimony does not lend itself to that scenario. The fault may lie with the dispatcher in the language used to relay the information to the police!
Ya know that is the truth
And you base this statement on what exactly?
Maybe he could get Obama on Disturbing the Constitution.
Only if you are black, hispanic, gay, lesbian or transgender.
If you are white, it is a hate crime.
I have seen klan rallies, and that word gets tossed around plenty. I've been called cracker and no one went to jail for it.
possibly! But we are supposed to be better!
opinion!
Maybe you had better do some research on "fighting words" before you make a total fool of yourself.
You stated that racist comments are not illegal. I made a case that this was not so. You get all slippery and change vital facts: now you argue that location matters.
I don't like your style. And I say that if I stand at my property line and yell the n-word at people on my sidewalk, I WILL be arrested. The fact that I'm on my personal property is not going to help me.
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