Entering while black
By Capt. Fogg
When I read the headline of the story, I was all ready to get angry. Well known Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates was arrested for trying to enter his own house because the color of his skin alarmed a Cambridge, Massachusetts witness who called the police.
Anger is just what Professor Gates wanted, it would seem to me after reading the whole article. Instead of telling the police his name and that he lived there, which would have ended the matter with him remaining on the moral high ground, he refused to say anything but
Yes it is of course, but also no it isn't and I'm guessing that most black people haven't been arrested for unlocking their front door; but that suspicion follows them like a shadow, I know for a fact. A great many African Americans have been stopped and questioned when others would not have been.
Gates' loud and continuous protests along with refusing to identify himself had the expected results. He was not given an apology and left to go about his business: he was arrested. No doubt academic papers, lectures, articles and perhaps movie rights will follow and that doesn't hurt the career of a professor of African American studies at all.
I'd like to think I would have handled it differently and of course it always pleases me to say that to professors. The insidious kind of racism that leads people to conclude that a black man in a "nice" neighborhood is up to no good is what needs addressing; needs illustration -- and a choreographed arrest like this one detracts from the clarity of the situation. The police were required to respond, were given a legitimate reason to arrest him and he may well not get off without consequence from the disorderly conduct charges. The clarity? Yes, I think it's clear that nice, ordinary, well meaning people can fall prey to their prejudices when they see a black face in Cambridge or a bearded man in an airport. It's not about the police, it's about us and Gates gave away the opportunity to teach us that by displaying his temper. Too bad.
(Cross posted from The Swash Zone)
When I read the headline of the story, I was all ready to get angry. Well known Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates was arrested for trying to enter his own house because the color of his skin alarmed a Cambridge, Massachusetts witness who called the police.
Anger is just what Professor Gates wanted, it would seem to me after reading the whole article. Instead of telling the police his name and that he lived there, which would have ended the matter with him remaining on the moral high ground, he refused to say anything but
"This is what happens to black men in America" in a loud voice.
Yes it is of course, but also no it isn't and I'm guessing that most black people haven't been arrested for unlocking their front door; but that suspicion follows them like a shadow, I know for a fact. A great many African Americans have been stopped and questioned when others would not have been.
Gates' loud and continuous protests along with refusing to identify himself had the expected results. He was not given an apology and left to go about his business: he was arrested. No doubt academic papers, lectures, articles and perhaps movie rights will follow and that doesn't hurt the career of a professor of African American studies at all.
I'd like to think I would have handled it differently and of course it always pleases me to say that to professors. The insidious kind of racism that leads people to conclude that a black man in a "nice" neighborhood is up to no good is what needs addressing; needs illustration -- and a choreographed arrest like this one detracts from the clarity of the situation. The police were required to respond, were given a legitimate reason to arrest him and he may well not get off without consequence from the disorderly conduct charges. The clarity? Yes, I think it's clear that nice, ordinary, well meaning people can fall prey to their prejudices when they see a black face in Cambridge or a bearded man in an airport. It's not about the police, it's about us and Gates gave away the opportunity to teach us that by displaying his temper. Too bad.
(Cross posted from The Swash Zone)
Labels: racism
posted by Capt. Fogg at
10:50 AM
7 Comments:
I read an article that states he did show his ID but was arrested anyways.
Maybe you shouldn't jump to conclusions from only one source. It seems that there's always more to the story when there's a clash with the police involved.
By
teddymac, at 11:50 AM
Perhaps you shouldn't either.I've read articles saying Obama is a Musim and Elvis is alive - so what? There's always an article.
I still think he missed an opportunity.
By
Capt. Fogg, at 12:21 PM
Yeah, the police missed an opportunity to act decently too.
By
teddymac, at 12:28 PM
They so often do.
By
Capt. Fogg, at 1:59 PM
What happened will have to remain conjecture since both sides have agreed to drop the issue. I hope the police are a bit embarrassed and I hope the neighbor who called them is pilloried as a fool.
By
Capt. Fogg, at 9:10 PM
Capt. Fogg, it appears you have, as you often do, jumped the gun on this one without much critical thinking. I've somewhat enjoyed this blog for quite a while, but it's credibility has pretty much faded away. Too many mistakes. See ya'.
By
Anonymous, at 2:33 PM
Glad to see you go. I can't say I've enjoyed your efforts to appear intelligent by being a persistent troll.
Yes, more verbiage has grown on the story and my opinion is of course, influenced by developments, something I can't say of yours.
Although it is still impossible to know just what happened between those two men, I do suspect that the professor might have lost his temper too easily. After all this is a very smart man who has prospered in a world biased against him and he didn't do that by not knowing how to handle tough situations. All it is is a suspicion, however -- subject to revision.
I can't be sure enough to say that the cop didn't start this, or didn't provoke him. What I'm NOT doing here is excusing anyone of all responsibility. Bill Cosby expressed my feelings quite well this morning on MSNBC and I will leave this by agreeing with him.
As for you, you're free to agree or disagree but it's time for you to go anyway. Go far, go soon.
By
Capt. Fogg, at 9:42 AM
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