Obama says Police acted stupidly!

[Bonestorm]

Such a good little Obama apologist.

That is such a bullshit excuse. When a cop is investigating a reported crime (or potential crime), that cop does not have to put up with someone who refuses to show ID, calls him a racist for doing his job, and acts belligerent towards the police. While a person would have the RIGHT to call the cop a racist or 'act upset' that does not mean that their actions are without potential consequences.

Further, the Professor is the idiot in this situation for crying racism in a case where one of the responding cops was black and for having provided nothing to support such an accusation. He demeans all of those who ARE subjected to racial profiling and discrimination.

What is bullshit about it? Based on what I have read, Gates was arrested after he showed his identification. At that point why arrest him?

If he were arrested for refusing to show ID he would have been booked for refusing to comply with a lawful order from the police. And being "belligerent" to the police is First Amendment protected activity in many cases, including this one.

Whether the professor is an idiot or not is not relevant to whether the police acted stupidly.

 

[Cancel 2016.2]

They were stupid for arresting him for disorderly conduct.

While I personally wouldn't have arrested him, I also think it is idiotic to berate the cops for doing so. The professor is just as responsible for his being arrested as the cops are. As stated earlier, it appears both parties over-reacted. The professor for initially refusing to show ID and for getting so upset that the cops would dare to investigate a burglary report. The cops for arresting him after he had shown he was indeed the owner of the house.

 

[Cancel 2016.2]

What is bullshit about it? Based on what I have read, Gates was arrested after he showed his identification. At that point why arrest him?

If he were arrested for refusing to show ID he would have been booked for refusing to comply with a lawful order from the police. And being "belligerent" to the police is First Amendment protected activity in many cases, including this one.

Whether the professor is an idiot or not is not relevant to whether the police acted stupidly.

Please show me where you have the right to be belligerent to police who are conducting an investigation. As I stated, I would not have arrested him after he showed ID, but neither would I call the police stupid for doing so. You do not have the right to treat police like shit just because you feel like it. They were doing their jobs

 

[Chapdog]

I dont know the facts of the situation, but people should not be arrested for being rude, and if thats what happened, thats uncool.

I agree the president should never have weighed in on a specific situation that he did not know the detales of.

He did say he and the Professor are friends.

when your warned to calm down 3 times you prob should comply with the cops. I dont know about other parts of the country but you dont fuck with cops in MA..

 

[Topspin]

While I personally wouldn't have arrested him, I also think it is idiotic to berate the cops for doing so. The professor is just as responsible for his being arrested as the cops are. As stated earlier, it appears both parties over-reacted. The professor for initially refusing to show ID and for getting so upset that the cops would dare to investigate a burglary report. The cops for arresting him after he had shown he was indeed the owner of the house.

Bullshit, this is Ghestapo like. WTF he showed his ID after intially sticking out his chest and tossing the racist bomb.
The cop should have chilled and will be suspended for not doing so unless he appologizes.

 

[Bonestorm]

While I personally wouldn't have arrested him, I also think it is idiotic to berate the cops for doing so. The professor is just as responsible for his being arrested as the cops are. As stated earlier, it appears both parties over-reacted. The professor for initially refusing to show ID and for getting so upset that the cops would dare to investigate a burglary report. The cops for arresting him after he had shown he was indeed the owner of the house.

I'm not berating anyone. I'm saying the cops acted stupidly by arresting him. Once they confirmed that he owned the house, they should have left. Period.

 

[Cancel 2016.2]

Bullshit, this is Ghestapo like. WTF he showed his ID after intially sticking out his chest and tossing the racist bomb.
The cop should have chilled and will be suspended for not doing so unless he appologizes.

You are such an idiot. In no way is this Ghestapo like. You pretend that the police should have to take whatever verbal abuse you feel like giving to them.

There is a fine line between being belligerent and becoming violent. That is why the cops ask people to calm down. That is why people who are belligerent get arrested when confronting cops in such a manner in situations like this.

 

[TuTu Monroe]

All the people saying the cops were stupid or racist, can you please help me to understand what you think SHOULD have happened?


#1 - Neighbors reporting someone trying to break in a house.

#2 - Cops find a man inside the house and (I am thinking) evidence of a break-in.


Should they have just walked away after being told he lived there? Were they acting in a racist manner for being suspicious? (given the info they had)

The cops were just doing their damn job, period. Playing the race-card is getting out of hand.

 

[Cancel 2016.2]

I'm not berating anyone. I'm saying the cops acted stupidly by arresting him. Once they confirmed that he owned the house, they should have left. Period.

Calling cops stupid for their actions is berating them you dolt.

While I AGREE they shouldn't have arrested him, at the same time.... the professor should never have become belligerent in the first place. He should never have called the cops racist for doing their jobs. After showing ID he should not have continued to follow the cops and continue berating them, once again... FOR DOING THEIR JOBS.

PERIOD.

 

[Bonestorm]

Calling cops stupid for their actions is berating them you dolt.

While I AGREE they shouldn't have arrested him, at the same time.... the professor should never have become belligerent in the first place. He should never have called the cops racist for doing their jobs. After showing ID he should not have continued to follow the cops and continue berating them, once again... FOR DOING THEIR JOBS.

PERIOD.

Berate: to scold or condemn vehemently and at length.

Saying someone acted stupidly is not berating them. I'm sure that Gates berated the cops, but that's not a crime. If the response of a cop to being called names is to arrest the person then he or she should not be a cop. Once they confirmed it was Gates's home they should have left, under a barrage of insults if necessary.

Arresting people for exercising their first amendment rights is not their job.

 

[Cancel 2018. 3]

I agree Obama should not have made the comment. Refusing to present an ID in your own home is not a crime.

while it may not be a crime, it certaintly could lead to arrest in this situation if the guy could not prove he was properly and legally in the house.....further, he was not arrested for not producing ID....get your facts straight

 

[Cancel 2018. 3]

Berate: to scold or condemn vehemently and at length.

Saying someone acted stupidly is not berating them. I'm sure that Gates berated the cops, but that's not a crime. If the response of a cop to being called names is to arrest the person then he or she should not be a cop. Once they confirmed it was Gates's home they should have left, under a barrage of insults if necessary.

Arresting people for exercising their first amendment rights is not their job.

under normal circumstances you're probably right....but to hear it from the president of the united states of america on national tv.....i consider that, at a minimum, a scolding

 

[Cancel 2016.2]

Berate: to scold or condemn vehemently and at length.

Saying someone acted stupidly is not berating them. I'm sure that Gates berated the cops, but that's not a crime. If the response of a cop to being called names is to arrest the person then he or she should not be a cop. Once they confirmed it was Gates's home they should have left, under a barrage of insults if necessary.

Arresting people for exercising their first amendment rights is not their job.

Again, BULLSHIT. While you have the RIGHT to say anything you want, that does not mean you are FREE from CONSEQUENCES of what you say. If a cop is issuing you a ticket and you start screaming and berating him/her, you are going to be arrested. They do NOT have to put up with your bullshit. It is a misdemeanor charge, but they have every RIGHT to arrest you for disorderly conduct.

and yes, you are berating them, calling them stupid over and over again for doing their jobs is berating them.

 

[SmarterthanYou]

Please show me where you have the right to be belligerent to police who are conducting an investigation. As I stated, I would not have arrested him after he showed ID, but neither would I call the police stupid for doing so. You do not have the right to treat police like shit just because you feel like it. They were doing their jobs

maybe the articles that have been written so far are wrong, but I believe the professor did not get belligerent until AFTER the police had verified his identity. It was after that point, when they started the fishing expedition with extra questions, that the professor was well within his rights to get upset and belligerent. That was where the cops got stupid. The professor then followed up that stupidity with some of his own by continuing after the police out in to the public.

SF, being belligerent to a cop is not a crime, and even if it were in that locality, it could not be upheld as constitutional. Every person has the right to stand up for their own rights. telling a cop to fuck off is not illegal, no matter where you are.

 

[Bonestorm]

Again, BULLSHIT. While you have the RIGHT to say anything you want, that does not mean you are FREE from CONSEQUENCES of what you say. If a cop is issuing you a ticket and you start screaming and berating him/her, you are going to be arrested. They do NOT have to put up with your bullshit. It is a misdemeanor charge, but they have every RIGHT to arrest you for disorderly conduct.

and yes, you are berating them, calling them stupid over and over again for doing their jobs is berating them.

You've got an odd concept of "berating."

In any event, we'll just have to agree to disagree as to whether it was stupid for the cops to arrest Gates for disorderly conduct. I think it quite plainly was stupid and I think implicit in the fact that the charges were dropped is a recognition that it was stupid.

 

[Topspin]

You are such an idiot. In no way is this Ghestapo like. You pretend that the police should have to take whatever verbal abuse you feel like giving to them.

There is a fine line between being belligerent and becoming violent. That is why the cops ask people to calm down. That is why people who are belligerent get arrested when confronting cops in such a manner in situations like this.

If you think this dude gets arrested if he were White then you need more padding on your bike. Again, they dropped the charges.

 

[Damocles]

I'm not berating anyone. I'm saying the cops acted stupidly by arresting him. Once they confirmed that he owned the house, they should have left. Period.

I agree with this. So long as he wasn't do anything to harm them. However, it wasn't racial profiling. Not by the cops at least.

 

[blackascoal]

He should not have weighed in on an issue he himself admitted he does not know about.

Maybe a more fair answer would have been, I dont know the specifics of this situation, but I am against racial profiling and if thats what happened, I am against it.

How much else do you need to know about a man being arrested for breaking into his own house?

Obama is hearing the voices of African-Americans who are beginning to see him as a pussy on race. Just as he was forced to speak out on the Jena 6 incident, he's feeling the pressure.

 

[Cancel 2016.2]

You've got an odd concept of "berating."

In any event, we'll just have to agree to disagree as to whether it was stupid for the cops to arrest Gates for disorderly conduct. I think it quite plainly was stupid and I think implicit in the fact that the charges were dropped is a recognition that it was stupid.

What you ignore is the fact that this was a misdemeanor charge. They might have also dropped charges because the case involves a he said/he said situation and wouldn't be worth the time or the headache to proceed with.

I love how you continue to comment on the 'stupidity' of the police. How about you comment on the stupidity of the professor? He brought this upon himself by his actions. Had he not acted like a complete jackass, he wouldn't have been arrested.

 

[Cancel 2016.2]

How much else do you need to know about a man being arrested for breaking into his own house?

Obama is hearing the voices of African-Americans who are beginning to see him as a pussy on race. Just as he was forced to speak out on the Jena 6 incident, he's feeling the pressure.

He was NOT arrested for breaking into his own house.