Home > Opinion > Who's Right: Henry Louis Gates or the Arresting Police Officer?

Who's Right: Henry Louis Gates or the Arresting Police Officer?

Reader Comments
Back to article

I have a son who is a police officer. If he responded to a possible burglary, and the suspect would not identify himself (except with words. Anyone could say 'I live here.', he would most certainly arrest him. And especially when the suspect became verbally abusive. He (Gates) was certainly not talking or acting like a professor, but rather like a smart aleck. He should have been arrested, and race is completeley inconsequential.

Edna of IL 11:08PM August 03, 2009

I am getting tired of this nonsence. Since you know who got put in office by Acorn, It seems that unless your black, you are wrong. What is wrong with this picture. It use to be of the people, by the people, and for the people, not are you black or white.
Our Country is going to hell in a hand basket, and the foreign country's don't even respect us any more.
My grandparents are rolling over in there graves. To know full on that some PEOPLE put this in the White House to run our Country. Someone who don't salute our flag, and his wife says" she is finally proud of the US." BAD,BAD,BAD.

Sue Blankenship of OR 5:56PM July 31, 2009

This is not an issue of racism at all; rather, it's an issue of ego. If you were investigating a possible burglary in progress and saw someone fitting the description of the suspect inside the home, wouldn't you be suspicious and investigate? But, once he confirmed there was no criminal activity, Officer Crowley should have left. Everyone, from a fast food cashier to a call center rep to the President, has had to deal with an irate customer or some trash talking otherwise. Out of professionalism, you hold your tongue and walk away. Resist the urge to retaliate. Officer Crowley's ego wouldn't allow it. This little old man was disrespecting his authority and embarrassing him in front of a couple of people who had gathered. He was calling him a racist, which totally offended him because, not only is he not a racist, he was hand-picked to help others control racism in the workplace. So he had to put this man in his place.
If you were a black man who lived during a time when whites, including those in authority, openly harrassed blacks due to racism and were now being treated like a criminal in your own home by a white police officer because your own white neighbor didn't recognize you, wouldn't you be defensive? But once Mr. Gates found out about the investigation, he should have cooperated with law enforcement to clear up any misunderstanding. Especially if he thought they were racist because he should not have wanted to add to the misperception and being civil and cooperative could have been doing his part to help reverse it. However, he let that three-letter word get the best of him. To himself, he said "why doesn't my neighbor know who I am? Do we all look alike? If she saw a white man pushing on the door, would she still have reported it? I didn't do anything wrong. I'm an accomplished scholar. Heck, I know the President. Yet, you want to treat me like some common criminal??" He was embarrassed and offended and acted like a pompous jerk to regain some dignity.
I hate when black people play the race card unwarranted but I also hate when white people try to pretend many of them are not still racist. Some black people take it to the nth degree and overreact or expect what's not there in some cases but it might be because they've experienced it and don't know how to differentiate it from other character flaws. Make no mistake, racism is alive and well, but Officer Crowley's actions in this case cannot be attributed to it.

Enlightened of TX 5:44PM July 30, 2009

I am living in Austria , As a black man in a predominantly white enviroment, i would like to lend a hand into the controversy of prof. gates.
There is a proverb which says a house divide against itself is bound to fall! United states should be very careful of this race issue!. It also came to limelight during the confirmation hearing of sotomayor, which is still going on! America should learn to see herself as one family!
Humanity has nothing to do with colour, racism is a creation of the europeans, but we should see it as an outdated religion.
In conclusion , from my views both the proffessor and the police officer acted stupidly! The proffessor was rude to the police officer, regardless of what might have happenned and the police officer intentionally went to humiliate the proffessor maybe out of retaliation of his rudness, because he already knows that he lives in the house!

femi ebenezer 11:42AM July 30, 2009

I am living in Austria , As a black man in a predominantly white enviroment, i would like to lend a hand into the controversy of prof. gates.
There is a proverb which says a house divide against itself is bound to fall! United states should be very careful of this race issue!. It also came to limelight during the confirmation hearing of sotomayor, which is still going on! America should learn to see herself as one family!
Humanity has nothing to do with colour, racism is a creation of the europeans, but we should see it as an outdated religion.
In conclusion , from my views both the proffessor and the police officer acted stupidly! The proffessor was rude to the police officer, regardless of what might have happenned and the police officer intentional went to humiliate the proffessor maybe out of retaliation of his rudness, because he already knows that he lives in the house!

femi ebenezer 11:36AM July 30, 2009

This is simple.......Once the officer realized the angry man was in his residence his job was done, period, good night. He does not have the right to threaten the resident by:
1 inviting him outside for whatever reason.Bad radio transmission or not!
2 cuffing him in front of neighbors
3 arresting him
Why am I one of the only ones who see this? Do we want our police to have the right when insulted to use force that could escalate into a life threatening situation? They have the upper hand because:
1 They carry a gun
2 They are part of an organization of public servants
When Gates acted unreasonably but in his home, the professional, public servant should act professionally and vacate the premises since he was unwelcome. Police have too much power when they can act subjectively and decide they don't like what you say. Then use ther power to shut you up. Something is wrong. Not racially but not the america I grew up expecting to live in.

Keith Bowles of NY 10:07PM July 29, 2009

I understand Sgt. Crowley's reaction to the professor and I understand Professor Gate's response to the police - once emotional escalation started there was little to throttle either party's response. The police were investigating a possible crime - burglary can turn life threatening to both the police and anyone in the home very quickly - causing the investigating officers to be very wary and direct in their approach to anyone in the home. Professor Gates took this as a challenge because of his race - probably not intended by the officers, but again generating a ramp up in emotions. Something that should have been ended a couple days after it began is still stirring emotions across the nation because the press and the President fueled the fire.

Steve Ellis of TX 6:19PM July 29, 2009

Once the police become involved, they harrass anyone in their way. They are the bullies and washed-up athletes from high school with a chip on their shoulders. One dingbat citizen making an incorrect observation and false report or statement to the police, and someone is going to be harrassed by the police. The blacks and media are way off base in saying that this only happens to blacks. What about rednecks, hipppies, homeless, etc. How many police are on steriods? Their ranks are convicted of other crimes? They are huge and angry: a clear sign of steriod abuse.

Joe Pack of MI 1:05PM July 29, 2009

i admired colin powell's take on the gates situation during his interview with larry king.i admire harvard professors; thus,i expected and believe dr gates, being the renowned professor with more experience in dealing with this very issue and with earned wisdom of a professor , to react with a better "calibrated" reaction to a police investigation. did dr gates see this as the 'teachable moment'?

mzevensen of CA 11:46AM July 29, 2009

Why should a man who has shown adequate identity to verify his rightful possession of his property,(home), be ordered outside his home to be questioned any further by the police? That was the supid part of the entire ordeal as the President said. After verifing there was "no break in", the Officer should have left Mr. Gates in peace. Further examination or interogation was unnecessary,unless it was the intention of the officer to humiliate the owner (Mr. Gates) in front of the neighbors.
This seems to be more of a case of property rights and freedom of speech. Mr. Gates was arrested for humiliating a police officer. During the !960's in cities like Boston, Cambridge, etc., many student protesters called police "Pigs", and likened them to Gestapo in the streets of this nation in front of millions of americans watching television almost nightly. Few of these people were arrested for humilitating the police officers.

A Wubbenhorst of MD 10:28AM July 29, 2009