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

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