http://www.alternet.org/rights/141485/the_real_tragedy_of_the_arrest_of_professor_henry_louis_gates,_jr./
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/social_issues/july-dec09/gates_07-23.html
__________________________________
THE PROBLEM: Most Americans (including the police) Are Ignorant of the Laws Regarding Free Speech.
[Report this comment] Posted by: Nuuon on Jul 23, 2009 2:18 PM
Current rating: 5 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Dave Lindorff, in his latest posting on the "CounterPunch" website, makes it quite clear and unequivocal-- If we can't question (or even insult) a police officer, then we are living in a police state:
"Insulting an officer of the law is not a crime. Telling an officer he or she is breaking the law is not a crime. Demanding that an officer identify him or herself is not a crime. And saying you are going to file a complaint against the officer is not a crime. . .
"It was Gates’ right as a citizen to file a complaint. The officer’s alleged refusal to provide his name and badge number was improper and, if Gates’ claim is correct, was a violation of the rules that are in force in every police department in the country. . .
"In a free country, we should not allow the police, who after all are supposed to be public servants, not centurions, to behave in this manner. When we do, we do not have a free society. We have a police state."
Nuff Said.
11 comments:
As a young black man living in America, when I first heard this story I quickly jumped on the side of Gates. But then logic kicked in and there is always two sides to every story. With that being said I listed to Sgt. Crowley the officer who arrested Gates on the Dennis & Callahan Morning Show on WEEI a Boston Sport radio station and if you listened to the 20min Q and A you can see who was really in the wrong.
It's ironic that you would comment on such a thing. Gates should of controlled his temper yes. That's an accurate thing to say. Yet, Gates never assaulted the man, never harmed the man, showed his ID, and the cop admits to this. It's not illegal to be angry at at a cop at all. If that is illegal, we live in a police state plain and simple. We already live in a police state on some levels with the Patriot Act, the Real ID Act, DHS, etc. Now, you have a right to your views. Police brutality and racial profiling is a serious problem in America as we all realize. I don't believe that the cop is a racist, but overzealous. If Gates done something incredibily illegal, the cops would of never dropped the charges of Gates being accused of causing a disturbance. Why were the charges dropped? A man is innocent until proven guilty in America and Gates did nothing wrong except losing his cool.
I want the supporters of the cop to show me one word of the Constitution that says that being angry at a cop is illegal. Please show me.
By Timothy
I want to see the words. Now, I am conservative on some issues, but I respect civil liberties too. I'm not a neo-con blindly following the police unconditionally. I'm a grown man not a robot.
By Timothy
Some police (not all of them) assaulted pro-lifers, assaulted anti-war protestors, harrased people, and some want to annoint them as gods. Not me.
I don't think it is ironic for me to comment on this subject I am just using my ability to think for myself and not being like most Americans who are brainwashed by the media and Hollywood with its propaganda. Like I said before there is always two sides to every story and I suggest you go to the Dennis & Callahan Morning Show on WEEI and listen to the Q and A. Now do I believe in the Constitution yes I do along with the fact that racism is still alive and well this very day and in fact I just experienced it this passed weekend on an out of town trip. Your right Gates never assaulted the officer, physically, just verbally from his tirade and from what I he should of calmed down instead of endlessly going off. Now I am assuming that you are black, the question is that should we expect this kind of behavior from esteemed leaders of our community to behave like this in the matter?
Futhermore, I don't trust cops now I do believe that there are many bad ones out here and maybe a few good ones. But we will see as the bottom of America falls out now I respect civil liberties also I feel as a citizen of this once great country it is my duty to but at the same time I use wisdom. For people that want to annoit them as gods well that's not me those people will be one of the first in line getting on the train for the camps.
I don't believe that any human show be on a tirade that is angry against anyone. People should never expect that from any community. I agree with you on many things on this issue. I don't agree with you that Gates' actions merited his arrest for being angry though. By that standard, anyone raising their voice to an officer is liable for arrest by a law enforcement officer.
To me, there are different perspectives on a story, but only one true absolute event of the story. Frankily, if the officers were truly dedicated in punishing Gates for a serious crime, they would of proceeded with the charges. They wouldn't of dropped the charges at all. Gates never acted violent, showed ID, and didn't threatened the office in the exchange.
I don't trust crooked police officers, but I respect real, honorable members of the police. I don't become naive enough to think that the officer is a bigot or hates people of color. I don't agree with his actions. It's certainly legitimate to believe in certain perspectives. I have no problem with you wanting me to look at the Dennis & Callahan Morning Show on WEEI and listen to the Q and A. Also, I will look at sites showing many opinion on this controversy not just one source of information.
Like I've said before (and you have admitted on plenty of occasions in your response here), nothing is found in the Constitution that define anger at a cop as an arrestable offense at all. In hindsight, Henry Gates Jr. should of possessed composure in how he conducted himself toward the police officer. This isn't going leave the police officer's actions of the hook though (who arrested the man on his own property when he wasn't an immediate threat to the cop at all).
I respect your views though as any person would.
I respect your opinion and I think overall it is going to be interesting to see where this goes especially since the so called "President" had his remark to say about the matter. From what I understand they are friends and b/c of his remark I wonder if all the people from the Obama nation will immediately back the President up according to his statement? I guess that we will have to see but I enjoy you blogs you have some good info on there now I don't know if you knew about how Obama tapped Kevin Jennings to be over America's public school education. As you can tell I'm not a supporter of the man frankly I believe that he is made up by the elite to further pushed the agenda.
It's obvious that Barack Obama (as intelligent as he is since he was a professor of Constitutional law in Chicago) is exploited by the establishment. I don't agree with him on every issue, especially on abortion when he is so radically pro-abortion. He broke many of his promises pertaining to lobbyists, NAFTA, and the like. It's interesting to witness his recent comments on the Gates controversy today.
I remember when the 2008 election came around and the immense pressure among me and others to vote for the man, but I didn't.
Same here I didn't vote for him either.
Post a Comment