White Cop and White America’s Arrogance
http://www.myfoxboston.com/dpp/news/local/cop_who_arrested_gates_not_sorry_072209
Cop will not apologize and some are saying, “Gates should not have allowed his emotions to get the best of him.” I actually heard that from a handkerchief head this morning. Seriously, the man was in/at his docile. His freaking home. He complied with the policeman’s commands – but still got the metal bracelets placed around his wrist.
Gates' emotions were Sounding the Alarm. A Ringing of the Bell…AGAIN. If he would not have yelled he would not have gotten arrested. The arrest was needed!
This situation is TEACHING MOMENT for the world: Proof that America is still dealing with race. Still…
This situation is an OPPORTUNITY for Whites to self-reflect. Will they do it? No.
The white cop with his “NO APOLOGY” stance is typical and indicative of white arrogance and supports the following: Most White folk are incapable of empathizing with Black America’s pain. A deep-rooted pain that’s not going anywhere anytime soon.
I have always understood that if one voices their wrongs and attempts to rectify the wrongs, a new day is on the horizon (learned that in kindergarten). Unfortunately, America will remain in a horrible past that has molded this pathetic country. Here we are, in 2009 – and White America cannot practice one of Jesus’ best attributes: Humility. But, we are a Christian Nation?
The ball to REALLY address racism is in White hands. Sadly, they will not do anything with the ball. Even after the most powerful man in the world said:
http://www.myfoxboston.com/dpp/news/072309_Obamas_full_comments_on_Gates_incident
Their arrogance stinks! And, yet blacks/Hispanics are “the problem” in America.
Not a rant. A repeated TRUTH.
What shall I do:
Continue to remind this country that they are/were wrong. Just maybe, my efforts will reach the heart of one white person.
Brian E. Payne
19 comments:
Reader Response:
I have a few responses of this. First let me say that I cannot condone the actions of arrest at all. I think you arrest people when they break the law and disorderly conduct is one of those crimes that you shouldn’t be able to get arrested with at home. It’s just something profoundly wrong about that part. Let’s not forget that as one of my friends points out “Boston isn’t know for it’s cultural diversity in terms of race relations.”
Secondly, I will add that there are two stories and depending on what you want to believe let’s say for sake of argument there is a hybrid truth. Let’s look deeper and explore each story. Let’s forget that it’s Skip Gates and it’s one of us.
A cop get’s a call to respond to a burglary. He approaches the residents to find someone in the house. He suspiciously approaches and asks the man for his ID and explains that he is responding to a burglary. The gentleman hands his ID to the cop. The cop then speaks to the gentleman and suddenly he is upset and they exchange words then he arrests the gentleman. Likely story? You be the judge.
Scenario #2- A cop get’s a call to respond to a burglary. He approaches the residents to find someone in the house. He suspiciously approaches and asks the man for his ID and explains that he is responding to a burglary. The gentleman asks the cop for his ID and refuses to comply with the cop. The cop then asks the gentleman for his ID again and the gentleman refuses. After several minutes of conversation and the gentleman calling the cop a racist and asserting that this is his home and he refuses to show his ID, the cop threatens to arrest the gentleman and asks him to step outside and show his ID. The gentleman responds, “Yeah, I'll speak with your mama outside." &nbs p;The gentleman shows his ID reluctantly. However, he is still asserting that the cop is racist in a tone that upsets the cop and he is placed in handcuffs and arrested. Likely story? You be the judge.
The Hybrid story. A cop get’s a call to respond to a burglary. He approaches the residents to find someone in the house. He suspiciously approaches and asks the man for his ID and explains that he is responding to a burglary. The gentleman asks the cop for his ID and refuses to comply with the cop. He asserts that this is my home and I don’t understand why there is a problem. He then gives his ID to the cop. The cop verifies that this is in fact his home. However., upon this exchange the gentleman is calling the cop a racist )or something of the sorts) and they exchange words. This exchange goes on for a while and the gentleman arrests the cop. Likely story? You be the judge.
I have spoken my friend’s father=2 0who knows Gates from his time as a professor before he retired. His notion of the situation is that Skip is somewhat of an elitist and sometimes can be a bit of a jerk. This is a second hand account from a fellow scholar who has rubbed elbows with the man.
I also have researched the info on the cop. His rap sheet is pretty clean. Of course, the PR machine for the cops is trying to defuse the issue but clearly cops support cops.
All in this entire incident to me points out that race is America is always going to be a factor. We can call the cop racist for his efforts because it’s easy to do because there is not proof unless you recreate the incident and change the skin tone of GATES to be white that we would find that Crowley would have done anything different. Interesting that the assumption is that the cop is a racist. Even more interesting that the PR machine for the police department seems to want to name all of the incidents where Crowley has a credible record with black people.
-LS
Reader Response:
I do agree with Crowley that the president doesn’t know all of the facts and truth be told he should not have responded to the question that way. All in all it doesn’t shock me that this happened to Skip Gates because he is the same man that came to Howard for a speech and refused to ride in the cab that was sent for him the held the LIMO up an hour so he could get his shoes shined. It’s no secret he is an elitist ass but even the biggest jerk doesn’t deserve to be arrested in his own home unless he actually did something wrong. Maybe but he can Crowley can learn from this as well as the rest of us. Question is which lesson do you want to learn?
-LS
Muata respods to LS:
This is my point: a lesson needs to come from this.
Would you not agree that America has a race problem? This is an opportunity to address the subject of race...again. Somebody/thing is trying to tell us something.
We must remove ourselves from the strangle hold of racism. I honestly believe the initiation needs to come from the oppressing party: White America. Not that all whites are racist either. Personal: Several white men and women have been THERE for me when my black family was not or incapable.
Also, whenever something of this magnitude occurs on any level (to me or you) we need to move past the attitudes/behaviors/personalities involved so that the lesson will not get lost. No disrespect to you - but your response got me lost. Isn't the issue, as President Obama, expressed: racial profiling?
Finally, the charges were dropped. What does this mean? Perhaps, it means that the precinct knows that their cop was wrong/out of line. If that is the case: WHY CAN"T THIS COP APOLOGIZE?
-Muata
Reader Response:
I think it's a waste of time to try to reach the heart of one white person or many, for that matter. What Black people need to do is reach into their own hearts and through the ACTION of loving themselves and other Black people, change our circumstances. We will not be handed this change through the hearts, minds and hands of other people. Love isn't a word or a feeling, it's an action. When we love through actions, circumstances change and people are forced to change how they interact with us. Until that time, it'll continue as expected.
The cop owes no apology for the simple fact being that he wouldn't mean it. Only a weaker person--not saying he's a great person--would capitulate just to get the negative publicity off of him, when he shared his true feelings in the beginning. That being, he felt he did his job. So, yeah, there might be departmental sanctions behind it, but the fact stands that his apology would ring hollow--at least to my ears.
I'm hoping Gates learned a valuable lesson from this--that he's still a Black man in the eyes of others, no matter what ancestry he claims.
~evolve~
-NAY
Reader Responds to LS:
LS, you make very valid points. I, too, have heard of Gates tendencies and came to the same conclusion. This is the same man who turns his nose up at "regular" Black people, as he did a close friend of mine at a Harvard conference. I think he might have needed the lesson, to tell you the truth. ;-)
-NAY
Muata responds:
Also, this is lesson to siddity black folk too. Did I spell the six word right in the previous sentence? LOL.
Love is the answer? In regards to this I disagree. We black folk have looked within during the 40's, 50's and 60's. We demanded respect via the respect we may have had for each other then: Auburn Avenue, Georgetown, and other places of black love. THEY bombed one place in Oklahoma because we LOVED ourselves/did for ourselves. But yet, we were still hated. The heart must change. Right?
-Muata
Reader Response:
I had to chime in on this one. ;-)
Yes, Amerikka has a race problem. As a matter of fact, the entire world has a race problem, to some degree. But I have to ask this: if the "race" problem benefits a certain group of people, why would that certain group of people feel obligated to come to the table and discuss discontinuing that problem? I'm going to be blunt with this next statement: other people oppress Black people because they can. And they're not going to stop because we ask them to sit down to talks or to put themselves in our shoes--which they can't--or to feel sorry for us--which they can't and won't. AND--drumroll!--we shouldn't expect them to.
I have yet to see anyone in power freely give up their power to those they consider to be powerless. It don't happen that way. Power is taken, not through peace talks, not through rallying and crying or even praying--power is taken through war. And war is the only thing this oppressive power understands.
Is it possible that the charges were dropped so that the matter would be dropped? I'm thinking the cop being wrong had nothing to do with the charges being dropped; otherwise, when a cop kills a young brother for nothing, he would stand a greater likelihood of being acquitted than charged because we could then say the justice system is, well, just. It was about politics, plain and simple.
-NAY
NAY responds to Muata:
I'm not sure if you're addressing my comment or one made by Larikus. But when I speak of love, I don't mean the notional emotion we sometimes attach to the word. I mean the actions that should be derived from loving. Talk to 10 people about their definition of love, and you'll receive 10 different responses.
In Amerikka, we use the term too loosely. Because, you see, if I love you, as a brother, as a sister, I won't sell drugs to you. I won't run off and leave my children for strangers and others to raise, whether I be the mother or the father of those children. I won't gun down your 2-year-old daughter who happens to be in the way when I'm attempting to gun down another brother for a G. I won't kill your son or your daughter over drug money. I won't turn my nose up at you. I won't bypass your store for somebody else's. I won't crouch in the bushes, while you're being hung to a telephone pole or a tree branch. I won't stay locked inside my house, while white folks are burning down my brother's house with his entire family inside. Instead, I'll leave them wondering how the new fire across town on the white side got started. ;-)
It's not just about looking within; it's about projecting without. And, still, when we look at the 40s, 50s and 60s, we see something there, something we do not see amongst us today: we see love in the form of unity. In the form of patronizing each other's establishments. In the form of helping to rear each other's children. In the form of lending a hand to a neighbor in need. In the form of taking in relatives, friends and strangers and feeding, housing and clothing them with no thought as to being rewarded for our good deeds. That is love, in action.
Sad to say, but it seems the more openly oppressed Blacks are by others, the more likely we are to stick together. Why can't that happen all the time? Why can't that be the norm for us? So, yes, the heart must change. But the heart that must change must belong to us. Until other people know that we love each other so much through our actions that we will settle the accounts of those whose necks they tread upon, we'll continue to be "hated," and the initiation by other groups will never happen.
-NAY
LS responds:
My response was saying simply that there are a set of circumstances that went down and the only fact that can't be debated is that Gates was arrested. The other important variables like Boston's reputation, Gates' arrogance and Crowley's reputation are the parts that determine which version of the truth is to be believed by anyone. This would not stand as a time to teach about race unless you truly think that maybe race wasnt the issue and you think its time to think about race as sometimes being the reason we assume things happen. Again, this is my opinion and based on what I have heard of Gates and the evidence that the PR machine has dug up for Crowley, I don't think this is about race. I think it's about an arrogant A**hole getting shown up my a common man.
I stated in the beginning that race is a problem in America but it's not unique to us. But every time a white officer arrests a black man and the reason for the arrest is questionable is not a time to teach about race but maybe a time to teach the cops about when is an appropriate time to arrest a person and a time to teach the person who was arrested that sometimes it's best just to comply with the cops.
I will say again, I don't think that a person getting arrested in his own crib for disordely conduct is legit. But you can't talk about a cop's mom and think your ass won't get cuffs. No one is above the laW. Sometimes humility is better served from the back of a police car.
As I stated there are lots of lessons here.
-LS
Reader Response:
The police are part of a regime that uses force as the rule of law. The majority of police officers (African or otherwise) are not in a position of power, however, they are taught that through their training that a gun and badge gives them the power they lack in society. ( which is just propaganda to make them beleive that what they are doing is correct) This is why they harassess Africans, this is why in Oakland Oscar Grant got shot in the back of the head by the bart police. Check out the video that shows this African man being shot while in handcuffs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmJukcFzEX4.
The issue here is not about the fact that your man is aarogant the problem is that police are upholding the laws of a government/system that openly oppressed people. Police are trained to act defensively and then ask questions later!! How many of us feel unsafe around the pigs? Isn't that ironic that the very people who are "paid" to protect and serve actually make people feel unsafe? Does anyone else find it strange that some African men and women feel like if they encounter the police they will loose their lives? It is not strange to the capitalist system because a police state is meant to make people walk around in a consistant state of fear. This fear prevents us from questioning why people are being oppressed, why there are ghetto's, where the drugs are really coming from, why we are slaving for someone else, why we don't control our resources and most importantly why the "developed world" is using 95% of the world's resources while the rest of the world is starving!!
-MF
Reader Response:
Once we begin to see beyond the individual issues and realize that people are being oppressed by the capitalist system perhaps we can as a people (Africans and all of humanity) stand up and do something about these autrocities. They will continue to happen until we decided that capitalism is the real enemy. Just because we are eating today that does not mean we will be eating tommorrow. (This has clearly been demonstrated by the "economic downturn" and the massive job loss) If there are people around the world starving and dying just because we are full that does not mean we are free. Oppression anywhere means there is oppression everywhere. Where is our responsibility to change the conditions of the world?
-MF
Muata responds to MF:
Glad you mentioned The Bart incident...no, COLD BLOODED MURDER. So, I guess we should 'conjecture' that the young man who was shot was an azzhole. Then we will be able to make his murder about HIM and HIS ATTITUDE. And, not about the fact that cop shot him for NO REASON.
Whenever, we begin to make the issue about the 'personalities' of the one's mistreated the accountability departs. It is no longer about the one who committed the WRONGFUL act. This is a American tactic. They have always done it: "Let's go and enslave them since they are being sold by their own anyway."
America is always right and always in the clear. Never have this country owned up to its EVILS. Never.
American Hypocrisy!
Despicable!
-Muata
LS responds to Muata:
You seriously can't compare the two incidents. Let's not get out of hand here people. One thing was a terribel incident. The guy who arrested Gates in no murder. But we do know Gates is an asshole. Of all the black peopel you wanna stand up for it's GATES? LOL
You know Muata. The person you accuse me of becomiing is a person like Gates. I am not like him at all. He is arrogant and thinks he is above us. He is an elitist. You guys are killing me with this one. lol
-LS
LS responds to MF:
Is capitalism the oppressor or is it the people? Additionally, capitalism in its pure form has been gone since they broke up the monopolies in the early 1900's. This hybrid system of free market and regulated markets is terrible. I beleive in free markets and I beleive that it should be every man for himself in the market place. That would be predicated on the fact that we would all have equal access and equal rights. The real problems is the American people are too lazy, ignorant and sensationalized by material gains that they always want to cheat the system. How many of you own black market cd's and movies? Yes the big companies get alot or most of the revenue but you are still hurting the artists. It's amazing to me that we wanna blame the system. The system didn't tell peopel that could not afford to pay rent to try to flip houses. The ssytem didn't tell peopel to buy big ass SUV trucks and buy a house in the swamp lands of Florida where you have to drive 20 miles to work. Americans want bigger faster stronger and will do anything to get it.
We pretend like it's the worst place in the world where you have no rights. Yes sometimes bad stuff happens but it's not everyday that we have black being drug from theirr houses and being killed. It's no paradise but it sure as hell isn't South AfricIt's one of the only places in the world where you can be born and raised as a mixed child in Kansas and raised by poor white woman and end up president. The system may need some fine tuning but this issue has nothing to do with the system. Just admit it people. If the guy was white no one would care that he got arrested at home. It it was BP or any of us, this thread would not have even been written. When the truth comes out and if we so happen to find out that Gates initiated the confrontation then are we still gonna blame the system for locking up and asshOLE?
America is not perfect but I like it far more than any place I have been, includign Europe , south america and the carribean.
-LS
MF responds to LS:
Capitalism is the oppressor which is controlled by 5% of the population. Lets ask ourselves is this world really a world where every man(women) actually has the opportunity to access resources? You are also correct that the overwhelming majority of people in America are ignorant to what is really happening in the world. This ignornace leads us to beleive that the diamond you just put on your finger or in your ear is really worth the thousands you paid for it. It leads us to turn the blind eye to the fact that people are dying everyday in the Congo, Zimbabwe, and South Africa in diamond minds. It leads us to believe that we really have a positive relationship to the mode of production. How many ordinary people have a say in what the price of oil is on the world market, or the price of bread, or the price of the overpriced and poorly made SUV's that people are driving.
This capitalist world or free market (controlled by the Duponts, Rockfellers) does not offering ordinary people the opportunity to make decisions about their role in the world or the material and immaterial resources they contribute to the success of the capitalists. How many of us if we loose our slaves will be homeless or worse hungry? Yes "ameriKKa" offers social welfare programs but they rarely are enough to survive, and they have time limits.
The only reason that people in this country can live the lap of luxury is because people are starving all over the world and the resources that are being pilaged are coming to the developed world to passify the massives into not questioning why there are not truly benefitting from "capitalism" or better yet why they are being oppressed by capitalism. I ask those individuals who believe that this country is such a great place to live, to venture into a trailor park, or to live in a Fema trailor for 3 years, or to live with no electricity and or to live in a roach/rat or worse infested apartments. Better yet, ask that homeless man or women on the street that many of us drive by without even blinking an eye how great it is to live in America. I would venture to say that someone who lives on the street, rummages through trash cans for dinner, hasn't taken a bath and gets judged by people who are one pay check away from being homeless, would say that AmeriKKa is not the place to be.
-MF
NAY responds to MF:
You continue to say what really needs to be said about Amerikka. A lot of people can't handle the truth about this country, because it'll rip them out of the illusion that's been built for them and that they continue with their own self-imposed limitations and illusions. I have to remind myself from time to time that there are those who love their positions here, love their oppressor and don't want anything to change.
Peace!
-NAY
Muata responds to MF:
"economic downturn" and the massive job loss"
The roosters are roosting. I do not wish harm/bad on individuals - in this case I am somewhat glad America is getting a taste of what they call "under development and third world-ish". We are well on our way to h*ll. Unfortunately, those innocent have to fall with this sad place we call a democracy. I laugh each and every time this country goes through a recession/tough times. Look at how they respond...Pointing fingers at everyone.
-Muata
A Peaceful Journey Responds:
this phone call to the white officer (and i know he called gates, too) is no surprise to me. i question the ethics of any black person who is able to secure the position as president of these united states. i wonder what they hd to do to secure it or what they will consent to doing to maintain it. he ate those words about the cop acting stupidly, i'm surprised he didn't choke on them. maybe he's choking now? that brother won't even say or stand behind what he feels for fear of the wrath of white folks. cuz it's not us who he fears. i'm so sick with black people apologizing for feeling strongly and speaking with conviction about racism in this country. if the president is bowing down, what message is he sending? indeed a dangerous one once it's filtered out to the unlearned.
-A Peaceful Journey
Reader Responds to LS:
Well stated Larikus. I agree with you. Both of their egos got in the way. The cop was not invited into Prof Gates home & that is what prompted Prof Gates to become irritated and asked the cop to leave his home. So, when they got outside the house is when the cop arrested Prof Gates for disorderly conduct. Both men are supposedly upstanding citizens & this whole situation could have been handled much better. The cop was wrong for coming into Prof Gates home without permission or invite. You are correct with the limited details we cannot prove this is a cut & dry case of racism. It sounds more like bruised egos on both sides.
-FS
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