Thank you ,Thursday read your great This Week in Blackness | TWiB! ” Notes from a Phantom Negro … blog ,your blog have a lot of very important knowledge and information for hispanic law firm advertising ….

In 1973 I was a long-haired, pot-smoking hippy. Getting “hassled by the pigs” was an expected part of being a member of that sub-culture in America at that time. While I was never pulled over by a police office for “Driving While Black,” I was pulled over for “Driving While Long-haired.” I learned very quickly to always treat law enforcement officers with courtesy and respect, even if I did not think they deserved such. Never make any sudden movements. And always be as cooperative as possible. Otherwise, the next words you might hear would be, “Boy, you’re in a heap of trouble now!”

Once I insulted an officer. Once. I learned quickly never to repeat that mistake. Not only was I hauled down to the police station for disorderly conduct, but I got disrespect to an officer added on to the charge. Even at a point in my life when I was in a marijuana induced haze, I was smart enough to figure out this simple rule. And it kept me out of trouble on lots of occasions, including several traffic stops for speeding. I learned quickly not to argue over MPH, be polite, . . . and you may get away with a verbal warning (I have on several occasions). Smart off, and you’ll pay for your attitude.

I would think anyone smart enough to teach at Harvard would at least have the intelligence of a stoned 19 year old. Obviously, not so, and somebody needed to learn a lesson from the Cambridge Police Department.

Why am I so certain this truth is the appropriate lesson and not one on the evils of racial profiling? While I don’t know all the facts, consider the following: One of the issues under debate is how many times Gates asked Crowley his name, and did Crowley tell him or not. According to the police report, Crowley was on “uniform” service. Every police uniform I’ve ever seen includes a name tag. Whether Crowley answered verbally or not, he was identified.

In the picture showing Henry Louis Gates being led away from his house, his mouth is wide open (consistent with loudly giving someone a piece of his mind). But more importantly, one of the officers leading him away is Black. There are two other White officers in the picture. If one is Sgt. Crowley, there was at least two other police witness to the police sergeant’s allegedly racist behavior, if not three. Reading the report Crowley filed, I lost count of how many police officers were present when Crowley finally had enough and arrested Gates, including co-workers from his department and from Harvard’s police department.

If Sgt. Crowley was acting out of a racial motivation, he had to have been even dumber than I was at 19 when stoned. He is a 12 year veteran of the police force, an instructor in a racial profiling class, walking into the home of one of the best know racial activists in this country, and accompanied by a Black officer. I’m thinking any arrest of any Harvard prof is going to make local news, if not national news. Crowley had to have known every word he said and everything he did was not only witnessed by others, but also going to be scrutinized. Under such potentially litigious circumstances, Crowley did the smart thing: follow established protocols.

And, what would the press have said if the police arrived, the burgler told him, “I live here,” but refused to show ID, so the cop politely says, “Okay,” and left out the front door to await a search warrant and back-up while the perpetrators fled out the back?

While a citizen in their home may not HAVE to give a police officer ID, why not? Gates reason was fear. When Gates saw Crowley at his front door, he saw a White police officer and was scarred to death because white police officers have been known for racial profiling and committing violent crimes against Black men. So Gates felt justified in his actions. Please tell me, how is what Henry Louis Gates, Jr., did NOT racial profiling? While there have been innumerable innocent, young Black males who have been harassed, beaten, and even killed at the hands of White police officers, how many of these victims were mature, crippled gentlemen (obviously posing no threat to anyone) in their own homes?

Crowley has received much criticism for changing Whalen’s statement to protect himself. Someone please tell me how Crowley, who had to have known Whalen’s 911 call was recorded, thought he could get away with intentionally changing her statement, and how changing it from “two suitcases” to “two backpacks” would protect him from a charge of racism? His report doesn’t read like a verbatim interrogation of a witness–it is a summary. At worst, it is an inaccurate recollection of a minor detail that was not going to make any difference in court. The suitcases/backpacks were never used to haul away stolen property.

Crowley has also been criticized for not interviewing the witness after the incident. But by the time he had opportunity, he knew the witness had not seen a break-in, and did not anticipate any testimony from her to be needed in a criminal proceeding. And when Crowley changed Whalen’s 9-1-1 call statement from “two men, one of whom may have been Hispanic,” to, “two Black men”, he was actually correcting her false statement, recording what it had been determined she really saw, rather than what she said she saw. And for doing so, he has been called a racist and a liar.

Another of the things that has bothered me about this incident from the first was the fact that one of Henry Louis Gates’ neighbors did not recognize him in broad daylight, especially since he is one of the most famous Harvard professors. Later it was reported the first witness to the possible break-in was an “elderly woman” who didn’t have a cell phone (or, possibly, didn’t want the call traced back to her) who got another lady walking down the street, Lucia Whalen, to make the call.

Gates is reported by CNN to be working on a documentary on the history of racial profiling in America, and probably could not have bought the publicity he has gotten from this incident for $50 Million if spent with a Wall Street advertising firm.

Interesting. Has anybody asked Mrs. Whalen to identify the “elderly woman”? Is it possible this unidentified person who didn’t recognize her neighbor might be an accomplice in a publicity stunt pulled off by a nationally known intellectual? At best, Gates capitalized on an opportunity. At worst, he planned a set up.

Sgt. Crowley responded to a radio call telling him a possible burglary was taking place, and two possible suspects were believed to still be in the house. Not knowing who else was actually in the house, but knowing the residents could be inside being held captive in their own home by the intruders, Crowley bravely entered alone. Hopefully back-up was coming, but innocent people could be dead before other police arrived, or before a judge could be contacted and sign a search warrant. Crowley knew if he proceeded, he could be dead before help arrived. But he walked inside anyway, doing his job to protect the public. And either he was racially profiled by a belligerent man as someone planning on committing a hate crime, or he may have been set up to be portrayed as a racist for publicity purposes. Regardless, with no credible evidence, he has been maligned in the media. Either both of these men are dumber than a stoned 19 year old, or one is brilliant and the other deserves a medal for bravery.

So, what is the lesson from this “teachable moment”? Our President learned to hear the whole story before jumping to conclusions, assuming the police officer had acted on a racial motivation (again, socially acceptable racial profiling of a White), and calling his actions stupid. Racial profiling a White person as a racist is not a problem the press, or the President, wants to tackle. But it is a problem in the United States today.

For a normal person, getting killed is ussually what brings this kind of media attention, not just being inconvienced, getting arrested, and having the charges dropped.

You think that’s not true for me too!!?
I loved this piece until I read that line.

This case is more about class than race.
Read the words: “this case.”

Racism is very real. But if Gates were Jewish he’d be one of those pontificating Zionists lecturing everyone about Israel. He’s an ass.