STARTING TO SELL OUT...

Lessons from arrest of Harvard scholar


The discussion surrounding Harvard University scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. should provide a “dos” and “don’ts” list for police and citizens.

On July 16 Gates returned home from a week in China, where he was filming a PBS documentary, “Faces of America.” Finding the front door of his rented home jammed, he asked his driver, another black man, for help.

Do: A woman seeing two men with backpacks trying to force their way into the house called police. Everyone concerned about break-ins would applaud the passer-by’s action.

Do: Cambridge, Mass., police arrived quickly and found Gates inside the house. He had entered through the back door and turned off the alarm.

Don’t: Gates, 58, had a heated exchange with Sgt. James Crowley. Gates loudly accused Crowley of racial bias and refused to calm down. Crowley and Gates sought identification from each other. The tension escalated unnecessarily.

Do: Provide identification. Gates provided photo IDs to verify that he lived in the house. The officer says he also provided his name and badge number, but Gates disputes that.

Don’t: The officer arrested Gates, a leading authority on black history, and handcuffed him on his front porch. A mostly academic issue for Gates suddenly became very real and very personal.

Do: Prosecutors dropped a disorderly conduct charge against Gates on Tuesday.

Do: Turn the incident into a “teachable moment,” as President Obama suggested Friday when he wisely backed away from an earlier judgment that the “Cambridge police acted stupidly.” The president invited Crowley and Gates to discuss the incident over a beer at the White House — an excellent suggestion.

“There’s a long history in this country of African-Americans and Latinos being stopped by law enforcement disproportionately.... race remains a factor in the society,” Obama correctly said earlier this week.

To change the way things have always been, citizens and officers nationwide should stick with the “dos” and dump the “don’ts.” Everyone will be better off.


OK MR. PREZ, I DEFINITELY UNDERSTAND THAT YOU HAVE THE BLACK COMMUNITY EXPECTING YOU TO ADDRESS ISSUES THAT ALL THE OTHER WHITE PRESIDENTS WERE ABLE TO EASILY IGNORE; HOWEVER, THAT IS WHAT YOU SIGNED UP FOR AND I KNOW YOU ARE CAPABLE OF DOING ANYTHING. I AM EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED IN YOU FOR "TONING DOWN" YOUR COMMENT ABOUT THE POLICE ACTION THAT OCCURRED. YOU KNOW BETTER. THIS IS NOT A "LEARNING EXPERIENCE," THIS IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF RACIAL PROFILING. I WILL PRAY FOR YOU AND I HOPE THAT YOU DO NOT CONTINUE TO COMPROMISE FOR THE PURPOSE OF RETAINING A BROAD RANGE OF SUPPORTERS. REMEMBER THAT NO ONE WILL EVER LIKE EVERYTHING YOU SAY OR DO, BUT IF YOU STAND STRONG IN YOUR BELIEFS THEN AT LEAST THEY WILL RESPECT YOU.