My neighbor, Mr. McCoy, and I are feuding over a lost hog. Can we have a moonshine summit at the White House?

Mr. Hatfield

I have a great deal of respect for law enforcement but I just feel Crowley over-reacted in this particular situation. I just cannot see how a homeowner, no matter how obnoxious he might be, can be arrested in his own home when he did not commit a crime. Sorry. Gates is an ass for using the race issue when he should actually be discussing violation of his property rights. Obama? He's basically an idiot who has no sense of unscripted propriety or discretion. It just becomes harder for me every day to believe this guy actually lectured on constitutional law. The press will tell us I am sure, but I have zero interest in what their guy date is like. Lastly, should anyone be surprised that Whalen is being hassled? Her lawyer is indeed correct though, she is the only one who's actions were appropriate beyond question.

He should try and arrest obama for disturbing the peace. ;)

Of course the beer's on us!

Gates was not arrested "in his own home". He was arrested outside his home when he followed Officer Crowley outside shouting and behaving very outrageously in full view of a small crowd beginning to be attracted by the hubbub. It is at this point in public instances of the peace "being disturbed" that outsiders drawn to the scene may begin to interfere.

Officer Crowley was well aware of the possibilities inherent in the situation and he cautioned Gates to stand down. Gates ignored at least two warnings and rather than let this situation continue, Officer Crowley arrested Gates and escorted him to the Police Station.

Those who continue to pretend that Gates was arrested inside his home are ignoring the facts of the matter and serving up a description of the situation calculated to portray Officer Crowley in a bad light.

I'm surprised no one seems to be keying in on the fact that this entire episode is not about race relations at all. It is about the issue of race being used as a political and psychological weapon. The constant accusation of "racist" is no more than a metaphorical billy club used by bullies like Gates and Obama to batter their way through society, a tool to intimidate and silence.

You mofo bleeding hearts need to stop playing the victim card. That's all libs know, victimization.

Gates CHOSE his own punishment. All he needed to do was heed the cops words, STFU, and go baack inside. He had a choice, shame he was too STUPID and he choice the wrong one.

He didnt get busted because he was black. He got busted because he was ignorant, arrogant, and inconsiderate. Just like our teleprompter in chief.

Oh, I've noticed that for years, Jeff.

MLK wanted people judged by their actions, by their character, not their skin color.

And I believe a LOT of people are there, on board with that idea.

But there's still folks out there who cling to the power they got during the '60s and '70s from it who will not let the issue die. And it doesn't help they basically indoctrinate people who are gullible enough to listen to them that EVERYTHING is somehow not their fault because of their skin color.

Dang shame we can't hook MLK up to a generator - the guy must be doing a good 10,000 rpm with a heck of a lot of torque to boot...

Damn shame Lucia Whalen is getting grief for this. She did nothing wrong.

The ever tolerant liberal left in action.

In keeping with the race-weapon theme, I think we should start calling it the "race mace." The medieval aspect is similarly fitting.

Obama is looking for political cover. His numbers are headed south, andbHe doesn't realize how badly Gates has made him look. Crowley has nothing to gain by going. I wonder what the true cost will be to his family? One thing about it, stupid is as stupid does.

If only I wasn't a loser who merely whines about the topic choice and never has anything of substance to say....

If the One wanted to save face with the public on this one, he would have invited both Whalen and Crowley down for a beer and told his arrogant friend to stay the h*ll in his house.

If the One makes this photo-op and conversation about race once again it will backfire on him. Most intelligent people would agree that this incident had nothing to do with race.

I still wish Crowley would have said thanks but no thanks and said he had no interest in having a beer with Gates. Although I clearly understand the lure of being invited to the White House, that has to be tough to turn down.

This silly event is not going to arrest Obami's downward spiral. Obami has become the gift that just keeps giving. So funny.

So the "freedom from government" crowd here thinks that a private citizen should not allowed to throw tantrums on his front porch for fear of being arrested?

The only one of you who has any integrity in this discussion is DaveD, and he's been voted down for talking like a sane person. Dave, you should take it as a compliment when someone clicks the negative sign under your comments here. It means you're probably right.

If I were Whalen, I'd be really pissed off about this, particularly Crowley's fabrication that the witness had said that the suspects were both black, when she had said that one might have been Latino and she wasn't sure about the other.

So the "freedom from government" crowd here thinks that a private citizen should not allowed to throw tantrums on his front porch for fear of being arrested?

You begin by mischaracterizing the incident, then question the integrity of others? Shame.

If I were Whalen, I'd be really pissed off about this, particularly Crowley's fabrication that the witness had said that the suspects were both black,

Why? What difference does that make considering the situation? Is it racist to say 2 black males appear to be breaking into a house? Maybe she said it to Crowley and doesn't remember or maybe Crowley thought he heard her say it, bottom line, it had nothing to do with the eventual result of the confrontation.

J.R., based on information available, it appears that Crowley tried to justify his actions post hoc by saying that he was told the witness saw two black guys breaking into a house. As that wasn't the case--she says she didn't say that, and there's no reason to assume she's lying--then Crowley is trying to weasel out of taking responsibility for his actions by putting words in her mouth.

If, as she claims, Crowley was told that there were two people (one of which was maybe Latino) breaking into a house, then he would have absolutely no grounds for interrogating Gates as he did, not to mention arresting the guy for getting pissed off at him because he wasn't doing his job properly.

Jeff, the guy was arrested for throwing a tantrum. That much is clear. The public disturbance would have ended if Crowley had skulked off upon realizing that Gates is the homeowner, which would have been the correct thing for him to do.

As for questioning the integrity of others, it is certainly inconsistent for someone to say that the government should stay the hell out of their lives to the greatest extent possible, and then on the other hand claim that it's reasonable to arrest someone for yelling while standing on his own front porch.

If, as she claims, Crowley was told that there were two people (one of which was maybe Latino) breaking into a house, then he would have absolutely no grounds for interrogating Gates as he did

Are you serious? Re-read that sentence above. Using your version of the events, Crowley is told there are 2 people in the house and one maybe latino and he has no grounds for questioning Gates? Why? Because he is black and the caller didn't say that one could be a black man? Do you now see how ridiculous your assertion is? Crowley had no idea who the second person is and still didn't after he confronted Gates who then resisted showing him ID. Try again.

not to mention arresting the guy for getting pissed off at him because he wasn't doing his job properly.

And what part would that be?

The public disturbance would have ended if Crowley had skulked off upon realizing that Gates is the homeowner

Correction, there would have been no disturbance if Gates didn't go nuts upon Crowley's request to see some ID. A simple, sure thing officer, but what's this all about, and this never happens. Of course Gates loses out on an opportunity to exploit the police.

You're right, the other guy could have been black. So that was a stupid thing to say. However, once he saw Gates' ID, he should have gotten the hell off of his private property. And if he can't handle a torrent of insults from a snooty professor, then maybe he shouldn't be a police officer in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Sticks and stones and all that.

This point remains: if this woman isn't lying, Crowley invented a witness statement and that would seem to be pretty shitty police work. Lying about what a witness tells you should be grounds for suspension, at the very least. Non?

Yeah, that's Gates' M.O. He's a race-baiting douchebag. And that's not against the law. Neither is yelling at a cop when he's standing on your property and you haven't done anything wrong.

Lying about what a witness tells you should be grounds for suspension, at the very least. Non?

Or at least a reprimand depending on past history. But I'm not sure you can go as far to say that Crowley is lying. Whalen hasn't come out and vehemently deny Crowley's report and call him a liar. It could be that she doesn't recall, Crowley thought he heard her say that, or he is lying about it. I don't think you can just flat out state that Crowley is lying to cover his *ss given the fact that he couldn't have known this would receive national attention the way it has.

Well, hyperbolist, you've come a long way--at least you've backed off of that silly "racial profiling" carnard you were prattling a little while ago.

As to whether the officer is lying about what the witness told him on the scene, neither you nor I know.

As to whether what Gates was doing by yelling at the officer or otherwise acting, you don't know whether that's against the law without looking at the statute or ordinance and reviewing what the officer says Gates was doing.

He's a race-baiting douchebag. And that's not against the law.

If you are creating what could be constituted as a disturbance, be it on your front porch, your front lawn, or through your front window, and you do not listen to repeated warnings from a police officer that you could be arrested then yes, you are going against the law.

The problem as I see it is what one defines as a disturbance. Unfortunately, that is a sort of gray area according to Massachusetts law. Gates was warned, he didn't listen, and he was arrested. Gates could have avoided this whole "ordeal" himself.

She didn't call him a liar but she did say that she said the one guy was Hispanic and the other she wasn't sure about, whereas Crowley says that the witness--Whelan--said that they were black.

So one of them is not telling the truth, and it's difficult to imagine that they're misremembering something like this mere days after it happened. Neither one of them appear to be senile.

iwogisdead, you're right: maybe there is some by-law in Cambridge against yelling, but that would seem un-American in the worst possible way. But I guess Cambridge is hardly representative of 'normal' America, for better and for worse, so I guess I have no idea whether it's legal or not. Point conceded.

" Are perceptive citizens not supposed to act on suspicious activity out of concern they may be branded "racist" due to their rightful cautions? "

Based solely on how this farce has played out, yes. More citizens have noticed what happens and will now turn a blind eye.

And if you think cops don't notice how this affair was handled and therefore adjust how they do their jobs, think again.

"..whereas Crowley says that the witness--Whelan--said that they were black."

Was Whelan the only witness that Crowley talked to?

She didn't call him a liar but she did say that she said the one guy was Hispanic and the other she wasn't sure about, whereas Crowley says that the witness--Whelan--said that they were black.

So one of them is not telling the truth, and it's difficult to imagine that they're misremembering something like this mere days after it happened. Neither one of them appear to be senile.

My understanding is that the witness gave the "one Hispanic, one I'm not sure about" description to the dispatcher. She did not speak to the arresting officer on the phone. She and the arresting officer spoke briefly on the street outside of the house.

The witness says she did not say anything to the officer about race, the officer says she did (I haven't seen the official police report, but that's what I'm guessing). The witness says the meeting between she and the officer outside of the house was very brief. This makes sense--the officer thought he was responding to a home burglary/invasion situation. As far as he knew, armed robbers had broken into a house where a tiny woman lived alone with several children under 6--at least, that's how he should have responded.

I now hear that the driver was outside of the house and Gates was just in the door when the officer arrived (I'm not sure if this is accurate). But, I can see a situation where, in the heat of the moment, the officer said to the witness--"Is that them?" and the witness said "Yes." The officer assumed that the witness was telling him that these two men--black men--were the men she had seen breaking into the house. The officer wasn't going to take time getting any more details than that. Remember, he was reporting, alone, to a crime-in-progress situation as far as he knew, involving a home and two possible criminals.

Both the officer and Gates could have handled the situation better, I suppose, but it's not racism in any sense whatsoever. Here's a good cop doing his job. He has to make split-second decisions like this every day, as all cops on the beat have to. If Gates were a much more reasonable man, he would have understood this situation and worked with the cop. A more reasonable man would have been happy that cops were protecting his home this well. Instead, it's now a national story and everybody is talking about racism.

What honks me off the most is that Obama stuck his dumb ass into a local situation that happens many times every day, and usually gets resolved. A good cop's career may now have hit a wall, many thanks to Obama and Gates.

Hyper, as usual, you are so unfair to others and mischaracterizes events.

First, Crowley has been instructed not to talk about this incident publicly. Secondly, I do not know for sure, but I suspect Crowley's Chief strongly suggested he go to the White House. Thirdly, Crowley has no idea this would get the kind of play it did. Fourthly, Crowley said before his gag was in place that a witness ON THE SCENE told him two black men were banging against the door to get in.

No why don't you put your "you guys don't have integrity because you don't believe what I believe" childish behavior and go down to your local police station and thank them for providing that very thin line that keeps the rotten element of our society off us, you ungrateful human. ww

A possibility most here have not considered, and something I'll state up front I HAVE NOT read about Officer Crowley mentioning, arrises due to him being first on the scene. The dispatcher had informed Crowley there were two suspicous people involved, and he says that number was confirmed to him by Whelan. When he saw Prof. Gates in the house it was possible Gates was one of those two people.

Once Gates (finally) provided ID it was then possible there were two additonal people also in the house, mostly likely unknown to Gates but since Gates had refused to answer Crowley's question about anyone else being in the house we don't know. Getting Gates out of the house (stepping out on the porch) gets Gates out of a potentially dangerous situation and then the police can do a quick search to ensure his safety. Crowley's arrest report makes no mention of whether one or more of the officers present ever checked the house for other occupants.

We do know that a university worker showed up secured the house for Prof. Gates.

Obama will give health care to everyone, save us from Global warming, save the economy, and bring peace to the middle east. Yet he cant even get 2 people to agree on something.

Isn't it precious how Obama said: " I could've calibrated those words differently".

He must've meant definition #4: "4 : to adjust precisely for a particular function
"

I'd prefer a President who spoke his mind simply and honestly, rather than having to calibrate everything he says. Every time Democrats do that they loose.

Rose garden circle -jerk. No ejaculations.
Biden added at the last minute in the event
of a pier-6 brawl between Gates and Crowley.
Bamma didn't want a "two blacks on one"
scenario with Gates and Bamma going with
brass knuckles on Crowley. Joe had a taser
in his left front pocket. Secret Service
snipers on the roof with crosshairs on
Crowley every second. Michelle in de kitchen
boilin' up de greens from de garden, and
suckin' on an ice-crusted Ol' English 800.
Teachable moment, my ass.

doesn't our presidnet have more important things to attend to instead of this publicity stunt to cover up his ignorant remarks??

Damn. People are retarded. The whole issue of the "beer summit" was to resolve any additional conflicts between Gates and the officer. You all are blowing this out of proportion, just like the media. The coverage and controversy over the "beer summit" is just a shady and shameful distraction by the media and other conservative institutions from th real issue at hand, fixing this country's crappy health care system. Shawn Mallow - quit being a stupid dumbass. Oh - too late.

In the real world, when you say something stupid and harmful, you apologize. Generally, you maybe even try to take those who your stupid words were aimed at out for a beer or to dinner - you offer to do whatever you can do mitigate the damage you have caused. Often there is nothing you can do to take back what you said, but you can foster good will by a nice dinner or a couple of cold ones and a long talk so the person can tell you how what you said affected them and you can again try to make some kind of amends.

Since when did that become "an embarrassing display"? I thought it was pretty reasonable.

Now it is over, stupid shit was said, mofo's were arrested, more stupid shit was said, and seemingly sincere regret and apologies were offered all around. Why is that not good enough for you, oh aggrieved and oppressed blogger?

Paul, since when did apologizing become a "cover up"?

So you are saying that you DON'T believe in apologize when do or say something fucked up?

Nice. I bet you make your wife and kids really happy. Poor things.

Crowley was stupid and acted stupidly.

GianiD, when you say STFU, you really mean STFUN, right? Because if Gates were a white Harvard prof., Crowley would have been apologizing right away and it would have been over in 2 minutes.

I love how this crowd ALWAYS sides with the insurance companies, the Wall St. firms, or wherever the money, greed, and power lie.

Too bad that doesn't translate into votes.

Your loses will be worse in 2010.

I misssed the apology part Lisa. Who apologized and when.

Guess I'm missing something, but I don't see how getting people who have had a conflict together to talk it through is "embarrassing". Actually takes a lot of courage to sit down and have an honest discussion. Maybe that's it - it's easier to just keep people on "their side" of the line, to continue to scream and point fingers at the opposing view, rather than open up the old mind to maybe admit that the other person has a point. Reminds me of my teenager! Let's grow up, people.

Gates' house had already been broken into once. He should have been thanking the officer for the quick response, period.

Instead, he continued to attack Crowley, and continued to do so as the officer walked away.

Obama jumped in on his friends side, without knowing the facts, and spoke stupidly.

Two people here owe the third an apology.

At least Obama got one thing right this time -- there were just "three folks sitting around..." Joe Biden being a nobody.

Nell -

"Guess I'm missing something, but I don't see how getting people who have had a conflict together to talk it through is "embarrassing"."

How about an embarrasing waste of taxpayer money to cover up a dumb-ass statement by the President? Or do you think Crowley and Gates paid for their own transportation to the White House?

What ELSE could Obama have been focusing on instead of this? Actually READING the damn health care bill? Maybe thinking about what Cap&Trade is really going to do to the economy, or what the best course is for ME peace?

On second thought - this was probably the LEAST expensive thing he could have done with his time. Kudos, Obama - you didn't waste a few hundred billion for a change!

Larry Dickhead wrote
"I love how this crowd ALWAYS sides with the insurance companies, the Wall St. firms, or wherever the money, greed, and power lie."

Lets compare

Beat cop vs Harvard Law professor

Who do you think would have friends with the insurance companies, wall street firms, makes more money, and is friends with POTUS

If you said Harvard law professor you would be right. If you said beat cop than you would be wrong.

You are an idiot and your statements prove this fact.

Could you imagine if Bush did this? He'd be the butt of every comedian and political pundit in the country. This is one of the dumbest things ever done.

Why does the press keep referring to this little weasel as a "top african-american professor" and a "renown african-american professor"? He is a "professor" of african-american studies, for christ's sake; this is at least one step below basket weaving!!!

Damn. People are retarded. The whole issue of the "beer summit" was to resolve any additional conflicts between Gates and the officer.

Yikes, so since when is it the President of the United States job to do this? And seriously, do you honestly think that Crowley and Gates want to resolve any remaining conflicts? I doubt they cross paths ever again. Gates wants to exploit this situation for something it was not about, race. He is a weasel.

Since when did that become "an embarrassing display"? I thought it was pretty reasonable.

It's embarrassing becuase it is the President and this whole episode is based on lies from Gates. Your point would be more valid if only Crowley were invited because Obama completely smeared that man for no reason. Gates should have no seat at that table. And Bunyan is right, there were no apologies.

Actually takes a lot of courage to sit down and have an honest discussion. Maybe that's it - it's easier to just keep people on "their side" of the line, to continue to scream and point fingers at the opposing view, rather than open up the old mind to maybe admit that the other person has a point.

That's just it, there is no point to this discussion because what happened had nothing to do with race. By even having this sit-down the President is suggesting that it was and that is unfortunate. The good thing is that most people can see through this charade and look at Obama as the fool that he is for even suggesting that this take place.

And Larry's post doesn't even deserve a response, the man is insane.

iwogisdead, you're right: maybe there is some by-law in Cambridge against yelling, but that would seem un-American in the worst possible way. But I guess Cambridge is hardly representative of 'normal' America, for better and for worse, so I guess I have no idea whether it's legal or not. Point conceded.

Oh come on, hyper, quit being a douchebag. Gates didn't run afoul of some quirky local ordinance, the concept is called "disturbing the peace", a principle that has been established in western law for centuries. This is an attempt to mischaracterize the case. Again.

this site has attracted many right-wing racist looonatics who can't think straight as usual.

The ONLY ISSUE invoved here is this:

DO THE COPS HAVE A RIGHT TO ARREST A-N-Y-O-N-E (including you right-wingers) IN THEIR OWN HOUSE, FOR ALLEGEDLY ''THROWING A TRANTUM'' ???????????

The Answer is a BIG NO !!!

Who is guilty ? > Off Crawley

Case Closed.

The ONLY ISSUE invoved here is this:

DO THE COPS HAVE A RIGHT TO ARREST A-N-Y-O-N-E

(including you right-wingers) IN THEIR OWN

HOUSE, FOR ALLEGEDLY ''THROWING A

TRANTUM'' ???????????

The Answer is a BIG NO !!!

Who is guilty ? > Off Crawley

Case Closed.

BS Buster:

I guess you just glossed over the racial profiling tirade that erupted when Crowley asked the arrogant Gates for ID.

Go away, let the grown-ups talk.

Bsssszt! Nice try at changing the subject, Buster, but you fall short; our Canadian contestant hyperbolist did a much better job of mischaracterizing the facts of the case, please see Kevin on your way out for some lovely parting gifts.

OregonMuse, if I was yelling at someone--a cop, or a non-cop--on my front porch, and got arrested, I would make hay out of it to the fullest extent possible. "This wouldn't have happened if this private citizen had shut his mouth and obeyed the police officer" is not what someone who values liberty and freedom of expression should be saying!

Trajan: Michelle in de kitchen
boilin' up de greens from de garden, and
suckin' on an ice-crusted Ol' English 800.

Can we all agree that this is a horribly racist thing to say, without any bullshit qualification/equivocation? Like, "Trajan, you're a piece of shit, end of story"? I would like to see one conservative commenter make a statement to that effect; otherwise, the silence is somewhat telling.

Gates bellowed, "This is what happens to black men in America!"

Can we all agree that this is a horribly racist thing to say, without any bullshit qualification/equivocation? Like, "Gates, you're a piece of shit, end of story"? I would like to see Hyper make a statement to that effect; otherwise, the silence is somewhat telling.

And yes, if the 'Olde English 800' comment was not a joke, then it was a terribly racist thing to say.
If it was a joke, and I think it was; then it is not my cup of tea.

OregonMuse, if I was yelling at someone--a cop, or a non-cop--on my front porch, and got arrested, I would make hay out of it to the fullest extent possible.

Again, you're misrepresenting the facts of the case. What you described is not what happened. And apparently you have no clue whatsoever about that whole "disturbing the peace" concept I mentioned earlier.

Can we all agree that this is a horribly racist thing to say, without any bullshit qualification/equivocation? Like, "Trajan, you're a piece of shit, end of story"?

I missed this comment the first time around, so I went back for it. Jeepers, the whole thing is a pile of nonsense that rivals the worst of bryanD's tinfoil hat ravings. At this point, I have to ask, how did you know he didn't do this just to yank the chain of sanctimonious lefties like you?

Nice diversion, though.

Right. He was charged with disturbing the peace; disturbing the peace constitutes creating a certain type of situation; ergo, he must have been creating that type of situation.

bryanD is actually really funny and clearly brings something unique to comment threads here. This Trajan guy is a racist reactionary and he should go hang out with Scrapiron and jhow66 in whatever Freeper cesspool they currently call home.

In his post #2, DaveD tells us of his "great deal of respect" for "law enforcement" (sic) -- but that he just feels Police Sergeant Crowley "over-reacted in whatever DaveD fantsizes "this particular situation" as having been. And DaveD just cannot see how a homeowner, no matter how obnoxious he might be, can (sic) be arrested in his own home where he did not commit a crime.

And he's right. And so the criminal in this instance, whose day job involves his doubling as a paid race-baiter and street agitator (and is thus 1600 Pennsylvania's Stalinist Saul Alinskyist sail-eared simpleton's soul sister) was arrested in the street.

Where he committed not one but a whole slew of bloody crimes!

(Although none as serious as that which sees the likes of he and the sail-eared simpleton and his every-bit-as-abjectly corrupt and also disbarred-for-cause law-school "graduate" spouse live High On The [Lefties' tit of the public trough] Hog!)

Brian Richard Allen
Los Angeles - Califarniecated 90028
And the Far Abroad

So I guess the silence is somewhat telling.

Right. He was charged with disturbing the peace; disturbing the peace constitutes creating a certain type of situation; ergo, he must have been creating that type of situation.

Yelling and screaming at the top of your lungs, and then following the cop out to his car while yelling and screaming does seem to qualify as disturbing the peace. I don't know why this is such a difficult concept to grasp.

bryanD is actually really funny and clearly brings something unique to comment threads here. This Trajan guy is a racist reactionary and he should go hang out with Scrapiron and jhow66 in whatever Freeper cesspool they currently call home.

bryanD is a tinfoil-hat wearing loon, but, if tinfoil-hat wearing loons are your cup of tea, then that doesn't say much for your tastes. And you have no clue whether trajan is a "racist reactionary" or just loves to yank the chains of sanctimonious lefties.

I do know, though, that lefties don't really give a shit about racism except insofar as they can use it is a weapon against their political enemies, so as far as I'm concerned, all of your outrage over trajan's comment is patently phony.

Right. He was charged with disturbing the peace; disturbing the peace constitutes creating a certain type of situation; ergo, he must have been creating that type of situation.

Hell's bells, hyper, you don't have to take my word for it, you can read the actual police report written by officers of 3 different ethnicities about what actually happened outside the race-baiting douchebag professor's house.