At this point, I don't think I'd have a beer with this cop. Also, I have to agree that Obama stuck his foot in it on this one. He may have been right, wrong, whatever, but when this sort of thing happens it is best to stand back and not get directly involved in this sort of thing until the dust settles.
I already told you about this, but I thought you'd like to see the updated MSNBC piece on it, which starts out like this:
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - The woman whose 911 call led to the arrest of Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. spoke publicly for the first time about the case Wednesday, contradicting the arresting police officer on a key point and saying she was unfairly labeled a racist.
A police report said the caller described the possible burglars as "two black males with backpacks" -- leading some commentators to vilify the caller as racist since it turned out Gates was entering his own home.
And the video. Have a hankie ready:
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Yes, but you didn't mention my favorite quote of the piece, by the caller's lawyer:
"The three highly trained guys who reacted badly are getting together for a beer," Murphy said. "The one person whose actions have been exemplary will be at work tomorrow in Cambridge. I don't know â maybe it's a guy thing. She doesn't like beer anyway."
I like how she subtly called out the sexism of the whole thing.
Kate, thanks for pointing that out. I had actually missed it, as my internet connection went off and on a couple of times causing a skip of a minute here and a minute there.
On further consideration, do you think she would want a beer or maybe a wine cooler???
(only kidding)
Some cops think they can get away with lying; after all when you're in court the judge is more likely to listen to the cop than to Joe Schmoe when you've only got 2 people and they tell different stories. Those tape recorders are such horrible things though; even Tricky Dicky had problems with them.
Speaking of tape, I'm guessing that the actual 911 call should be recorded somewhere?
This was blown way out of proportion! Everyone is being insane about the whole thing. She is obviously not a racist!!
I think everyone acted 'stupidly' in this situation except for her who was just trying to be a good citizen.
http://yovia.com/blogs/lgrenville/2009/07/30/are-we-human-or-are-we-not/
Wow, such charged words ("liar"), and so quick to condemn. Do you think there is the possibility that not all details are (suitcase v backpack) are remembered precisely? In a charged setting do you think that you can recall every detail precisely?
Ralph, I love your car lot!
Yes, in a charged situation I expect the police force to not confuse "I don't know the race, maybe one latino" with "Two black guys with backpacks".
Why can't this be about a Professor (of Nothing) throwing a coast to coast Hissy-Fit? Here's a rich, entitled, Harvard Professor acting like a big baby because he didn't get his nap after arriving home from his other mansion on the coast, or a trip to China, or whatever.
This guy's cry-baby, and if it took this to bring him down a notch to our level, so be it.
Why can't this be about a Professor (of Nothing) throwing a coast to coast Hissy-Fit?
Because you should be able to throw a hissy-fit in your own home without getting arrested, and cop shouldn't make things up in his report so that it looks like an innocent concerned citizen was racist.
Terry, I'm not sure what country you live in, but I live in a country where the cops are not supposed to run someone into jail and falsify records regarding the arrest because they are a crybaby.
I LIVE IN AMERICA!!!