President Obama Addresses Henry Louis Gates Incident
About ten minutes ago Barack Obama addressed what happened to Skip Gates at his home in Boston, MA. He said that the Boston police acted stupidly. He also said that "we have a long way to go" when it comes to race relations in America.
What do you think?
What do you think?
Tags: barack, inequality, injustice, justice, obama, police, president, race, racism, relations
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Valjeanne Jeffers on -
Thank you Brother (smile)! This is one topic that really pisses me off! I got sons, you feel me? So it especially hits home.
A.J. said:CO-SIGN!
Valjeanne Jeffers said:Racial profiling is a disease of American culture and what this does is throw a spotlight on it. I'm thrilled that it happened to Henry Louis Gates, and that our President spoke on it. Now observing the reactions of all I'm amazed and angry. White reporters have been discussing Obama's comments: "He shouldn't have waded in before he knew the facts..." Excuse me? What really pisses me off is that Black men have been shot to death while holding house keys in their hand, while handcuffed, only last year a young man was killed the night before his wedding in a strip club.
We know the facts. The fact is that if you're Black or Latino you better be afraid of the police, especially if you're male,: whether you earn a six figure salary or you're unemployed. The police showed up. Brother Henry showed his ID. But of course they had no idea who he was (White folks never take to time to find out who our heroes are unless they're bouncing a basketball or holding a microphone). Henry had the nerve to run his mouth -- and how dare he?! So they decided to teach this uppity nigger a lesson -- after all what the hell was he doing living in a multi-million dollar home to begin with? Only this time it blew up in their faces.
A white reporter asks President Obama what he thought about it, And oh she is upset with his answer! And good for him!! President Obama is a Black man not a negro and racial profiling is the middle passage of the 21 century. It touches Black folks from every walk of life and it make my blood boil!! Just like my Black and Latino Brothers and Sisters.
Imma say one more time: Speak it like you feel Brother President and good for you!!
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Permalink Reply by Valjeanne Jeffers on
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Me either. And what law says it's against the law to curse or verbally abuse police? Police are supposed to be trained to diffuse situations, not escalate them.
monniej said:sorry, dave. not feeling that one...
Dave said:
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Permalink Reply by Dave on -
Not endorsing what she says, but it is an interesting take on it.
People seem to think of the black community in monolithic terms. Here is evidence that that isn't so.
Valjeanne Jeffers said:Me either. And what law says it's against the law to curse or verbally abuse police? Police are supposed to be trained to diffuse situations, not escalate them.
monniej said:sorry, dave. not feeling that one...
Dave said:
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Permalink Reply by Can't Complain on -
Let me just share this. One night I was sitting in my own car with a friend of mine a black male, right in front of my damn door almost so, while sitting in the car just chatting and I was drinking beer and the radio was on, but the windows were up, this white woman called the cops on us. I was so livid I could barely breathe. The cop said they got a disturbance about loud music...seriously we were sitting in an 89 volvo that had no sound system whatsoever. They cop was kinda cool I guess because he realized wasnt a damn thing going on except for two people in a car chilling listening to music. Nothing happened and they left. I know for a fact that white lady called the police because she saw some black people sitting outside her door, she probably thought we were casing the joint. Sheer ignorance. Me and my brother are like the only black people who live in our complex.
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Permalink Reply by Nouran on -
Could the bass be heard from the outside?
A.J. said:Let me just share this. One night I was sitting in my own car with a friend of mine a black male, right in front of my damn door almost so, while sitting in the car just chatting and I was drinking beer and the radio was on, but the windows were up, this white woman called the cops on us. I was so livid I could barely breathe. The cop said they got a disturbance about loud music...seriously we were sitting in an 89 volvo that had no sound system whatsoever. They cop was kinda cool I guess because he realized wasnt a damn thing going on except for two people in a car chilling listening to music. Nothing happened and they left. I know for a fact that white lady called the police because she saw some black people sitting outside her door, she probably thought we were casing the joint. Sheer ignorance. Me and my brother are like the only black people who live in our complex.
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Permalink Reply by Sherri Y on -
I totally agree Val and to me THIS is the basis of the entire problem. It shouldn't MATTER that Dr. Gates was frustrated and annoyed at the police for having been deemed a burglary suspect in his own home. Once his identity was established, the incident was over. Period.
Cops (of any color) aren't supposed to feel free to arrest people (of any color) simply because they are annoyed. I mean, disorderly conduct? Really? On his OWN front porch? Towards whom? A bunch of cops who were neither invited nor had any valid reason to remain on his property? Yeah, no kidding the charges were dropped.
Valjeanne Jeffers said:Me either. And what law says it's against the law to curse or verbally abuse police? Police are supposed to be trained to diffuse situations, not escalate them.
monniej said:sorry, dave. not feeling that one...
Dave said:
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Permalink Reply by Can't Complain on
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No bass at all (Im too old for that lol) , albeit we were in front of the building but our condos are in the inside, you know what I mean so if your inside your home how can you hear a car radio with the windows rolled up?
Nouran said:Could the bass be heard from the outside?
A.J. said:Let me just share this. One night I was sitting in my own car with a friend of mine a black male, right in front of my damn door almost so, while sitting in the car just chatting and I was drinking beer and the radio was on, but the windows were up, this white woman called the cops on us. I was so livid I could barely breathe. The cop said they got a disturbance about loud music...seriously we were sitting in an 89 volvo that had no sound system whatsoever. They cop was kinda cool I guess because he realized wasnt a damn thing going on except for two people in a car chilling listening to music. Nothing happened and they left. I know for a fact that white lady called the police because she saw some black people sitting outside her door, she probably thought we were casing the joint. Sheer ignorance. Me and my brother are like the only black people who live in our complex.
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Permalink Reply by Nouran on
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LOL
well Some whites get paranoid easily
A.J. said:No bass at all (Im too old for that lol) , albeit we were in front of the building but our condos are in the inside, you know what I mean so if your inside your home how can you hear a car radio with the windows rolled up?
Nouran said:Could the bass be heard from the outside?
A.J. said:Let me just share this. One night I was sitting in my own car with a friend of mine a black male, right in front of my damn door almost so, while sitting in the car just chatting and I was drinking beer and the radio was on, but the windows were up, this white woman called the cops on us. I was so livid I could barely breathe. The cop said they got a disturbance about loud music...seriously we were sitting in an 89 volvo that had no sound system whatsoever. They cop was kinda cool I guess because he realized wasnt a damn thing going on except for two people in a car chilling listening to music. Nothing happened and they left. I know for a fact that white lady called the police because she saw some black people sitting outside her door, she probably thought we were casing the joint. Sheer ignorance. Me and my brother are like the only black people who live in our complex.
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