I tried, I really, really did, but can’t resist a comment on Obama gaffs last night. (Isn’t that his VP’s domain anyway?) Just allow me this after eight years of hearing similar remarks about Bush (not my Bush, but Bush). I’ll be kind.
I’m trying to understand how Obama could have upset two huge segments of the population in one press conference. The first, of course, were the nation’s police, because they all consider themselves brothers. He should have stopped with I’m not aware of all the facts and come to a screeching halt when he felt the word “stupidly” boiling out to describe police action about which he had no first hand knowledge.
Then there was the point when Obama insinuated that he considered all surgeons dishonest enough to take a child’s tonsils out because the fee chart showed higher payment than other treatments. The fact that the diagnosis of a sore throat is usually by a family doctor who would not be doing surgery was lost in the rambling thought.
You can’t say he isn’t thoughtful when he talks. My mother used to say of a man who spoke with Obama’s glacial speed, “I just want to finish the sentence for him.” Mother, you would have done a much better job last night –for sure.
A N H I N G A 
No doubt, he handled the situation with all the charisma of a rabid opossum, and his friendship with Professor Gates contributed greatly to his urgent forming of opinion.
Now he hopes to make it all better by inviting Sergeant Crowley to the White House for a beer. Ho ho, hows that for an apology, Bubba?
You don’t think he was profiling Bubba cops with the beer invitation, do you? I was not surprised the professor said he didn’t drink beer. Now I guess Obama will have to pull out the brandy or scotch, too. Oops! Am I profiling elite school professors? I’m afraid to open my mouth.
Hmmmm 😀 I still think the officer had no business arresting the professor. There is no law which says we cannot be disrespectful to an officer in our own home when said officer disrespectfully entered our home without an invitation, without a warrant, and when no crime had been committed. The arrest was, in fact, stupid! I say call a spade a spade. Until we can accept the truth about ourselves and our actions, how can we ever learn to change? Authority in the hands of an egomaniac high on his own testosterone is a dangerous thing indeed!
The biggest mistake Obama did was to back off from his criticism of a bad call made by a fairly good cop. The beer at the White House wasn’t such a bad idea after all. Maybe it will help things cool down a bit now.
Most of us have a foot-in-mouth moment from time to time. Admitting it is the hard part. It’s nice to see at least some attempt at humility coming from our President for a change. The previous shrub could not and would not admit to making any mistakes until his 50th and final press conference in office. His puppetmaster, on the other hand, thinks far too much of himself to this very day. Apparently he and the lizard can do no wrong.
Sigh… it’s good to be back… at least for a while. I hope my comments haven’t alienated you, anhinga. *Hugs*
P.S. Certainly your comments haven’t alienated me. I’m delighted you are strong enough to be spewing a little fire. 🙂
😉
Tabbie – We see things from our own background partly. I think the professor was exhausted just coming from China with jet lag and over-reacted. As I understood it, the arrest was made when Gates was standing on the porch with neighbors in the yard. He was yelling to them about treatment of black men in America (a subject I understand he is working on for a book or documentary). Did that play a part in his thought process?
Many in my family were in law enforcement in Texas and I have feared any of my own going into that line of work. It is not only dangerous, but your world is dealing with the underside of society at worst, or good people at their worst, at best. I did not want that for my children. I’m so glad others are willing to do it, though. Most people rarely are in those highly charged situations, but an officer jumps from one to the other daily. I am thankful there are those who will do such a job — and for the little pay most get. No, they aren’t all good, upstanding citizens, but I think I’d like Crowley on my beat.
I think Crowley is probably a good guy. I think the professor is probably a good guy too. Both were likely more than a bit arrogant. I didn’t know it was against the law, however, to stand on my own porch and give an officer a good piece of my mind when he clearly deserved it for unlawfully entering my home. It doesn’t matter who is in the yard watching. Freedom of speech is the law, especially in broad daylight and when no riot is being incited.
I wonder if the situation would have been defused had the officer simply provided his name and badge number to the professor instead of obstinately refusing to do so. Why couldn’t Crowley be the bigger man and submit to the lawful request that the professor was making of him and then simply walk away? Answer: his ego got in the way! He liked dishing out the disrespect but he couldn’t take it in return. He felt his authority was being challenged. He was embarrassed in front of the neighbors, so he made the arrest to silence an upstanding citizen from protesting the rotten way he had been treated by the police.
Clearly no crime was committed by the professor or the prosecutor would have pressed charges against him. In the end there can be only one conclusion: the arrest was a completely unnecessary show of force. The fact that police officers across the nation steadfastly stand behind Crowley’s ego-driven decision bothers me tremendously.
Obviously there is a need for police officers in our society. I, too, am grateful for their presence and for the job they do — when they do it right. I am increasingly concerned, however, as the years go by and I see multiple examples of officers abusing their positions of authority. These examples include but are not limited to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DdMYBOWXPo and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zj91eeoFOBk . I could cite a dozen or two more examples at the very least. It seems as if the motto “to protect and serve” has now become “to arrest and harrass” .
The problem is that these acts undermine the very respect police officers need from the public in order to effectively carry out their lawful duties. One or two bad apples really can destroy the whole bushel! I saw the reality of this effect when practically all of Massachusetts’ cops suddenly stood up in unison and declared that their comrade’s decision to make that arrest was not stupid. That kind of defiant pride en masse is ugly and scary as hell. Certainly it was not a wise decision to make that arrest. Why can’t they just admit it, say they support their fellow officer in spite of his mistake and move on from there? I think it’s because the majority of the police force across the USA seems to think they can do no wrong. It feels more like totalitarianism than democracy to me.
So… I will say thank you to all the good strong officers out there who follow the rules and put their lives on the line to make our world a safer place in which to live. You don’t want to know what I would like to say to the rest of them. I’d be afraid to say it anyway for fear of being arrested. 😛
I totally agree that there are some bad, abusive cops out there and those should be weeded out. Higher pay would go a long way.
One point about Crowley following Gates into the house. At that point all he had was Gate’s word he was the resident. If he had been a burglar as reported, Gates could have been going for a weapon or slipping out the back door. I think it was prudent to keep an eye on him. Remember at this time Crowley had no identificatin from him, just the word of a possible burglar. At least that’s how I see it. Had he stood on the porch and let a burglar escape out the back of Gate’s house, Crowley might have justly been criticized by him as a homeowner. That’s my take on it anyway.
True that…and the professor would indeed likely have raised a mighty stink about the police allowing someone to get away after being caught in the act of breaking and entering into his home. 🙂 What a shame this whole affair turned out the way it did. Cooler heads could have prevailed all around. I think gardening would be good therapy for all parties involved, hehehe.
Raising orchids. Yeah, that should teach them all patience.
🙂
or Italian eggplants 😉