From the "Black People Arrest Themselves" files

[Jos Theelen]

edit: Of course, some people apparently have MUCH finer "racism" detectors than I do, and can detect racism in many cases when I cannot.

It depends. When you ask some white guy how often police asked for their identity-papers, most say never. When you ask the same to some brown/black people, most say several times. These kind of events develop your "racism"-detector.

[Eddie Teach]

It depends. When you ask some white guy how often police asked for their identity-papers, most say never.

You don't drive, do you?

[Jos Theelen]

It depends. When you ask some white guy how often police asked for their identity-papers, most say never.

You don't drive, do you?

No, I am talking about walking people.

[Scipio]

edit: Of course, some people apparently have MUCH finer "racism" detectors than I do, and can detect racism in many cases when I cannot.

It depends. When you ask some white guy how often police asked for their identity-papers, most say never. When you ask the same to some brown/black people, most say several times. These kind of events develop your "racism"-detector.

That's not even valid anecdotal evidence.  That's pure fucking Eurocommie supposition.

Let me sum up the story: dick cop arrests dick professor.  Charges are dropped and the President of the United States says some really stupid shit.

[Caliga]

The "highest profile progfessor in a university town" is not "well-known."  I grew up in a university town and could not recognize a single professor by sight until I attended the university.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure everyone in Cambridge doesn't know Gates by sight.  I mean, I saw Larry Summers on the street in Cambridge 3-4 times and nobody seemed to recognize him or at least they didn't bother him, though he was always with someone (he had this guy who was like his manservant or something).  Anyway, Cambridge is a bigger town than I think some people in this thread realize.  It's like what the Bronx is to Manhattan or something.

[Caliga]

100k. It's generally hard for a tourist to know that he/she is going from Boston to Cambridge. Perhaps a Manhattan to Brooklyn sort of change (although not as distinct).

Oops, it would help if I read back through the thread... but yes.

[CountDeMoney]

So, in closing, go fuck your holier-than-thou Jew self, and when you're assraped by Siege for not being authentic Kosher, don't bother calling the police.  Cophating New York heeb.

Now, you see Minsky?  Cops aren't racist. 

It's no different that the elitist classism Minsky exhibits.

[Admiral Yi]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure everyone in Cambridge doesn't know Gates by sight.  I mean, I saw Larry Summers on the street in Cambridge 3-4 times and nobody seemed to recognize him or at least they didn't bother him, though he was always with someone (he had this guy who was like his manservant or something).  Anyway, Cambridge is a bigger town than I think some people in this thread realize.  It's like what the Bronx is to Manhattan or something.

Cambridge is tiny.

[Caliga]

Cambridge is tiny.

uh, no.  Not only did I live in Boston for 14 years but I practically lived in Cambridge for all of my senior year of college (Princesca lived there at the time I slept over almost every night )

[alfred russel]

edit: Of course, some people apparently have MUCH finer "racism" detectors than I do, and can detect racism in many cases when I cannot.

It depends. When you ask some white guy how often police asked for their identity-papers, most say never. When you ask the same to some brown/black people, most say several times. These kind of events develop your "racism"-detector.

Once I was waiting in a public parking lot to meet someone, minding my own business leaning against my car. A cop came up and asked what I was doing, I told him, and he said based on my answer and that I was parked maybe 50 yards from an ATM I was suspicious (I probably sounded a bit startled he was bothering to talk to me--maybe that was why I sounded suspicious). He asked if I had any weapons, I told him no, and he asked if he could search my car and see my ID. I told him to go ahead, he searched my car, and left.

Now imagine that situation, but with me as Prof. Gates.

[Berkut]

edit: Of course, some people apparently have MUCH finer "racism" detectors than I do, and can detect racism in many cases when I cannot.

It depends. When you ask some white guy how often police asked for their identity-papers, most say never. When you ask the same to some brown/black people, most say several times. These kind of events develop your "racism"-detector.

I've been asked for ID by the police on at least a few occasions.

If someone reported a ongoing burglary at my house, and the cops showed up with me standing their with a busted down door, I would be pretty pissed if they DIDN'T ask me for some ID, and then were rather anal about making sure it was really me and everything was ok.

[The Minsky Moment]

How so? 
I heard an officer unable to transmit additional information and unable to communicate to dispatch and other officers when requested repeatedly because he was dealing with a disorderly person,  who you could hear in the background whenever the sergeant keyed up his mic.  Kinda difficult to hold two conversations at once.

Because at the time he was transmitting "additional information" he no longer had any lawful basis for remaining in the house.  He had already established that no crime had been committed or was in the process of being committed and that he was in a private residence without permission.  The exigent circumstances that had permitted his entry vanished once he established the ID of the homeowner.  Nor was there any other basis for remaining in the house - the mere fact that Gates may have been insulting him is neither a chargable crime nor a basis to remain in a private house without invitation.   

At that point, he had only one move to make: depart from the house.  Instead he stuck around and called to send more cars.  Since there was no longer any investigation to conduct, that could only have been to do what he did - escalate the situation and precipitate an improper arrest without cause.

[The Minsky Moment]

The transcript is pretty devastating only if you have a horse in this race.  It is clear that the officer entered the house, discovered the circumstances, and left.  As far as "keep the cars coming," I think it is perfectly possible that,since the cars he had called for were from the university police, he wanted them on hand to handle this screaming jerk in the background.

See above.  There are a couple of problems with this.  First of all, Cambridge city cops showed up in the cars.  Second, once he had established that the person in the house was a homewoner, even a loud, obnoxious one, there was nothing for the university police to do, and the university police could not enter a private house without Gates' permission anyway.

given that Gates obviously wanted to escalate this incident until he was arrested,

I see nothing at all to suggest that.  On the contrary, despite the attempts to make Gates behavior sound more unreasonable through the use of creative adjectives and invective (e.g. "screaming jerk"), the fact is that the actual words that he was quoted by the police as using were quite tame.

at what point did Gates receive enough adult supervision that he agreed that it was "time to put this behind" him?

[Scipio]

How so? 
I heard an officer unable to transmit additional information and unable to communicate to dispatch and other officers when requested repeatedly because he was dealing with a disorderly person,  who you could hear in the background whenever the sergeant keyed up his mic.  Kinda difficult to hold two conversations at once.

Because at the time he was transmitting "additional information" he no longer had any lawful basis for remaining in the house.  He had already established that no crime had been committed or was in the process of being committed and that he was in a private residence without permission.  The exigent circumstances that had permitted his entry vanished once he established the ID of the homeowner.  Nor was there any other basis for remaining in the house - the mere fact that Gates may have been insulting him is neither a chargable crime nor a basis to remain in a private house without invitation.   

At that point, he had only one move to make: depart from the house.  Instead he stuck around and called to send more cars.  Since there was no longer any investigation to conduct, that could only have been to do what he did - escalate the situation and precipitate an improper arrest without cause.

Which cops do all the time.  Because cops are cops.

[garbon]

No, I am talking about walking people.

I never been asked for identification when just walking about.