Two Sides To Every Story

ltstanfo

ltstanfo

Member
Moderator
Joined
Apr 1, 2005
Messages
578
Reaction score
42
We're all hearing about Professor Gates at Cambridge who was apparently wrongly arrested by a supposedly racist cop. Well, we've heard the mainstream press dutifully report (that part) but as is often the case, there are two sides to the story:

Gates Police Report.

I am making no effort to defend the cop in question or the professor. Merely trying to put the other side of the story out there. The rest is for each of us to decide.

Regards,
Ltstanfo
 
Sure, you shouldn't yell at cops, but when you perceive yourself to be a target of racial profiling, it can be hard to keep your cool.

But whatever. Fact is, I've seen enough embellished police reports to know not to trust them. Unless it's on video, there's no reason to believe a word of it. What did the Rodney King police report say?
 
We don't really know what happened. We never will, but in this case, I tend to side with the police because there were at least two of them, along with witnesses who back up the police report. The fact that Obama got involved at ALL is what's mystifying to me.

Do you know of any other president, ever, who's gotten so involved in day to day news "stories"? Sure, hurricanes, etc, but I believe Obama's time should better spent getting the country out of the wallowing shit it's in than responding to the media bias about a race card player and a cop.

Wayne
 
Wayne said:
We don't really know what happened. We never will, but in this case, I tend to side with the police because there were at least two of them, along with witnesses who back up the police report. The fact that Obama got involved at ALL is what's mystifying to me.

Wayne
Click to expand...

Thank you Wayne. I agree entirely. Are there bad cops? Sure, but this incident is out in the weeds (IMO). This whole incident would have likely been avoided had Professor Gates been more calm at the beginning. At this point, it appears the cop was following procedure and appears to have witnesses to back that up. Again, two sides to every story...

Regards,
Ltstanfo
 
First I am hearing of this whole story, I guess i have been living under a rock. Obama got involved? Obama went after the police?

-edit-
At first look it appears this guy is a liberal elitist who pulled the "don't you know who I am?" and race card.
 
redrumloa said:
Obama got involved? Obama went after the police?
Click to expand...
His press conference statement;

Quote the article:
Strange, perhaps, but not really surprising since, despite the assertion yesterday by President Barack Obama that the Cambridge police department acted "stupidly,"
Click to expand...
 
Cambridge Cop's Lawyer: Obama was 'Dead Wrong' on Gates
White House Says President Was Not Calling The Police Officer Who Arrested Gates Stupid

http://www.abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=8153681

"I support the president of the United States 110 percent," Crowley told WBZ. "I think he's way off base wading into a local issue without knowing all the facts, as he himself stated before he made that comment."
Click to expand...
 
I agree that Obama misplayed this event and should not have said anything about it so soon and so forcefully. Regardless, this really isn't an issue about Obama but the on going race relations in America. I find it funny that all American whites don't think there's any race issue at all and American blacks see nothing but. I think both sides need to admit that they have a poor understanding of the opposing view.
 
Glaucus said:
I agree that Obama misplayed this event and should not have said anything about it so soon and so forcefully. Regardless, this really isn't an issue about Obama but the on going race relations in America. I find it funny that all American whites don't think there's any race issue at all and American blacks see nothing but. I think both sides need to admit that they have a poor understanding of the opposing view.
Click to expand...

You make an interesting point Mike and in general I agree with you but unfortunately for the President, he made it an issue about him (involving him) the moment he responded to the reporter's question. I agree that he should have refrained from responding without knowing more.

Regards,
Ltstanfo
 
Glaucus said:
I agree that Obama misplayed this event and should not have said anything about it so soon and so forcefully. Regardless, this really isn't an issue about Obama but the on going race relations in America. I find it funny that all American whites don't think there's any race issue at all and American blacks see nothing but. I think both sides need to admit that they have a poor understanding of the opposing view.
Click to expand...
absolutely

if the cops came to MY house and I had trouble getting in or forgot my key (whatever the issue), I KNOW they would be trying to help me instead of arresting me

and that's because I am a caucasian female.

Once I ran out of gas (crappy rented car. long story). this was before cell phones. I called on one of those phones by the Highway. the cops eventually arrived and drove me to a gas station. and treated me really well. but if I had been mexican/black (this was in LA), i KNOW the situation would have been WAY different
 
and if cops came to MY house and were giving me trouble and in general treating ME like a criminal - trust me, I'd be REALLY pissed.
 
Glaucus said:
I agree that Obama misplayed this event and should not have said anything about it so soon and so forcefully. Regardless, this really isn't an issue about Obama but the on going race relations in America. I find it funny that all American whites don't think there's any race issue at all and American blacks see nothing but. I think both sides need to admit that they have a poor understanding of the opposing view.
Click to expand...

I find it funny a Canadian thinks things are so black and white for americans. Don't believe everything pop culture tells you mike.
 
cecilia said:
if the cops came to MY house and I had trouble getting in or forgot my key (whatever the issue), I KNOW they would be trying to help me instead of arresting me

and that's because I am a caucasian female.
Click to expand...

Don't be so quick to make that assumption. My wife is a caucasian female and she has been treated very poorly by police, as in being 8 months preggo and having a large car break down in the lane of a major road. Instead of helping, this white male pig decided to yell at her and threaten if she does not push the car out of the road by herself he would arrest her. It all boils down to good cop or bad pig.
 
Yup. There's two sides:

The police report
and then there's what actually happened.
 
redrumloa said:
cecilia said:
if the cops came to MY house and I had trouble getting in or forgot my key (whatever the issue), I KNOW they would be trying to help me instead of arresting me

and that's because I am a caucasian female.
Click to expand...

Don't be so quick to make that assumption. My wife is a caucasian female and she has been treated very poorly by police, as in being 8 months preggo and having a large car break down in the lane of a major road. Instead of helping, this white male pig decided to yell at her and threaten if she does not push the car out of the road by herself he would arrest her. It all boils down to good cop or bad pig.
Click to expand...
I guess she wasn't 'white' enough for that piece of shit
 
cecilia said:
Once I ran out of gas (crappy rented car. long story). this was before cell phones. I called on one of those phones by the Highway. the cops eventually arrived and drove me to a gas station. and treated me really well. but if I had been mexican/black (this was in LA), i KNOW the situation would have been WAY different
Click to expand...
When I was a white teenage male I had the opposite experience. I ran out of gas was just getting back to the car and the cop threatened to give me an illegal stopping ticket and impound my car. I told him do what he needs to do and continued pouring gas into the car from a gas can. He ran my license and ended up 'giving you a break kid'.

The police saw the photo, the man, and the address all matched, then left. Instead here the police for whatever reason decided to continue the confrontation. A bad choice indeed.

As for Obama -- He should realize his position means any comment comes with the weight of the office. I think his points were valid. However, If he had 'trusted' that everything would be figured out the issue would have gone away and out of the news cycle.
 
ltstanfo said:
Well, it looks like we may get to hear the event as it occurred. Apparently the Cambridge police department is considering releasing the tapes to this incident.

Regards,
Ltstanfo
Click to expand...
it's too bad we can't have a tape of all the times someone had assalted Gates with some racist comment/action.

and I'm not making "excuses" btw. I just know how sensative a person gets when they deal with racism constantly. after a while they see racism in every little thing other people do just because they get thrown that shit so much.

is it fair? of course not. but it's the way it is.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top