On Thu, 23 Jul 2009 17:45:13 -0400, Yogi of Woodstock
wrote:

On Thu, 23 Jul 2009 14:47:02 -0400, Wayne.B
wrote:

On Thu, 23 Jul 2009 13:03:55 -0400, NotNow wrote:

Richard Weinblatt, director of the Institute for Public Safety at
Central Ohio Technical College, said the police sergeant was responsible
for defusing the situation once he realized Gates was the lawful
occupant. It is not against the law to yell at police, especially in a
home, as long as that behavior does not affect an investigation, he said.

"That is part of being a police officer in a democratic society,"
Weinblatt said. "The point is that the police sergeant needs to be the
bigger person, take the higher road, be more professional."

And that is absolulutely correct. The police need training to back
down gracefully, make their apologies and leave once the true
situation is known. A certain amount of racial profiling is probably
inevitable in police work but professionalism and respect can make the
difference in how it is perceived.

No offense Wayne, but there has to be something wrong with folks who
aren't cops telling cops how to be cops.

The officer in question has witnesses, including a responding black
officer, who verified his statements. The officer in question has the
training in racial profiling and teaches it. He is a decorated
officer and has been recognized as one of the best.

Gates on the other hand is an officious Harvard prig who has used his
"do you know who I am" attitude in confrontations with airport
security at Logan to confrontations with security guards and hospital
employees including his own staff.

Add to that - his neighbors hate his guts. That's got to tell you
something.

I'm sure that's all true but I still think the cops should have backed
off once they knew that he lived there.