LONG AGO AND FAR AWAY
...I had me this nice, little house in the country. It was kind of ritzy country but my house was modest and small. There was one close neighbor and everyone else lived beyond a hillside.
Well, there came a time when I stayed out a little too late and analyzed a few too many adult beverages. I had not driven that night and a friend dropped me off very late on a cold night. Of course, not driving, I had not taken my keys.
It was only after my friend had left that I deftly realized not taking my keys included not taking my HOUSE KEYS, which were cleverly locked inside my house. Not to fear, I knew how to jimmy this back window, just so, that it would open and I could go in the laundry room door. Piece of cake.
Well, perhaps sober and in the daylight. But with a BAC Higher than Henry Aaron's batting average and temps about ten degrees above zero, it involved some noise and some adult language. No one would have mistaken me for Mssr. Le Panther, the interantional jewel thief. Apparently the near neighbor came to the fairly reasonable conclusion that here was a drunken burglary in progress at my house.
In any event, I got into the house. About that time a very large police officer showed up. He called in to me he'd gotten a break-in call and would like to see some ID. It seemed like a reasonable request, so I invited him in and showed him my driver's license. I also explained why I had gone in the back window.
I thanked him and apologized for the trouble. He said it was no trouble. He just wanted to make sure my house was safe. He thanked me for letting him into the house where it was warmer. He probably warned me not to go back out again in my delicate condition and I probably told him I was planning to pass out and/or vomit (Not necessarily in that order) soon anyway.
Anyhow, this was kind of comforting. My neighbors and my local (small) police force were trying to keep my home secure. It didn't seem to be something to go all Fourth Amendment about.
But then, I don't teach at Harvard.
posted by UMRBlog @ 03:23
16 comments
16 Comments:
Sorry, you just don't get it. Go to the library, get a copy of "White Like Me" by Time Wise and read it — carefully.
The problem at hand is strictly race based, (us against them)and Obama has exacerbated an already volatile
perception of racial profiling.
It shows that this president was not ready for prime time.
He will have to learn to keep his mouth shut on personal positions if he wants the American public to roll over and accept his takeover of one sixth of the economy in the form of Health Care "reform".
OB,
Little broad there.
Here is what we can agree upon. POTUS has virtually nothing to do with municipal gov't and should recognize the limits of his office.
I cannot think of a fact pattern that has less to do with "Racial Profiling". It's a freaking B&E call! The guy in the house is either a home invader or a homeowner. It's pretty easy to determine which.
BTW, in Illinois a peace officer cannot be the victim of a "Disorderly Conduct". Our cops sign up knowing they are going to be "alarmed or disturbed" from time to time.
TYFCB
0709,
I've read it. Now tell me where my situation is different from Gates' (except, of course, I was intoxicated). The officer was responding to a possible B&E and his purpose was to determine who was in the house: home invader or homeowner.
Use a little reasoning instead of insults and a book jacket.
Dat'll teach ya to be hitten dat Gin an Juice, an dem 40's, fo sure, my man Unka Tony!
UMR, you subtly raise the question "where the hell was Gates' mamma?"
I don't know if you have kids, but I have a son, now grown. What Mr. Examiner and I pounded into him was that if and when he was stopped by a cop, his attitude was to be servile, not defiant. Even if the cop was wrong, he needed to use his best "yes, sir/ma'am; no, sir/ma'am" manners and save the facts for court and the judge.
So I'd say Gates' mamma let him down---either that or he was a Harvard professor drunk with power and 'tude.
Take yer pick.
In a situation like this of "he said, he said" there's probably more than a little bit of truth, and truth stretching in each story. I say they are both to blame.
Ignore last post. Fat fingers hit publish button while logging in.
RE: Racial profiling.
Quote: Obama from Health Care news conference Thursday eve.
"But I think it's fair to say, No. 1, any of us would be pretty angry," Obama said. "No. 2, that the Cambridge police acted stupidly in arresting somebody when there was already proof that they were in their own home. And No. 3 — what I think we know separate and apart from this incident — is that there is a long history in this country of African-Americans and Latinos being stopped by law enforcement disproportionately, and that's just a fact."
Obama brought up racial profiling, not me. I still say it shows Obama's lack of experience in leadership and the effect of words by the POTUS.
If he can't control his mouth, how is he going to control the Health Care bureaucracy to provide care to all, and run the country?
I had a cop pull a gun on me, as I showed my face through a big window by the door, inside my own house. They had responded to an alarm, but had the wrong house (though this house had been broken into several times). I never considered getting angry or hostile ... I opened the door, went and got my ID and they wandered off to find the correct house.
I also had a black cop pull me over for rolling through a stop in a deserted area, then pull a gun on me. A few weeks later he pulled me over again, same place (lakefront, nice area) and remembered me. I was in line with a bunch of other cars, but he decided I was the one speeding.
He asked for money in lieu of a ticket. I still didn't find the desire to yell at him, though it was one of the reasons I left that town, even though I had cop friends.
You have to be stupid or feel really superior (or both) to get hostile with a (good or bad) cop on duty, especially if you are black and really think he is a white racist.
Gates must have felt the cop was under control, or he wouldn't have effed with him. He was playing out his little racist cop scenario that he has taught about for so long. He took it outside so the whole world could see how persecuted he is.
just my opinion ...
1246,
I don't see any evidence of that. Usually the truth is "in between" but you have to look at motive. The cop's motive was just to clear the call. One look a the ID and he'd have been down the road. Somebody will have to give me a motive for him to fabricate anything.
Just don't see it.
TYFCB
QCE,
Et tu? Playing the Yo' Mamma card. Bottled water on the keyboard.
TYFCB.
Unlike the president, I stand by my comment (7:09 AM)
Anon 0709/1925,
Peachy. That was certainly enlightening.
TYFCB
Since I don't have all the facts about the situation either like the President, I guess I'm qualified to say the President acted "stupidly." We all appreciate his input and his soothing manner. Of course this is par for the course, he has not read the Stimulus Plan, The Health Care Plan or much of anything else.
To quote a great American, "stupid is as stupid does."
Here is a thought for our "Post-racial" America...If Donovan McNabb had been accused of rape- would ESPN have sat on the story? Not saying Rothlisberger is guilty or innocent- just curious.
Bush Bavarian,
I'll go this far with you. In the words of Inspector Harry Callahan: "Man's gotta know his limitations."
TYFCB
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