Police union condemns Obama's comments , page 1
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ATS Members have flagged this thread 9 times
Topic started on 23-7-2009 @ 01:27 PM by centurion1211
So, Obama plays the race card - and then admits he doesn't know anything about the subject. Now the Police union is hitting back, and rightfully so IMO.

Great example of both leadership and change - NOT!

article

President Obama's Wednesday night criticism of Cambridge, Mass., police has drawn a rebuke from the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP).

The criticism comes after Obama said Cambridge police officers acted "stupidly" when they arrested Henry Louis Gates, a friend of the president's, for breaking and entering into his own home. The president said it highlights ongoing problems with race relations in the U.S.

Jim Pascoe, executive director of the FOP's legislative office, noted that before Obama made the remarks, the president acknowledged that he was only vaguely familiar with what happened.

"That being the case, it's unfortunate that he chose to say anything," Pascoe said. "He wasn't there, and he doesn't know what happened."

Pascoe said it appears that Gates was the "provocateur" because he called Officer James Crowley a racist instead of producing identification as requested.




[edit on 7/23/2009 by centurion1211]


reply posted on 23-7-2009 @ 01:31 PM by Hazelnut
reply to post by centurion1211



Well now. I'm very curious to read member's reactions to this story.
Thanks for the post! Looks like the Prez wants to make race an issue to defend his friend. He may have forgotten himself and will live to regret that statement.

Edit for grammar clarification

[edit on 23-7-2009 by Hazelnut]


reply posted on 23-7-2009 @ 01:43 PM by danj3ris
reply to post by Kaytagg



Good point. They don't seem to condemn much do they? They condemn the words of the president, but when police officers act out of line,

"It wasn't our finest hour."


reply posted on 23-7-2009 @ 02:05 PM by rangersdad
reply to post by centurion1211



What I dont understand about this case is that the police had his Harvard ID and his drivers license. Didnt they bother to look at them? Didnt they look at the address on the drivers license and if they were wondering, did they run his license to make sure it was legit? The police screwed up on this one.


reply posted on 23-7-2009 @ 06:37 PM by sos37
reply to post by rangersdad



Hold on, now. Read the story again. The police didn't screw up on this one. Gates did plenty wrong in this case.

Crowley responded to Gates’ home near Harvard University last week to investigate a report of a burglary and demanded Gates show him identification. Police say Gates at first refused, flew into a rage and accused the officer of racism.


www.msnbc.msn.com...

So to answer your question, no, they didn't have his ID when Gates flew into a rage and started off playing the race card and playing the Rev. Jesse Jackson wannabe.


reply posted on 24-7-2009 @ 02:38 AM by rangersdad
reply to post by sos37



Well I had a similar situation happen about 10 or so years ago. BTW, I am white....anywho....I was in my house with the top door to my front door open (double dutch door) and a policeman showed up and asked me who I was...I told him and asked why...he said that the alarm company called him to say that there was someone breaking into the house...I was stunned.....I was home with the best friend that I have ever had....and he asked to see my ID ....I said ok, hold on a minute while I get it....he asked dont you have it on you? I said why should I? I am in my own house!...so I showed him my drivers license, the addresses matched!!! And I was complaining about the alarm company....he looked at me like he wasnt quite sure what to do...finally he gave me back my license and gave me a ticket for a false alarm. Then he left.....

So I do understand what Gates went through, I just didnt overreact like he did. And why did he have to ask the officer for his badge number, couldnt he see it or his name tag that most cops wear these days???


reply posted on 24-7-2009 @ 01:52 PM by danj3ris
Originally posted by Majic
Reflexive Tense

How ironic it is that so many people who decry racism, including the President of the United States, consider it wholly appropriate to denigrate and defame a police officer because of his race.


The president didn't denigrate or defame a police officer due to race. He said the Cambridge police acted stupidly. Not stupidly racist.

He spoke of the situation as a whole. His first point was true, it is a situation where anyone could get upset. His second point I fully agree with, the police acted stupidly in this instance. His third point was true as well, but I understood it to be more of a reason why Mr. Gate's acted in such a manner and not justification for the behavior in any shape or form. Yet because Mr Obama put forward three valid points, people are combining them into him having said that Officer Crowley acted stupidly due to his racism, and Gates did no wrong.

This really is spinning out of control. The police are going so far as to say the President's words hurt the efforts of law officers to dispel the idea that they practice racial profiling.

It really isn't a big deal. Officer Crowley did nothing wrong based on the interpretation of the law, but made a stupid judgment mistake in assessing a situation in dealing with an angry person. The charges were dropped to reflect this. Gates wants an apology that Officer Crowley does not need to give, and the press wanted the President's opinion.

This should be a dead issue at this point but the spin machine keeps chugging along. Calmer heads have sadly not prevailed.
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