Commenters directed me towards this Associated Press article:
So, the former police chief of Cambridge, home to Harvard and MIT, is black. The current mayor of Cambridge is black. The governor of Massachusetts, Deval Patrick (Obama's stablemate in the Axelrod dojo), is black. The Attorney General of the U.S. is black. And the President is black.
Obviously, Crowley is sensitive to racial issues. My guess would be that Gates's playing of the race card, which can be a career-killer in Cambridge, got the cop's dander up.
Let's keep in mind, however, that just about all cops became cops because they like being dominant over other people. If they just wanted to help people, they would have become firemen instead. As Joseph Wambaugh, the cop-novelist repeatedly says, everybody loves a fireman. In contrast, Wambaugh's cops have issues, lots and lots of issues: divorce, drinking, and mental health (these days, about twice as many cops die by their own hands as on the job).
So, cops aren't always nice people. They tend to be domineering and paranoid, two traits that tend to make them effective at their difficult jobs. They have power, they are trained to keep power in interpersonal situations, and they like power. So, you don't make serious unfounded accusations at a cop if you don't want something bad to happen to you. It's not fair, but that's the way it is.
Now, I have a lot of sympathy for Gates because he'd been traveling for a couple of days from China. When I finally got home from 36 hours straight of traveling back from Turkey in June, I climbed straight into bed with a Robert Heinlein novel I first read when I was eleven. If my door had been jammed and then, just when I had finally got into my (dilapidated) home sweet home, somebody had knocked on my door and asked me to step outside, I might well have thrown a hissy fit like Gates did.
Gates, however, is trying to milk his racial profiling crucifixion for all it's worth, so, rather than apologize and explain why he was tired and not his usual genial self, he's issuing dubious statements about his "glorious" trip to China, and how relaxing his trip home was in order to close off this line of retreat for himself.
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) - The white police sergeant criticized by President Barack Obama for arresting black scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. in his Massachusetts home is a police academy expert on racial profiling.
Cambridge Sgt. James Crowley has taught a class on racial profiling for five years at the Lowell Police Academy after being hand-picked for the job by former police Commissioner Ronny Watson, who is black, said Academy Director Thomas Fleming.
"I have nothing but the highest respect for him as a police officer. He is very professional and he is a good role model for the young recruits in the police academy," Fleming told The Associated Press on Thursday.
The course, called "Racial Profiling," teaches about different cultures that officers could encounter in their community "and how you don't want to single people out because of their ethnic background or the culture they come from," Fleming said.
Obama has said the Cambridge officers "acted stupidly" in arresting Gates last week when they responded to his house after a woman reported a suspected break-in.
Crowley, 42, has maintained he did nothing wrong and has refused to apologize, as Gates has demanded.
So, the former police chief of Cambridge, home to Harvard and MIT, is black. The current mayor of Cambridge is black. The governor of Massachusetts, Deval Patrick (Obama's stablemate in the Axelrod dojo), is black. The Attorney General of the U.S. is black. And the President is black.
Obviously, Crowley is sensitive to racial issues. My guess would be that Gates's playing of the race card, which can be a career-killer in Cambridge, got the cop's dander up.
Let's keep in mind, however, that just about all cops became cops because they like being dominant over other people. If they just wanted to help people, they would have become firemen instead. As Joseph Wambaugh, the cop-novelist repeatedly says, everybody loves a fireman. In contrast, Wambaugh's cops have issues, lots and lots of issues: divorce, drinking, and mental health (these days, about twice as many cops die by their own hands as on the job).
So, cops aren't always nice people. They tend to be domineering and paranoid, two traits that tend to make them effective at their difficult jobs. They have power, they are trained to keep power in interpersonal situations, and they like power. So, you don't make serious unfounded accusations at a cop if you don't want something bad to happen to you. It's not fair, but that's the way it is.
Now, I have a lot of sympathy for Gates because he'd been traveling for a couple of days from China. When I finally got home from 36 hours straight of traveling back from Turkey in June, I climbed straight into bed with a Robert Heinlein novel I first read when I was eleven. If my door had been jammed and then, just when I had finally got into my (dilapidated) home sweet home, somebody had knocked on my door and asked me to step outside, I might well have thrown a hissy fit like Gates did.
Gates, however, is trying to milk his racial profiling crucifixion for all it's worth, so, rather than apologize and explain why he was tired and not his usual genial self, he's issuing dubious statements about his "glorious" trip to China, and how relaxing his trip home was in order to close off this line of retreat for himself.
My published articles are archived at iSteve.com -- Steve Sailer
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47 comments:
Obama is right. It's racial prejudice.
That neighbor who saw those two black men should have assumed that they were some kind of national, state or local official as you have shown that all the people in power were black.
Good.
The sooner and faster the diversity eats its white advocates, the more whites will turn paleo.
Frankly I am beyond giving a damn about this ridiculous incident. Well, perhaps not, since I'm moved to comment on it.
But, now that I'm here, may I echo the question of many: why is this considered an example of 'racial profiling' when the witness' description of both the suspects and their behavior are universally acknowledged to be 100% correct?
Didn't Ms. Whalen say "two black men with backpacks appeared to be forcing their way into the front door"? Isn't that EXACTLY what happened?
So, the former police chief of Cambridge, home to Harvard and MIT, is black. The current mayor of Cambridge is black. The governor of Massachusetts, Deval Patrick (Obama's stablemate in the Axelrod dojo), is black. The Attorney General of the U.S. is black. And the President is black.
Are you saying that you see a pattern here?
'Thank you for coming outside. You are under arrest.'
I once saw a crooked cop arrest someone out of personal spite. He said, 'Sir, I warned you not to blah. Since you are doing blah, you are a threat to the public safety and I have no choice but to arrest you'.
That's what cops say. I read Crowley's report, saw the part where he thanks Gates for coming outside as Crowley had asked and becoming a threat to the public safety so Crowley could arrest him.
Why would any cop say that? In his report?
I'm guessing: Boston Irish; mad that liberals used bussing to destroy his dad's neighborhood; Gates gave him enough of a chewing that he's getting back by bragging how he cleverly entrapped the Professor into a misdemeanor. Bragging in his report. But that's all guess.
Fact: a lot of cops are proud that they can cleverly entrap annoying citizens into committing a misdemeanor. Fact: few cops brag in the arrest report.
It's time for equality.
End affirmative action now.
My guess would be that Gates's playing of the race card, which can be a career-killer in Cambridge, got the cop's dander up.
In which case he played right into Gates's hands, didn't he?
The real "narrative" here is about class not race.
"Let's keep in mind, however, that just about all cops became cops because they like being dominant over other people."
I would agree with that. You had mentioned also that people become firefighters if they want to help people; agreed, but they also become social workers.
Once I was in a Walmart parking lot reading a map late at night (pulled in there); some cop drive up to me and told me he thought I was suspecious, and said he "wanted to check out if I was a terrotist." He also asked, "are you always this nervous around cops? What an asshole. There's no right answer but I replies "I am not always around cops." I look like the Scandinavian type by the way--not Middle Eastern.
Cops like having authority and get off exerting power over others. Most cops are good, but some take their badge and think it gives them license to go on power trips.
P.S. I think that Gates was the likely racist in his fiasco. Would he assume the cop was racist if he was Black? Probably not.
But can the cop arrest Gates for being disorderly while he was on his own property? I have heard that is NOT legal. Anyways, I agree with your earlier analysis that he may have been concerned about the possibility of a domestic assault.
Now that I know this Crowley fellow has been lambasting people for years over racial profiling, I am quite satisfied to see him getting heat for arresting Gates.
How do you like it, Mr. Crowley?
Only a pompous jerk would revel in this kind of humiliation of his subordinates -- you know: the kind who would think he could get away with arresting a black Harvard professor.
I expected this kind of conflict of egos to come to prominence under Obama. It really is sweet to see it coming to fruition.
"...the more whites will turn paleo."
Yeah, and we all know how effective those guys are.
Gates will have to accuse Crowley of subconscious profiling if he wants to keep up his current 'narrative'. He certainly chose the wrong cop to mess with.
Regardless of whether cops are jerks (they are) there was no profiling here: if a white person was mouthy to a cop they'd get the exact same treatment, and probably wouldn't get their charges dismissed.
On a different topic, you've written in the past about the insular Syrian Jewish community in the New York area. Some of them are behind the big corruption bust in New Jersey.
Peter
why is this considered an example of 'racial profiling' when the witness' description of both the suspects and their behavior are universally acknowledged to be 100% correct?
Correctly describing a suspect is OVERTLY RACIST!
"I read Crowley's report, saw the part where he thanks Gates for coming outside as Crowley had asked and becoming a threat to the public safety so Crowley could arrest him."
You're not reading the same report I am, then.
Steve, I've seen you cite this (i.e. people who want to dominate become cops) but where besides Joseph Wambaugh do you have actual evidence that this is so?
The claim might or not be true, but just because Wambaugh says it is, is not particularly evidence. Wambaugh himself was last active as a police officer in what, 1974 if Wiki is accurate? That's hardly an accurate insight into who goes into current policing, and who is indeed selected.
Pseudonymous LAPD officer "Jack Dunphy" at NRO probably has a better take on what modern policing is like now, as opposed to say, 35 years ago.
------------
Anon - the guy not only was the instructor for "anti-profiling" at the Academy, handpicked by the top Black cop in the PD, but tried frantically to save Reggie Lewis's life years ago when he collapsed during practice, by CPR.
Hardly the profile of an angry, resentful racist Boston Irish cop. He probably makes a solid middle class salary, does various teaching stuff at the academy, is CPR certified (he was at the time of the Lewis incident, an EMT certified tech). With extra pay for extra certifications, he might make over $100K including overtime.
But again I ask -- where is the evidence that cops are drawn from those who wish to dominate? Dunphy says (he's a current, as opposed to 35 years ago, police officer) that it's drawn from people who want to put away bad guys, and the chief danger is "drive and wave" policing.
During the campaign, Obama said blue collar white folks were ‘bitter.’ Today, Obama called the white cops of Cambridge, Ma "STUPID" for doing their job–checking up on a possible burglary at the house of Professor or Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (These black guys sure love pompous names for themselves). It’s no wonder Obama nominated Sonia Sotomayor the WISE LATINA. After all, she had ruled against the presumably unwise white firemen who were STUPID enough to score better on exams than most of their black and Hispanic peers. The only prescription against such white ‘stupidity’–cops doing their jobs and firemen scoring well on exams–is, of course, having Obama as President and Sotomayor as Supreme Court Justice.
Read more here:
http://nyxhemera.blogspot.com/2009/07/obama-agrees-sotomayor-is-wise-but-says.html
where is the evidence that cops are drawn from those who wish to dominate? Dunphy says (he's a current, as opposed to 35 years ago, police officer) that it's drawn from people who want to put away bad guys
Those are the same thing. Dominance isn't inherently evil. You can't put away bad guys without being dominant over them, duh.
I have nearly universal positive experiences with cops because I am tiny, female, and polite to authority figures, and as such pose zero dominance threat.
Steve, your comment
"Let's keep in mind, however, that just about all cops became cops because they like being dominant over other people."
in this situation is most unfair and inflamatory. There's been plenty in the news by now that attests to the fact that Sgt Crowley is a well respected policeman, who in fact teaches against racial profiling in the police academy. He comes from a family with many police officers.
I happen to come from a family with many teachers and preachers. There's nothing wrong with children following in their parents footsteps. Teachers and preachers are authority figures too. Are they in it for the power?
Don't make Obama's mistake and demonize the police. We need them. The police in Cambridge were doing their job.
No doubt Gates was jet-lagged, hungover, drunk, and speeding but he was also verbally abusive to the police and as we all know, that's not allowed. And I'm glad it's not allowed.
Guys,
This "He's probably a resentful Boston Irish angry at Blacks" meme is very hard to spread due to the surreal fact that he turns out to be a "racial profiling" expert.
You can't make this stuff up.
Yeah, it's been a bad week for the Left. First, a teachable moment goes bust for Mr. Gates and President Obama which came off the heels of the swimming club "racist" turning out to be a peace activist/Obama lover.
"I'm guessing: Boston Irish; mad that liberals used bussing to destroy his dad's neighborhood; Gates gave him enough of a chewing that he's getting back by bragging how he cleverly entrapped the Professor into a misdemeanor. Bragging in his report. But that's all guess."
So, let me understand the scenario. The presumed Irish cop is, somehow, getting back at the completely innocent black guy who is, by his own admission, 50% white DNA himself. To thicken the plot, part of Dr. Gates' 50% is Irish royalty ancestry. The good professor has stated that. The theory here seems to be that the Irish part of the police officer was purposely setting up the professor, the non-Irish part. right!!!!
Sounds reasonable. If only Dr. Gates had been screaming "Hey, I'm part Irish too. Give me your damn badge number!"
On the other hand there's probably not much of a future in trying to make a living from "Irish-American Studies". Dr. Gates has chosen another, more lucrative, career path.
By the way, does Harvard have an "Irish-American Studies" Department? If so, how pissed off do you have to stay to work there!
"You're just picking on me because I'm Irish!"
Steve, your comment
"Let's keep in mind, however, that just about all cops became cops because they like being dominant over other people."
in this situation is most unfair and inflamatory. There's been plenty in the news by now that attests to the fact that Sgt Crowley is a well respected policeman, who in fact teaches against racial profiling in the police academy. He comes from a family with many police officers.
I happen to come from a family with many teachers and preachers. There's nothing wrong with children following in their parents footsteps. Teachers and preachers are authority figures too. Are they in it for the power?
Don't make Obama's mistake and demonize the police. We need them. The police in Cambridge were doing their job.
No doubt Gates was jet-lagged, hungover, drunk, and/or speeding but he was also verbally abusive to the police and as we all know, that's not allowed. And I'm glad it's not allowed.
7/23/2009
Any way you slice it, there's absolutely no evidence or reason to believe that Gates was treated differently because of his race.
"On the other hand there's probably not much of a future in trying to make a living from "Irish-American Studies".
Oh I don't know, Frank McCourt probably made more money than Gates
(God rest his soul)
And by the way, being verbally abusive to the police is allowed in this country, that's why we're no longer a British colony.
There are places where it is not allowed though; for instance, Russia, China, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Nigeria...
Get your James Crowley merchandise HERE!
I have nearly universal positive experiences with cops because I am tiny, female, and polite to authority figures, and as such pose zero dominance threat.
Um, I'm a large, muscular male, and I've had nearly universal positive experiences with the police, too. That's either White Privilege, or being polite and respectful, take your pick.
"Any way you slice it, there's absolutely no evidence or reason to believe that Gates was treated differently because of his race."
I believe that a white man would have been treated worse. Cops overcompensate in these matters to avoid charges of racism, and given how this has turned out I can understand why.
And by the way, being verbally abusive to the police is allowed in this country, that's why we're no longer a British colony.
Meanwhile, back in Britain itself, being abusive to the police is part of a good weekend night out to many of my booze addled fellow citizens.
"Crowley, 42, has maintained he did nothing wrong and has refused to apologize, as Gates has demanded."
Good. I hope the officer holds his ground and doesn't apologize to this pseudo-intellectual phony. The usual scenario is that a white celebrity/public official gets caught saying something un-PC and then goes begging for forgiveness and grovels before Al Sharpton. I want somebody with character to stand up against this crap for once.
Anonymous said...
The real "narrative" here is about class not race.
No it's clearly about race.
I read this at Amren. I get to the part where it says Crowley was the guy who tried and failed to save Reggie Lewis' life via CPR. Instantly I had my sarcastic hook for a comment, "white cop who killed black superstar with neglect is at it again."
But the Amren page is a twofer; it continues with a story where Crowley is quoted shortly after the Lewis incident, about...wait for it...how he was accused of deliberately letting the brotha die.
Couple of flies made it into my mouth before I managed to close it.
I wonder what percentage of the black population is more ethnocentric than I? 50%? More?
~Svigor
but where besides Joseph Wambaugh do you have actual evidence that this is so?
It's the default assumption (well, sorta - we can quibble over wording).
People who want to molest children will gravitate to careers where they have access to children. Men who want to bugger other men will gravitate to the priesthood and the Navy. Attention junkies will gravitate to jobs in front of a camera. Adrenalin junkies will gravitate to special forces. Authority junkies will gravitate to law enforcement jobs.
~Svigor
That's hardly an accurate insight into who goes into current policing, and who is indeed selected.
Okay, so you're suggesting that cops then aren't cops now. But what changed about being a cop in the meantime? Well, the height requirements went out the window. The fitness requirements went out the window.
Now, one thing I've learned about people is that the more traits on which one falls in the top percentiles, the less likely one is to fall into the top percentile on another, controlling for proxies of course. I could be wrong about this since it's a personal observation. But, it makes sense, doesn't it? In other words, dropping those trait requirements opened the door to more applicants in the top percentile for authority addiction, not less.
Just speculating, obviously, and I don't deny there are plenty of other factors at play, e.g., training, and cultural drift.
~Svigor
To thicken the plot, part of Dr. Gates' 50% is Irish royalty ancestry.
When you have a hybrid of white/x, I think we would all save some time by only mentioning the specifics of the white portion if it isn't Irish.
~Svigor
"I believe that a white man would have been treated worse. Cops overcompensate in these matters to avoid charges of racism, and given how this has turned out I can understand why."
You just gave me an idea for an analogy question for the new non-culturally biased SAT:
India : Cows :: United States : ???
Obama is going to regrete calling the police stupid. Expect an appology from Obama any day. Perhaps he will invite the cop to the white house. We haven't heard the end of this.
Wasn't that press conference supposed to get people talking about health care?
Ah well, at least Gates didn't threaten the cop with his cane and get taized.
The whole thing is a storm in a teacup.
A quick check of the US Census site gives the percentage of black folk in Mass as about 7. Non-hispanic whites are 79%. Yet chief, mayor , governor, president are al black. Talk about Dispossession
Um, I reread Crowley's report and the 'thank you for stepping outside' (and committing a misdemeanor so I can arrest you) isn't in there.
It was in Gates version.
My bad.
"So, cops aren't always nice people. They tend to be domineering and paranoid"
Hey, that's a mighty intelligent statement... I'd like to see a loudmouthed coward like you do that job for a week.
Nice work Barack... with one comment you managed to alienate 75% of America.
And anyone who has spent any amount of time in the "higher" education system knows the Professor Gates type: bitter, spiteful, bigoted racist with a position of power who felt emboldened to make a political statement.
This is the type of Professor who would change the subject on you when you attempt to engage in a debate- or would give you a poor grade because you actually have an opinion, and done research outside of marxist texts and such. You are fooling no one, Mr Gates.
And Mr President, is this "nuance" you've spoke of? "the police acted stupidly"? -please
Obama is out to rip this country to shreds in EVERY way- who can question that such ill-advised statements are divisive... and NOT helpful? He has no idea what happened, he admitted it- and apparently doesn't care, either... he's picked his side.
But back in reality, the childish and paranoid Gates completely baited the cop, who acted with admirable restraint, IMO... all he had to do is show his ID and shut up, he was treated with respect. This guy was clearly looking for a fight... and he ought to thank God he didn't find one.
Obama is going to destroy race relations in this country with his vengeful "get even" mentality... some messiah- Americans should have chosen a fair and sensible human being instead of this embittered nut.
http://reaganiterepublicanresistance.blogspot.com
One of the things forgotten here is that Gates also played the Harvard Professor card, which is likely to impress people EXCEPT in Cambridge , Mass.
How many times do you think Cambridge coppers have had to deal with the my feces does not emit an odor because I am a HARVARD prof/student/etc rap? That has to get old.
hi But, now that I'm here, may I echo the question of many: why is this considered an example of 'racial profiling' when the witness' description of both the suspects and their behavior are universally acknowledged to be 100% correct?
Officer Crowley is a brave man. I believe that policemen probably do like to dominate more than average; but let's not forget that they are much braver than average too.
The funny part about refusing to apologize is it's pretty much the exclusive domain of the radicals: people like Crowley whose faith is so pure they have no guilt; people like me whose atheism is so complete they have none, either; people like Joan Rivers who have an ethnic "in" and know the score.
~Svigor
Um, I'm a large, muscular male, and I've had nearly universal positive experiences with the police, too.
It's probably your frilly pink dress.
"Officer Crowley is a brave man. I believe that policemen probably do like to dominate more than average; but let's not forget that they are much braver than average too."
And his bravery was proven by...arresting a fat 60 year old college professor with a permanent limp?
Truth:
"being verbally abusive to the police is allowed in this country, that's why we're no longer a British colony. "
It's cute that you think so. Maybe it should be allowed, maybe it shouldn't, but obviously it's not. If you doubt me, try it and see what happens.
"I have nearly universal positive experiences with cops because I am tiny, female, and polite to authority figures, and as such pose zero dominance threat."
And we thought Eloi were fictional.
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