WHAT HAVE we gotten ourselves into?

[Tamago]

bookworm lol.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/25/us...5gates.html?em

more like foot-in-mouth'er. obama needs to learn when to speak and when to keep his mouth shut. some subjects need no commentary from our nation's leader. he should spend more time answering questions about things that REALLY MATTER (like his health care plan)

[Morgan]

Originally Posted by Tamago

bookworm lol.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/25/us...5gates.html?em

more like foot-in-mouth'er. obama needs to learn when to speak and when to keep his mouth shut. some subjects need no commentary from our nation's leader. he should spend more time answering questions about things that REALLY MATTER (like his health care plan)

keeping our thoughts to our self, I see

[Tamago]

Originally Posted by Morgan

keeping our thoughts to our self, I see

you know me!

[Morgan]

Originally Posted by Tamago

you know me!

haha! well people have been known to change...

[roxy1]

Originally Posted by Tamago

bookworm lol.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/25/us...5gates.html?em

more like foot-in-mouth'er. obama needs to learn when to speak and when to keep his mouth shut. some subjects need no commentary from our nation's leader. he should spend more time answering questions about things that REALLY MATTER (like his health care plan)

"i dont have all the facts....but the police acted stupidly"...way to move this country beyond race by taking sides in this, BO.

[chriswb]

He was right. The idea that the police would arrest Henry Louis Gates Jr. in his own home for committing no crime is downright depressing. The police officer that made the judgement call did act stupidly. Obama should have phrased it in a way that was more tactful.

[roxy1]

Originally Posted by chriswb

He was right. The idea that the police would arrest Henry Louis Gates Jr. in his own home for committing no crime is downright depressing. The police officer that made the judgement call did act stupidly. Obama should have phrased it in a way that was more tactful.

the arrest did not occur inside the home because Gates decided to take his beligerence outside as the cops were leaving and he wouldnt shut up and quit calling the cops racist, but not knowing the laws in MA, i still doubt any crime was committed. poor judgement would be the strongest thing BO should have said.

calling the arresting officer racist without knowing him was just as offensice to me. officer Crowley is the guy who administered cpr to try to save Reggie Lewis when he collapsed on a basketball court in 1993. by all accounts from everyone who knew him, he was bothered for a long time that he was unable to save him. i have a hard time thinking a racist would really give a crap. did he use poor judgement in the Gates case. it is quite possible, but i wasnt there.

[gokartride]

Originally Posted by roxy1

not knowing the laws in MA, i still doubt any crime was committed. poor judgement would be the strongest thing BO should have said.

True...that this situation excalated as it did and resulted in an arrest does seem to indicate something was strangely amiss. Maybe both parties "acted stupidly"....just as we are probably doing my trying to talk politics here on the mighty internet.

[GeneW]

Originally Posted by roxy1

"i dont have all the facts....but the police acted stupidly"...way to move this country beyond race by taking sides in this, BO.

Mr. Obama has the right to speak his mind. Dr. Gates is one of his personal friends. It's pretty damn outrageous to be arrested for breaking into one's own personal home.

That all being said, the Police Officer's black partner claimed the Dr. Gates "behaved oddly" and refused to produce ID. In Massachusetts and certainly in many urban locales refusing to produce ID will get your arrested. Cambridge Mass is not Mayberry RFD.

I think Mr. Obama should have been more patient, offered his legal and personal support to his friend informally, and did not "take sides".

I understand how successful black folks can be "touchy". I have a black coworker who flies off the handle any time he suspects "Disrespect". He does know what he's doing and I enjoy working with him except when he snaps. I wish he'd knock off the overcompensation but I do not know how many times in his life he's been patronized, talked down to, referred to behind his back as a "token" and so on.

If Mr. Obama was speaking for this point of view I can sympathize with him, though he needs to exercise some discipline.

Gene