In a suburban neighborhood it happens to a well known Harvard scholar who is a friend to Obama - a perfect storm for a story.
But the issue is that this would be highly unlikely to happen to a white person in the same class. I'm sure it has happened before to a white person before, but how do you not at least run the guy's ID to match it to his address?
After reading the report, I personally think the guy was stupid for acting so aggressively. All of this could've been solved in 2 minutes by showing his ID. Hell, I've had cops knock on my door late at night just because they saw someone entering my place (me), and I'm white.
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He wouldn't present his information, which would've proven that he lived there? The cops were responding to a 911 call from one of the guy's neighbors, saying that there was a possible break-in. The cops were just doing their job, and considering the fact that they were investigating a possible break-in, it was stupid for the professor to respond with so much hostility, especially in a situation such as this. Again, he could've resolved the whole situation by presenting ID or something, and instead he blew up.
I'm surprised he didn't pull the race card on his neighbor who made the 911 call.
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Last edited by AngryManatee on Jul 26th, 2009 at 04:59 PM
Ok, he blows up but once they cuff him and check for ID (as they should check him for weapons and the such after cuffing him), it should be done there.
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It is police procedure to search the house in case anyone is being held hostage, and to make sure the person to whom the house belongs has not been put in further jeopardy.
Regardless of what one thinks about the whole thing - BOTH of them overreacted. It is simple that you don't mouth off to a policeman - not in America, not in Britain not anywhere else.
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Obama didn't label anyone a racist. That's just a stupid thing to say. He said the police acted stupidly in arresting someone after he had provided proof that he lived in the house. That is all he said, and he's right.
There is no law that states you have to be nice to police officers. And in Mass. there is specific criteria that must be met before you can arrest someone for disorderly conduct, and from what I've heard the professor did not meet said criteria. So yes, it was a stupid thing to do. Probably the cops wanting to 'teach the guy a lesson' or something, but of course that's not their job. They should have simply walked away after the guy showed them his ID, regardless of his shitty attitude.
Of course it's never actually smart to pop an attitude with a cop, however that doesn't excuse a cop abusing his power.
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Jul 26th, 2009 12:12 PM
