What Obama DID say: "I don't know, not having been there and not seeing all the facts, what role race played in that. I think it's fair to say, number one, any of us would be pretty angry; number two, that the Cambridge police acted stupidly in arresting somebody when there was already proof that they were in their own home, and, number three, what I think we know separate and apart from this incident is that there's a long history in this country of African Americans and Latinos being stopped by law enforcement disproportionately."
What he should have said: "This was an unfortunate incident that happened to a friend of mine, I do not have all the facts and I cannot comment on this at this time... next question."
Obama prefaced his comments by saying he wasn't there and didn't have the facts.... and then listed 3 points on why the police were 'stupid', Gates had a right to be angry, and finally he chastises the entire country.
This is fvcking bvllshit. He is not uniting anyone, he is divisive.
All he did was give minorities a reason to cry racism for any negative thing that happens to them.
Update: The Cambridge and area police unions voiced their support Friday for Sgt. James Crowley and demanded an apology from President Obama for saying officers "acted stupidly" for arresting black Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. at his home.
"His remarks were obviously misdirected but made it worse yet by suggesting somehow this case should remind us of a history of racial abuse by law enforcement," Dennis O'Connor, president of the Cambridge Police Superior Officers Association, said at a news conference.
"Whatever may be the history, we deeply resent the implications and reject any suggestion that in this case or any other case that they've allowed a person's race to direct their activities. However we hope they will reflect upon their past comments and apologize to the men and women of the Cambridge Police Department."
Obama's remarks sparked outrage among many police officers who say the criticism could make it harder for police to work with people of color and set back the progress of race relations that helped Obama become the nation's first black president.
Dude, you're only saying that because Obama is black. That's racist.
ReplyDeleteGates was angry at the start and the officer knowing this after seeing his I.D. should apoligized and left. The pres has so much on his mind these days just was'nt thinking.
ReplyDeleteApologize for what? Following up on a 911 call?
ReplyDeleteThis President does not get a pass for “not thinking”. He went on a racially charged diatribe without all the facts in a public forum at a press conference. Nothing is being taken out of context, nothing was said off the record, words are not being put in his mouth, this wasn’t a slip of the tongue, this was an enumerated well thought out list of ‘stupid’ remarks.
Perhaps he should have stuck to the teleprompter.
Another thing I just thought of...
ReplyDeleteIt's not like this happened in South Central LA circa 1991.
Racial profiling... in Cambridge Massachusetts? Yeah, Professors in the Hood...errr Campus.
Professor Gates != Rodney King
Relax Barack, take your uppity racial profiling somewhere else and keep it out of a prime time press conferences.
If you're angry, the cops should apologize and leave?
ReplyDeleteMakes no sense.