Great interview with Skip Gates above. That guy is eloquent, and there’s an Asian connection–he was filming Yo-Yo Ma’s ancestral cemetery. Also, did Soledad O’Brien say that she had Gates as a professor during college? Man, this keeps on going further and further up the chain! I found it hilarious how CNN did the video panning across the crowd during Gates’s talk–it almost reminded me of that patriotic scene from “Independence Day.” Haha. It’s totally going to make this filthy cop look bad, but filthy cops deserve to look bad. As Obama says in this article:
“But I think it’s fair to say, No. 1, any of us would be pretty angry; No. 2, that the Cambridge police acted stupidly in arresting somebody when there was already proof that they were in their own home; and, No. 3 … that there’s a long history in this country of African-Americans and Latinos being stopped by law enforcement disproportionately.”
The cop is sticking to his guns (pun intended). The guy is so cocky that he even talks in the third person:
The officer, Sgt. James Crowley, told CNN affiliate WCVB earlier Wednesday that he will not apologize.
“There are not many certainties in life, but it is for certain that Sgt. Crowley will not be apologizing,” he said.
Talking in the third person as a cop. I thought that was reserved for sports stars and the god of the Old Testament. His arrogance shows his complete disregard for the law, the citizenry of Boston, and his own unethical abuse of his power as a cop. He even says that Gates should have been…”grateful.” I know! Grateful for what?
“There was a lot of yelling, there was references to my mother, something you woulnd’t expect from anybody that should be grateful that you’re there investigating a report of a crime in progress let alone a Harvard University professor,” Crowley said Thursday.
He’s got the support of his police union. Too bad he doesn’t have the support of the Cambridge mayor, the governor, and the President of the United States.
See this awesome post that Mojo left on the last Gates post:
Let me just say that I know a lot of cops, I know the sub-culture and how they think. There are a lot of good ones who genuinely want to help people as well as bad and dumb ones on the force who’ve got issues. But given the bluntness of this guy’s reaction, this guy, IMO, is a dumb ass and carries a measure of hostility. This is not about standing up for principles or trying to protect ego and pride. He just tainted the entire PD by his actions. All it takes is for one guy to fuck up. He can’t even see the the need to de-escalate this mess and the front office pukes in the Cambridge PD are stupid too. You don’t have to come out and apologize but at least recognize the situation got out of hand.
By taking a hardcore stance of saying “I will not apologize” indicates no tact and no understanding of the flashpoint. First of all, Crowley should not be talking to the press. The Cambridge PD front office should be letting a public information officer do the talking. But they’re too stupid to even do some PR on their own behalf. Second, why talk about yourself in the third person? Third, if the Cambridge PD isn’t clamping down on this mess and telling Crowley to shut the fuck up, then it seems as if they’re rallying the troops behind him. And that’s stupid management. Fourth, in any bureaucracy, you will get management that will practice CYA 8 hours a day and ultimately make the situation worse. BEcause I’m sure if the Cambridge PD brass rallies behind Crowley to protect “one of our own”, you’re just inviting MORE scrutiny of how your PD is run. And I’ll tell you, they will shine the flashlight up everyone’s rectum and expose all the abdications of responsibility, incompetence, fraud, and abuse that is there.
So my question is, what’s behind Crowley’s defiance and hostility? What’s motivating him? In the end, I think he does need to be reprimanded or removed from the force. At his rank, he should have known better and exhibited better common sense.
Mojo raises an excellent point about why the police are allowing that moron Crowley to talk to the press. As if the guy didn’t already embarrass the department enough! Seriously, when you have a moron who is embarrassing the department, you’d best be putting a muzzle on him.
I don’t think this abuse of power is going to die out. The police report makes no sense–see this excellent article from Larry. I think they need to take away this cop’s badge and gun.
Edit 1:19 pm PT: They just posted Crowley’s picture:
"Stupid is as stupid does"
In the same article, it says, ”
Crowley also said he was exercising caution and is clearly not a racist based on his previous actions.
Those actions, Crowley told the Boston Herald, include giving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to former Boston Celtics star Reggie Lewis, who suffered a fatal heart attack in 1993 at Brandeis University when Crowley was a campus cop.
“I wasn’t working on Reggie Lewis the basketball star. I wasn’t working on a black man,” Crowley told the Boston Herald. “I was working on another human being.”"
Uh…I’m getting a bit suspicious. Didn’t Reggie Lewis die? We may have to open a new inquiry on this.
By the way, I’m sooo glad I’m not a Repub:
Now we know what that party stands for!
Related posts:
But here is an...
I agree with everything you said. About #1…I think...
Hmm…it looks like Crowley has the support of the Cambridge Police Commissioner, as well as the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/07/23/officer.gates.arrest/index.html (same link as above, but it looks like they’ve updated it)
The good ol’ boy network is alive and well, although I’m guessing that these police officers also just want to protect themselves from having to answer to anyone for misdeeds. What’s ironic is that just about everyone else in authority is against what Crowley did–the mayor, the governor, the President.
It might not hurt for us all to write letters to our Congresspeople restating the graveness of police misconduct.
You can contact the Cambridge police department here:
http://www.cambridgema.gov/CPD/PoliceUnits/police_unit.cfm?unit_id=7
Although maybe it makes sense to contact your own Congressman also.
Another important think to note why this dipshit hasn’t apologized is that he actually taught a racial profiling class at the academy.
“Crowley is not a likely candidate for such abuse, however. He has taught a class on racial profiling for five years at the Lowell Police Academy.”
He doesn’t wanna swallow his pride? I dunno.
Everyday that goes by, I get more disgusted by this snippet-oriented mass media.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-07-23-cop-gates_N.htm?csp=34
I can see both sides of the argument here, but Crowley still doesn’t get it. And for the PD to trot out his credentials of, “He taught classes on racial sensitivy” doesn’t mean a damn thing. It adds no credibility to his bad judgement.
Just look at his responses. From today’s Washington Post:
When the officer repeatedly asked Gates to speak with him outside, the professor responded, “Ya, I’ll speak with your mama outside,” Crowley wrote in a police report.
“I’m still just amazed that somebody of his level of intelligence could stoop to such a level, and berate me, accuse me of being a racist or racial profiling,” Crowley said in a radio interview Thursday with WEEI-AM. “And then speaking about my mother, it’s just — it’s beyond words.”
Ummm, you’re upset because “I’ll speak with your mama outside” is that insulting? What the hell kind of cop is he that he gets bent on something stupid like that? What the hell kind of patrol does this guy go on? Why doesn’t he take his ass down to Roxbury or the REAL mean streets of South Boston where the street mopes will say worse things than, “I’ll speak with your mama”?
Adn then it was reported:
Of Obama, Crowley said in an interview with Boston’s WBZ-AM: “I support the president of the United States 110 percent. I think he’s way off base wading into a local issue without knowing all the facts
as he himself stated before he made that comment.”
See? This is how stupid he is in not realizing that this is NOT a local issue. You arrest a prominent black man on such flimsy grounds and you don’t think this will become national news?
I’m glad to have gotten the other side of the story but still, even if Gates was behaving as he was, all Crowley had to do to defuse the situation was to say, “Sorry for the inconvenience sir, I’m just doing my job in trying to figure out what’s going on. Have a good evening.” And then left. He didn’t have to arrest him. it seemed as if he arrested him because he wanted to exercise authority over a non-compliant citizen and so threatened him with arrest. When Gates refused to remain quiet, Gates had no choice but to follow thru with his threat.
Who cares? Once he established Gates was the resident, let him scream his head off and blow off steam. So it’s wounded pride and ego. As for racist motivation? It’s hard to really know, but this guy should have known how this was going to look. Has this guy been living under a rock his whole life? But Crowley makes it worse by remaining defiant in a Billy Batts kind of way (referencing the Scorcese movie Good Fellas) where De Niro tells him, “Now, now, you insulted him a little bit.”
“Nah, I didn’t insult nobody, I didn’t insult nobody!”
Interesting counterpoint editorial perspective – not saying I agree or disagree with it, just interesting:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/07/24/haberfeld.police/index.html
I am convinced now that this guy killed Reggie Lewis or at least didn’t do anything to help him not die!!
They said on one of the “majority” run news channel this morning that Crowley was elected to head the racial sensitivity training program for the police department back in the day after he suppositely gave mouth to mouth to Reggie Lewis. WTF is that? Because he was supposed to do his job, he becomes some race relations expert. The news report made no sense. The implications are amazing if you stop and think about it for one minute.
And like Obama has said, what is so controversial? The real controversy is in the slant and bias of the media coverage.
And by the way, I really don’t see how far Robert has come along. He doesn’t write or express his thoughts as much anymore. So you really don’t get a sense of who he really is unless you read or still remember his earlier posts. When he does post something now, it’s one or two liners here or there that usually contain “playing devil’s advocate” or “not saying I agree or disagree, but here’s a counterpoint”. He thinks he is being clever by holding back. And the reason he is holding back is because he’s been called out many times. But it’s the same old Robert. But I am being to think that either Robert and Crowley are the same fellow or that Robert and Crowley share the same bed.
wow MT, wtf did I do to you?
I choose to read vs. posting my views here because as I have said several times, there’s really not much point. I think you do a pretty fair job of proving that statement by your needless comments about me / comparisons to someone you are clearly demonizing – with no real reason to go on the offensive and attack me.
I respect the views of several people who post on this blog, I even respect some of the points written here by people like Larry – whom I tend to disagree with the majority of the time. I will even happily admit that I have actually learned from some of his points – despite my disagreements, to which I am grateful to him, but to post here regularly simply opens me up to criticisms by people like yourself who probably don’t truly want to discuss my views anyway – you’d rather spew negativity and beat the racist drum.
It was never my goal to come here to “come along” or “make progress”, simply to gain a minority viewpoint from some people whom I respect. My intent was certainly never to try impress someone such as yourself. So quite frankly, I couldn’t care less what your opinion of me is, but you’ve certainly shown your true self.
As to my “playing devils advocate” links or comments, I’m sorry, I thought that maybe seeing a counterpoint to your own, it might help you consider an opinion different than your own. Gaining an alternative viewpoint is kind of why I’m here, but I suppose to ask you to consider the same thing is asking too much.
sheesh, and you wonder why I don’t post more routinely here? Because when I do, I have to put up with shit like this.
Heh. Now the cops are demanding an apology for being called “stupid” by Obama.
“Cambridge cops demand apology from President Obama over Harvard Prof. Henry Louis Gates apology”
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/us_world/2009/07/24/2009-07-24_harvard_prof_henry_louis_gates_daughter_arresting_officer_.html
And that Reggie Lewis reference by Crowley was somewhat bizarre, given that it happened over a decade ago. It’s as if he (or the Cambridge PD)
was reaching for some anecdote of a “positive” thing he did for an African American to establish his “I’m not racially biased” credentials.
Not only did Officer Crowley give mouth-to-mouth to Reggie Lewis (albeit unsucessfully), but he also teaches um, a Racial Profiling/Diversity police class … plus, he once helped a little old lady of African American descent cross the street back in 1999!
Larry,
I also heard Crowley say that his best friend is black. Haha…no, that’s a joke. Just like him getting his pants in a knot over the supposed “your mama” line.
And isn’t it ironic that they’re demanding an apology for Obama’s supposed jumping to conclusions, and then they jump to their own conclusions by maligning Gates? They definitely aren’t the sharpest bunch.
And look at this jerk:
“Meanwhile, Alan McDonald, a lawyer for Crowley, told ABC News the sergeant has not ruled out filing a defamation of character or libel lawsuit.
“He is exploring all of his options,” McDonald said.”
It looks like Obama is backing down a bit:
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN2447761120090724
I voted for the guy, but he does this from time to time. He backed down against 80/20 too. I’m not sure why. Maybe he just doesn’t think it’s as important as other things. He hasn’t backed down against the big banks, so I know he can make tough decisions. I just wish he’d do so on matters of race and police misconduct.
Mojo is right–it’s not a local issue. People around the world follow Gates, and when you arrest a man from his own house without showing probably cause, it’s a problem. Hell, even if he weren’t famous, it would be a problem. Wasn’t it MLK who said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere?”
Robbie says “to post here regularly simply opens me up to criticisms by people like yourself who probably don’t truly want to discuss my views anyway – you’d rather spew negativity and beat the racist drum.”
Wait, I really don’t understand what you’re trying to say. So you’re saying that your posts, thoughts, and belief system can’t be questioned or be open to criticism? You did say more than once at some point in the past that you were here to “learn” and that you “care about minority issues”. Has that conveniently changed now to just “simply to gain a minority viewpoint” and “It was never your goal to come here to “come along” or “make progress””? Hmmm, so what’s the truth Robbie? Anyway, if we stick by what you originally said, doesn’t learning imply that you would be able to take criticism? Doesn’t learning imply that you would show that you have actually learned something either through the content of your posts or the tone of your posts? Doesn’t learning itself imply that some progress has been made on the part of the learner? What exactly do you mean when you say you just “simply want to gain a minority viewpoint…”? What do you gain from that if there is no learning, understanding, progress involved?
Here’s another thing Robbie. If your ‘views’ had any insight or relevant points that haven’t been considered before, then I would happily discuss them to no end and repeat those views exuberantly to everyone I know. But you see Robbie, criticizing your views and posts are indeed discussing your views. Do you understand that? Sure, many don’t agree with your posts, but they either keep silent or they discuss them in the way of criticism as you put it unless the only type of discussion that qualifies in your little mind is the one where there is not one iota of criticism and where everyone bows to your supreme wisdom and utter mastery of the counterpoint.
And what you have recently done now by just posting a link to an article with no comments or discussion points around it make you look like a dumbass. Do you think you can really avoid ‘discussion’, but yet somehow teach everyone something (whatever it is) by not addressing any points, but instead posting a link to an article without any comments. You’re dumb. I’m blunt so deal with it.
Robbie says “I respect the views of several people who post on this blog…”
Robbie says “to post here regularly simply opens me up to criticisms by people like yourself who probably don’t truly want to discuss my views anyway – you’d rather spew negativity and beat the racist drum.”
Robbie says “It was never my goal to come here to “come along” or “make progress”, simply to gain a minority viewpoint from some people whom I respect.”
And what exactly are those views Robbie? Please do share like you once did when you thought you could just start posting white majority point of view bullshit and pass it off as some sort of original thought, wisdom, and universal truth. Oh, please do share so everyone, Asians and non Asians alike can see exactly what those views are. You say that I “rather spew negativity and beat the racist drum.” Well, let’s see…99% of the posts from 99% of the people on this very Gates/Crowley blog share thoughts about the circumstances based on logic, some facts, the minority experience, and good old fashioned intellect much, much closer to my own thoughts than to yours. So when you call me a racist drum beater and negativity spewer, are you also talking about 99% of the people who posts on the this topic including those whose views you respect? So, let’s see…you respect certain people on here and even respect their views although you call them and their views racist drum beaters and negativity spewers. How does that work Robbie? I am just trying to understand who has gained your respect on this site since pretty much everyone else’s views, thoughts, and logic are much closer to each other than to your own. What are you really doing on this site Robbie? Now, it’s your turn to show your true self…but actually, you kinda already have so many times before. Oops!
How have I beaten the racist drum Robbie? How have I spewed negativity? Can you please show specifically where I did those two things? Can you also show me how my post history differs from anyone else’s here? Are we all racist drum beaters to you Robbie? Are our negativity spewing mouths and minds just so much of a fucking drag on your beautiful existence? For someone who thinks Crowley was automatically labeled a racist and doesn’t like it, you sure do a fine job of calling anyone who disagrees with your views a racist drum beater. Why so defensive Robbie? Did anyone here ever directly called you racist? I might have called you an idiot and definitely a dumbass, but never a racist.
Before you reply to this post with your ego pumping out of your chest, please read over and consider carefully, do not miss any points, and please answer my questions honestly. Thank you and have a great weekend.
@mt lol! wow, this is rich!
First I love the condescending tone you display… Robbie, Dumbass, Idiot how fun! The truth is, you know nothing about me, so your insults and attempts to make me feel “stupid” fall on deaf ears. As I said before, I couldn’t care less of what you think of me, so good luck with that attempt to.. what were your words? “pump my ego out of my chest”
Second, No, I won’t respond to your bait to drag this out into a fun little attack for you. I think you know exactly what I’m refering to, and if you need a refresher on some of the racist comments that have been posted on the site, by all means, go digging. It shouldn’t be too hard even for you to find them.
Why so defensive? I think that I’ve already answered you in my post that apparently has you so riled up, but I’ll explain again. When someone comes out of nowhere and attacks you for posting a link, you’re put in a defensive position, the response is naturally going to have that tone.
As I said before, there’s no point in me posting anything here for discussion, because it’s been made fairly clear that my views are flawed in the opinion of most posters here. I’ve had some discussions, and I will likely have more, but I’m through with you and this ridiculous attempt to derail the topic.
Oh, and by the way, I’ll have a fantastic weekend! I’d offer the same sentiment to you, but It would be dripping with sarcasm, so I’ll spare you.
Lol, awww, I wasn’t polite and respectful enough to Robbie. Now I know why you don’t take part in any ‘real’ discussions. Your feelings get hurt easily, and you like to use that as an excuse when you can’t intelligently counter any arguments or points other people bring up. Man, you’re so easy to figure out.
What bait have I set up for you? You basically called everyone on this site a racist drum beater and commented on how everyone is so negative. News flash your own words have betrayed you and exposed you so STFU you self righteous prick. Everything you have posted is in plain sight for everyone to see. Man, you’re one dumb motherfucker. See you in the morning love. Lol.
hmnnn… what bait? Well, for starters, you’re putting words in my mouth to try to get me to play your silly game. I didn’t call anyone on this site other than you a racist drumbeater, and by the way, you left out my modifier of spewing negativity. If you’re going to try to misrepresent me, at least be thorough. I do note however that even in your presumedly best attempts to try to get others to join you in your attempts to jump on ‘good ole robbie’ all you’ve succeeded in doing is looking stupid. Frankly, the only thing mT about you, is your head.
Glad to know you think I’m coming off as self righteous – clearly you’re not (that’s sarcasm in case you couldn’t pick up on it.) and please, don’t think you’ve hurt my feelings lol! you’re incapable of such a feat! Nighty night peaches!
Wow, do you not know how to read?! LOL!!! Did I not ask you in my previous post : “How have I beaten the racist drum Robbie? How have I spewed negativity? Can you please show specifically where I did those two things? Can you also show me how my post history differs from anyone else’s here?”
If you can’t answer this directly, then you are a stupid liar.
Furthermore, since we are posting in the Gate/Crowley post, what did I say that is beating the racist drum and how is it different from what everyone else is thinking besides you? Here, look here little boy…I had already asked this in my previous post but of course you completely avoided it. Here it is.
“You say that I “rather spew negativity and beat the racist drum.” Well, let’s see…99% of the posts from 99% of the people on this very Gates/Crowley blog share thoughts about the circumstances based on logic, some facts, the minority experience, and good old fashioned intellect much, much closer to my own thoughts than to yours. So when you call me a racist drum beater and negativity spewer, are you also talking about 99% of the people who posts on the this topic including those whose views you respect? So, let’s see…you respect certain people on here and even respect their views although you call them and their views racist drum beaters and negativity spewers. How does that work Robbie?”
It’s NOT A TRAP Robbie. It’s not putting words in your mouth. It’s called using simple logic to question your baseless words and logic to get clarification. And since you can’t actually refute anything I have brought up nor can you back up or clarify anything you’ve said without backtracking and looking stupid, you play your little duck and dodge game. You’re pathetic!
Robbie says “I do note however that even in your presumedly best attempts to try to get others to join you in your attempts to jump on ‘good ole robbie’ all you’ve succeeded in doing is looking stupid. Frankly, the only thing mT about you, is your head.”
Robbie says “and please, don’t think you’ve hurt my feelings lol! you’re incapable of such a feat!”
OMG, you’ve turned the tables so easily with your quick intellect, mastery of the one link counterpoint posting, and emotionally stoic, healthy self esteem that you keep reminding us of every other paragraph! LOL!!!! Dude, WTF are you talking about? You’re pathetic. People can just quickly do a search for ‘robert’ and see for themselves. You had your run in with plenty of people (including Byron who’s polite) on here already before I chimed in. To be honest, when I was reading part of your little spat with Larry, I actually thought Larry was getting out line. I was okay with you. But the more you posted, I started really getting the sense of who you really are. Then of course Byron pointed out your even dumber, self righteous, privileged posts from earlier. Yup, you’re the same old dumb son of a bitch.
Like I said awhile back ago, pick up a few books, make some real Asian friends, and get some real life experiences you loser. Don’t let this site be your only means of making imaginary Asian friends and don’t let making imaginary friends your hobby.
Okay, I am done with you. You’re such a dumb little motherfucker!
lol! round and round we go! I’m glad to hear you’re done with me, because you bore me. I love that you presume to know me based on a few posts online. If that’s all the depth that you have, I’m quite glad that you’re finished now. Maybe you can worry over other things now. I do love how quickly you lose your cool though and resort to expletives when you can’t make your points. To each their own mT, maybe one day you’ll wake up – or maybe grow up – and become a valuable person.
I really was planning to let this go, but since you’re encouraging people to search my past comments, i figured I’d do the same to yours and acquiesce to your request to post proof of my claims about you. Not to feed a fire, but just to point out your own hypocrisy mT. When have you said anything racist or negative?
mT: “…beyond the rapes white dudes are naturally prone to be rice chasing douchebags? I am just assuming the dude is white because they didn’t say, and that’s my point.
Shouldn’t all rice chasers kill themselves?”
I’d call that racist regardless of the point you were trying to make about the media.
mT: “where was Sam Yoon? Lol. Does he have better things to do than spend some of his weekend at a very small scale neighborhood arts festival?”
I’d call that negative
And let’s talk about not bringing anything to the discussion?
mT: “Wowee, wowee, WTF! 36 comments…most compelling post yet. Deconstructing interracial relationships FTW! Haha! Sorry nothing of value to say. Just here to say WTF! So WTF!”
And let’s not forget some of your older responses to me:
mT: “…Your whole counter point and example you gave about how “power is relative” is so dumb and therefore completely laughable. No one asked you to participate on this site. You could easily stop reading this site, stop commenting, and go about your nice little life. This site has no real consequential power over you. So if you don’t understand that, you’re an idiot.” – Negativity maybe?
And by the way, you admitted months ago that you never thought I was here to “grow”:
mT: “You say you are here to read and learn about minority views and issues.”
It’s interesting that your arguments change to suit your point.
Anyway, I think that’s enough to prove my comment.
Lol! You are one dumb motherfucker aren’t you? So you actually think by using trivial little one liners out of context, by using examples out of context that don’t even support your argument no matter how much you try to twist it in your little head, by having a lack of understanding of sarcasm, by having a lack of understanding of scope (big vs. small picture), and by having the reading comprehension of a 5th grader will prove your point and show everyone what a hippocrit I am. Wow! You are trying to compare what comes out of your pie hole with what I post? Wow! I’m flattered. But you really don’t understand anything do you? Do you know what apples and oranges are? LOL!
I guess you weren’t as bored as you thought you were with me! LOL, Get a new hobby dude…just read, read anything man…cause you are one dumb motherfucker!
Oh, see I gave you one, I spelled hypocrite wrong. Now go jump all over that and pat yourself on the back.
nah. People misspell all the time. And as I said before, I love how you twist your arguments to suit your needs. If you thought I would go back through your posts and copy/paste each one here, you’re crazy. I’ve qualified my point of view, you just don’t like the fact that you’ve made some comments that fall exactly in the parameters of what I called you out for. Get your own hobbies. Anyway, now I think I really am done with you. Thundercats ho!
keeps getting better…it was only a matter of time before the Boston area cops showed their true colors:
By Jason Kessler
CNN
(CNN) — A Boston police officer who sent a mass e-mail in which he referred to Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. as a “banana-eating” and a “bumbling jungle monkey” has been placed on administrative leave and faces losing his job.
Officer Justin Barrett, 36, who is also an active member of the National Guard, sent off a fiery e-mail to some fellow Guard members — as well as the Boston Globe — in which he vented his displeasure with a July 22 Globe column about Gates’ controversial arrest.
The columnist, Yvonne Abraham, supported Gates’ actions, asking readers, “Would you stand for this kind of treatment, in your own home, by a police officer who by now clearly has no right to be there?”
In his e-mail, which was posted on a local Boston television station’s Web site, Barrett declared that if he had “been the officer he verbally assaulted like a banana-eating jungle monkey, I would have sprayed him in the face with OC (oleorosin capsicum, or pepper spray) deserving of his belligerent non-compliance.”
Wow. You’d figure that a 36 year old racist would know better than to spread his views over e-mail. I’m guessing that this Barrett dude was probably emboldened by the lack of punishment that Crowley received. Haha…he’s probably thinking, “Hey, when am I going to get my invite for beers at the White House?”
Justice is only built under money and power……otherwise there is no justice….theres many lessons in this whole incident!!!!!
CNN) — A Boston police officer who sent a mass e-mail referring to Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. as a “banana-eating jungle monkey” has apologized, saying he’s not a racist.
Officer Justin Barrett told a Boston television station on Wednesday night that he was sorry for the e-mail.
“I regret that I used such words,” Barrett told CNN affiliate WCVB-TV. “I have so many friends of every type of culture and race you can name. I am not a racist.”
Barrett was placed on administrative leave after the e-mail surfaced, and he might lose his job as a result.
Barrett, 36, who is also an active member of the National Guard, sent off a fiery e-mail to some fellow Guard members — as well as The Boston Globe — in which he vented about a July 22 Globe column about Gates’ controversial arrest.
Gates, a top African-American scholar, was arrested on July 16 and accused of disorderly conduct after police responded to a report of a possible burglary at his Cambridge home. The charge later was dropped. The incident sparked a debate about racial profiling and police procedures.
Globe columnist Yvonne Abraham supported Gates’ actions, asking readers, “Would you stand for this kind of treatment, in your own home, by a police officer who by now clearly has no right to be there?”
In Barrett’s e-mail, which was posted on a Boston television station’s Web site, he declared that if he had “been the officer he verbally assaulted like a banana-eating jungle monkey, I would have sprayed him in the face with OC (oleoresin capsicum, or pepper spray) deserving of his belligerent non-compliance.”
Barrett used the “jungle monkey” phrase four times, three times referring to Gates and once referring to Abraham’s writing as “jungle monkey gibberish.”
He also declared that he was “not a racist but I am prejudice [sic] towards people who are stupid and pretend to stand up and preach for something they say is freedom but it is merely attention because you do not get enough of it in your little fear-dwelling circle of on-the-bandwagon followers.”
Barrett’s comments were taken out of context, said his attorney, Peter Marano.
“Officer Barrett did not call professor Gates a jungle monkey or malign him racially,” Marano said. “He said his behavior was like that of one. It was a characterization of the actions of that man.”
According to a statement from Boston police, Commissioner Edward Davis took action immediately on learning of Barrett’s remarks, stripping the officer of his gun and badge.
Barrett is “on administrative leave, pending the outcome of a termination hearing.”
CNN has been unable to reach Barrett for comment.
Davis wants Barrett, a two-year member of the Boston police, fired, a source close to the investigation said. But he will continue to be paid while on leave, and no date has been set for his termination hearing. ”
This is hilarious….I love how his lawyer is parsing, rationalizing and qualifying every racist slur. And some people think blacks and other minority groups over react to things. Well, when you hear shit like this, what are minorities supposed to think? How can minority groups NOT have suspicions and doubts in the back of their heads about the police? This is, unfortunately, an example that just feeds the resentment and anger of minority groups. This asshole just tainted all the good cops in the BPD.
Aww Mojo, you suck! I was just going to post that! You even took my points about his attorney – talk about spin! The depth of stupidity lurking in people amazes me sometimes. What the hell was that moron thinking? I am glad to see he’s at least going to likely lose his job. I’d like to see Gates sue this guy for defamation if for no other purpose than to set an example that people – particularly people in authority – need to be aware of their actions. What a jackass.