I don't think so.....
Obama slammed for criticizing arrest of black professor
Many police officers across the United States have a message for President Barack Obama: Get all the facts before criticizing one of our own.
- Gates gaffe an uncharacteristic stumble for sure-footed Obama
-
Full Comment's Araminta Wordsworth brings you a regular dose of international punditry at its finest. Today: President Barack Obama bought himself some unnecessary trouble when he responded to a question about the arrest of Henry Louis Gates Jr., the distinguished director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African & African American Reseach, by suggesting police had acted "stupidly."
The furore over the arrest of the black Harvard professor by a white police officer was just about dying down when the President offered his opinion at a televised press conference. The Cambridge, Mass., police force had collectively apologized. Mr. Gates was talking of closure. Even the Rev. Al Sharpton, professional rabble-rouser, had fallen silent.
Then Mr. Obama, the first African-American in the White House, chose to stir up the hornets’ nest again. At the end of a press conference aimed at selling his health-care plan, he was asked whether Mr. Gates -- a personal friend -- was being racially profiled. He said he didn’t know, but opined police were “acting stupidly” to cuff Gates after he had identified himself.
In this he ignored the reason the professor was detained: it was for disorderly conduct and mouthing off at officers. According to the police report, he shouted at Sergeant James Crowley, “Ya, I’ll speak with your mama outside.” That would probably get most people arrested — white, black or rainbow.
No comments:
Post a Comment