Professor Gates, Harvard's Pride

[richlevy]

Well this takes the whole affair to a new level.

Officer Justin Barrett was suspended Tuesday after allegedly sending a copy of the racially charged e-mail about Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. to The Boston Globe and colleagues at the National Guard, referring to Gates as a "jungle monkey."

Of Gates, the e-mail said, "His first priority of effort should be to get off the phone and comply with police, for if I was the officer he verbally assaulted like a banana-eating jungle monkey, I would have sprayed him in the face with OC [pepper spray] deserving of his belligerent non-compliance." The e-mail also used the phrase "jungle monkey" two other times.

And of course, trust a lawyer to put a really bizarre spin on it.

Barrett's lawyer, Peter Marano, said his client, who did a tour of duty in Iraq in 2005, would not be speaking publicly.
"He's facing military criminal charges for this," said Marano. He said Barrett's letter could be construed as "conduct unbecoming in the military" and that could lead to time in the stockade -- or even the death penalty.
A National Guard spokesman said late this afternoon that Barrett was not facing criminal charges and there was no way that he would face the death penalty.
Barrett will fight the department if he is fired, Marano said.
"I think the department has taken such an outwardly over-proportional response," he said. "We have police officers who do heroin, cocaine and keep their job, beat their wives, keep their jobs. The mayor isn't out on TV saying they're g-o-n-e ... The issue is that it's a private e-mail from a private computer at home."

Death Penalty? Is Marano Italian for moron?

I'm trying to figure out from the last paragraph if it is Barrett or Marano who speaks so well of the drug using, wife beating members of the Boston Police.

A copy of Barrett's e-mail, which was addressed to Globe columnist Yvonne Abraham and criticized her July 21 column on the Gates incident, was released by police today. The long, rambling, angry screed against Abraham criticized her writing, her views, and Gates. Abraham writes today that Barrett's email was one of many that she deleted.

BTW, it's not a private e-mail if you send it to a newspaper columnist.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by jinx

Not to jump on the Merc wagon here, but what was the point? Obama invited them to a sit down so they could agree to disagree? Hell of a statesman... not.

The ground rules were what happened was not to be discussed, nor apologies asked for/given.
The purpose was to discuss how the black community and the police could build a better relationship. They did that and couldn't agree on a solution, but what it did accomplish is stop the escalation in the press of the original incident. Now the press is scrambling for ancillary stories.

You know when there's a plane crash, then for awhile any little thing that happens, involving a plane becomes a headline story ? This will be the same.

[jinx]

I had higher expectations. Seems like the first black president would have something real to say about race relations, something people could take away and think about, something that might affect change...
I think at the very least, after the "acted stupidly" remark he had some diplomatic ground to make up. Didn't.

[Cloud]

Why do I think the reason they could not come to an agreement is because Gates is a fractious, recalcitrant, son of a bitch? I think Obama could charm birds out of trees, especially in person, unless the bird shuts its eyes and ears and utterly refuses to listen.

[Shawnee123]

"Victims" are too busy being indignant to listen.

[Trilby]

Originally Posted by Happy Monkey

I'm sick of people acting like cops are wild animals, and if you don't tiptoe around them you deserve what you get.

I know I'm late to this party, but amen to that, monkey. Most cops I know are fucking buzztards who think they are entitled to walk into a home and start making life decisions for the owner. With a taser.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by jinx

I had higher expectations. Seems like the first black president would have something real to say about race relations, something people could take away and think about, something that might affect change...
I think at the very least, after the "acted stupidly" remark he had some diplomatic ground to make up. Didn't.

Yeah, after Obama put his foot in his mouth, when he pulled it out he left his shoe behind.
I don't expect Crowley to acknowledge the cops have a small percentage bullies, nor Gates to acknowledge the black population has a small percentage of niggers.

[Trilby]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

...the cops have a small percentage bullies,

small percentage?
I do believe it's a requirement to be a bully to become a cop in Kettering. Of course, Michiganers DO refer to Ohio as a "nazi state"....

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

Yeah, after Obama put his foot in his mouth, when he pulled it out he left his shoe behind.
I don't expect Crowley to acknowledge the cops have a small percentage bullies, nor Gates to acknowledge the black population has a small percentage of niggers.

I would venture to say that the percentage is much larger than small on both sides.

[Spexxvet]

Originally Posted by Elspode

Flint hits the nail squarely on the head. White folks are *not* allowed to comment on race. Only people who are *not* white are so allowed, and they can bash away with all the forces of righteousness, without making the qualification that "assholes are assholes, not just white people", and it is not only acceptable, it is *encouraged*.

So I ask us all...which race is more racist? And how are we to have a dialogue towards easing tensions, righting wrongs and coming together if we cannot point out, honestly and openly, our cultural foibles that may work against us?

There are tests of this. Try throwing a White Heritage Festival and see how far you get. Then call for a Caucasian History Month in all schools. Have a White Film Festival, an Association for the Advancement of Caucasian People or a WET (White Entertainment Television - lots of reruns of Leave it to Beaver, I presume). You, the hypothetic organizer, would instantly become the most racist, bigoted person on the planet. Yet each and every one of the proposed entities I speculate above has it's African American counterpart. So how come it isn't racist in that context?

Racist is racist. Like being an asshole, it is not the province of a single color, religion or ethnicity. Racism is a two way street, period. The time has past for standing upon wrongs which cannot be undone, but which have been put as right as they can be at this point in time. Time to stop pointing fingers and to roll up the sleeves and get on with the hard work of getting on.

I agree with the above.

Originally Posted by Elspode

...Having a major fucking attitude is verging on being a cultural imperative in the African American community - or at least a significant percentage of it...

I think you're painting individuals with a wide brush. It's like saying "all Pagans are promiscuous, Christian-hating, imbeciles".

[Elspode]

Would it be fair if I said that I note that a larger percentage of attitudinal, brash, rude assholes seemed to be African American, as opposed to other races, or would I be required to conduct an objective study and cite the resultant figures, adjusted for statistical standard deviation?

And for the record, a larger percentage of sexually promiscuous, Christian-hating people I observe *are* Pagan.

[Aliantha]

Originally Posted by Elspode

Would it be fair if I said that I note that a larger percentage of attitudinal, brash, rude assholes seemed to be African American, as opposed to other races, or would I be required to conduct an objective study and cite the resultant figures, adjusted for statistical standard deviation?

Well until you conduct that study, it's only your opinion rather than a fact.

[ZenGum]

I'm trying to imagine the questionnaire you'll need for that study:

(1) Please identify yourself
(a) Honky
(b) Spic
(c) Nigger
(d) Slope
(e) towel-head
(f) other darkie

(2) Are you an asshole?
(a) yes
(b) no

(3) Who do you blame for bad things in your life?
(a) yourself
(b) other people today
(c) historical injustices
(d) government conspiracy
(e) meddling kids

(4) If a pig busted you, would you:
(a) call your lawyer
(b) call you congressman
(c) call your homies
(d) call your momma
(e) pop a cap in his fat ass

Thank you for participating in this survey. All results are confidential. Unless you answered (d) to question (3), but we know who you are anyway.

[Aliantha]

lol...Ooops...is it racist if I laugh at that quiz?

[Elspode]

Originally Posted by Aliantha

Well until you conduct that study, it's only your opinion rather than a fact.

Yeah, but I don't believe I cited any facts when I made the original statement about assholishness being a cultural phenomenon, so I figured it was obvious that it was my opinion.