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PERISCOPE

Obama wrong about incident between black scholar and Irish cop

By
Niall O'Dowd

Published Thursday, July 23, 2009, 2:26 PM
Updated Tuesday, July 28, 2009, 9:56 PM


Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

LATEST: OBAMA AND GATES MEETING FOR A PINT THURSDAY AT WHITE HOUSE: CLICK HERE

OBAMA REACHED CAMBRIDGE COP CROWLEY AT IRISH PUB: CLICK HERE

NIALL O'DOWD: WHY GUINNESS WOULD BE GOOD FOR OBAMA, GATES AND CROWLEY: CLICK HERE

PROF. HENRY GATES IS HALF-IRISH AND RELATED TO THE COP WHO ARRESTED HIM: CLICK HERE

MEET GATES' IRISH ANCESTOR, WARLORD KING NIALL OF THE NINE HOSTAGES: CLICK HERE

NIALL O'DOWD: OBAMA WRONG ABOUT INCIDENT BETWEEN BLACK SCHOLAR AND IRISH COP: CLICK HERE

NIALL O'DOWD: OBAMA NEEDS TO STICK TO 'JUST THE FACTS, MAAM': CLICK HERE

Irish American cop James Crowley, who is at the center of a racial storm over his arrest of renowned black scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr., is correct not to apologize to Gates. He is also correct to fault President Obama for getting involved.

The story is clear. Gates came home to his apartment near Harvard University from an overseas trip, found his front door jammed and with the help of a friend, tried to break in. A neighbor saw the incident and called cops thinking a burglary was in progress. She identified “two black males with backpacks“ as the people who were trying to break and enter.

Crowley arrived and understandably asked that Gates show him identification when he said he lived in the house. Gates at first refused, and then accused Crowley of racism. He admits he began shouting at Crowley and followed him out onto the porch and made references to his mother.

Crowley then arrested him for disorderly behavior — charges that were later dropped.

It seems to me that Crowley acted completely correctly. He did not shoot or in any way physically threaten Gates. He tried to ascertain his identity, and when Gates became obnoxious, arrested him. You can’t stereotype cops anymore than you can stereotype blacks — even though there are many who do both.

After that all hell broke loose culminating in President Obama, while acknowledging he did not know the full facts, strongly criticizing Crowley for the arrest.

Yes, I know there is a dreadful history of cops picking on black suspects — but in this case Sgt. Crowley is well-known as a tiptop police officer who has a sterling reputation.

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Obama wrong in incident between black scholar Gates and Irish cop | Irish News | IrishCentral


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