Henry Louis Gates

Professor Gates Sergeant Crowley Cambridge One Year Anniversary Talking Blues

Mike Reilly — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 01:22:58 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RD-lJPWShk

Being “disrespectful” to police in your own home, even if you’re cooperating, is now grounds for arrest?

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 18:24:01 +0000

The Cambridge Review Committee, which investigated last July’s arrest of Harvard University scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. by Officer James Crowley has issued it's report PDF. The strenuously even-handed independent review panel concludes that being “disrespectful” to police in your own home, even if you’re cooperating with an inquiry, is now grounds for arrest.

Harvard prof, Cambridge cop go to a pub

adamg — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:02:03 +0000

Channel 4 reports; doesn't say if Gates and Crowley had a beer as they talked at River Gods for an hour.

Our latest tourist attraction: Henry Louis Gates

adamg — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 23:15:48 +0000

The Chicago Tribune today provides the ultimate stupid tourist's guide to Cambridge. Full of helpful advice (never lick the statue of John Harvard; look both ways before you cross the street and don't worry if the locals think you're a dweeb), the story also advises you not to bother staking out Gates's house because you'll have much better luck stalking him at his favorite burger joint.

Thanks to Monique for forwarding this.

Former cop's thoughtful assessment of Gates/Crowley

david_yamada — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 20:59:42 +0000

Charles Hayes is an Alaska denizen, former Dallas police officer, and author of some very thoughtful books about adult learning and lifespan development. His commentary on the Gates-Crowley incident is perhaps the most insightful I've read. Hayes ultimately concludes that Crowley erred and Gates likely committed no crime, but he does so with a calm voice. You don't have to agree with his conclusion to draw understanding from his observations. Here are some snippets, but the short essay is worth reading in its entirety:

Boston police commissioner calls Gates to apologize for cop's e-mail

adamg — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 18:25:05 +0000

Transcript of Police Commissioner Ed Davis's statement at a news conference today on Justin Barrett's e-mail to Globe columnist Yvonne Abraham:

The Boston Police Department is committed to a standard of excellence. Our community rightly has high expectations for us. It is a standard that the community deserves and we are required to meet. Officer Barrett's actions do not comply with those expectations.

Barrett's email was racist and inflammatory. These racist opinions and feelings have no place in this department or in our society and will not be tolerated.

Barrett's comments were directed at Harvard University Professor Henry Louis Gates. I regret the direct insult toward Professor Gates and have personally reached out to him to apologize for this offense and inform him of the Department's immediate efforts to make this officer accountable. ...

Oh, for Christ's sake: Boston cop refers to Gates by racial slur in e-mail

adamg — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 19:46:54 +0000

UPDATE: Channel 25 has posted a copy of the message, which is not just racist but misogynist.

A cop who works in Area B-3 - which covers Mattapan and Dorchester - faces termination for sending out a mass e-mail in which he referred to Henry Louis Gates as "a jungle monkey," Channel 5 reports.

Justin Barrett, 36, was suspended pending a hearing on whether he should be kicked off the force. The Herald reports Commissioner Ed Davis immediately stripped Barrett - also a member of the state National Guard - of his badge and gun.

Neither outlet is reporting exactly what was in the e-mail besides the slur. The Herald says a copy was re-mailed to the Globe, which, as I type, has yet to post anything. UPDATE: The Globe finally posted something, but also doesn't explain the context.

Gates 911 caller never mentioned race

adamg — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 11:40:55 +0000

Cambridge Police only acknowledge that after the woman's been dragged through the mud for a week - and after the woman's lawyer has a chat with the Globe.

Gatesgate

Anonymous — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 20:35:50 +0000

Sure, we should treat the cops with respect and society shouldn't encourage people to be reflexively hostile to police. They have a tough job, and we should all be properly respectful of people who are doing a dangerous and necessary job for the community. But when a citizen doesn't behave well, if not illegally, as will happen in a free society, it is incumbent upon the police, the ones with the tasers and the handcuffs and the guns, to exercise discretion wisely and professionally. And when they don't, we shouldn't make excuses for them.

It's not over till somebody pens some poetry about it

adamg — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 13:40:58 +0000

Thirteen Ways of Looking at the Arrest of Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

Via Kisrael.com

Also, further proof of just how wonderful the Interwebs are comes when you look at how quickly somebody registered a domain name based on the incident.

Obama calls Crowley; says Gates overreacted too

adamg — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 19:09:15 +0000

And now he thinks he can get back to health care.

Gates case proves too much for bostonherald.com

adamg — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 17:35:57 +0000

So why is bostonherald.com like a good pillow?

It's down.

The arrest of Skip Gates, legitimate application of law?

Anonymous — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 00:03:18 +0000

Defenders of Crowley seem to want to fall in line with an assumption that police authority is legitimate (or at least insurmountable) irrespective of law;

Defenders of Gates seem to want to see the practical application of police authority be bound by the relevant law.

-Hmmm.

What's your take?

Cambridge to set up independent Gatesgate commission

adamg — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 21:10:42 +0000

Cambridge Police Commissioner Robert Haas said this afternoon the city is setting up a panel of "independent notable professionals" to study what happened between Henry Louis Gates and Sgt. James Crowley last Thursday at Gates's Ware Street home.

Haas emphasized, however, that he stands behind Crowley and that nothing he has seen has convinced him that Crowley acted in anything less than a professional manner when he responded to a report of a possible housebreak.

"I do not believe in any way that his interactions were racially motivated," he said. He said every incident can be a learning experience and that the panel would be given full access to department records to come up with recommendations on how to avoid a similar situation in the future.

Also, the department takes great pride in its professionalism in a multiculti city and so was "deeply hurt" by Obama's comments about how stupidly it acted.

Crowley: Asked Gates to come outside to protect himself

adamg — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 15:54:55 +0000

"I know what I did was right," he tells Dennis and Callahan this morning, in his most detailed comments on the case since the police report.