re: #313 Fenway_Nation

Actually, let me correct myself- I bet the hostility towards Sgt. Crowley was genuine.

OK. THAT, we definitely agree on.

Awhile back, a sherriff’s deputy comes by and knocks on the front door of casa de Fenway (not an everyday occurance). For whatever reason, he wanted to know how long I had been living there. I answered and…here’s the kicker…provided ID when asked. He explained that he stopped by because he recieved information that someone was squatting in a vacant residence in the area…and either they gave him the wrong address or the tip was bogus.

What do you think would’ve happened if I started yelling and swearing at him and telling him that he had no right to be there and he was a racist before he even asked me for ID?

But that isn’t what happened with Gates. The officer asked him to step outside, and Gates would not. Gates asked (reasonably, IMO) Why? And he probably was belligerent. But Gates let the officer in and provided ID.

How would you feel if a cop knocked on your door and his first questions to you were requests that you step outside your house? Wouldn’t you be a little freaked? I would be.

Maybe gratuitously bring up the deputy’s hispanic last name to boot?

But do Hispanic officers have a history of profiling and targeting people of your demographic? This does make a difference to how we respond to police officers.

Look, I can fully believe that Gates acted badly, yelled at the officer, etc. But I still think it’s pretty messed up that you can be arrested because the officer doesn’t like the way you spoke to him. And that seems to be what happened. He’s a cop. Why didn’t he just walk away?