I saw a darkie breaking into the house across the street...Follow

I don't think anyone's saying that racism doesn't exist. I just don't think that this exact case is a result of racism. Ineptitude on the part of the caller, and asshattery on the part of Gates and the officer both, but not really racism. Just because something bad happened to a black guy doesn't mean that it's a result of racial discrimination.

It really looks more like an irate cop getting fed up and arresting someone because he's had a bad day, been called out on a false alarm and the someone in question is kind of being a jerk.

Because as a white male, he has the privilege of knowing that when bad things happen to him, it's probably not because of his race.

The point is, for many black people (and hispanic people, too, for that matter), any confrontation with the police cannot reasonably be extricated from questions of race, even if the cop is of the same race as the person in question. The individual's cultural experience makes it about race.

It is counterproductive, in the same way that paranoia is counterproductive when only some people are out to get you instead of everyone.

No. If it were a friend of mine, I would feel outraged on their behalf, as well.

Maybe, maybe not. The difference between me and you is that I won't presume to think I'm somehow better than you. All I know for sure is that I'm very different, and I appreciate that difference. Also, you're just ******* old, that's all.

I would kind of sort of like my ques answered

Anyway



None of those things are mutually exclusive with racism. Racism doesn't even have to be present with pitchforks, slurs, or even just behavioral discrimination. It's insidious, and exists in perceptions that we might not even recognize, and I think that a lot of people are making an extremely complex issue into some bifurcated entity. Is it possible that this isn't a case of Gate's race influencing the cops response? Yeah. Should that stop us from questioning whether or not racism was present? No. It's a good thing to be vigilant against this stuff. It's ridiculously stupid to conclude that racism influenced behavior, much more so that it was the primary or only condition of the arrest, but to dismiss Gate's behavior as purely paranoid or unprovoked, on the basis of the police report, calling Gate's a liar simply to agree with what is invariably a biased opinion meant to justify the actions of the police reeks of willful blindness.

Seriously... simplifying this to racism or not racism is just way too well, simplified. Situations like this should cause you angst when thinking about it, making you question justice and equality and all of that good **** and cause you to engage in internal monologue about the topic and possibly even talk about it with other people, allowing you to share experiences and debate about this crap, hopefully resulting in a broadened opinion for lots of dudes of various races, rather than some divisive issue that only deepens differences.

See, there you go, passive aggressive. Struck a chord, huh, hon? Maybe you shouldn't go around making personal insults about people and then act like you are taking the higher road.

Edited, Jul 27th 2009 3:27pm by Annabella

No, I do. I think you aren't very insightful.

I just love it when you two crazy kids make eyes at each other like this.

Anna has delicious bisexual tits.

Also, BD has mother issues.