Jul 29 2009
The Gates Arrest: A Teachable Moment
President Barack Obama will be playing host tomorrow to African-American scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. and white Cambridge Massachusetts police sergeant James Crowley. The White House meeting between the three has no formally announced agenda, but has been billed as an opportunity for dialogue stemming from the recent disorderly conduct arrest of Gates outside his house by Crowley that has generated a large amount of media coverage. Returning from a trip to China, the Harvard professor had trouble attempting to enter his home when his neighbor phoned police of a possible break in. Police on the scene arrested Gates for disorderly conduct – charges that have since been dropped – after the scholar provided proof of his residency. Following the news of the incident, President Obama first commented by saying that the Cambridge police had acted stupidly and that a long history of blacks and Latinos being stopped disproportionately by law enforcement is a matter of fact. The President later expressed regret for his comment and invited both Crowley and Gates to the White House.
GUEST: Vincent Warren, Executive Director of the Center for Constitutional Rights
For more information, visit www.ccrjustice.org.
One Response to “The Gates Arrest: A Teachable Moment”
An insult to the U.S. Constitution; professors and presidents fear the police (and their political powers). What possible chance can a mere mortal have?