July 24, 2009 archive

“Lip?” What Ever Happened to “Rights?”

We’re all now well familiar with the bust of Professor Henry Louis Gates on the front porch of his own home after police in Cambridge decided to arrest him for giving them some “lip” about their overzealousness. Was it a racist incident? Actually, probably not, despite Obama’s defense at the presser yesterday.

But Obama was right to say that “any of us” would have been angry about their treatment. And yes, the police were stupid. Unfortunately, their stupidity is now enshrined as SOP for all police everywhere in a post-9-11 world. It has to do with rights, and what happens to people who assert their rights.

An article up on Yahoo points out that Sgt. Crowley is “disappointed that Obama defended his friend in public. Because his itty feewings were hurt by Gates’ saying something insulting about his mama. Bullshit! We pay police to be above and beyond such crap, they’re supposed to remain cool and calm in situations that would lead ordinary people they’re policing to a barfight (that the police were called upon to quell).

Load more