Earlier this week, a Harvard professor named Henry Louis Gates Jr came home to find his front door jammed.  While trying to get in, a neighbor mistook him for a burglar and called the police.  This is a simple error which should have been quickly resolved.  The police should have explained their reason for being there, Mr. Gates could have explained who he was, identification could have been checked, then each party could have gone their separate ways.  Instead, a misunderstanding of monumental proportions took place, which resulted in Mr. Gates, who is black,  being arrested and charged with disorderly conduct.

     Some people, including Mr. Gates and President Barack Obama, automatically assume that race was a factor.  During a national press conference, the President said he didn't know enough of the details to know exactly what happened, then he said the Cambridge police officer handled the case "stupidly."  Here are some quotes from Sergeant James Crowley:


"Mister Gates was given plenty of opportunities to stop what he was doing. He didn't. He acted very irrational he controlled the outcome of that event."

"There was a lot of yelling, there was references to my mother, something you wouldn't expect from anybody that should be grateful that you were there investigating a report of a crime in progress, let alone a Harvard University professor." 

According to the police report, Crowley asked Gates to talk outside, to which he responded "Yeah, I'll speak with your mama outside."


     Mr. Gates had this to say:


He said the white officer walked into his home without his permission and only arrested him as the professor followed him to the porch, repeatedly demanding the sergeant's name and badge number because he was unhappy over his treatment.

"This isn't about me; this is about the vulnerability of black men in America," Gates said.

He said the incident made him realize how vulnerable poor people and minorities are "to capricious forces like a rogue policeman, and this man clearly was a rogue policeman." 


     Most sensible people would agree that this whole situation could have been cleared up if Sgt. Crowley had initially checked Mr. Gates identification, which would have confirmed this was a misunderstanding.  There's just one problem: Henry Louis Gates Jr. initially refused to show his identification to Sgt Crowley.  Why would he do this?  If you were the officer, wouldn't you find it suspicious that a home owner won't show you their I.D. under these circumstances?  Most people would probably me more than happy to prove who they are so they can get on with their evening.  Yet, Mr. Gates refused to satisfy this simple request, he refused to discuss the situation on the porch, and he shouted at the officer. 

     Those who support Mr. Gates reaction and view Sgt James Crowley as a racist point to racial profiling.  A misunderstanding between a black citizen and a white police officer must be the result of negative stereotypes on the part of the police officer, right?  There's just one thing: Henry Louis Gates is a professorial man who is close to 60 years old.  Not your typical burglar I would say.  Does that description fit your stereotype of what you would expect a burglar to look like?

     For a little more insight on the situation, take a look at the police report.  When told by Sgt. Crowley that he was investigating a possible burglary, Mr. Gates reacted by saying, "why, because I'm a black man?"  Later on, he made similar statements while refusing to show his identification, and refusing to talk on the porch.  If a police officer came to my front door and asked me for identification or asked to step outside, I would do as I was asked.  I don't see what the problem is, unless one is anticipating a problem and assumes that a situation will follow a particular schema due to their own stereotypes and prejudices.  Basically, it appears that Mr. Gates was expecting a racist white cop and treated him accordingly, even though Sgt. Crowley didn't show any racist behavior and appears to have acted professionally.

     There was racism on that day, but it was exhibited by Henry Louis Gates Jr, not Sgt. James Crowley.  What's even more troubling is that the President of the United States has the audacity to say the police acted "stupidly," when they appeared to have acted properly and professionally.  It looks like Barrack Obama and Henry Louis Gates Jr share the same view on police officers, particularly white police officers.