Obama Called Cop Who Arrested Gates, Still Sees 'Overreaction' in Gates' Arrest

Only one question in my mind: Did this guy show his ID?

If he did, then the cops were wrong in arresting him PERIOD!

If he didn't, I still believe this could have been resolved w/o an arrest if the police has simply asked for ID.

EDIT: Also, I will bet dollars to doughnuts (no pun intended) that with Presidential privilege, Obama knew EVERY detail of the incident...especially if Wright was a friend of his...otherwise, he waould not have commented any further than to say: this is an unfortunate incident.

[edit on 24-7-2009 by Aggie Man]

reply to post by danj3ris


The fact of the case is that this issue has nothing to do with race. If people start going around lenching people for no other reason because of race, then that is a different situation. The only person that made this about race was Gates.

His right to free speech? He is the president and when he is in front of the camera or giving a press conference he is essentially speaking for America, he is acting within a job capacity. Just like if you worked for a company and you are bad mouthing the company on their time you can be fired.

He can go and make all the comments he wants behind closed doors, but when he is speaking on the record he needs to be more presidential and quit acting like an amateur.

How did the cops act stupidly? Gates was being arrested on disorderly conduct, for acting disorderly. If you go mouthing off at the mouth and giving them a hard time for doing their job trying to watch out for his home, that is stupid.

Edit to add -

He is horrible, there is no change, he's Bush 43's third term.

[edit on 24-7-2009 by Hastobemoretolife]

Originally posted by Ulala


Very few actually criticise the KKKops.

Wow. You seem to be trying really hard.

Do you think the black cop that was on scene and agreed with his fellow officer was a member of the KKKops as well? I didn't know they let 'them people' in. Please.

You don't have to go far to find a whole heck of a lot of posts flaming cops here on ATS. I know, I've done it a couple times myself.

Did the cop overreact? Probably. Was it because of race? Maybe. Did it deserve a call from the President, or him sticking his nose in it? Nope. Don't think so.

Did Prof. Gates overreact? Probably? Was it because of race? Maybe. Did HE deserve a call from the President? Nope. Gates and Obama are tight. That is the only reason anything was done.

Now we have the Prez interfering in the business of the cops, which is going to set a dangerous precedent. It won't be long before Obama uses this type of incident, which probably happens hundreds of times per day, as an excuse to federalize all of the police forces.

Do we need to work on our racial relations? Most definitely. It seems to me like the responsibility for that certainly doesn't lie on the shoulders of just one race.

Originally posted by KSPigpen
Now we have the Prez interfering in the business of the cops, which is going to set a dangerous precedent.

You are right. Presidents usually don't interfere until it is time to give a PARDON to a friend that has been CONVICTED of a crime.

i havent seen any other gates thread through my quick search just now but i saw this one and just want to comment on one thing

throughout the time ive spent here on ats ive seen some true atrocities committed by law enforcement

much worse then this situation


what i like is that this situation has bought attention to the abuse by law enforcement

what angers me is instead of focusing on the abuse by law enforcement as a whole

they are b.s.ing and focusing just on the race card and that really angers me


obama says it happens to latins and blacks

what about whites and asians and those from the middle east

we are all being screwed and hurt by law enforcement

this is NOT JUST A RACE THING

this is a corrupt screwed up law enforcement system

and it needs to be addressed, not just as a race but as a whole

and if all obama is going to do is pull the race card and focus on how hes the black american president

then i hope he fails soon and gets the hell out of office because we need realism not this figment of imagination change crap

to those who say obama shouldnt stick his nose in this


i fully disagree

at some point within this situation where law enforcement needs true change a high acting member of government needs to address the situation


what needs to not be done though is having that politician focusing soley on the race crap

like many said even the black cop was there and says the white cop did the right thing

its not about race

its about idiots in law enforcement who abuse their power and cant find a way to be diplomatic and solve problems without force or without abusing their power


no matter what gates did, whether he swore at them and talked crap about the cops mothers

once the cops knew the man wasnt breaking and entering they should have left

instead, because gates and the cop exchanged words, the cop had to save face and use his power to win the argument

even when cops are wrong, they wont admit defeat they will do whatever it takes to win the situation and thats what we need politicians to address

Originally posted by Aggie Man
EDIT: Also, I will bet dollars to doughnuts (no pun intended) that with Presidential privilege, Obama knew EVERY detail of the incident...especially if Wright was a friend of his...otherwise, he waould not have commented any further than to say: this is an unfortunate incident.

Wright? Don't you mean Gates?

I can understand confusing the two. Both are black, friends of Obama, and racists.

I have no issue with what President Obama said regarding the arrest. For me, it is refreshing to hear a politician speak frankly. I am used to Ron Paul speaking frankly, but this was refreshing to hear Obama speaking his mind without worrying about the status quo.

The real issue that the media doesn't want to address is that all parties involved in this incident may in fact be right. In fact I think that is what Obama was alluding to. The police were possibly acting within their authority, and Gates didn't do anything necessarily criminal, but the end result is that the policy of the department needs to be looked at as infringing on a persons civil rights.

Originally posted by KSPigpen

Originally posted by Ulala


Very few actually criticise the KKKops.

Wow. You seem to be trying really hard.

Do you think the black cop that was on scene and agreed with his fellow officer was a member of the KKKops as well? I didn't know they let 'them people' in. Please.

You don't have to go far to find a whole heck of a lot of posts flaming cops here on ATS. I know, I've done it a couple times myself.

Did the cop overreact? Probably. Was it because of race? Maybe. Did it deserve a call from the President, or him sticking his nose in it? Nope. Don't think so.

Did Prof. Gates overreact? Probably? Was it because of race? Maybe. Did HE deserve a call from the President? Nope. Gates and Obama are tight. That is the only reason anything was done.

Now we have the Prez interfering in the business of the cops, which is going to set a dangerous precedent. It won't be long before Obama uses this type of incident, which probably happens hundreds of times per day, as an excuse to federalize all of the police forces.

Do we need to work on our racial relations? Most definitely. It seems to me like the responsibility for that certainly doesn't lie on the shoulders of just one race.

The President was asked a question about the incident. He didn't bring it up to "stick his nose " in it. And, the disorderly conduct thing is just an overused escuse used by cops to shut people up.