Monday, July 27, 2009

It will have to be more than a "moment".


Sorry A-merry-ca, I am not learning from your so called racial "teachable moment". Well, I take that back. I am learning, but I am guessing it's not what you wanted me to learn

Now I said I wouldn't comment on this story until more tapes came out revealing what actually happened on Ware street in Cambridge. And, low and behold, tapes from the 911 calls during the incident were released today. Those tapes, my friends, were telling. ("Teachable moment" my ass! )


"I just saw it from a distance, and this older woman was worried, thinking somebodies breaking in someones house and they've been barging in,..... She interrupted me, and that's when I noticed. Otherwise, I probably wouldn't have noticed it at all, to be honest with you. So I was just calling because she was a concerned neighbor, I guess."


See field, and you were killing that poor woman. Calling her Mrs. Kravitz and all types of names for being a nosey racist. Just admit you were wrong. Not so fast. First of all, I still think she is a nosey ass racist, and I still think she is full of shit. Let's make one thing clear: The reason she felt a need to call 911 in the firt place is because she saw TWO BLACK MEN TRYING TO PUSH THEIR WAY INTO A HOUSE. PERIOD! "In the call, Lucia Whalen reports seeing 'two larger men, one looked kind of Hispanic, but I'm not really sure, and the other one entered, and I didn't see what he looked like at all."' Soooo let me see now, you first said you saw two men but you didn't see what one of them looked like? Hmmmmm, so what Ms. Whalen is saying is that when she saw the men she could not really describe them. Fine. But could she describe their race? I submit to you that she could and it's why she made the call in the first place. Which is why, in spite of her attorney's promulgations to the contrary, Ms. Whalen still needs a "teachable moment" in my book. Yet her attorney is screaming bloody murder because people continue to characterize her client as a racist; when, according to her, she never made mention of the suspect's race in the 911 call. Yes, but she made the call, and what do you think triggered the call in the first place? She said one of the men looked "kind of Hispanic". Oh gee, thank god she didn't say he was black......"kind of Hispanic". I will leave that one to hang out there a little.


Anywhooo, here is the quote from CNN that has my racialist antennas just buzzing at the tips:


"Attorney Wendy Murphy, who represents Whalen, also categorically rejected part of the police report that said Whalen talked with Sgt. James Crowley, the arresting officer, at the scene.


"Let me be clear: She never had a conversation with Sgt. Crowley at the scene,' Murphy told CNN by phone. 'And she never said to any police officer or to anybody 'two black men.' She never used the word 'black.' Period.'


She added, 'I'm not sure what the police explanation will be. Frankly, I don't care. Her only goal is to make it clear she never described them as black. She never saw their race. ... All she reported was behavior, not skin color.'


Hmmmm, never spoke to an officer at the scene contrary to police reports. And there sure doesn't seem like there should have be a sense of urgency when the officer's responded to this call. Maybe that's why officer Jim Crow (thanks Rippa) went in alone. Which kind of shoots down his account of things doesn't it?


"In the police report, filed by Crowley, he says he spoke with Whalen outside the home before he approached Gates' house. 'She went on to tell me that she observed what appeared to be two black males with backpacks on the porch of Ware Street,' the report says. 'She told me that her suspicions were aroused when she observed one of the men wedging his shoulder into the door as if he was trying to force entry.'"


As my people from down South like to say: "Somebody's milk ain't clean"


I wonder how many people in the MSM will try to get to the bottom of who is lying here? I am guessing a big fat zero. Why? Because we have all moved on, that's why. The "teachable moment" has passed, and it's recess time.


Now who has the beers?

220 comments:

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TrueBlue said...

Grinder, so now, you saying that because Gates was an elite, he should have just accepted his lot in life and just lay down like a dog to be treated like shit?

You've got a serious reading comprehension problem, so let me be blunter. If you're at the top, I think you shouldn't act like an asshole.

See, that is what u and a lot of white people don't get, if Gates was a white elite, nobody would have even called in the first place, all his neighors would have run out to help him and the po-lice would have helped him open the door. The police would just see him as an old man with a limp who couldn't get his door open, instead, they arrested him. See that is the double standard, Grinder, maybe Gates didn't even understand that point until now.

Yeah, no one would've reported a possible break-in. Well, I can say this much: If I were Gates I'd be hiring a private security service because I doubt anyone will ever call the cops if someone tries it in the future.

If I lived in the neighborhood, I sure as hell wouldn't, anyway.

Black Diaspora said...

@Grinder: "If $91 million is chicken feed, I'd be happy with a half a bucket of KFC."

You're making my point: The brother's in the job primarily because it's small potatoes for a Big Cheese. Fleecing those companies can't be that much of a challenge, and the rewards are low.

I know. I know. $91 million represents a lot of chicken mash for you, but for the Master Swindler, it's either Bernie Madoff kind of money, or nothing at all.

Of course, we can't leave out Affirmative Action, that other blight on the land. Not!

Grinder, you haven't really countered my arguments all that well, and, at the moment, you've got a lot of irons in the fire--a possible reason.

I don't know how you handle them all without getting burned. Did I say, "without getting burned"?

I suspect that you're in a "Burn Unit" as we speak.

Maybe I'll get back to you another day. Stay well!

TrueBlue said...

I had a friend who worked for a military contractor, and they had a wonderful acronymn: "KMACYOYO." It meant, "Kiss my ass, colonel, you're on your own." It was reserved for certain arrogant jerks, said behind their backs.

If I lived or worked across the street from Gates's house now, and saw someone climbing in the window, I'd think to myself, "KMACYOYO" and go back to what I was doing. Who needs the hassle?

GrannyStandingforTruth said...

Grinder:

After what they put Gates through, he probably wouldn't want them coming to his house. Because they might make another false arrest or fill out another false police report or taser him or shoot him or beat him to death like they are so accustomed to doing blacks and getting away with it.

Anonymous said...

Grinder,
I agree that Gates could have handled the situation with Crowley differently instead of sinking to the level of a yelling maniac. Most black men, and probably Whites too, know better than to start yelling and trashing a cop.

Unfortunately, he has lost some respect publicly and at Harvard. Also, as a neighbor, I wouldn't bother with him. And I suspect that the entire Cambridge police department isn't happy with him, either.

Hmmm. I bet that if Gates could do it all over again, he would do it differently.

GrannyStandingforTruth said...

Yeah, and Crowley didn't have to set him up to make up a false police report and lie. No problem though because what goes around comes around, it will happen to some white person and it will be worse. Then will see how magnanimous your defense in the police behalf will be.

Anonymous said...

See what you field kneegrows got to start realizing is that NO white person uniformed or not would ever have the first thought to comes to mind when lying on a black person; is, will they believe me, see that's our 500yr beast of burden and their 500yr old race card that they like to so handily pass off as ours lately, we don't even own a deck of cards, let alone have a seat at the table. I mean they might let us in the room but we damn sure have never had our turn to deal the hands. From the President to the press to internal affairs you will NEVER hear nor see where officer Jim Crow was questioned on where he got the two black men description from, to the CARRYING backpacks, to what he really said in the professor's kitchen and as to why would you feel the need to lie on a citizen at any point, whether it was the caller or the dispatcher. See that would take exmaining officer Jim Crows true motives for even being a police. And also it might start the real teaching points, examining the racist in these studies instead of examining the victim, isn't the racist the one with the unhumane character trait that needs to be examined. It's like saying reverse racism, what the hell is that? It's like someone mugging you and you fight back and are called a reverse mugger, NO, I beg to differ, it's called defending yourself it's nothing reverse in it, survival, I don't know yall, I'm so sick of these Black in America boule' house kneegrows getting air time while I have to go to work and let them yt folks know I'm more of the Malcolm kneegrow, no harm meant to Martin, I don't even drink milk unless it's chocolate, KNEEGROWSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

TrueBlue said...

Anon 12:14, I agree with you. And I think most people of any race know that only fools, or those acting foolishly, yell at a police officer.

Vérité Parlant said...

I don't care about Whalen and what she did or didn't see. What I find interesting is that she says Crowley is lying about speaking to her. She's just a person on the street and hasn't sworn to be anybody's public servant. However, Crowley has sworn to protect the public. By arresting Gates he didn't protect anyone. He just wasted tax dollars in a pissing match.

Even Gates tries to make it sound like he was polite and not yelling as though he had no right to show anger. Does it matter if he was angry or docile? He wasn't violent. He wasn't a threat.

(But is it ever wise to mouth off at a police officer?)

Crowley arrested Gates for insulting him. He arrested a man for speaking his mind in his own home and on his own porch, and there's the real injustice. Racism, classicism, agism, and authoritarianism are all at play here. As others have said around the Web, this same thing could have happened to another black man, an unknown black man, and he'd have to fight it in court or pay the fine.

Whats-her-face officer sticking up for Crowley is to be expected as well. She no longer sees herself as black. She's blue, a common switch of loyalties in police culture, and she probably feels that the peon citizens should never question, challenge, or ask police for ID.

Obama, well. What he says and does shouldn't surprise anyone. He didn't get to the White House being a radical no matter what Sarah Palin says. Unless something happens to fundamentally change American culture, there will never be a black radical in the White House. Never.

Neither will there ever be anyone in the White House who doesn't get scared and back off statements when the majority of voters show outrage at his/her comments. Well, if they're there and don't back off, they won't be there for long.

I wish it were a "teachable moment" but I don't think it will be. All I see is people who believe what they believe on both sides and neither side shows much desire to learn anything.

Anonymous said...

911 caller saw everything but not telling. Why? Because, she would have to tell she saw the hispanic looking driver get in the car and leave. Wow, a could be criminal dropping another one off to try getting in the front door in the broad daylight!!! I am so sure 911 caller did not call in and leave.
She saw more than she told. Does
she know the Professor?

grinder said...

This woman is owed an apology. Not that she will ever get it, because no one can ever say the magic words, "I was wrong, and I am sorry." Pity.

Black Diaspora said...

@Vérité Parlant is Nordette Adams

Good points! All!

Anonymous said...

@grinder,

Thanks for that video of Lucia Whalen. America appears to be an emotionally disturbed country, but nobody seems to know it. The disease of racism has us in its grips.

Unknown said...

The best thing that will come out of this is that the nosy neighbor has been put front and center and people will henceforth think twice before calling the Cops when they see a Black man entering a car or a house.

Unknown said...

What has amazed be about this whole fiasco is the White Female pundits and show hosts' support for Crowley. Watch Mika on MSNBC particularly. The white men ironically were more empathetic with Gates.

The White woman will defend her man's racism no matter what. Which makes me pity those BM more that marry them. their loyalty is first and foremost to their men. That was the big lesson in this so called teacheable moment.

Anonymous said...

Grata,
Stop watching TV. You'll be happier.

Anonymous said...

just want to say one more time. The term "race" has no meaning or relevance in the discussion of human beings. It's a quasi-scientific term, outmoded now even the discussion of species and taxonomy, let alone human beings.
The language has failed us.
Everything is reduced to black, white, race, color and used interchangably, without context and therefore without meaning. All these terms started, of course, as terms to classify so as to demean and oppress people and deny them their humanity. They cannot be cleved of that historical stain, and be used to describe or categorize without understanding how thier very usage caries that mark. YES, "white" supremacy must be challenged, YES 'black' is a term of identifying with the historical struggle of poeple of African descent, but even those simple declarations are 1/2 steps away from quickly being on shakey ground as far as trying to define individuals as Black or White, or worse some loaded term as "authentic black man".
As for the particulars in this matter, listen any real burgler would have been long gone before any pin head cop got there to question him, which of course the white supremist virus infected officer crowley knew.
To me, here's the the duality of the larger point, as long as as descendents of a historically oppressed people remain the least educated, most incarcerated, least insured, most unemployed and most early dying in dispicable disproportionate numbers, then there is no "debate" on "race", the only debate how to address those unaccepatable statisics. But the current language only acts like a fog, with terms like race and black and white, and a new language of action, while always informed of the past, must be born. Of course, the lack of such a language in no reason for inaction to address the inequities and injustice. but, i believe the next chapter to be written will more and more have people quesioning the term race, and the answer must be at the ready: the historical effects of "racism" and white supremancy must be addressed, but the term race itself is of no merit.
-rambling man

Anonymous said...

Blogger kathy said...

bsweet you wrote asking:
"Would you knock on neighbor's doors asking for help? Or is that just totally asking for trouble?"

WTF, i am sorry, but what do you mean by that question, do you mean to say that Black people NEVER call the police, or do you mean that Black neighbors would just be more trouble?


@ Kathy - I meant, if you live in a ghetto neighborhood, do you get to know your neighbors? Or, if you knock on someone's door to introduce yourself, do you get greeted with a gun? I did not mean to say that black people do not call the police, nor did I mean to say that black neighbors are more trouble.

Unknown said...

"Stop watching TV. You'll be happier."

LOL! And what makes you think I need to be happier ? And not watching TV will make me happier, really? Were you trying to be helpful or insulting? And for the record, I don't own a TV.

Anonymous said...

"What has amazed be about this whole fiasco is the White Female pundits and show hosts' support for Crowley. Watch Mika on MSNBC particularly. The white men ironically were more empathetic with Gates."

You must be watching TV somewhere to make the above statement. I was trying to be helpful, not insulting. I don't watch TV because 98-99% of it is worthless crap that clutters the mind and pains the heart. It is not good for you. Hence, you will be happier with it out of your life.

Grata: "The White woman will defend her man's racism no matter what. Which makes me pity those BM more that marry them. their loyalty is first and foremost to their men. That was the big lesson in this so called teacheable moment."

This kind of talk is bs and quite frankly is unattractive. You worry too much about interracial relationships between BM and WW. It does not make you look attractive. Is that what you want?

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