Obama on Henry Louis Gates Arrest: "Cambridge Police Acted Stupidly"

President Barack Obama addressed the arrest of Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. at his own home during tonight's news conference tonight, saying "the Cambridge police acted stupidly."

The question was asked by Chicago Sun Times political reporter Lynn Sweet. (AMERICAblog live blog and Law Dork's Twitter) Obama acknowledged he and Gates were friends and he didn't know all the facts, but, "I think it's fair to say any of us would be pretty angry [and] the Cambridge police acted stupidly in arresting somebody when there was already proof that they were in their own home"

AFTER THE JUMP, our President addresses Skip Gates' outrageous arrest. The President reiterated the long history of blacks and Latinos being stopped and arrested by police disproportionately.Obama joked that if he tried to jimmy the lock at his current residence—the White House—"I'd get shot." Unfortunately he's not the only one who might get shot by the po-po trying to enter their own home.

Comments

[Ravenback]

I'm glad President Obama didn't feel the need to defend the police with the "they are our heroes crap." He said it appropriately. The police correctly responded to the call, but after they found out Dr. Gates lived there, the issue should have been resolved without an arrest. The Cambridge Police acted stupidly. Couldn't have been put any better.

[Jinca]

I'm sure some people will pull the usual "the police have a hard job and nobody appreciates them" stuff and to an extent that is true but MANY police cross lines they shouldn't cross. I don't know how the hell you arrest someone in their own home for bad behavior. I'm not AA and I've never had issues with the police myself but I've had family that are cops and heard many things said that really make me feel that a lot of our cops are in the wrong line of work. There is no way to say this arrest was a valid one, politically I don't know if Obama should have worded parts of what he said the way he did but not because it wasn't true, it's just that he opened himself up to attacks from the right.

[Mike]

I am glad President Obama said it the way he did. It shows that he doesn’t have to puzzy foot around with the truth it was stupid behavior by the police and they need to be called out for their behavior. We are ready to call them hero when they do well so we need to address their behavior when they are wrong. President Obama will always be attack for something that is the nature of the office so if he is going to be attack is attack telling the truth and being as fair as possible instead of the BS the last president shoveled us American citizens.

[alicia banks]

ditto

he was less tame than i expected

but it is still a shame that he cannot say "racism"

even fonzi said "sorry" better

shame!

[Derrick from Philly]

"...but I've had family that are cops and heard many things said that really make me feel that a lot of our cops are in the wrong line of work."

JINCA,

thank you so much for that important truth. Your statement helps explain the 150 year history of black folks' relationship with police around this country. Not all cops are bad, but there many black folks who've never come in contact with the good ones--not since slavery ended.

[Kevjack]

I am glad the president spoke out on this issue. I think the Gates case was an issue of both race and socioeconomics (as well as a good ol' battle of wills. Gates own comments confirm this in his recent interviews). But it is good for the president to acknowledge the issue of racial profiling in general.

[Andy Niable]

I myself experienced police harassment back in the 1980s in my hometown in Idaho, not for being black (I'm not) but for being gay. The harrassment lasted six months and reached a peak when I was ushered into a police station and interrogated for four hours for a crime I had nothing to do with. I don't have to imagine the anger someone would feel being arrested and taken from his own home.

We can only hope this incident can be used as a teaching moment for a lot of white folks, once the smoke clears. And brace ourselves (as some above worry) for yet another way for the racist Right will attack Obama. Overall, I'd say the President answered the question with sensitivity, concern, understanding of "what we know so far" and common sense, but no matter what he'd said, he's going to take hits from the Dittoheads and Birthers and all the others suffering ODS (Obama Derrangement Syndrome).

[Derrick from Philly]

IDAHO?????

Oh, Andy, you have my respect forever. IDAHO? Lord, you must be brave. I probably would've had to escape to Las Vegas when I was twelve.

[kayman]

Well, it's good that he called it for it is a STUPID MOVE on the Cambridge Police department's part. Now, I'm just waiting for the fools on the other side of the pendulum to start talking smack.

[Andy]

I think Obama stepped into it big time. He admits he doesn't know all the facts but offers an opinion. He will pay for those remarks. I think he is surprised at the public's reaction (negative) and I bet he wished he would have kept his mouth shut. Let the Cambrige community handle their own issues..

[dpoper]

here is his video news. it worked for me.
http://uploading.com/files/63PA1BBN/Henry Louis Gates.rar.html

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