Professor Gates was Wrong, Police Were More Wrong

Just when we thought that we had put racial division behind us with the election of the first African American president in the country's history, we have an incident occur that reminds us that we still may have some distance to cover.

Though details are still coming in, what we know at present is that Professor Henry Gates of Cambridge University in Cambridge, Massachusetts was arrested and later released by the local police department.

Police were called to the home of Professor Gates on a report of a possible break in at his home. When the police arrived, Gates was already in the house. Upon entering the premises, the police asked the professor to identify himself. The professor complied and it was sometime after this exchange that things got out of hand, culminating with the professor being arrested at his home.

No one knows for sure what happened in Mr. Gates home but one thing is for certain, this incident never should have happened for several reasons.

Mr. Gates by all accounts appeared to be agitated that the officer in question continued to question him after he had properly identified himself. According to witnesses at the scene, Gates continued his conversation with the officer in an aggressive manner, at one point asking him "do you know who I am."

At some point during or after this exchange, the officer walked away, according to Mr. Gates, and went out of the house. Mr. Gates followed the officer and it was then that he was arrested.

The incident never should have escalated to this level and the truth is both men were wrong.

Although Professor Gates may not have liked the way the officer seemed to probe him after he identified himself, he should have left well enough alone. There was no need for him to continue to badger the officer (if that indeed is what he did) who was only doing his job to make sure the professor was who he said he was and that he belonged there.

For all the officer knew, Mr. Gates could have been an estranged husband that had been put out of the house, who came back to get some of his things. The officer didn't know. He was doing his job making absolutely sure that the professor was supposed to be there.

After all , he didn't know the professor from Adam.

According to Professor Gates, he was pressing for the officers badge number to report him and being on his own property he thought he was safe to follow the officer outside.

After not getting it however, he simply should have let the officer leave. Following him outside could be considered an aggressive move especially since the officer had already turned his back on him and left the house.

Professor Gates was wrong in his actions but the police officer was more wrong.

However much he may not have liked what the professor was saying or how he was saying it, the professor was well within his rights to say it. If a man can't say what he wants to say in his own house then the constitution is worthless.

Mr. Gates was not committing a crime and he had not assaulted the policeman (spitting on a police officer is considered assault by the way), so under those circumstances he was not committing an offense that he could be arrested for.

Although the officer may not have liked what Mr. Gates was saying or how he was saying it, there was really nothing lawfully that he could do about it, which is why he probably walked away. But when the professor followed him in what could be perceived as the precursor to an attack, he was handcuffed.

Both men obviously overreacted which I am sure they are now both sorry for. Professor Gates actions, however over-the-top they may have seemed are probably rooted in a prior incident of racial profiling that happened to him.

It is unfortunate, but, not unlike many African American males including myself, Mr. Gates probably was the victim of an incident similar to this that acted as a trigger in this particular situation.

No matter what the cause and no matter what the reasons both men could have handled the situation better.

We should all take time to examine our own thoughts and perceptions to se if we harbor some prejudicial attitude that might fuel an incident like this and cleanse it from our minds right now.

It is time in this nation that we began to see all people as one people....Americans.

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