I open with this because it is to me the best show of what is going on.
My God people, just skimming over this I see people blaming the neighbor for not knowing his/her neighbors... not many people really do anymore especially if working different shifts. Plus in the dark seeing 2 men breaking into a home where not only that home but others in the area had recently been broken into, sounds to me like the neighbor did the right thing.
I see people blaming the police, hmmmm a man comes out of his home and is beligerent to the police that came and checked on a legitimate call trying to protect the man's property. I for one would have shown gratitude to the police for their concern and the duty for which my tax dollars pay. I wouldn't go outside my home to argue with them creating more of a disturbance UNLESS I wanted arrested for some reason.
I see people blaming the president.... I for one can understand this it is not even a state issue but a local issue and for the president of the US to make any comment not knowing the specifics is not presidential and to make the comments he did AS a sitting president is far more divisive and inflammatory than just stepping back and saying he doesn't know the facts and that it is a local issue that he has faith the local officials can handle. By his comments he allowed it to become a national issue that is divisive, taking attention away from more pressing national issues...... hmmmmm...... acted stupidly for answering a police call on a break in???? He answer by first disclaiming he was friends with professor Gates.
The only one to blame in all of this is Professor Gates. Whether he acted because he felt mistreated, wanted to be arrested, was intoxicated or was just human and made a misjudgment. Maybe the police officer got tired of being yelled at for doing his job and being treated in a nasty way.... he's human and maybe he made a call based from emotion because this guy wouldn't just shut up. He (professor Gates) raised the racial question.
I have been belligerent with cops, I have seen others of ALL races and sexes be belligerent to officers of ALL races and sexes and I can honestly say it takes a lot for an officer to arrest someone.
I truly see that this is not about race but about people who have personal agendas to push and are and will be using this to push them through..... and that may include professor Gates himself and his personal friend the president.
I defer to Bill Cosby's comments and I agree with the first part, the second part, I think he makes excuses for the president, but is trying to show respect.
Quote:
TRANSCRIPT:
Gene Lavanchy: I want to first start to get your reaction to the President’s comments last night about the Harvard arrested at his home, Cambridge police, etc and how much you’ve been following this story
Bill Cosby: My answer, my first answer, is that I wasn’t there. The second answer is that I think both parties need to be treated in a way that they would both come together in the same room and begin to think about what they’re both saying, because this, racially, is something that need not take off and look and feel the way it’s beginning to look and feel.
I think that if both parties would realize that they would be huge, huge human beings and tell exactly what happened, nobody would have to apologize. But I think that people who have not been there, people who don’t know, are beginning to have their own personal feelings which, they weren’t there.
Gene Lavanchy: Would that include the President in that?
Bill Cosby: Well it would include everybody. Now, the one thing about whatever the President said is that I have to take into consideration that he lived in Cambridge for some time. So, he may know more than he’s saying about situations of that sort.
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Bill Cosby reacts to Gates incident