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The View From Here will conclude on Friday, October 1, our third year anniversary. We would like to spend this month thanking all of our readers, followers, haters, visitors, family, friends, and fans for your continued support, encouragement, and comments over these past few years. Thanks y'all!
-The Five Spot

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

a bubble busted...

it all started yesterday. By the time I arrived in the office, I skimmed the Washington Post to find out Dr. Henry Louis Gates, distinguished professor, director of W.E.B DuBois Institute of African and African American Research at Harvard University was arrested at his home. Now, there are two sides to every story, so I’m not here to speculate. But, what I will share is Gates reactions to said events and my analysis.

"There are one million black men in jail in this country and last Thursday I was one of them…This is outrageous and that this is how poor black men across the country are treated everyday in the criminal justice system. It's one thing to write about it, but altogether another to experience it."”
what’s your point? is it the fact that you were a faction of this group, problematic to you? Or should be to America? Gates, expound please.

All that you have stated is pure fact on both accounts.

"You don't know who you're messing with."
now that, was the killer
Gates, who the fcuk you think you is?

prestigious, Harvard professor, blah, blah, blah….
didn’t Kanye say, " you’re still a ni**a in a coupe?"

I get vexed when negroes start thinking be’cuz they’ve acquired shit that there a$$ is special. You are not. I repeat, you are not. You are educated, enlightened -- yes. but special– negative son.

Well, go on Gates utilize your media apparatus vis-à-vis Harvard U, the Roots, Washington Post, etc. to articulate your dissatisfaction with the US criminal justice system.

And to find out, it all started be’cuz “a neighbor called to report two black men wearing backpacks were breaking into his house.” tee hee tee hee… ok, it’s not funny, but the situation is hilarious to me. Where’s the neighbor, I so hope they reveal themselves w/ Bostonian accent and all. My hunch tells me, it’s an elderly white woman.
Gates you don’t know your neighbors and such, friendly a$$ negro?

Granted, Gates leases his Cambridge residence from Harvard.
"Gate's home is owned by Harvard so he picked up the phone to call the university's real estate maintenance office. Before he could finish the conversation, a police officer was standing on his porch and asking him to come out of the house. "Instinctively, I knew I was not to step outside," Gates said, describing the officer's tone as threatening. Gates said the policeman, who was in his 30s and several inches taller than him, followed him into his kitchen where Gates retrieved his identification. "I was thinking, this is ridiculous, but I'm going to show him my ID, and this guy is going to get out of my house," Gates said. "This guy had this whole narrative in his head. Black guy breaking and entering."


why the hell did you let ‘em in— I know Olgetree schooled you better than that… then again if the door was ajar and the bolt lock was malfunctioning… I guess he ain’t have a choice.

They got guns after all?

"I weigh 150 lbs and I'm 5' 7''. I'm going to give flack to a big white guy with a gun. I might wolf later, but I won't wolf then." chuckle, chuckle the tenets of negroism can never be forgotten no matter how far we think we’ve come – remember that...

"But Gates did keep asking for the officer's name and said he began to feel humiliated when his question was ignored. He then said: "This is what happens to black men in America."
but why are you distinguished Harvard Professor, academician, blah, blah, blah feeling less than worthy all ‘cuz a white boy won’t answer you? I’m tired of black folks leveraging their feelings of self-worth based on white appreciation. fcking ludicrous

"I had to wait in a jail cell," Gates said. "I have mild claustrophobia. The jail cell was very claustrophobic."
"I had to wait in a jail cell," Gates said. "I have mild claustrophobia. The jail cell was very claustrophobic."
sorry – I just had to state the quote twice. downright pathetic
Oh, but Gates, I feel a lil’ empathy – sympathy negative son, "I am appalled that any American could be treated as capriciously by an individual police officer. He should look into his soul and he should apologize to me," Gates said. "If so, I will be prepared to forgive him. I think that poor people in general and black people in general are vulnerable to the whims of rogue cops, and we all have to fight to protect the weakest among us. No matter how bad it was going to get, I knew that sooner or later I would get to a phone and one of my friends would be there to help."
uppity negro, get over yourself.

Black folks, when will we ever learn. Gates, at least you had somebody to call, someone to be there for you. But for most of our brothas, they ain’t got nobody with the means nor wherewithal.
I guess with all of this, I have no choice but to watch the second installment of Black in America airing on CNN tonight @ 9p.m. and tomorrow night @ 8p.m.

cheers,

Bellini

P.S.
and he had the nerve to recount the story while restin' @ Martha's Vineyard safe -- in Negro heaven

4 comments:

Rum Punch said...

Two things:

1. America is like the uncle who put you through college, but molested you. Haha. Ok that's been running through my mind.

2. This goes back to that Rage Against the Machine post I wrote a few months ago. This is what happens when people follow the script instead of using common sense or critical skills. Someone with half a brain woulda let that shit go. And now this police officer is going to find himself asking people, "paper or plastic?" cause Gates and Ogletree will have his badge, his head, his manhood, his soul... Lol.

mint julep said...

oh rum punch. you know just how to tie things up with a bow and have me over here with an OK-K-K!

i'm so ti-ed of skip gates. really i am. why is this a story? why because he privileged, cause he's one of their kind. let any one of my clients call up the local paper behind some unreasonable police activities and see if they don't get connected immediately to ms. dial tone.

exactly.

Bellini said...

@rummy: 1. youse a nut! girl u luv that quote from Mr. Chris Rock.
2. aaaahhhh, but Dr. Gates felt like he applies critical skills all day and he shouldn't have to @ home?!?

@minty: the ironies abound, this case is hilarious -- scholars & pundits dissecting the nuances of the situation like its Haley's comet-- clearly we ain't got nothin' better to do, stick to the tenets of negroism & you should fair well...

Rum Punch said...

Oh I'm sorry, point of clarification - I meant the police officer lacked critical thinking skills. Logic says if a man pulls out ID that shows it's his home, you should probably just say, 'sorry for the confusion' and keep it moving.

I do think Gates demonstrated a lack of "restraint". Sure it makes sense to be quite agitated when a copper is accusing you of breaking into your own home...When you're white. But when you're colored and you're face to face with the boys in blue, you take it back to the Jim Crow, tap dancing, shucking and jiving days. And be on some, "why suh, this is my house, suh. They lets me work at that big ol' school down the street." I have been pulled over by the police a few times and I am always sweet as can be. I've only gotten knuck if you buck once and that ended very badly. Not handcuffs, off to jail, calling my mama for bail money badly. But still, it wasn't a good look. You never win with them when you're agitated. Ever. Sometimes you even get kilt.