Professor Gates Needs Sensitivity Training
In a recent discussion on MSNBC, one analyst, taking his cues, as usual, from President Obama, claimed that both sides in the now famous dispute between Harvard Professor Henry Gates and Cambridge Police Sgt. James Crowley share the blame in the unfortunate incident, but that the police in particular were in obvious need of some “sensitivity training.”
The police just don’t understand what it’s like to be “a black man in America.” If only they knew how difficult it was, especially for a black man like Gates — a tenured professor at one of America’s most prestigious universities. What a difficult life he must have, especially during the summer time, when there is oh so much work for a professor to do, and it may become more difficult to find a personal driver to get him where he needs to go. If only the police understood these things, then they would be more sensitive, and this whole situation would have been avoided.
But Gates himself, who responded to a simple request to step outside with rants and insults and accusations of racism, doesn’t seem to know much about the difficulties of life in law enforcement.
My father was a deputy for years, before becoming a County Sheriff, and then a Captain. In the early 1990s, one of his good friends entered the home of a suspected murderer. He was shot and crippled. After begging for his life, he was shot again, and killed in cold blood. The incident left an impression on me as a kid. It was the first time I had ever seen my dad, the previously invincible policeman, break down in tears. It was also the first time that I realized that my dad was risking the same fate every day he went to work.
The number of police officers who have died in the line of duty has already risen by 20 percent this year. 66 officers have died serving their communities since January 1, 2009, about twice the number of soldiers who have died in combat in Iraq in the same time span.
Police officers don’t always have the luxury of contemplating the most “sensitive” way to handle a situation. Their job is to protect their communities, and to do so, they need to take precautions. In the case of Professor Gates, it was alleged that two men had broken into his house earlier that day. It was perfectly reasonable for Sgt. Crowley to ask Gates to step outside in order to be questioned — It was a possibility that the two were still in the house without Gates’ knowledge.
Had Gates complied and answered their questions, the truth would have been quickly discovered, and situation would have been solved. Instead, with a sense of self-righteousness that only a professor can possess, he attempted to obstruct the officers from doing their jobs.
There is a reason that every member of the multi-racial police force on the scene that day backs Crowley over Gates. They know the dangers of law enforcement. They know that inside any house, around any corner, could be a killer. They live with the knowledge that they could one day be murdered, and they probably knew, at some time, an officer who was. They know that simple precautions sometimes have to be taken to protect the public.
They know what it’s like to be a policeman in America.
Professor Gates could have been more sensitive to that.
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Well put, Austin!
“A Second Look At Hate Crimes Legislation”…
The latest incident, involving Prof. Gates, is but one of many such stories that happen across America. Similar stories include the Al Sharpton / Tawana Brawley, the Duke University Lacrosse rape case and countless others across this nation. Some stories reach the level of the national news and many more do not, and are endured quietly, without recourse on a daily basis.In order to move beyond “race” in the 21st century, respect and fairness in the application of law must be the order of the day. I have struggled with the very concept of “hate crimes” because laws already exist that cover what “hate crimes” legislation does without the added “what you did is worse because of what you were thinking”. But maybe the thinking here was correct from the start. You may recall that the common theme in the fore mentioned stories was a false accusation of racism. This type of action seems to be a perfect candidate for a “hate crimes” designation. What could be more motivated by “hate” than a false accusation or racism. The 911 and police radio dispatch tapes released today clearly show that race was not an issue. The caller didn’t know the race of the people in question. She only expressed concern that a neighbor’s house was in jeopardy. Prof. Gates threw the first and only “race card”. Falsely I might add. According to the press conference today the city of Cambridge will hire experts and form committees to study the situation, caused by Prof. Gates’ false allegations of racism, and make recommendations, a process expected to take many months and cost tax payers no telling how much money, all because Prof. Gates decided to cry wolf, when no wolf was present. If it had not been discovered early that these accusations of racism were false, it most probably would have negatively the officers involved for the rest of their lives. The officers could have lost their jobs and livelihood, city provided healthcare canceled and being shunned in society. This is a lot of damage to do to someone for no legitimate reason, and charges for a false accuser of racism should fall under “hate crimes” legislation. Seems fair.