# The Henry L Gates Case **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 30, 2018, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-henry-l-gates-case/826947 "2018-12-30T23:27:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2019, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-henry-l-gates-case/826947/41 "2019-01-07T18:33:45Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Black-on-black crime is a serious issue in the US as well, but Obama didn’t mention it. II didn’t think even _ **you** _ would have the chutzpah to go with the “black-on-black crime” deflection in this discussion. Guess I was wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2019, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-henry-l-gates-case/826947/42 "2019-01-07T18:43:42Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Black-on-black crime is a serious issue in the US as well, but Obama didn’t mention it. As is white-on-white, Hispanic-on-Hispanic, and Asian-on-Asian crime. Do those bother you as much? ---
**Author:** ![Chingon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chingon/32/17645_2.png) [@Chingon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chingon)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2019, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-henry-l-gates-case/826947/43 "2019-01-07T18:54:26Z")
Oh come on, you guys know his thing with black people. Do we have to rehash it again? ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2019, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-henry-l-gates-case/826947/44 "2019-01-07T19:17:24Z")
Some people only _occasionally_ want to rehash, and we don’t need to use harsh language to describe them. On the other hand, some people _always_ engage, thus disobeying the first rule of holes, and they _deserve_ to be called “diggers”. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2019, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-henry-l-gates-case/826947/45 "2019-01-07T19:18:02Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > _Gates could have tried to understand Crowley’s view of the situation and could have spoken respectfully to Crowley._ > > Even Barack Hussein Obama (that’s his real/full his name)… Is speaking disrespectfully a crime in the U.S.? How about the asshole Republiman who shrieked “You lie!” at Obama’s State of the Union address? Should he have been taken away in handcuffs and booked? But thanks for the middle name. I always wondered what the H. stood for. > [@madmonk28](#): > > You know, the current president frequently comments on legal cases that involve associates of his , and his lawyer, Giuliania, has even compared the FBI to Nazis. Why is this singular incident from the Obama presidency relevant? [Tu Quoque.](https://media.merriam-webster.com/audio/prons/en/us/mp3/t/tuquoq01.mp3) Trump defrauds “University students” out of millions. Obama photocopies a birth certificate. Same-same. Cheney smirks while lying to start a war with his friends getting billions in profits. Hillary is unaware that such a man could be this malicious and votes to give Bush negotiating power. Hillary is the real villain here. Obama invites a harassed black for a beer. Trump calls for his punks to beat up newsmen. [Tu Quoque.](https://media.merriam-webster.com/audio/prons/en/us/mp3/t/tuquoq01.mp3) Same-same. > [@mhendo](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > Originally Posted by Shodan View Post > > Black-on-black crime is a serious issue in the US as well, but Obama didn’t mention it. > > II didn’t think even _ **you** _ would have the chutzpah to go with the “black-on-black crime” deflection in this discussion. Guess I was wrong. Serving artichokes with raspberries is a seriously flawed culinary idea, but Obama didn’t mention that either. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2019, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-henry-l-gates-case/826947/46 "2019-01-07T19:29:40Z")
I’ll chime in with the observation that sometime police racism is based on black and white and sometimes it is based on blue and not-blue. Getting arrested for pissing off an LEO for doing something completely legal is more of the latter. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2019, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-henry-l-gates-case/826947/47 "2019-01-08T01:01:01Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Black-on-black crime is a serious issue in the US as well, but Obama didn’t mention it. Wow. ---
**Author:** ![Gerald\_II](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Gerald\_II](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gerald_II)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2019, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-henry-l-gates-case/826947/48 "2019-01-08T03:10:19Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > If it’s “separate and apart” from this incident, why bring it up? If it’s not “separate and apart”, why did he say it was? > > "I don’t know what factor race played in this, so I will mention it anyway.’ :rolleyes: > > Regards, > Shodan > [@Procrustus](#): > > A lot of Americans want to deny or minimize the existence of improper treatment of people of color, especially when law enforcement is involved. Exactly. You have some people who are anti-cop and assume law enforcement is all racist, and then you have others who ALWAYS take the side of police in cases of discrimination and/or police brutality involving people of color. > [@](#): > > I think it was appropriate and important for the President to push back on that idea.\*\* Exactly. > [@Shodan](#): > > Black-on-black crime is a serious issue in the US as well, but Obama didn’t mention it. It should be crime in general and not, “black-on-black crime,” as that’s usually a talking point I only hear being made by conservative pundits. But in regards to the Henry L. Gates situation, Obama SHOULD have used it as a platform to critique the entire justice system and call out systemic racism. ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2019, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-henry-l-gates-case/826947/49 "2019-01-08T04:08:54Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > Is speaking disrespectfully a crime in the U.S.? How about the asshole Republiman who shrieked “You lie!” at Obama’s State of the Union address? Should he have been taken away in handcuffs and booked? > > But thanks for the middle name. I always wondered what the H. stood for. (post shortened) Interesting segue. Meanwhile, I found it interesting that Obama chose to talk about an important issue after admitting that he didn’t know the facts. "On July 22, President Barack Obama said about the incident, “I don’t know, not having been there and not seeing all the facts, what role race played in that.” - Barack H. Obama ---
**Author:** ![Chingon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chingon/32/17645_2.png) [@Chingon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chingon)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2019, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-henry-l-gates-case/826947/50 "2019-01-08T04:11:39Z")
Obama quoted himself? ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2019, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-henry-l-gates-case/826947/51 "2019-01-08T16:32:36Z")
> [@Chingon](#): > > Obama quoted himself? Obama is a Nobel Peace Prize winner. He can do whatever he wants. It’s not as if you could stop him. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2019, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-henry-l-gates-case/826947/52 "2019-01-08T17:15:10Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > But it’s fair to say that Mr. Gates acted just as stupidly as the police. Who’s more in the wrong, the guy who yells at a cop, or the cop who arrests someone for yelling? ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2019, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-henry-l-gates-case/826947/53 "2019-01-08T17:42:44Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > I’ll judge that Obama was in the wrong. > > 1. He didn’t know the truth of the case. So while it may be that he was correct that the officer failed to de-escalate the situation when he could have, it is pure chance that he is correct on that matter. > > 2. The review that was conducted made the determination that both parties were in the wrong, so Obama was also wrong in “clearing” Mr. Gates - again, without knowing anything about the facts. First, Obama may not have known all the facts, but it is incorrect to say he did not know anything about the facts. Second, the statement made by Obama, the one quoted in the OP for debate and available in the link, was more fully, “…the Cambridge police acted stupidly in arresting somebody when there was already proof that they were in their own home…” Isn’t that consistent with the truth of the case? ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2019, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-henry-l-gates-case/826947/54 "2019-01-09T13:50:16Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Who’s more in the wrong, the guy who yells at a cop, or the cop who arrests someone for yelling? I would need to know the facts before I could say. Or I could bring up things that may or may not be relevant, and base my opinions on that. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2019, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-henry-l-gates-case/826947/55 "2019-01-10T02:07:31Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > I would need to know the facts before I could say. Or I could bring up things that may or may not be relevant, and base my opinions on that. > > Regards, > Shodan I think you should bring up black-on-black crime. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2019, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-henry-l-gates-case/826947/56 "2019-01-10T14:21:49Z")
That may or may not be relevant. But given the long history in this country of burglary, it’s safe to conclude that Mr. Gates acted stupidly. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2019, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-henry-l-gates-case/826947/57 "2019-01-10T14:37:43Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > But given the long history in this country of burglary, it’s safe to conclude that Mr. Gates acted stupidly. What was he thinking trying to fix his front door, out in the open and everything, while BLACK! I mean, what did he expect? ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2019, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-henry-l-gates-case/826947/58 "2019-01-11T18:02:45Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > What was he thinking trying to fix his front door, out in the open and everything, while BLACK! I mean, what did he expect? Imagine that. A neighborhood resident thought she saw two men trying to break into a home only to find out later that the two men admitted that they were actually trying to break into the house. I guess that’s what happens when you don’t live in a snitches-get-stitches-type of neighborhood. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2019, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-henry-l-gates-case/826947/59 "2019-01-11T20:24:48Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > Imagine that. A neighborhood resident thought she saw two men trying to break into a home only to find out later that the two men admitted that they were actually trying to break into the house. I guess that’s what happens when you don’t live in a snitches-get-stitches-type of neighborhood. You can’t break into your own house. [cite](https://legaldictionary.net/breaking-and-entering/). ---
**Author:** ![LAZombie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b38774/32.png) [@LAZombie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LAZombie)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2019, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-henry-l-gates-case/826947/60 "2019-01-12T16:06:32Z")
Gates replied, “Yeah, I’ll speak with your mama outside.” Nice! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-henry-l-gates-case/826947.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-henry-l-gates-case/826947.md?page=4)