Is Indianapolis heading toward its "Ferguson moment?" (crime, home)

[mustangjoey]

Originally Posted by Dyadic

What he did did rise to the level to get arrested over. The cop flexed because he could not because he could have. He is the primary reason why certain groups distrust the police.

I guess that depends on who you believe. It sounds like you are in the Ferguson camp, where you feel that the police intentionally falsify police reports, abuse their power and are out to get you. That helps me understand your posts.

I'm not in that camp. It sounds to me like he was abusive and acted in a way that would have gotten anyone arrested; white, black or green.

There are always some bad apples, but it's the exception and not the norm.

[Dyadic]

Originally Posted by mustangjoey

I guess that depends on who you believe. It sounds like you are in the Ferguson camp, where you feel that the police intentionally falsify police reports, abuse their power and are out to get you. That helps me understand your posts.

I'm not in that camp. It sounds to me like he was abusive and acted in a way that would have gotten anyone arrested; white, black or green.

There are always some bad apples, but it's the exception and not the norm.

I'm in the camp of taking the word of an Emmy Award filmmaking director, Harvard University Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and Director of the Hutchins Center, Peabody Award winner, DuPont-Columbia Award winner, NAACP Image Award winner, author to 20 books, 16 documentary films, recipient of over 55 honorary degrees, named Time Magazine 25 most influential Americans, summa *** laude graduate of Yale University, PhD graduate of the University of Cambridge, at his word.

Dr. Gates has never had a run in with the law. He has positive contribution to society is without question. He is without a doubt world renown. Despite all of Dr. Gates accomplishments in your mind there is no way a white police officer would intentionally falsify a report to cover his abuse his power. Gate's character can be vouched for. Can the same be said for the cop?

Btw, what does Ferguson have to do with the discussion? I'm totally flummox by your Ferguson remark. Do you care to explain it so I don't draw the wrong conclusion. I'm trying to be fair and open minded.

[UKWildcat1981]

I do not trust police and I am white. Police have too much corruption much like the rest of politics but I stay out trouble so I have no problems with police, still do not trust them.

[mustangjoey]

Originally Posted by Dyadic

Btw, what does Ferguson have to do with the discussion? I'm totally flummox by your Ferguson remark. Do you care to explain it so I don't draw the wrong conclusion. I'm trying to be fair and open minded.

You mean other than the fact that it's the title of this thread?

There is a camp that feels that police are corrupt or bad and in general, abuse their power. They feel that corrupt cops are more the norm, not the exception.

There are others, who feel that cops are all perfect and can do no wrong.

I'm somewhere in the middle, and feel, as I mentioned, that there are bad apples in every crowd. They should be dealt with appropriately. But, I still feel that they are the exception.

I think that since we are having this intelligent conversation about it, that we weren't there and both have differing opinions about it really gets to the point on why I feel it wasn't right for the president to say they acted stupidly. I think he could have made a comment and given his opinion without that kind of remark, which I personally feel divides more than it brings together.

You're very complimentary towards Mr. Gates, and I can appreciate that. But given his childhood and background, as with the arrest itself, there are two sides to every story. I see him as a guy who doesn't seem to like white people much at all, so am not surprised by his reported comments to the police in the incident. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. - Discover the Networks

I appreciate that you are trying to be open minded and fair, I'd like to do the same. We can have a difference of opinion and still be civil about it, which it appears that we are doing.

[Dyadic]

Originally Posted by mustangjoey

You mean other than the fact that it's the title of this thread?

There is a camp that feels that police are corrupt or bad and in general, abuse their power. They feel that corrupt cops are more the norm, not the exception.

There are others, who feel that cops are all perfect and can do no wrong.

I'm somewhere in the middle, and feel, as I mentioned, that there are bad apples in every crowd. They should be dealt with appropriately. But, I still feel that they are the exception.

I think that since we are having this intelligent conversation about it, that we weren't there and both have differing opinions about it really gets to the point on why I feel it wasn't right for the president to say they acted stupidly. I think he could have made a comment and given his opinion without that kind of remark, which I personally feel divides more than it brings together.

You're very complimentary towards Mr. Gates, and I can appreciate that. But given his childhood and background, as with the arrest itself, there are two sides to every story. I see him as a guy who doesn't seem to like white people much at all, so am not surprised by his reported comments to the police in the incident. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. - Discover the Networks

I appreciate that you are trying to be open minded and fair, I'd like to do the same. We can have a difference of opinion and still be civil about it, which it appears that we are doing.

Give me a break. The Louis Gate situation has no bearing on what happened in Ferguson. I suggest you further research Louis Gates background. His ancestors fought in the Continental Army, which is the reason he was inducted into the Sons of the American Revolution. Both sides of his ancestry is white. In a nutshell his ancestors include a white woman who had a child by a black man and a black woman whose children were all fathered by a white man. His Irish haplotype is called Ui Neill that goes back to fifth century royal line. He has so much as admitted that he is over 50% white. Most countries wouldn't view him as black. In this country prior to the Civil War and before the adoption of the "One Drop Rule" he wouldn't be listed as black.

Your problem with Gates appears to be that he is a highly educated man who happens to be a world renown historian and DNA researcher. This police officer whose opinion you apparently so highly value, what is his background? What is his pedigree? Was he Ivy League educated? Gates graduated from two of the best and most expensive schools in the world. What Gates has accomplished wasn't through affirmative action. It is because he is brilliant. You are attempting to manufacture some racist story. Ferguson is one thing but placing Louis Gates in an active role of the demagogue you are pushing to going a bit overboard.

Btw, your link is a website ran by the David Horowitz Freedom Center which blamed slavery on the slaves themselves. The SPLC has it listed as a hate group for its anti black and anti Islamic views.

[mustangjoey]

Originally Posted by Dyadic

Give me a break...

You're a little bit slow, aren't you. Someone said Obama was stirring the pot, which I agree with based on his comments that are mostly one-sided (he blames the terrorist shootings on workplace violence guns). I never said anything about the Louis Gates situation having anything to do with Ferguson, only used it as an example of one of those situations. But, you don't know that because you didn't read the thread, you didn't read my links, you probably don't do any research of your own, you have your mind made up and that's just the way it is.

I didn't have a problem with Gates, nor to I hold the police officer in high regard. You'd know that if you actually read the thread. There are two sides to the story but you're too closed-minded to realize that, it's Dyadic's way or the highway.

I could care less about his pedigree or what school he went to. If he abused a police officer (which is what I believe happened), he deserved to be arrested for it. Had he cooperated, there's no way he gets arrested. See the Michael Brown incident.

I've enjoyed the discussion with you, but you've wasted enough of my time.

[Dyadic]

Originally Posted by mustangjoey

You're a little bit slow, aren't you. Someone said Obama was stirring the pot, which I agree with based on his comments that are mostly one-sided (he blames the terrorist shootings on workplace violence guns). I never said anything about the Louis Gates situation having anything to do with Ferguson, only used it as an example of one of those situations. But, you don't know that because you didn't read the thread, you didn't read my links, you probably don't do any research of your own, you have your mind made up and that's just the way it is.

I didn't have a problem with Gates, nor to I hold the police officer in high regard. You'd know that if you actually read the thread. There are two sides to the story but you're too closed-minded to realize that, it's Dyadic's way or the highway.

I could care less about his pedigree or what school he went to. If he abused a police officer (which is what I believe happened), he deserved to be arrested for it. Had he cooperated, there's no way he gets arrested. See the Michael Brown incident.

I've enjoyed the discussion with you, but you've wasted enough of my time.

Post #48 was written by someone else?

[Humboldt1]

In what countries other than Brazil would Gates be considered white?

I believe Gates should have respected the cop and may have escalated the situation. Having advanced degrees and awards does not preclude one from being a jerk. Had the cop been solely at fault there would not have been a beer summit.

[Dyadic]

Originally Posted by Humboldt1

In what countries other than Brazil would Gates be considered white?

I believe Gates should have respected the cop and may have escalated the situation. Having advanced degrees and awards does not preclude one from being a jerk. Had the cop been solely at fault there would not have been a beer summit.

Venezuela and the Dominican Republic for starters. Besides race is nothing more than an artificial social construction invented by society. As for the beer summit, it done primarily for the optics. The Gates saga basically came down to word vs word. No laws were broken. The trumped up charges were dropped because they were totally BS.

If the cop's act was as righteous as you and others are attempting to portray as, then the question begs as to why the police an the department neglected to push the issue? Normally they play hardball but why not this particular case? The answer to that question is simple. There wasn't a criminal act committed and the police force would have been embarrassed had it gone to court.

As for your remark that Gates should have respected the cop, one could surmise that perhaps the cop should have respected Gates. Why is one supposition in your mind right and the other one wrong? It simply boiled down to a white cop thinking some uppity black man disrespected him so he retaliated the only way he could only to have it blow up in his face.

[Humboldt1]

Poor blacks are responsible for a disproportionate number of crimes in the US. I don't know if anyone (even Dyadic) is arguing this.

The question is how to fix this. I don't see black communities fixing this by themselves, though some so try. It will need to be a community effort. Ultimately, Roe v Wade has been the most successful in combatting black poverty, white poverty too.

Black organizers keep trying to make Magnificient Mile into another Feeguson protest but people care more about getting Xmas presents for loved ones than listening to protests about police in areas where few outside of poor blacks live.

Same thing happened this week in Minneapolis when protestors briefly disrupted he airport.

There is a reason poor blacks are able to protest and burn down their own neighborhoods. There is a reason Why riots happened in Watts and not Beverly Hills.