tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post5651368708336397139..comments2024-03-06T08:29:13.333-08:00Comments on stuff white people do: think they can put themselves in the shoes of black peoplemacon dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07795547197817128339noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-34910369804401898662009-08-06T20:15:53.427-07:002009-08-06T20:15:53.427-07:00brilliant, sincere and empathic view of this event...brilliant, sincere and empathic view of this event. congratulations on being a smart person in the 21st century. take notes on how to behave in a world where races should get along.<br /><br />-brilliant. simply brilliantCalcitriolnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-88719930968809645692009-07-30T21:36:39.358-07:002009-07-30T21:36:39.358-07:00Hey MaconD you stole that Bill O'Really from m...Hey MaconD you stole that Bill O'Really from me so shame on you!! Just kidding but to 'poet' you are an arrogant,ignorant pissbag,living in oyur own little world of stupidity and privilege. After all how DARE that 'darky' act up IN HIS OWN DAMN HOME next thing you know they'll be want the right to VOTE and all sheeesh! Poor white guy you want a hug it must just SUCK to be a white male in a white male's world maybe we should hold you a telethon seeing how you are just 'suffering' and all. And proving Mr. Macon's very point by the way and 'stanky/wanky' what a bunch of CRAP with a capital C!! Cops have been bullying and brutalizing their way through black neighborhoods for YEARS so don't EVEN try it. And to 'redcat' I hear ya yeah it's not always about race but for MOST cops that's just icing on the cake but yeah far too many cops weild their power the way a child does a toy:recklessly.Lavernnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-1209616487794178312009-07-30T07:56:16.085-07:002009-07-30T07:56:16.085-07:00What makes anybody think that police treat only bl...What makes anybody think that police treat only blacks that way?Stankynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-3055434641707416442009-07-30T07:34:42.629-07:002009-07-30T07:34:42.629-07:00If there had been a burglar breaking in to his hou...<i>If there had been a burglar breaking in to his house and the police had not responded, he probably would have turned that in to a racial issue too</i><br /><br />Well, yes, if police ignored requests for help while his stuff was being stolen, I imagine that he would have a problem with that.RMJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14239084819919682523noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-20907476585635756722009-07-30T07:28:57.045-07:002009-07-30T07:28:57.045-07:00This incident proves that pompous asses from Harva...This incident proves that pompous asses from Harvard come in all colors. Gates clearly has a chip on his shoulder that he was just waiting to unload on some unfortunate white person. If there had been a burglar breaking in to his house and the police had not responded, he probably would have turned that in to a racial issue too. I would guess the public will be hearing more from this guy about how mistreated blacks are.Wankynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-4168804486274279862009-07-29T16:24:38.639-07:002009-07-29T16:24:38.639-07:00"Talking about him like he's little more ..."Talking about him like he's little more than a child."<br /><br />Hm, do you believe that adults are inherently better than kids? If so, it sounds like you're an ageist. Maybe you should sort out your own prejudices before criticizing other people for their supposed prejudices.Discrimination Is Wrongnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-69410211151894538902009-07-29T11:25:21.072-07:002009-07-29T11:25:21.072-07:00That right there. That too is so white, isn't ...<i>That right there. That too is so white, isn't it? Talking about a black man with a PhD, a Harvard professorship and a mile-long list of accomplishments about how he "should've known better." Talking about him like he's little more than a child.</i><br /><br />Huh? It sounds like the exact opposite of that. It sounds like the guy means someone that is intelligent and renowned should have the maturity and knowledge to know better. Not saying I agree with him at all, I just don't understand your interpretation of that as infantilizing.wonderingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-51921171942810547322009-07-24T22:08:59.081-07:002009-07-24T22:08:59.081-07:00An ID from Harvard isn't a legal document. I h...An ID from Harvard isn't a legal document. I have an ID at the company I work for too. Doesn't do me squat when I need to verify my identity to a government official.<br /><br />Gates got mad cause the cop called to verify the ID. Cop should have known he was a "famous" professor.<br /><br />Cop got mad Gates was yelling at him. Gates should have known cops are touchy fackers.<br /><br />Dumb on both parts. Case closed, move on.<br /><br />-p0et-Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-55358044730248891602009-07-24T14:04:33.208-07:002009-07-24T14:04:33.208-07:00Oh wait, that wouldn't happen to me, because I...Oh wait, that wouldn't happen to me, because I'm white.<br /><br />(Although I do feel we're slouching towards a police state, more and more.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-15049462720274107762009-07-24T13:56:19.640-07:002009-07-24T13:56:19.640-07:00What bugs me is that everyone's all outraged t...What bugs me is that everyone's all outraged that a <i>Harvard professor</i> could be treated this way. As in: "Well yes, he's black and all, but after all, he's a university professor!" And thus one of the Safe POC, I guess. <br /><br />I can't help thinking that the fact of his profession, or his zip code, isn't what makes this incident outrageous. <br /><br />The outrageous thing is that I could come to the door of my house, be asked for ID only to have it ignored, and then if I took umbrage, I could be arrested for creating a disturbance in my own home. That shouldn't happen to an unemployed latrine-washer, much less a Harvard prof.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-48463578109487517332009-07-24T13:55:02.399-07:002009-07-24T13:55:02.399-07:00Terrific post. As white people, we need to be cal...Terrific post. As white people, we need to be calling this out. My white conservative father is a former cop. I grew up seeing the police as friends, helpers. And as the daughter of a cop, if there's a confrontation, the cop is on DUTY, it's his JOB to keep his ego and his testosterone and his personal feelings in CHECK. He gets paid to be the one who keeps control. He's been trained to do so. <br /><br />So much is made of Gates' reaction, so what. He's the civilian. And he had reason. The cop was getting paid to check himself. <br /><br />It's easy for white folks to say "he should've..." or "I would've...", but of COURSE your reaction would be different! You would be coming from a completely different history/experience leading up to it!<br /><br />Yes, I'm a cop's daughter, but today, I live in fear of my African American daughter organizing a protest in DC, coming under notice of the cops - the danger to her is real. The first thing I taught my son, when he got his driving permit, was to take his wallet out of his pocket, and put it in the center console. Every time. I don't want him reaching into his pocket if he's ever pulled over - which he most assuredly will be. <br /><br />The whole thing about white folks thinking we can put ourselves in Black folks' shoes, god, people do that all the time! And then get insulted at the "you wouldn't understand" bit. But hey, white folks, guess what, we DON'T. <br /><br />As a mother of 3 kids of color, I am active in anti-racist work. It pisses me off. It makes me sad, enraged, all of that. BUT, so what, I could spend my whole life educating myself and doing the work, and I will never, ever, really know what it's like for my son to be followed in a store. I will never know how it felt for my daughter when her best friend (at the time) didn't stand up for her after his roommate used the N-word. I will never understand what it cost my other daughter to "fit in" at high school.<br /><br />So if I can not REALLY understand the experiences of those closest to me in life, the ones behind my stretch marks, the ones I'd die for ... how the hell could I possibly understand what was behind Professor Gates' reaction to this indignity, after all the years, after all the indignities he's assuredly had to deal with for decades as a Black man? <br /><br />How the hell could White folks who, on any other day of the week, "don't even see color", possibly understand what they would've done as a Black man in that scenario? They DON'T. Deal with it White folks, yes it's a Black thing, and no we DON'T understand.more cowbellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17867825812404503048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-47557905636525805892009-07-24T04:44:13.002-07:002009-07-24T04:44:13.002-07:00@ anon 11:53:
Stuff white people (problematic ass...@ anon 11:53:<br /><br />Stuff white people (problematic assumption but w/e) did in your comment: <br /><br />-Think they can put themselves in the shoes of black people<br />-Make excuses for the racist behavior of other white people<br /><br />Seriously, "you don't know"? Yes, actually, macon does know - because he read the publicly released police reports and statements from Gates and understand the systematic racism of the police force. <br /><br />Ohmygoodness! How could he take the word of that black Harvard professor over a white cop! It's discrimination in reverse! He wasn't physically present at the arrest, so he could never make any true judgments about the case!RMJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14239084819919682523noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-79180124662579084182009-07-23T23:56:00.723-07:002009-07-23T23:56:00.723-07:00Whites might never realize what it is like to be G...Whites might never realize what it is like to be Gates in that moment because of race, but that doesn't mean a white person cannot understand discrimination. There are all types of white people as well, they could be different sexes, different religions, different sexual orientations, different classes, etc.<br /><br />So it's not like they can't understand the basics of how the professor feels, just not the specifics as they pertain to race.<br /><br />I am in the camp that we need to withhold judgment until further information is provided. On the part of the neighbor, that seems to be pure racism. But though the officer might be lying to justify his racist behavior, Gates could be lying to justify getting arrested as a Harvard professor. You do not know, and if you don't it is unfair to assume anything. If it turns out that the police officer was telling the truth and Gates was lying, what's next if you already made a conclusion? In this specific case I think it will end up as the officer indeed being guilty of racial profiling, but I often find this to be the problem with your blog. You assume too much. You might use a defense of relativity, saying that your stereotypes of white people are nothing compared to mainstream stereotypes of other minorities. But you do have an influence on your audience and you boxing in white people to something as the norm is dangerous unless you can verify it as fact. You condition people to expect something about whites until proven otherwise, which is exactly what you are trying to distance yourself from (except reversed and towards minorities). In the extreme long term, equality will not come through having a two wrongs make a right philosophy. I understand that is your gimmick, but to me because you frame it in such generalized terms about white people this blog is more of an attempt to validate you to yourself and minorities than a sincere quest for social change. I'm sorry, but that's just how I feel.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-27098029389994165712009-07-23T09:18:46.975-07:002009-07-23T09:18:46.975-07:00Just discovered your blog, and this post was fanta...Just discovered your blog, and this post was fantastic. I've been thikning about this for days (Gates' arrest) and how quick many white people have been to say that *they* would gladly let a police officer into their home and show them ID. And the myopic short-sightedness that motivates that type of reaction is stunning to me.Kim:https://www.blogger.com/profile/11406338530327224822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-40273810914579457572009-07-23T07:38:16.743-07:002009-07-23T07:38:16.743-07:00Empathy does have its limites, but I don't thi...Empathy does have its limites, but I don't think attempting to empathize with a black person, as a white person, is a bad thing by itself. Although, you can easily run into problems when you don't educate yourself about the black experience and don't recognize where there are and always will be gaps in your knowledge of it.<br /><br />Most of the jerk commenters who call Dr. Gates a racist, or say he's playing the race card, or whatever, don't even try to empathize because they have little respect for black people. Period. It's not that they're trying to empathize and failing - they just don't empathize at all. Their reasoning is basically, "If only black people had the sense to be as civilized as us white folk, you wouldn't have these problems."<br /><br />Either that, or they could use a little more empathy, starting with some education about why a black man might have more reasons to be angry with the officer than a white man would.bluey512noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-67434830468642527542009-07-22T15:28:03.302-07:002009-07-22T15:28:03.302-07:00@ Anonymous- i'll admit I don't know your ...@ Anonymous- i'll admit I don't know your experience, but I HIGHLY doubt that. Thanks to European colonialism, white people are revered on all corners of the globe and as far as where I live right now, the white people who complain about "discrimination" are just complaining about not receiving special treatment. Not to mention that the racism in America is actually institutionalized, and in most other countries it's not really the case.Doreennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-37260959074730243452009-07-22T10:01:41.956-07:002009-07-22T10:01:41.956-07:00Well. Good job. I admit, I wasn't up on this...Well. Good job. I admit, I wasn't up on this story as much as I should have been when it broke, but I quickly got up to speed. <br /><br />The initial impression when the story broke was that Dr. Gates refused to show his ID. I'm a brother, and I was thinking, "Come on bruh. Just show the ID and be done with it."<br /><br />You see, I've tried to convince myself that racism in this country has gone as far as it can go. An organization like the NAACP or the SCLC have no place in a modern society. We've been given the right to vote, drink from the same water fountains, and eat from the same lunch counters. What more could there be? Isn't it time to be introspective as a people and attack the things that we are seemingly doing to ourselves? You see, black people have a lot more issues than just racism (obviously). Lifestyles that are far less healthy, black on black crime, poverty, education facilities that are respectively subpar, etc., etc.<br /><br />Well hell, now we still have to deal with this kind of shit? I guess Jesse and Al still have a little job security. <br /><br />Thanks for talking about this. It's refreshing to have this avenue explored by a majority voice versus a minority one.DKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04032282251828102141noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-34452698774468451002009-07-22T09:38:44.823-07:002009-07-22T09:38:44.823-07:00While I won't ever know what it's like to ...While I won't ever know what it's like to be black in America, you make it seem like white people can never understand what it's like to have racism directed at them.<br />I lived in a country where most people aren't white (I'm white), and I faced discrimination very frequently.<br />So I'd say that I can relate to Gates in some way.<br />And while I do think race played a part in his arrest, I also think that police officers as a whole detain people, regardless of color, for the seeming reason of wanting to express their power over others.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-56277433152433669142009-07-22T08:27:04.736-07:002009-07-22T08:27:04.736-07:00A close friend of mine had recently purchased a lo...A close friend of mine had recently purchased a lovely BMW convertable within the last six months. Within three months, this gentle black man found himself one night face down and handcuffed on Washington D.C.'s Georgia Avenue, listening to a psychopathic cop rant that he'd "been watching" him drive on the stretch and didn't like what he saw. Given that my friend is gay and had been with his then-partner some nights, we think this guy was peering a little bit closer than he should have been. More, when my friend asked what he did, the cop said it didn't matter -- all while his female partner stood by and watched, shocked. Later, the cop said my friend "thought he was better" than him. This went on for a while until the guy's partner convinced him to release my friend. He didn't speak to anyone about it for weeks, it scared him so badly.<br /><br />I have said it before, and I'll say it again: Police departments across the country have an abuse of power problem, one that has worsened since 9/11. The flagrant disregard for our civil liberties is one that every U.S. citizen should be marching in the streets to preserve. But that takes showing more responsibility than reflexive flag waving, watching Faux News, and irresponsibly scouring President Obama's birth records. I shudder if this country ever sees the day that martial law is imposed for any reason. I certainly don't trust some law enforcement agencies to do the right thing, particularly when it comes to people of color. While I do believe there are many who try hard to protect and serve, their effectiveness is truncated by the morally challenged bureaucracies in which they find themselves. We live in modern times. It's time to invest resources in proper training, psychological screening -- including race bias -- and enforce zero-tolerance policies with taxpayer-funded police agencies.sojournernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-18492291572976711732009-07-22T08:04:10.805-07:002009-07-22T08:04:10.805-07:00Re fromthetropics:
I completely agree. How much &q...Re fromthetropics:<br />I completely agree. How much "disorderly conduct" could he have been engaging in? Not more than a regular college house party.<br /><br />Re: GeekGirl<br />Having to carry an ID is offensive and goes against the notion of a free society. The Supreme Court ruled that checkpoints even in a "high-crime" area (Trinidad neighborhood in DC) are unconstitutional. But your neighborhood police don't abide by that.MARnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-90821690996064404762009-07-22T06:17:51.128-07:002009-07-22T06:17:51.128-07:00First of all... I've just discovered this blog...First of all... I've just discovered this blog, and for the most part, I love it! Your discussion of racial issues is not only deep and honest, but also thought inspiring.<br /><br />I'm particularly glad I happened upon this post; the story saddens me, particularly since I'm of mind that regardless of race, no human being can ever TRULY be able to put themselves into the "shoes" of another.<br /><br />Thank you for the insight!!Bai Ruihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05104786598958359715noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-74586948787762977102009-07-22T03:47:13.949-07:002009-07-22T03:47:13.949-07:00Great post and very insightful. I think it can be ...Great post and very insightful. I think it can be hard for those that don't have to deal with this to wrap their heads around how frustrating it can be. <br /><br />I am a black female living in an upper middle class neighborhood. I used to get asked what I was doing by cops while walking my dog. The anger and fury you feel when this happens is hard to describe. Perhaps I shouldn't bring the snark, but you can't help it. Out comes, "Let's see. Wearing shorts. Running shoes. Dog. Leash. Hmmmm... Officer, I have no idea what I'm doing here." <br /><br />You then have to explain that you don't have an ID with you because you were running the dog out for 5 minutes, but if he follows you home you'll grab your id. The office finally decides to leave you alone but informs you that he can ticket you for not carrying your ID and will check for it next time. What?!?!?!<br /><br />It's infuriating. I think more people - POC and white - need to raise hell. This needs to stop.Undrunk Pandahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09018765691825662830noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-13879313546157268122009-07-22T01:40:23.436-07:002009-07-22T01:40:23.436-07:00Let’s say that Gates was actually yelling. But so ...Let’s say that Gates was actually yelling. But so what? How much noise can a grey haired man with a cane who had just arrived from a 15 hour flight, and is probably jet lagged and grumpy make that it warrants arrest? <br /><br />Or let’s say he was a young able bodied man in the prime of his life and had had a good night’s sleep and was fresh as ever. Even then, how much noise can a single man make that it warrants arrest? <br /><br />They knew he had done nothing wrong by the time he got to the front porch. His only alleged crime was that he was yelling. The police could have just walked away at this point. Gates would have stopped yelling – I mean, why would you yell when there’s nobody there to yell at? <br /><br />It makes little economic sense too. I read he was booked, fingerprinted, photographed, questioned, and put into a cell...for yelling. He was at the police station for 4 hours. What are they gonna do? Arrest everyone who yells? Considering the number of police officers involved and what not, the arrest alone probably cost the state a few hundred dollars. If I was working in the US I’d seriously question where my tax dollars are going.fromthetropicsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-56961299049221823172009-07-22T00:24:48.010-07:002009-07-22T00:24:48.010-07:00Nailed it.Nailed it.whatsernamehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15731411057968563416noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-74557487037390195532009-07-21T22:23:39.264-07:002009-07-21T22:23:39.264-07:00Redcatbiker-I agree with you to an extent about th...Redcatbiker-I agree with you to an extent about the police harboring racist/prejudiced ideas regardless of their own race. I don't think it's because they're psychopaths, though. I'm not sure which is first (the age old chicken or egg conundrum) but they either decide to join the police force because they want to be in a position of power and be able to abuse it, or after being on the force in order to be "in" they abuse their power in the same way their colleagues do. As the police force in America is overwhelmingly white, I imagine POC policemen and women need to exhibit the same racist tendencies to be accepted, or perhaps they see themselves as above the other members of their race begin to believe the stereotypes themselves.<br /><br />This incident is completely vile. They have dropped the charges against him and I REALLY hope that that Gates sues the crap out of them.<br /><br />I think it bears mentioning that this is most likely only being reported on because Gates is a "safe" black man. If it had been the same situation (i.e., a man coming home to his OWN HOUSE to which he had a key and a lot of cumbersome luggage and showing I.D. that proved he lived there) but with a large, very dark-skinned black man wearing a backpack and hat, we wouldn't even be hearing about it.Doreennoreply@blogger.com