I'm about as antibigoted as you'll find, but I don't think these are racially motivated.
OK, one is the swimming club that tossed out an inner-city youth club, citing safety reasons. It was declared a reprehensible and racist act. A week later, it comes out that a lot of the children didn't know how to swim.
Henry Louis Gates, internationally acclaimed college professor, locked himself out of the house. His neighbors saw someone (him) trying to break in the front door and called the cops. When the cops arrived he refused to show ID and became abusive and belligerent. He got arrested.
So what do you think? Both minority parties in these instances are screaming racism, and my local paper is bang alongside that accusation. This seems silly to me. Or did I get my facts wrong?
Update:I love the people calling me racist and "seeing only what I want to see." I challenge you to find my name next to a racist post. Religion-ist, yes. I really can't stand muslims, and you wouldn't either if you'd ever spent any time in one of their countries. I'll even add you as a fan so you can troll my responses if you promise to not go all report-monkey on me. That attitude--because I question the accusations of racism I must be racist--is racist itself, and are part of why we can't fix this problem in the US.
Star: I thought about that and then thought, "Well, what if he's a bad neighbor?" Based on his behavior with the cops, it wouldn't surprise me. His neighbors might really dislike the guy and call the cops just to get a little entertainment. He sounds like he's got a chip on his shoulder and is quite confrontational about it. Nobody likes that in a neighbor.
Update 3:Illuminated truth: If I've got my facts wrong, please correct me rather than accusing me of something that "so many of you seem to do". Who are 'you'? Define, please.
Answers & Comments
Verified answer
Gates is an opportunity racist and that’s all! He is a disgrace to black people. Any normal person would have been thankful (a) that someone called seeing two men breaking into a house and (b) any normal person would have laughed and gladly showed the police their ID, but not an opportunity seeking racist. An opportunity seeking racist would be belligerent, accusatory and additionally cause some kind of scene to be arrested for and then scream Racism! Racism! Racism!
Gates is further evidence that Harvard is nothing as far as a quality school goes all it is, is a Politically Correct sanctuary! There was a day when a person like Gates would have been fired for his behavior, being an antagonistic, belligerent, and racist person; however Harvard lacking in integrity immediately will run to his side and support him.
Gates is not a scholar! Gates is not a gentleman! Gates is not a person of integrity! Gates is an attention seeking racist! That’s all.
The first story is indeed racist. It didn't matter if the kids knew how to swim or not and how would they have known just by looking at them? For a long time, I couldn't swim either and would just stay closer to the shallow edge but I didn't have anyone trying to get me to leave for "safety reasons". And if the owner didn't do anything wrong, why would he apologize for this later? That makes no sense.
Second story, I'm not sure about this one because we don't really know exactly what happened when the cops arrived, it's pretty much his word against theirs. I honestly wouldn't be pissed if someone called the cops for seeing me breaking into my own house because that means they're only looking out for me, however if these were his neighbors that saw him, you would think they'd recognize him and realize he lives there and not call the cops.
The swim club, if I'm not mistaken, the owner or someone in charge made a comment along the lines of "We didn't want to change the complexion of our club/pool" Several of the children said they heard members at the pool saying things like "What are these black kids doing here" and making their children leave the pool. That had nothing to do with the children being able to swim.
Henry Louis Gates, jr. -I read more about it. I think that may have been very racist.
I read the Gates story. He is a smart man. He should have known that there was a possibility of the cops showing up because it looked like he was breaking in. They said he refused to come and initially and then refused to give I.D. He then later made a scene coming out and yelling at the cops. I'm sorry but a Havard professor should know better. All he had to do was address the problem come outside and show I.D. Why did he have to pull that angry black man crap! I've locked myself out before and had to climb through the window. You cant bet that the thought that the police might come had crossed my mind!!!!
"OK, one is the swimming club that tossed out an inner-city youth club, citing safety reasons. It was declared a reprehensible and racist act. A week later, it comes out that a lot of the children didn't know how to swim."
Whaaaat? So? The club didn't know if they could swim or not! That could hardly be the basis for which they were thrown out for. It was racism and BS!
I agree. It's ridiculous.
The professor, the cops don't know if he's got a buglar in his home with a gun to his head saying he'll shoot his head off if he doesn't come out. The cops are only responding to what they know. My best friend climbed in through a window after she forgot her keys and someone called the cops on her. She's white so it's not racial.
The first one seems racially motivated, the second one does not.
1) Why are you still talking about that? Tyler Perry treated those kids to Disneyland, okay, it's over with.
2) I really don't care.
NEXT.
Edit: Thius: How does the professor have a case?
You got your facts wrong like so many of you seem to do. You only see things you want to see.
The swim club was a joke.The professor has a case.