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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2009
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 OPINION 
44

Gates Arrest a 'Battle of Egos'

Don't confuse it with poor blacks' struggle against racism, classism

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(Newser) – Racial profiling may have played a role in the arrest of Henry Louis Gates Jr., but fellow black scholar Boyce Watkins says there's no reason to feel sorry for Gates. At heart, the scene was likely “a battle of two egos,” Watkins writes in the Grio. “What is abundantly clear is that this is NOT the case of a poor black male being exploited by the racist, classist power structure.”

This was a showdown between a Harvard professor who saw a cop as beneath him, and a policeman who apparently thought he could treat a black professor differently from a white one. “The idea that he is somehow the victim of the same racism that sends poor black men to prison simply doesn't fly with me,” Watkins writes. “Gates should be careful about appearing to exploit the plight of black men across America to win his battle of egos with the Cambridge Police Department.”

Cambridge Police Sgt. James Crowley listens to questions from members of the media at his home in Natick, Mass., Wednesday, July 22, 2009.
Cambridge Police Sgt. James Crowley listens to questions from members of the media at his home in Natick, Mass., Wednesday, July 22, 2009.   (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
In this photo taken by a neighbor July 16, 2009, Henry Louis Gates Jr., center, is arrested at his home.
In this photo taken by a neighbor July 16, 2009, Henry Louis Gates Jr., center, is arrested at his home.   (AP Photo/Demotix Images, B. Carter)
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I might be kicked out of "The Black scholars club" for saying this, but the truth is that I don't feel sorry for Henry Louis Gates. - Dr. Boyce Watkins

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44 comments
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Timinator2K
Jul 23, 09 9:05 AM CDT
"DON'T YOU KNOW WHO I AMMMMMMM? YOU RACIST PIG COP!!!" I can see where ego conflicts came into the conversation...though the cop should have still walked away from the pompous prof....who will no doubt fall into $$$ for a book deal and TV movie. Reply
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IN RESPONSE:
Ioptout
Jul 23, 09 11:08 AM CDT
The guy was trying to break in a window. Not having an ID is a big problem. Rapists always dress a little dapper. People say "you can tell he is innocent", and there is no way you can. Rich people steal and it seems it's only came out in the news recently. The "black-card" is gone for good (if you know it or not), but by all means document the police system, blow-hard cops and their treatment of others are here to stay.
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IN RESPONSE:
kokuaguy
Jul 23, 09 12:44 PM CDT
I'm with Watkins insofar as he's saying "keep Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson out of this." And that's about all he's saying, and I bet Gates would agree with most if not all of what Watkins is saying. No one is ever without blame. The film CRASH is great on this, and the book "The Race Card" which I have not read but which was discussed in at least one very good C-Span show should be required reading for all Americans. This is not like the case in La where the noose was hung in the tree on the high school campus and the principal let all hell break loose when he should have used a very teachable moment to keep all hell from breaking loose in a very predictable way. This is another teachable moment for America, and there's no way the President would have weighed in as he did if it were not clear that the Officers owe Prof. Gates an apology, no matter how big an ass he made of himself. They have a duty to serve and protect, and not to cause embarrassment and endless hassle and expense for their department by creating totally unnecessary public controversies.
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geneparmesan
Jul 23, 09 9:05 AM CDT
Well said Dr. This is about ego. Don't show yours around a cop, cause he'll show you what an ego really is. Reply
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+9
IN RESPONSE:
Timinator2K
Jul 23, 09 9:29 AM CDT
Prof: MINE IS BIGGER THAN YOURS! Cop: So? I can arrest you...how much bigger is that than yours?
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