professor gates - everyone is wrong

so that is the link to the gates story. the summary is this - a black harvard professor came home with his driver. there was a problem with his door. his driver forced the door open. a woman called the police to tell them that two big black men were trying to break into a house. the police came to the door; gates showed them his id (one account i read but can't find at the moment said they had to ask twice); gates was angry told them that they didn't know who they were messing with and accused them of racial profiling; gates asked for the officers name and badge number which the officer did not provide at any point; the officer asked him to step out of the house finally gates did in order to follow the cop and continue to ask for name and badge; when gates stepped out of the house the police arrested him for disorderly conduct.

peoples' reactions are, more or less, either 'this is racism' or ' he deserved to be arrested'. neither of these are correct. he was not arrested becasue he was black - he was arrested because you don't get to question the cops. by and large the police force is comprised of people fond of power, i'm not suggesting they are all that way but if you are that kind of person it's an alluring job. and if you aren't that kind of person to start with i thik there are many factors that might bring you there. but that's its own conversation. a police officer is required to tell you his badge and name if you ask. afaik, this applies even if he just watched you murder someone. but who the hell asks them for it. no one. that way lies madness. a good rule of thumb - when the cops come your rights range from limited to nonexistent. that isn't a racial issue. you know why women get out of more tickets than men. it's because women have a far easier time showing deference than men and that is what cops want from you. all of you. and frankly - a man getting uppity about his status has just taken a sledge hammer to the thin ice he was already skating on.

that said if i hear one more bullshit whinging about reverse discrimination i might go mad.

yeah, i definitely have to start writing this thing earlier - i could have been far more articulate.