Thursday, July 23, 2009

Our "Post-Racial" President

You really have to love Obama's reaction to this. Best comes with his admission that he didn't know all the facts yet condemns the police as stupid racists.

What's been reported though is that the guy forgot his keys, jimmied his way to get into the house. There was a report called in to the police station that there might be a burglary taking place. So far, so good, right? I mean, if I was trying to jigger into -- well, I guess this is my house now, so... (laughter) ... it probably wouldn't happen. But let's say my old house in Chicago. (laughter) Here, I'd get shot.

I don't know, not having been there and not seeing all the facts, what role race played in that. But I think it's fair to say, number one, any of us would be pretty angry; number two, that the Cambridge police acted stupidly in arresting somebody when there was already proof that they were in their own home; and, number three, what I think we know separate and apart from this incident is that there's a long history in this country of African Americans and Latinos being stopped by law enforcement disproportionately. That's just a fact.

As you know, Lynn, when I was in the state legislature in Illinois, we worked on a racial profiling bill because there was indisputable evidence that blacks and Hispanics were being stopped disproportionately. And that is a sign, an example of how, you know, race remains a factor in the society.

I'm still trying to figure out how the profiling part is relevant. In fact he had enough information to know that the police were reacting to a call not driving around profiling.

The linked Wizbang article even links to pictures and witness reports that Skip was behaving unreasonably. I agree with Kevin that if I had acted as the good professor had I would have been arrested as well.

This had nothing to do with racism and the fact that the President played it that way really should make people question his claims to being a "post-racial" president.

UPDATE:
Arresting officer teaches racial profiling classes at the police academy.

So the president gives himself the big distraction to his health care plans. Who's stupid here?


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