Maher's just wrong on the Gates' question. No way does he have enough evidence to make the kind of judgement he's made here. Certainly, if the police do have the recording they claim, a disorderly conduct charge is well justified. Supposedly Gates demanded the officer's badge number four times, even though the officer gave it to him the first two times...more, he was doing so loudly and rapidly enough that the officer couldn't make himself understood to the dispatcher when trying to report in. He's damned lucky they didn't charge him with obstructing a police officer...I suspect that's a bit more serious, and again, well justified if this recording is what they claim.

I also suspect that if they do have that recording, it will sooner or later be made public unless Gates backs down. And rightly so, IMO.

Now... I enjoy Mahers show and all that. But seriously, why the hell is a comedian being frequently interviewed for his opinions on a news network?

Infotainment, BoneyD. Just the point he was making on his show. That said, he's got more insight than most interviewees in the MSM.

All I have to say is that Bill Maher is fucking awesome. I've pretty much agreed with everything that he's ever said.

Bill Maher is using pretty much the exact words that I've been using about this whole stupid Gates controversy. There aren't enough details to know if it was anything racial. But one thing is perfectly clear: Gates got arrested at his own home for disorderly conduct after the police knew that he was the owner of the home.

http://www.masscriminaldefense.com/disorderly.htm
Here is the Massachusetts definition of disorderly conduct. There is a reason the police quickly dropped the charges. It's unheard of that someone could be arrested for disorderly conduct on his own front porch! It doesn't matter how many times he loudly and rapidly demanded the officer's badge number. Loudly demanding an officer's badge number is not illegal. Once the police know a crime is not being committed, Gates should have the right to tell them to fuck off and die. Gates should be able to go back into his house and the police should require a search warrant to enter.

Where do people get the idea that if he's being rude, he "deserves" it?!

There's rude, and then there's preventing an officer from fulfilling his duty. If an officer is called out for a home invasion call, and can't report back to the dispatcher (for whatever reason), that is a serious problem. When the reason is someone screaming questions (especially questions that have been answered more than once), there's a definite reason to take some sort of action.

As far as I can see, Gates would seem to have a huge chip on his shoulder (perhaps not without -some- justification), and immediately jumped to the conclusion that this was a racial issue. Gates has something of a history of making these sorts of claims, while Crowley has a history of working -against- racism and racial profiling. It's hardly a cut-and-dried situation...and Maher's not helping a damned thing by rushing to judgment.

No one faults the officer for paying a visit to the house. No one faults the officer for figuring out who Gates was and if he lived there. If Gates was difficult with the officers beforehand, it's unfortunate that the officers had to deal with that. But both sides agree that identification was eventually shown that showed that Gates was in his own home. The disorderly conduct charge came afterwards. At that time, there was definitely no reason to "take action". There's no reason they should even be there.

Everything else you mention is meaningless. It doesn't matter if he has a chip on his shoulders. It doesn't matter if he jumped to the conclusion that it was a racial issue. It doesn't matter if he has history of making such claims. It doesn't matter if Crowley has a history of working against racism and racial profiling. Once you realize none of that matters, it all seems pretty cut and dried.

I think I figured it out. Maybe people are asking the wrong question. Maybe people are asking the question "Who had the right to be offended?" While I'm asking the question "Was the arrest and charge of disorderly conduct justified?" I could see the police officers having a pretty good case for being annoyed or offended. But I don't think that matters one bit. I think police officers need to be well trained to swallow their pride, identify crimes, and help convict people for those crimes, and not get into arguments and arrest people for disorderly conduct. This disorderly conduct charge was legally completely unfounded. It was just the officer desperately trying to come up with something to arrest someone he didn't like, which is an unethical abuse of the legal system.

Is there really a faction defending the cops on the Gates thing? Dumb Americans indeed.

Anyone who believes that criticizing police officers should be grounds for arrest needs to be smacked upside the head with a Billy Club.

*long

Video is already flagged long - ignoring long request by RedSky.

lol if your on your own property you should be allowed to shout sware throw water at cops all day long. that is unless you have already broken the lore / there is evidence that you will harm people . Evan if a cop pulls me over for no reason i should be allowed to tell them to fuck off , in uk its an offense to swear at the police so stupid.

whats more stupid is a good deal of the police are realy nice relaxed people , I have worked with the police and spent a good deal of time doing varouse things with them, and they do have to put up with alot of tedouse and stupid shit. they need some sort of test to get the dick police out and the nice police in .

>> ^BoneyD:
Now... I enjoy Mahers show and all that. But seriously, why the hell is a comedian being frequently interviewed for his opinions on a news network?


because instead of journalists, we turn to comedian commentators for our world view.... (see glen beck, rush limbaugh, sean hannity, etc etc etc etc)

Tags for this video have been changed from 'HBO, Bill, Maher, Politically, Incorrect, Visit, CNN, Situation, Room' to 'Bill Maher, Politically Incorrect, CNN, Situation Room, sarah palin, wolf blitzer' - edited by SlipperyPete

I usually agree with Bill, but this time he is dead wrong on the Gates issue.

Tell me if I'm wrong about these facts: Gates broke into a house. Officer Crowley came to investigate. Crowley questioned Gates about his identity. Gates initially refused to cooperate and started screaming about racism. Crowley pressed the issue, and Gates eventually showed ID, while continuing to berate the officers. The officers present argue with Gates for a little about the validity of their investigation and whether it's racist or not, then start to leave. Gates follows them outside and starts creating a more public spectacle. Officers tell him to calm down, but he keeps escalating his tantrum. Officers arrest him in his front yard for disorderly conduct.

From brain's link:

A "disorderly person" is defined as one who:

- with purpose to cause public inconvenience, annoyance or alarm, or
- recklessly creates a risk thereof
- engages in fighting or threatening, violent or tumultuous behavior, or
- creates a hazard or physically offensive condition by any act which serves no legitimate purpose.

I think the problem is its like when the police go to a peaceful protest and start blocking people in causing the protest to turn into a riot.

The police should never act as a Catalyst / elivait a situation from a non problem to a problem.

In anny non illegal situation where police presence makes the situation worse the police should not be there.

The moment It was established that the guy owned the house the police should have apologized and left imideatly.

Bill Maher needs his notes again. I love it when he has conservatives on his panel, they always show how much of an idiot and his liberal audience is.

is it me or did CNN censor/blurred out 2 books on a shelf behind Bill?

*dead

This published video has been declared non-functional; embed code must be fixed within 2 days or it will be sent to the dead pool - declared dead by NetRunner.

>> ^MaxWilder:
Anyone who is screaming at police officers on their front lawn is clearly causing annoyance and alarm, displaying tumultuous behavior, and quite likely qualifying for several other points. Being on your own property is not a "sanctuary" zone, where you can do whatever the hell you feel like. You still have to maintain some modicum of civility.

From the link brain provided, a section you did not quote providing generic legal defense advice:

Being angry and yelling at someone, even if that person is a police officer, is not sufficient cause to sustain a disorderly conduct charge. You are absolutely permitted to express yourself and your first amendment rights to free speech.

The simple fact is that you are probably more likely to be arrested for a disorderly conduct offense if you personally annoy a police officer. But that doesn't mean that you are guilty by any means.

Like I said before, cops CAN'T leave while people are freaking out! They can't just apologize and leave like any other citizen. The situation must be reasonably resolved. Perhaps the cops made an improper arrest in order to bring the situation to a conclusion, and perhaps that is the wrong thing to do, but what else were they supposed to do?

And about entering the house... I really wish I could question that judge in the link. You get a report that somebody is breaking through a front door, you go to the residence and the people inside refuse to show ID, and that's not reasonable cause? Give me a break!

Look, I'm not saying Crowley was perfect, but I just don't see how anybody can say he is the one who is at fault here. Gates wanted an incident, and he provoked a cop until he got his incident. That, in my book, is inexcusable. Just the same way I would say it is inexcusable when a cop provokes an innocent civilian into doing something.