The New Republic

I am following this with high interest. Why? Because something very similar happened to me right in my hometown here in Northern CA. I live in a quaint, predominately white Northern CA town. About 7 or 8 years ago, I found myself in a similar pickle. A neighbor friend of mine asked me to water his flowers and garden while he and his family went on vacation. This was easy because his home was just across the field from my castle and was on the tail end of my jogging route. No problem, I thought, I will just water the plants on my jogging route and that will be easy. As a backdrop, when I exercise, I do not wear shiny, new stuff. I wear ratty old sweats, an old beat up tee shirt, and I perspire a lot.

So, the first day that I go to water his home, I look a bit bedraggled but full of neighborly intent. I am watering the front, and then I have to go into the backyard, which I do. As I finish up in the back, I come out and right there waiting for me is a city police cruiser with two of the town's finest. "What am I doing?" was the question - like in Gate's situation, someone had seen me, this brown sweaty guy messin' about the house and called the police - and they asked me for ID, which of course, I did not have because I do not carry my wallet when I jog. We went back and forth, and though they did not say they didn't believe me, they made me sit on the curb, while one officer stood sentry over me and the other went to call in. As I sat there, I was pissed but I grew up with a father who told us boys never to directly argue with cops. He had done that in Boyle Heights East LA when he was a kid and he told us all it ever got him in the 1940s was an ass kicking.

The only thing that saved me was that while they had me doing the perp curbside sit down, another friend drove by, a white Jewish guy in fact, and he stopped and came over to ask me what was up. The cops were at first pretty tough but this guy confirmed that I was a neighbor, a friend of the home owner, and despite by obvious watering while brown violation, I was actually a resident too, a solid citizen, and a person of note in the community. The two cops then got very very nervous, apologized profusely, and allowed me to go on my own way.

Of course, I was pissed to the bone but when my wife asked me if I was going to write an article about it - I was doing a lot of free lance at the time - I said no. Why, she asked. Well, I told her that cops hate to  be made to look bad and if I embarrassed them in front of the entire community, who knows how they would react? Would they ever come out to our house if we needed them? Would I suddenly find that I am getting ticketed for all kinds of weird, arcane infractions? Naw, though I was pissed and though the experience humiliated and embarrassed me, taking a cue from Hyman Roth, I let it go.

I am not saying that Gates should or should not do anything. I am just telling you that I had a very similar experience and this was how it played out.

- thejauntyboulevardier

July 21, 2009 at 12:07pm

Excellent post, jaunty. I'd like to add a comment about one thing you said: "As I sat there, I was pissed but I grew up with a father who told us boys never to directly argue with cops."

I suspect many fathers, of all colors--brown, black, white, whatever--have taught their sons (and daughters) exactly that. It's simply basic common sense when dealing with the police anywhere, under any circumstances, even in whitebread suburbia where I learned this lesson from my father. (And, his advice has come in handy on more than one occasion over the years.)

Again, is just seems to be common sense, which in no way is intended as a comment on the obvious disparaties in how the police, historically, have dealt with individuals based on race. I understand that that reality is key to the discussion.

Meanwhile, based only on the limited information I've read so far, it seems that Professor Gates may have forgotten or ignored that lesson and, instead, once again, is writing wolf tickets.

- cvillekid

July 21, 2009 at 4:28pm

cvillekid,

I have often wondered how I would have responded if my white savior neighbor hadn't shown up and convinced the two officers that I wasn't a suspect. Of course, it is a bitter pill to swallow to know that I was spared a trip to the station only by the serendipitous power of another neighbor's white credibility.

And I have often wondered how I would have reacted if they did stuff me into the cruiser and hauled my sweaty brown ass in for watering while brown. Even still, I do not think I would have pitched a hissy fit simply because of the advice of my father. If that happened, I do think I would have been more inclined to write about it in the local media. Who knows. It was averted. But I have to tell you, I was very humiliated when I had to sit on that curb in front of the entire neighborhood while that officer was standing guard over  me. It is at those times when one really questions if color "doesn't matter anymore". I can certainly understand Gates' visceral reaction to this kind of ignominious experience. I was so glad that my kids didn't witness that humiliation.

- thejauntyboulevardier

July 21, 2009 at 6:43pm

That should be "selling wolf tickets", of course, not "writing them."

- cvillekid

July 22, 2009 at 8:13am