BellaOnline Forums Travel and Culture African-American Culture Racial Injustice?

Today in Cambridge, Massacheusettes, highly esteemed scholar, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., 58, was arrested outside of his home.

Apparently, aomeone called the police, and said they witnessed what appeared to be a black man trying to break in to one of the apartments. When the police arrived, Mr. Gates was already in his apartment, and asked to identify himself.

Police state that they only arrested Mr. Gates, after he kept yelling at them for making such an accusation.

Is this racial injustice? Or, were the police just doing their job?

Here is a link to the article:
Arrest

Gates, naturally is outraged. But, I think the police were only doing their job by acting upon the report of a caller who was concerned. The anger and outrage should be directed at the caller, in my opinion, not the police as the media will probably turn it into. The media can take a situation like this and turn it into a horrendous racial discrimination case and get a lot of people up in arms, screaming "racists".

What happened is very unfortunate for Gates and the police. I just hope this does not start the wrong tempers boiling - like people who will drag it out just to start a warfare of words and accusations.

Gates himself seems to be so upset that he may be the one to turn it into a huge racial issue. Did you notice that one of the police officers is Black. I truly feel sorry for Gates and understand how he feels. I just hope all is smoothed out to his satisfaction without a big uproar.

I'm watching this news story on CNN right now. WOW! It would be easy enough to prove that it was his home - show his driver's license. I don't understand why he was arrested.