I have been thinking about the Gates case... for a change.... it's class war

The entire uproar over the Prof. Dr. Gates incident, and Obama becoming involved has gotten under my fucking skin.

Gates did no wrong, he was in his own house. Whatever happened there was heated to heated words, and the man was wrongly arrested. Tapes show that the policeman over-exaggerated his reasons for going beyond the bounds of what the law is.

But the issue goes far deeper. And I do not think it is even about race any more. But yes that is a factor....

But is about police, and how they have their perceptions changed so that everyone, virtually everyone, is a potential perp.

That was a big one in one of my sociology courses at UNH.

Now, seemingly, the arresting officer is supposed to be one of the good guys. But something went terribly wrong.

I do not believe it was racially motivated for one second. It was also a class struggle.

I grew up in a 'poor' neighborhood. I got some modicum of success, but only worked three blocks away from my home. And closed shop late, dropped the money for the day into the bank in a locked zip bag, and went home. Five minute's walk away. Except....

Every time there was a rookie on the beat.... I got stopped, with yelling, 'Up against the WALL!! NOW!.' And then I got frisked for weapons. And then a gatling gun of questions...

'Where are you coming from?' 'Where are you going to?' 'WHO are your parents?' (they didn't wanna get into trouble after all....) And an ID. And then 'Don't you KNOW that if something happens here you will be the first to be suspected?'

Now, am talking about a town of about 100,ooo people at the time. And there was only one family of color in the entire place. And it didn't happen just once. It happened often.

But I must have come across as indigent, because I was working my ASS off to get some education, and didn't have 'da upper-class clothes' at the time. And I couldn't afford a car, so anyone out walking on the street at that time of night was suspect, regardless of color. It is their somewhat distorted view of the world.

And I soon learned---you don't lip those people off, and you say, 'Yes, Sir, No, Sir' or you are going to be in a world of trouble

That was what it was like, is all, so sometimes I think I can understand about how you are perceived can get you nearly into hot water. Nowadays, I suppose I would be tazed or something...

What I am trying to say is that the whole incident went much deeper. I read that Professor Gates had 'nice paintings' in his house. Whatever that means. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I guess they were good, and valuable...

And the arresting officer probably went off the charts, because 'the perp' was living in a standard he is never going to afford. The released tapes show that he did not tell the truth about what the arrest.

It is always about class stuff in the end...

So my take is, he got in there, beautiful house, and the cop flipped out, and it ended up about class.

I have the sneaking suspicion that THAT was what that was about.