I think that Radley Balko basically gets the issue right: “‘The Henry Louis Gates ‘Teaching Moment’”
The conversation we ought to be having in response to the July 16 incident and its heated aftermath isn’t about race, it’s about police arrest powers, and the right to criticize armed agents of the government.
A few weeks ago an elderly lady was pulled over for speeding. I can’t remember where, but she “verbally” abused the cop, got out of her car, and when the cop threatened to taze her she said ” I dare you to taze an old lady ” AND he actually did! Then some people said that is what you get for disrespecting a cop. So, now I suppose it is illegal to hurt a cop’s feelings and punishment is a swift tazing and arrest. As you know I like to say…lame.