Sweet, Dark and Crazy

Monday, August 3, 2009

Old Professors and Archaic Slang

Okay, the fervor around Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates is finally dying down; but, I just had to just throw in my two cents. First of all, I realize that we black folks have issues with the po-po. I get that. I also realize that racial profiling is very real and D.W.B. (driving while black) occurs all too often.

I don't know if the cop in this case was actually racist, but let's look at the bigger picture. It amazes me that knowing that there are racist cops out there and knowing the reality of racial profiling that we insist on getting loud and indignant with the racist/racial profiling Man. Is yelling and being belligerent going to make the racist cop less racist? Is it going to make him rethink his position? Isn't it just going to make him even madder? Did I mention he's packing a gun? A loaded gun?

Yes, it is terrible to be accused of breaking into your own house. Yes, it is inconvenient to have to show several forms of ID to prove who you are and where you live. But all of this could have been avoided if he would have put up with the inconvenience and then later, after the cop had left and all was said and done, called his friends with the police department and filed an official complaint.

But what really bothers me is what Gates allegedly said. When asked by the officer to come outside of the house, he responded, "Ya, I'll speak with your mama outside."

Really? He reached way back into the 70's and pulled out, "your mama"? Gates is a Harvard professor, but I think he needs to spend a semester or two as a visiting professor at Hampton or Howard so he could get up on the lingo and the latest slang.

Or at least watch an hour of BET.

Gates, you are a Harvard professor, act like one and show your outrage the way Harvard people do, discussing it over Scotch and cigars at the 'club' with the police chief and a couple of judges. You are not 'hard'. You are not from 'the streets'. You are not fluent in Ebonics (okay maybe 70's era Ebonics but we are now well into the new millennium).

Your mama? Really?

Labels: Politics

posted by SDC @ 7:46 PM

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