Let me say, I am all for free speech. If you want to call my grandmother a whore, you are welcome to. You will just have to deal with the fact that I may want to punch you in the face. Repeatedly.
Everyone knows that actions have consequences...or they should.
If you are a professor at Harvard, you should probably have a sense that yelling at a cop will probably NOT LEAD TO SOMETHING GOOD.
Did the officer do something wrong? Well, according to state laws, yes he did. Gates was arrested for something that wasn't illegal. I'm not even going to touch on racial motivations. Perhaps it was, perhaps not. The idealist in me wants to think that it wasn't, but the cynic in me says that, in the end, it probably was.
HOWEVER, I cannot, with an honest conscience, even think about putting an ounce support behind someone who is stupid enough to yell at a cop--right or wrong.
Maybe it's just me, but the idea of pissing off someone who has more power than me, both legally and physically; has a gun; and could probably beat the shit out of me otherwise is not appealing in any way.
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I disagree. I wouldn't yell at a cop myself: it is certainly not a wise course of action. But I wouldn't hesitate to support someone for doing so: neither is it a wrong course of action.
ReplyDeleteYes, he is within his rights as an American to yell at a cop. Indeed, he should be allowed to do this without repercussion. Certainly, if given the choice I would defend his right to do so.
ReplyDeleteHOWEVER, just because something is legally allowed doesn't mean it is a decision that is logically sound and, resultantly, an idea that one should look upon favorably.
As a general rule, I try not to endorse choices that are stupid.