Professor Gates Should Watch More TV

I personally have been stopped by the police here in Gwinnett County two times and the in the state of Georgia two more times. Three times I was speeding and one time I didn't have any tailights. Not just a minor speeds either...83/55, 52/30 way over the "line".

Each time I got a "howdy do" and a nicely worded warning and was sent on my way. Each time I followed a simple process that I have developed after watching "Cops" and after taking a class at the Citizen Police academy in Snellville. Basically , don't cause the cop any trouble, let him know that you are NO threat, and only say ...Yes Sir..No Sir..and have a story that is very middle America. ( i.e. picking up kids from soccer, coming back from the beach, or taking the grandparents to dinner). Your story...or narrative should all make sense, be logical and should not include any reference to drugs, alcohol, or parties. Play the game and you will win.

The big thing to avoid is the idea of drinking. You really don't want to answer the question...How many beers did you have Mr.Allen? Once you are on that line of questioning you run the risk of having some testing done...may be a bad thing. If you do answer that you have been to dinner or a party and you have had too much to drink then be nice and respectful , don't cause any problems and remain calm. If you do get tested and ....you fail don't add to the problem , or cause additional charges , by making trouble for the judge, jury, and jailer ( the cop).

Here's the thing. Cops are people and they are working , having a day, when they come in contact with us the citizens. They have good and bad days like we all do. They have the additional burden of life or death going along with them as they go through their day. So, the key is to NOT cause them any problems....they will arrest you and they will put you in jail. Now more than ever the easiest thing is for them to arrest you. That way there is no second guessing their actions . If they let you drive on home and you kill someone along the way that accident will come beck on them.

Professor Gates of Harvard made a simple mistake....he caused problems and he apparently made a cop angry. He should have been able to walk away from this simple matter ....if he had kept his cool. I suspect he just didn't want to play the game and make the cop feel comfortable. A good point in his defense is that after going through the handcuffing and arrest...they dropped the charges. Seems to me that if the charges had any merit....they shouldn't drop them. Seems to me that the guys with the guns should realize that they have the power and they need to cut a older man with a cane some slack. They both should have known better.