En Una Boca Cerrada, No Entran Moscas (With Addendum)

Literal translation of the title of this post: "Into a closed mouth, flies do not enter."

BHO would do well to learn that lesson, especially before commenting on an incident about which he himself admits not knowing the facts.

I am referring, of course, to his recent comment at a scripted press conference: "The police acted stupidly," in reference, of course, to the arrest of Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr., who acted the fool by mouthing off to police investigating a possible break-in at his home. In a recent essay in the Washington Post, journalist Neely Tucker put it this way:

When the Cops Are Called In, Anger Is a Dangerous Weapon to Brandish

One of the common-sense rules of life can be summed up this way: Don't Mess With Cops.

It doesn't matter if you are right, wrong, at home or on the street, or if you are white, black, Hispanic, Jewish, Muslim or whatever. When an armed law enforcement officer tells you to cease and desist, the wise person (a) ceases and (b) desists.

The End.

Like Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr., I am interracially married, currently live in a predominantly white neighborhood, have a healthy respect for armed men wearing uniforms, and have had the police come to my house in a confrontational manner, doing the job they're paid to do....

Mr. Tucker goes on to tell a personal story. A must-read!

Today's Washington Post offers some facts about James Crowley, the officer whom BHO accused of acting stupidly:

Crowley grew up in a predominantly Irish Catholic neighborhood, where his family attended Mass regularly. The Boston Globe reported that in 1993, when he was working as an officer with the Brandeis University police force, he tried to resuscitate Boston Celtics star Reggie Lewis, who suffered a heart attack during a practice and died.

Crowley joined the Cambridge Police Department and was eventually tapped to teach a class on racial profiling at a police training academy.

Thomas Fleming, director of the police academy at the Lowell Police Department, which has a partnership with the Cambridge Police Department, said Crowley has taught the course for five years and has trained 300 recruits, none of whom have complained about him.

The same Washington Post article states the following:

Sgt. James Crowley said Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. was combative from the moment the officer arrived at his house last week to respond to a call about a possible burglary. As the confrontation escalated, Crowley said he warned Gates that he risked arrest.

"The second warning was with me holding a set of handcuffs in my hands -- something I really didn't want to do," Crowley said in a radio interview. "The professor at any time could have resolved the issue by quieting down and/or going back inside his house."

[...]

When Crowley arrived and questioned whether Gates lived in the home, the 58-year-old academic became upset, eventually demanding the officer's name and badge number so he could file a complaint. Crowley said Gates referred to Crowley's mother as a way of showing his displeasure.

When the officer repeatedly asked Gates to speak with him outside, the professor responded, "Ya, I'll speak with your mama outside," Crowley wrote in a police report.

Charges against Police Officer Gates have been dropped, but further investigation into the entire record of this officer continues. Officer Gates also refuses to apologize for his actions at the Harvard scholar's home.

Meanwhile, Police Officer Crowley is making saner comments than BHO:

Of Obama, Crowley said in an interview with Boston's WBZ-AM: "I support the president of the United States 110 percent. I think he's way off base wading into a local issue without knowing all the facts as he himself stated before he made that comment."

BHO showed the racist chip on his shoulder and would do well to listen to this sermon by Pastor James David Manning. And instead of blabbing on from the bully pulpit in reference to a matter about which he admits that he doesn't know the facts, BHO should remember that all his words should be worthy of the office he holds.

Particularly when one doesn't know the facts, "Silence is golden," or, in Spanish, "En una boca cerrada, no entran moscas."

Addendum: Please see this post of some personal observations by Revere Rides Again over at Infidel Bloggers Alliance. Excerpt:

This afternoon I drove to Cambridge, MA, in order to view the site of the 7/16/09 arrest of Harvard University Professor Henry Louis Gates for disorderly conduct. Specifically I wanted to try to spot any visible signs of agitation in the immediate neighborhood connected with this story. I am very familiar with the area, having attended night classes at the university some years ago....

Read the rest HERE.