Thanks to "A Loyal Fan" who brought the following story to my attention and asked me to blog on it.
A young female police officer recently stopped Bob Dylan and asked him his name and what he was doing wandering around a low income neighbourhood. She apparently did not know who he was. He stated who he was, and why he was in the area (he was there for a concert). She called in a second police officer (a male) for assistance. They asked him for his I.D. He said he did not have any on him. They asked him to accompany them to his hotel. He did. He was vouched for. The officers thanked Dylan for his cooperation. Dylan was apparently very nice about the whole thing. Incident over.
So.. what do I (or you ) make of this when one compares it to the Professor Gates incident?
My first point is obvious. The threesome should not expect an invitation to the White House any time soon for beers and pretzels. No need for a "beer summit" here. The incident was handled appropriately by all three involved, so there is no need to "incentivize" them to behave like responsible adults. This is no big loss, at least to the cops and the President. If Dylan's concert performances are any indication, although he is a great performer, he is a very lousy conversationalist. It would be a deadly dull evening.
As to what else one could make of this (assuming it is all truly reported), it is all fascinating speculation.
Did Dylan cooperate because he was stopped by a young female cop?
Did Dylan cooperate because he is white and does not carry around the baggage of racial profiling?
Did Dylan cooperate because he is a cool dude and not a pretentious Harvard professor?
Did the three of them act civilly because they did not want to have to have a beer at the White House with Obama and Biden?
I do not know. But it's interesting, isn't it?
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Maybe he cooperated out of respect for the police?
ReplyDeleteOne could certainly say Dylan has "balls"!
ReplyDeleteThere is one distinction between the Dylan affair and the Gates affair that I'm surprised is not leaping out to a lawyer like you: Gates was on his own property, Dylan wasn't. Doesn't that matter anymore to lawyers? Or is that just some itty-bitty little detail that gets in the way of a good theory?
ReplyDeleteYes, it's a point.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is that although Gates knew he was on his own property, the police officer did not. And Gates (presumably) refused to co-operate and verify who he was. Now if I were Gates, I would be happy that the police did not simply believe a thief who is in my house alleging that he is me, but would try to verify it. No?
Lewis, apparently the officer did know it was Gates' property, and confirmed his identity, when he arrested him, according to both men's versions of events:
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Louis_Gates_arrest_incident#Arrest
Facts and truth: do they actually matter to lawyers? Professors? Pundits?
Lots of "facts"; lots of versions, lots of "truths".
ReplyDeleteWhat did Gates do or say BEFORE he was arrested and BEFORE his identity was known? Did he cooperate? Did the arresting police officer, who from all accounts is an exemplary officer, who was cleared of any wrongdoing, who was praised by Obama, and who was invited to the White House, have no reason to make the arrest? Was he a "rogue" cop, as alleged by Gates? Was he a racist?
Choose the version that best suits your world view.
Thanks for your contribution.
Actually, no, it's not interesting.
ReplyDeleteAren't there more significant matters supon which to comment?
ron c
I disagree with Ron, and with Lewis as well.
ReplyDeleteThis is interesting because nothing bad happened - it speaks loudest to systematic racism.
As to the earlier poster who spoke on Mr. Dylan's testacularity, to meekly obey a cop does not take balls. Ok, mouse balls perhaps, but not man-balls.
To continue using the fascinating metaphor of men's testicles, one thing is completely clear. Approve or not of what he did, a small unarmed black man (Henry Louis Gates) mouthing off to a burly cop? THAT took a huge pair of hanging brass ones that would put the most oversized pair of trucknuts to shame. Anyone disagree?
ReplyDeleteSheldon Levine