Racial-slurring Boston cop says he's not a racist

Only his mama would believe him.

Justin Barrett (right), the Boston police officer who sent a mass e-mail calling Harvard Prof. Henry Louis Gates Jr. a "banana-eating jungle monkey" has apologized, saying he's not a racist.

Are you fucking kidding me? I'm not racially touchy, and even I can see that that remark couldn't possibly be taken any other way.

"I regret that I used such words," Barrett told CNN affiliate WCVB-TV. "I have so many friends of every type of culture and race you can name. I am not a racist." Sure you're not.

He regrets it because he's about to lose his job. But he's toast. Banana-eating jungle monkey? WTF!

Barrett was placed on administrative leave after allegedly sending the mass e-mail to his National Guard buddies and the Boston Globe (what a dunce!) in which he vented about a July 22 Globe column on the Gates arrest, and he might lose his job as a result.

Yesterday I said that putting the racial issue aside, this guy should get fired for being this stupid. No one this dumb should carry a weapon and be in a position to arrest people. (See Dumb Boston cop fired for racist email re: Gates.)

I can't wait to see him explain how his jungle-monkey remarks are not racist tonight at Larry King Live. Surely, a lawyer will be sitting next to him or off camera.

I used to live in Massachusetts. I've heard about the monkeys, which were usually described as "swinging off trees" by the "non"-racist people when talking about black people. Trust me--it's 100% racial.

In a news conference held Thursday morning, Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis denounced the e-mail, CNN reported.

"We have a relationship to maintain with the community," he said. "Police officers certainly have First Amendment rights, but they can't cross the line. I believe this crosses the line."

Davis said he spoke with Gates, who was "gracious and incredibly thankful that we took action."

Gates, a top African-American scholar, was arrested on July 16 by Sgt. James Crowley of the Cambridge Police for disorderly conduct after the officer responded to a 911 call reporting a possible home invasion of Gates Cambridge home. The charge later was dropped.

The controversial incident sparked a national debate about racial profiling in which even President Obama got involved. (See Obama-Gates-Crowley Beer Summit scheduled, posted yesterday. For background and additional information, click on the links for earlier stories at the end of the post.)

Globe columnist Yvonne Abraham supported Gates' actions, asking readers, "Would you stand for this kind of treatment, in your own home, by a police officer who by now clearly has no right to be there?"

In Barrett's e-mail, which was posted on a Boston TV station's website, he stated that if he had "been the officer [Gates] verbally assaulted like a banana-eating jungle monkey, I would have sprayed him in the face with OC [oleoresin capsicum, or pepper spray] deserving of his belligerent non-compliance."

Barrett used the "jungle monkey" phrase four times, three times referring to Gates and once referring to Abraham's writing as "jungle monkey gibberish," CNN reported.

One time and he might have been able to tip-toe around with some insanely concocted excuse. But four times? He's toast.

Barrett also said that he was "not a racist but I am prejudice [sic] towards people who are stupid and pretend to stand up and preach for something they say is freedom but it is merely attention because you do not get enough of it in your little fear-dwelling circle of on-the-bandwagon followers."

And he apologized last night? What for? An apology alone does not change a man's character.

Barrett's comments were taken out of context, said his attorney, Peter Marano. So it's my and everyone else's fault because we're idiots who either can't read or can't understand what we read. Right.

"Officer Barrett did not call professor Gates a jungle monkey or malign him racially," Marano said. "He said his behavior was like that of one. It was a characterization of the actions of that man." Or a monkey...

Um...I don't think that will fly.

Davis wants Barrett, a two-year member of the Boston police, fired, a source close to the investigation said. But he will continue to be paid while on leave, and no date has been set for his termination hearing, CNN reported.

UPDATE: As expected, Barrett appeared on Larry King Live sitting closely to his lawyer, who took it upon himself to answer for the cop several times until Larry cut him off.

Before answering any questions, Barrett again repeated what he had memorized of the apology given earlier today. It sounded rehearsed. "I'm not racist," he said once or twice during that introduction.

Alrighty. Then, why did you apologize for what you said if it wasn't a racist comment?

Larry asked one really smart and crucial question: "Have you ever used that language before."

Take a guess at what the cop said. You got it.

"No, I have never used those words before."

There's no way he hasn't, and now he's fucked because someone will come out of the woodwork and show up on Larry King to reveal that he or she has heard Barrett use that term before.

After another interruption from the lawyer, Larry wisely pressed on, asking the cop what then made him choose those words--"banana-eating jungle monkey"--if he's never used that kind of language before.

"I don't even know ... I couldn't tell you ... I have no idea," Barrett said.

Are you kidding me? How can he not know whether or not he's ever said something like banana-eating jungle monkey? He has no idea? Right. I tell you what, if that's the case, then in addition to racist and dumb, he's also a forgetful flake--another reason to keep him off the force, if you ask me.

This dunce sat down and composed a letter he expected an editor at the Boston Globe to take seriously and possibly publish. He was so proud of it, he also sent it out via a mass email to friends at the National Guard.

Writing such a letter forces the writer to pay more attention to word choice than when merely speaking the words, which often happens a bit too soon after thoughts emerge, so we "speak before we think" and end up regretting our words. It happens to all of us. It happened to Obama when he said, "the Cambridge police acted stupidly" arresting Gates in his own house.

"There was no intentional racism or bigotry in my words," Barrett said. "I did not intend that."

Then, what exactly did you intend, and what did you think those words would communicate?

The truth is he does know, he could tell us but chooses not to, and he does have an idea. Of course he does. But what is he gonna say--"yes, I've used that language before"? Of course not, because that would mean he's a racist, which he vehemently denies.

If he tells the truth, he's fucked. If he lies, he's fucked. Basically, he's toast.

"I treat people with dignity and respect ... I'm not a racist."

This guy could use his own "teaching moment," if you ask me.

Source: CNN
Copyright © 2009, Primetime Oracle
All Rights Reserved

Ex-Miss California Prejean speaks out...again

Left: Carrie Prejean (CNN photo)

Former Miss California USA Carrie Prejean wants to set the record straight. In other words, she wants to have the last word...as usual.

And her last word is...are you ready?...that she was fired because she's against same-sex marriage.

Haven't we heard this before? Hasn't this been the excuse for all the hoo-ha from day one?

I'm sorry, but I'm out of sympathy for this girl.

Carrie found herself at the center of controversy when she declared her opposition to same-sex marriage in response to a question posed by a judge--celebrity gossip blogger Perez Hilton, who's as in-your-face gay as they get--during the Miss USA pageant on April 19, overshadowing the victory of Kristen Dalton, the contestant from North Carolina.

Carrie was allowed to keep her Miss California USA crown in May after topless photos and missed appearances, but on Wednesday she was dethroned on the basis of multiple "contract violations" as per pageant director Keith Lewis.

On Friday, she got to tell her side of the story (at this point, do we care?) on CNN's Larry King on Friday, discussing whether she would sue to reclaim her title and her future plans. Following is an edited version of the interview.

Larry King: You've had a couple of days now, Carrie, to think it all over and it's sunk in. What are your feelings today?

Prejean: I'm definitely a little bit surprised just by the way that I found out about this. You know, I was called by the media to inform me that I was fired.

King: Are you saying the pageant didn't call you?

Prejean: No. I haven't received any phone calls. In fact, my lawyer found out from the media, as well, before we received any contact. I still have not, to this day, received any contact from Mr. Lewis.

King: Now, since they were so supportive of you at the time and after the Trump announcement, what do you make of the fact that they didn't call you?

Prejean: Well, I think Mr. Trump was definitely in the middle. And I think that, you know, he has only heard one side. Ultimately, at the end of the day, you have to think about, Are you going to release Mr. Keith Lewis or are you going to release Carrie Prejean? I think that they had to release the beauty queen at the end of the day. (How many ends of how many days?)

(Pet peeve side note: Am I the only one who cringes upon hearing "at the end of the day" and "step up to the plate"? Within a couple of years, these two phrases have from obscurity to mainstream to I can't stand them anymore.)

King: How do you respond to (charges from Lewis)?

Prejean: Well, Larry, all I can tell you was this basically comes down to the answer that I gave the night of the pageant. As you can see, Mr. Lewis does not agree with the stance that I took. I think he's very angry. I think he's hurt. He said in a previous statement that he's deeply saddened and hurt that--what Carrie Prejean believes in--a marriage is between a man and a woman. Politics and religion have no play in the Miss California family. (Family? Oh...corporate talk...eek.)

My question is, then why was the question asked at the pageant in the first place? If politics has no role in the pageant, why was I given this question?

It was a hidden personal agenda that judge No. 8 asked, and I think that they were not ready for my answer that I gave. (My answer that I gave? Maybe she was nervous.)

King: Let's say they were upset by your remarks. They didn't like your answer. Why didn't they just tell Donald Trump we're unhappy and let's pick the runner-up or whatever?

Prejean: He absolutely did. I mean Keith Lewis held a press conference in Los Angeles and didn't invite me to the press conference and, you know, awarded the first runner up as the new ambassador of California. That is just undermining me and undermining his own titleholder from day one.

As far as the other appearances, I've had some inappropriate appearances that Keith Lewis has asked me to do. And I'm sure you're aware of them already: one of them being Playboy; another one being a reality show which is being filmed in Costa Rica. So had I said yes to these, I mean, I would have been out of the country. (These? Only the second one would've been out of the country--right?)

Again, Playboy, I couldn't believe. I was completely shocked that he would even pass this along to me. Another one was a gay movie premiere that he wanted me to attend incognito. He actually said he wanted me to wear a hat and go in disguise and attend this movie premiere promoting gay marriage and then come out with a statement the next day saying that Carrie Prejean attended a gay movie premiere.

It just doesn't seem right, Larry, does it? (Oh, c'mon--Larry ain't gonna fall for that, Carrie.)

(Playboy, reality show, incognito at a gay movie...I hope Keith Lewis will respond to these allegations because if they're true, well, he might be in trouble. If they're fabrications, she's toast--well, she's already toast, so she would be burnt toast. People have had enough of Carrie Prejean, if you ask me. She's on her way to becoming the most hated person [remember Jason from The Bachelor?] in the U.S., if she already isn't.)

King: Are you now sorry you even entered. Or, in retrospect, has this been a boom for you publicity-wise?

Prejean: You know, this isn't something that I signed up for, Larry. I simply entered in a pageant, the Miss California USA contest, and I gave an answer that a lot of people weren't expecting. (Then why haven't you stepped off the radar?)

The bottom line, I took a stand, and I think I am now being punished for the answer that I gave. This isn't about contracts. This isn't about me missing out on appearances.

If you want to ask Keith Lewis any appearances that I have made prior to the Miss California U.S. pageant, I will guarantee you, Larry, he will not even--he can't even tell you an appearance that he--he scheduled for me.

This isn't about appearances. This isn't about a breach of contract. This is about Keith Lewis not agreeing with the stance that I took on saving traditional marriage. And from day one, he wanted me out.

(Uh, oh...yup...this just crossed a certain line that, in my opinion, will compel Lewis to respond either via the media or in court.)

King: Well, are you going to sue, Carrie? (There we go.)

Prejean: That's--you know, that's something that is not something that I want to--I want to do. (She says "want" because this does not answer whether she will or not. She will, and she'll remind us she didn't want to but she had to because of what was done to her. ) I think that what's going on is wrong. And I think that there is definitely some information that is missing. And I know that sooner or later, the truth will come out and people will recognize here who's right and who's wrong.

King: What are your lawyers telling you to do or advising you to do?

Prejean: You know, that's up to my lawyers to determine whether or not they think that there will be a lawsuit involved. But that's not up to me, at this point. (Yes it is, my friend. And you're avoiding the question--again.)

King: What are you going to do right now, career-wise?

Prejean: Well, first of all, I want to thank the millions of viewers. I know you have so many viewers on your show, Larry. Thank you so much for your support. (Who says he's supporting her? Who says the millions of watchers support her? That's a bit presumptuous, isn't it?) Thank you to all the Californians who have supported me, who backed me, who sent me thousands of letters and e-mails. I just want to thank you so much for your prayers, for your support.

And I know that when God is for you, no one can be against you. So thank you.

(Um...and your answer to the career question is?)

King: Can you tell us what you're going to do, though?

Prejean: I'm not sure. Definitely some--a lot of offers--opportunities have come my way, a lot of offers. (Wouldn't it be the ultimate irony if she posed for Playboy...with a bible on her crotch? No, I'm not knocking religion--I'm knocking hypocrisy because I think there's some of that going on here.)

I'm just really excited. I feel relieved. I feel just so blessed and so honored to have represented the state of California. And I'm ready to move on with my life and just be where God leads me.

Then if she's so happy, excited, relieved, why are we to pity her? I mean, that's one of the purposes of this interview, isn't it?--to sympathize with her or pity her. This is what many people do when they couldn't be angrier or sadder: they publicly declare life couldn't be better hoping that will somehow get under the skin of whoever did them wrong...if you ask me.

I think it's time for her to move on past this pageant drama.

Sources: CNN Larry King, Me
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