Thanks for such a lucid commentary. One more point: before you go condemning Gates for having committed the unpardonable crime of mouthing off -- assuming we are to believe the cop's version of what was said, given that there are only two witnesses and neither one is particularly disinterested -- in my mind, the question is, at what point should a cop cut a guy a little slack?

I read about this story after I'd just returned from a transatlantic flight, with a nasty connection, and what leaps to mind is the fact that this poor guy had JUST stepped off a flight from China. As though this didn't entitle him to a little slack, he finally makes it home and discovers he can't get into the house. Even at that point, I'd be knee-walking.

The point is, the guy probably hadn't had a decent meal or a comfortable night's sleep -- or even two or three hours of uninterrupted sleep -- in 36 hours or more. Whatever sleep he'd gotten, he'd have been sitting up with someone's seat back jammed against his knees. He probably hadn't had a shower, or a moment of peace and quiet, without the roar of jet engines. He'd be likely to have been dreaming nonstop of the moment when he could stretch out on his own sofa, in a silent room, and actually straighten his legs for a moment! And this is the guy you're going to begrudge a little complaining, because a cop suddenly shows up in his house, after all that, and demands proof that he's not an intruder?

Finally, although everybody (including a cop) is entitled to a little respect, in this circumstance a decent cop ought to have enough training to realize that he'd imposed on an exhausted, stressed-out man, who had done no wrong and committed no crime, in that man's own house.

And for the record: "Disorderly Conduct" isn't a crime unless it's in public. Gates was arrested for being disrespectful, and while you're free to pass judgment on his character, the fact remains that here in America he's free to give voice to his frustrations in his own home, without fear of arrest. As a white woman, I can assure you that I would not have been at my best under those circumstances.

In my mind, what's really racist here is the public response from both blacks and whites, because people don't seem to understand that a halfway decent cop should have cut this guy some slack. Even if you believe that every last word the cop said is the gospel truth -- the fact remains, no crime was committed, no crime was threatened, and nobody was at risk. A white person wouldn't have been dragged into a police station for four hours -- and a white person wouldn't have to endure the unrelenting drumbeat of condemnation from blacks and whites alike.

It's about time. I recently learned about a Facebook page where a bunch of girls from my daughter's school "slam" other girls -- and we're talking 13-year-olds here. People get emboldened by the prospect of being able to post online anonymously and without consequence, but the people who are being hurt are real people who don't have the benefit of hiding behind a pseudonym.

I don't get why anybody would be upset that the exact same libel laws (and protections) that apply to the print and broadcast media, should also apply to the internet. A newspaper or TV station that spread this kind of stuff would have to defend their actions in court, and I really don't get why a website should be treated differently.

I also don't buy the argument that the victim isn't really harmed because reasonable people know not to believe anonymous internet posts. There are plenty of people out there who believe there's no smoke without fire -- and many employers will routinely do a google search on a prospective hire. In the example of the 13-year-olds I mentioned above, the damage done was very, very real. Not everybody can just roll with the punches.

It's hypocrisy to expect that you can identify a real human, publish her name and address, and invite the trolls of the world to harass her and ruin her career -- and then argue that your own identity needs to remain hidden. Tracy, I really don't get your attitude here, and the snarky remark about "clean" whores in the modeling industry is pure high-school mean girl stuff.