Letters: Black prof pulled rank at wrong moment

RE THE AFRICAN-American professor from Harvard arrested at his own home for disorderly conduct:

Why did Professor Gates give police a hard time when they arrived to investigate reports of an attempted break-in at Gates' home? The professor should have been thankful that the police were there to investigate such a matter.

When asked for identification, what does Gates do? He gives the officers a hard time with the cliched "Why, because I'm a black man in America?"

That alone should send a red flag up that

they were dealing with a pompous person who thinks he's better than everyone else.

Tom McElwee, Marlton, N.J.