Charging the Gates (down the highway of Good Intentions)

Indiana attorney Joshua Claybourn (along with Reason's Jacob Sullum) make an excellent point about the Henry Louis Gates affair: it's not about race or abuse of power per se, but the dangers inherent in badly-written law.

Gates conducted himself like a total buffoon, but acting like an ass on one's own property should not be a crime. I don't think Crowley was a racist or a fascist or anything of the sort; I think he was a regular cop trying to do his job and interpret a badly-conceived and poorly-written law to the best of his ability. That's what is really chilling about this story...