Whatever Works: Obama, Gates, and Crowley
Let's face it: President Obama acted stupidly at his press conference when he waded into the great debate surrounding Henry Louis Gates Jr. vs. Sgt. James Crowley. Until now, Obama has been careful to douse rather than inflame racial controversies. Now that he's reverted to his conciliator mode by inviting Gates and Crowley over for a brew, Obama is playing to his strength.
No one really comes out of this episode looking all that good, but it's provided all the parties involved a chance to, well, profile themselves. First Gates, now the Cambridge police officers are portraying themselves as victims. It can't be long before Crowley goes hunting for his book contract.
The brouhaha will probably soon end with a nice photo op with the White House as a backdrop. But the real question for Obama may be what type of beer he serves at the White House: a domestic brew? A lite beer? One from a microbrewery? Or would that incense conservatives who might depict Obama as an effete liberal who can't even pound them back like a real man (though microbrews are a testament to the virtues of the small businessman that the right likes to praise ceaselessly)? Obviously, he can't serve any imported beers, Belgian or otherwise.
Still, for the American beer industry this could be a great moment. The stakes are high. This could be even bigger than the Budweiser Shootout. If they get really bold, the three men may even have a smoke in the Rose Garden to clear the air.
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Why isn't the woman that made the phone call included in this "beer fest"?
She did the right thing by calling about, what appeared to be, a break in ... Dr. Gates was new to the neighbourhood and she didn't know him ...
She called the police ... the police responded ... Dr. Gates was in his own home ... he was, understandably upset ...
THE WOMAN .... HELLO .... INCLUDE THE BRAVE NEIGHBOUR!!!!!
All (Gates, Crowley, BO) were wrong. Neither has been man enough to admit it. Hopefully, over a few beers they'll all be able to, then shake hands and move on. End of story.
1. We Failed To Support The Common Sense Values We All Share As Americans.
The president of the United States made a straight forward common sense comment about the Gates" arrest at a national press conference. I"m sure he assumed that there would be universal common sense understanding throughout the media and our society about the injustice of arresting a middle-aged man within his own home for being rude to a police officer. Sadly the media, law enforcement, political institutions and race baiting public in this society allowed this common sense evaluation to spiral out of control. The minority population in this country has always and will always need a coalition of proactive citizens with a similar sense of values in this society so injustices can be expressed without chaos, political unrest or violence. That has been the basis of every minority civil rights movement of our country. The president acknowledged an obvious injustice at a national press conference and expected common sense police officers, nurses , doctors , teachers, the media, politicians and everyday citizens to understand and support his outrage at the injustice and humiliation Professor Gates endured in his own home. Common sense values dictate that no one would want their dad or grandfather to be arrested in their own home for being rude to the police. But instead, this society debated and continues to debate whether Professor Gates should have been humiliated in such a manner by a professional police officer.
2. President Obama is president of the United States, but he is also a member of a minority group of citizens in this country, and he has to navigate in ways someone who is not a member of a minority will never have to. As a member of a minority group, just as in the civil rights movement, President Obama's voice on injustice in this country, is and will only be as strong and as loud as the courage, strength and volume of the coalition of common folks who elected this president to office. Without common sense folks repeatedly speaking out loudly and confronting an obvious injustice, the president"s voice will be drowned out by the race baiting fringe groups, media and other institutions that know his voice is only as strong as yours.
3. The radical fringe wants everything about President Obama, from birth certificates to pre-school, from friends to religious associations, marriage, political appointments and opinions to revolve around race, so that the voices of common sense folks with common sense values and issues can be drowned out by fake controversies, chaos and political unrest. If we empower the president's voice on common sense issues within this country, we will mute the divide and conquer tactics of these racists fringe elements in our society that surely benefit from political unrest and racial strife in the United States. The president spoke out about an obvious injustice to one of the most respected scholars in the country. It is our responsibility as citizens to back the common sense approach and determination that the president came to, repeatedly and loudly. In this democracy our president is a reflection of who we are and what we represent as a society. If we fail to speak up and support this president"s common sense approach on issues of injustice and policy in this country, the president we elected will have no voice, and neither will we.
H. Smith
Acted stupidly by wading in. If he had refused to answer the question he would have been accused of not showing leadership on an important issue. Nevertheless, he diffused the issue and now the press must find another controversy to distract people from the important issues of the day.
Americans must get used to having an adult in charge again.
Obama acted 'stupidly' when he made his initial remark. I hope there is a 4th person present at the beer fest to supervise as Obama ain't the one to do it and he's obviously biased. Plus, his follow up was too weird - 'calibrate' my words more carefully as in 'to adjust precisely to a standard'. He sure knows how to talk and talk and muddy an issue. It would be better if he talked and talked and said nothing.
It will be interesting when the tape is played over and over again for a couple of news cycles. Then, Obama will have to 'calibrate' some more.
Let's face it. Black is the new white! If whites don't like it, they can elect their own president next time!
You're delusional if you believe that. Just because a bi-racial man is president does not mean that the sufferings of black people are eliminated. There's still so much racism out there and whites will never undergo what blacks go through daily.
"Their own" president?
Barack is my president already. He is president for all of us.
Last time I checked Mr Obama is supposed to be the President of ALL the people. Which means he shouldn't have taken sides on the issue based on skin color instead of facts.
Crowley was wrong, Gates was wrong.
Last time I checked, Mr. Obama's mother was as white as mine BocaMom, making him only HALF black, half white. And no, he shouldn't have taken sides, except Mr. Gates is his friend and I can understand why he would support his friend.
Officer Crowley, according to his police report and the second officers report, did everything he could to defuse this situation, Mr. Gates couldn't see past a white policeman asking him for his ID. I think arresting Mr. Gates for disorderly conduct was probably excessive, cuffing him & putting him in the back of the cruiser for 20 minutes should have been enough to make the disorderly point. Mr. Gates could have stopped this before it started by simply stating that he was in his own house, that his front door had been jammed, and providing ID to prove his statement. Mr. Gates instead chose to not cooperate with a reasonable request from the officer, and to verbally abuse him with threats and accusations.
The statement wasn't an error. Too many police do react stupidly like when they tase 70 year old or pregnant women.
Obama needs to skip the beer and get back to Health Care and calling out those Blue "Cross" Democrats. Maybe waterboarding is not such a bad tactic with these fake Democrats.
Friends, putting racism aside, a white cop arresting a white guy in his home would still be stupid. This president is truthful.
I agree that Obama shouldn't have made the first statement, which would have disallowed him having to make the second. Probably the cop had an authority complex (as many do) and the professor may have had a chip on his shoulder. Not a good scenario. They can kiss and make up and whatever but I will always believe the cop was throwing his weight around. http://new
If you've got something useful to say then say it. You can try snarky humor (beer, ha ha). Or you can say something much more serious, such as this story seems to have brought out the worst in people, and brought to the fore the most polarizing aspect of this society-namely race. And peoples own personal insecurities when it comes to race. It's extremely evident if you've been paying attention to the comments sections and forums on many web sites and not just so-called conservative sites but more mainstream outlets. Me personally, I can't wait for this story to die out. I view it more as a distraction than as a springboard for any meaningful discussion on whatever pops into anybody's precious little minds.
I wonder if beer manufacturers are already falling all over each other to provide the beer.
And no matter who wins I'm sure temperance-minded evangelicals are gearing up to make a huge issue out of it-and the media will no doubt oblige them.
And the intended spirit (no pun intended) of the meeting, and any meaningful results, will be lost to the general public in a sea of irrelevant sensationalism.
I wonder what would have happened if Gates would have reacted like this:
Thank you for checking on the safety of my home. If it had been someone out to rob me, I'm glad that you would have been here to stop them. Here's my ID, do you need to see something else, talk to a neighbor who knows me? Do you want a beer?
That's what I would have done. Everyone safe, officer appreciated for doing his job, checking on the safety of a stranger's home. Could have been a win-win situation.
Way to blame the victim.
May I suggest a green beer - not green as in St. Patrick's Day colored beer, green as in organically grown hops. It would be a boost to microbrewers in the forefront of the industry, and it would promote getting plastered in an environmentally friendlier way.
TEACHERS
Tolerant, supportive and sympathetic teachers are the best
While most seem ideal, some shouldn’t teach at all.
Great teachers find their work fruitful and rewarding
As they pass on their knowledge with love as their call.
Good physical and mental health are important
For teachers must have energy, stamina and determination.
To shoulder their duties as shepherds of thought
Passing on wisdom to each generation.
In the words of Henry Adams, “ Teachers affect eternity
You can never tell where their influence will cease.”
As the teachers of the Bible spread their message
Their students learned of war, faith, love, death and peace.
Teachers world over have the same basic goal
To help others mature, reason, accomplish and grow.
They instruct, inform, debate and discipline
Teaching the rudiments of life we should know.
By Conservative Poet
Tom Zart
Most Published Poet
On The Web
Again, Mr. Zart, on what basis do you claim to be the most published poet on the web?
Here's a more published poet than yourself:
Deceiver, dissembler
Your trousers are alight
From what pole or gallows
Shall they dangle in the night?
What infernal serpent
Has lent you his forked tongue?
From what pit of foul deceit
Are all these whoppers sprung?
Deceiver, dissembler
Your trousers are alight
From what pole or gallows
Do they dangle in the night?
William Blake poem, 1810, from which the children's rhyme "Liar liar pants on fire..." is derived.
I quite agree that Obama ought to have not made the "stupid" remark.
Personally, I don't see this being a racism story. I trust Crowley prides himself with being enlightened about race and Gates' ranting and accusations got under his skin. And then he went overboard and used his power to arrest the professor. Neither came out of this looking good, though from what I hear both seem to be "good guys" who make a point of not being driven by racial animus.
I think this ought to be a cautionary story about not being overly quick in accusing policemen of racism as well as about policemen being all to quick in arresting people, using tazers and otherwise exploiting their position of power.
Obama should have gone with the "lets have a beer" offer in the very first place. I'm surprised he made such an unhelpful comment initially. Of course Crowley acted stupidly by arresting Gates, but as the Conciliato
Anyway, that's the take of this German. Fortunately, police-civilian relations here are far more relaxed. Our police culture is not about projecting a tough-guy image, but that of a friendly and ordering hand. I suppose the infinitely smaller amount of arms in circulation is important here. US policemen face more of a personal risk and that has a clear impact on how the police interacts with the wider population.
We haven't yet learned the terrible effects of a police state. The "gun-lovers" in this country fantasize about the"wide open spaces" and the "rights of the individual" in a country of three-hundred million persons run by mega-corporations and their mega-media. They have surpassed Goering's ability to propagadize the pliant and ignorant masses.
"I quite agree that Obama ought to have not made the "stupid" remark."
Why, arresting a guy in his home, breaking no laws isn't stupid?
Hmmmmm.... I'd rant if I were arrested trying to get into my own home - especially after I proved it.
And I think honestly you would too.
In spite of what everybody says after the fact, it stands on its own merits. The officer was unnecessarily aggressive and, yes, to the point of absurdity.
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