We've embarked on a national attempt to find something redeeming in the Gates-Crowley affair - to find the "teachable moment." Obama's gracious and politically astute offer to bring the two men together is an example of what Obama does best - creating an uplifting moment of reconciliation, a feel-good moment in which each party can have their say in front of the cameras. But like a family psychodrama, I suspect that most of us know that it won't stop there, and nothing will really have been resolved. Like a marriage counselor who has seen this particular couple's arguments many times before, we know on a gut level that some hard truths are going to have to be addressed before the fractious couple that is white and black America can start to move on.
Yet, it's important to be clear that I'm not applying any kind of moral equivalence to the actions of Professor Gates and Officer Crowley. On the facts as we know them, I believe that the treatment of Professor Gates was unjust and unprofessional. Yes, he was belligerent to a police officer. But that is no crime, and nowhere has Officer Crowley shown that there was any chance of a crime being committed, confirmed by the Cambridge Police Department's quick decision to drop the charges against Professor Gates. Police officers are trained to be professionals, and a professional would have recognized that an obstreperous sexagenarian who walks with a cane standing in his own house and faced with a phalanx of armed police officers is no threat. And if Office Crowley had paid attention to his diversity training, he would have been prepared for the outrage accompanying perceived acts of racial profiling. The hard truth is that Officer Crowley's defense that he was just doing his job just doesn't wash. Having verified the facts, he had every opportunity to apologize to Professor Gates for the misunderstanding and leave. The hard truth that America needs to hear is that incidents of racial profiling and unfair treatment by the police and judiciary are oppressive facts of life for African American men even today.
However, the weary marriage counselor knows that finding a bogey-man and leaving it there isn't going to get this couple out of their troubles. Rather, it's likely to dig them in deeper into their self-justification.
The hard truth that Professor Gates needs to hear is that he is the one who handed over his power to Officer Crowley. Letting his agitation get the better of him, Gates lost the ability to shape the outcome of the encounter and set up his own victimization by a poorly trained police officer.
So what should Professor Gates have done instead? He should have invited Officer Crowley inside, sat him down and calmly explained to him, human to human, the personal outrage that he felt at being the target of racial profiling. Moreover, he should have credited to Officer Crowley the possibility that this was an innocent investigation without racial overtones, and that Officer Crowley was doing his job with good intentions. But by angrily demanding respect rather than quietly asserting confidence, Gates placed himself at the mercy of an insecure cop.
And there are more uncomfortable truths that go along with this story. One is that life isn't fair - those who have clearly been wronged are often the ones who must rise above the situation and be a bigger, better person. Another unpleasant truth is that moments like this will lay bare your internal weaknesses. One cannot help but be struck by the fragility of these two egos, neither of them able to put a brake on the runaway train. So if you don't want to cast yourself as a victim, you had better get strong internally.
And perhaps the final lesson is the hardest one for all of us. What each of these men brought to this doomed encounter was a deep grievance: grievance for being an acclaimed Harvard scholar yet disrespected as a black man, grievance for being disrespected as an officer, verbally assaulted while serving the public good. As long as we walk around with a sense of grievance - notice the word shares the same root as 'grief' - we're going to make ourselves the victims of those who are stuck in their own ignorance and pig-headedness. The difficult fact is that to let go of grievance requires us to become generous, even when we're the wronged party. In each and every moment - and particularly in moments like these - we choose who we're going to be.
Jonathan Rieder: Final Thoughts on Beer Summits and Postracial Paradoxes
Now that the dust from the Gates dust-up has settled, a bit of perspective is in order. Glib invocations of a color-blind society were always too breathless.
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20090728_america_the_great_police_state/
The magnolia version of racism prevents both white and black Americans from having a constructive discussion on Race. Many whites can't see the catastrophic effects 350 years of slavery and racism has had on African Americans, or recognize that black forced labor was essential to building this nation. Many African Americans see white people as one monolithic, racist, group. We don't honor white Americans who, at the risk of personal well-being, fought for equality, any more than whites, who learned from the magnolia version those people were crazy and subversive.
Thus, too many Americans, black, white and other, can't appreciate or understand the progress this nation has made and are too ready to rely on what they "know," even if it's wrong.
Divorce is a one-time event. A one-time event decided and 'controlled' by the divorcing parties.
Racism is a DAILY occurrence, and its victims have NO CHOICE in the matter. From the smallest, covert action to the largest and most blatant, racist, discriminatory behavior happens every single day. As a white person, you don't experience it, so you don't take note of it. We do.
Common forms of racism you may or may not be aware of:
'Legal' segregation in public schools that allows white students to be placed in all -white classes (gratuitously labeled Gifted & Talented) while Black students are placed in "In-School Suspension" rooms where they waste day after day NOT getting instruction, NOT learning, NOT closing the achievement gap.
Insidious behavior on the job (See Huffington Post article on Main Page re discrimination lawsuit in PA) like only promoting whites, nepotism, and other acts of favoritism that exclude African-Americans from positions of power.
Zoning districts that indicate to bankers and loan officers that a person whose zip code falls within a "red zone" is a greater financial risk, and is therefore less likely to recieve a loan, which means that African-American customer is less likely to send his child to college, open a business, become a homeowner, or do anything else that builds wealth.
Overcoming racism won't happen if we throw up our hands and suggest that one should, "Just get over it already!"
Is there a definitive study on the subject with numbers we can all look at? Has any mainstream media outlet done an in-depth expose on the subject?
How can there be a teachable moment if all Americans are not confronted with the big picture?
Just look at the statistics on the no. of black men in prison vs. the relatively small number of black people in America. The numbers are staggering, and there are plenty of studies to prove it.
Here's a hint: black people are only about 13% of the population in America, but black men make up more than 50% of the population of America's prisons. SOMETHING is going on.
In 2009 NY police will stop and frisk over 600,000 people (they've averaged of 500,000 for the past few years). Over 90% of those stopped will be black or Hispanic. Yet, if recent history is any guide, only 1% (8,000) of those stopped will be arrested.
(see NY Times article - abohttp://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/04/nyregion/04police.htmlut).
The Times article was published 1/3/09, titled: Police polish Image, But Concerns Persist.
The 100 to 1 ratio between stops and arrests is indicative of a problem, but I'm campaigning to get everyone to stop calling it "racial profiling." The legal term for what's going on is a general warrant. A defacto general warrant exists in NY and elsewhere for minority men. A general warrant allows police to stop members of a group simply for being members of that group. Blacks and Hispanics are suspect because they are blacks and Hispanics not for any actions they've taken. Cops make up probable cause to conform to 4th Ammendment rules.
Unfortunately, the 24 hour cable news only hints that the Gates incident is part of a large-scale pattern by police. Then they invite their guests to engage in the usual liberal/conservative shout-fest and we learn nothing.
I feel like the media in general is shirking it's responsibility in demonstrating the scope of the problem nationally. Overall I give them a D-minus.
#1. the human-to-human talk might be a nice idea, but as a black man with 40 years experience, it's not always feasible.
#2. how many people are going to be calm while being accused of robbing their own homes? particularly one who has had numerous interactions with police that weren't legitimate?
#3. whether crowley is insecure or not, i don't know. but i DO know the charges were dropped. to me, if they were dropped, that means there was no legitimate reason to file them, so whatever gates did, he shouldn't have been arrested in his own home.....or on the porch, where i believe the officer asked him to step out onto so he COULD arrest him for a "public" disturbance.
Professor Gates was not racially profiled. Fact.
I'll look at future claims with a more skeptical eye. In the absence of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, I will assume over-sensitivity and paranoia on the part of the "victim".
Lesson learned.
This was essentially a battle of 2 egos, hugely overblown. We all have something to learn from it.
You brought up some great points. Thanks for this.
I think Professor Gates should let the political heat die down then proceed to the courts with his complaint against Crowley. That is assuming Crowley continues to stonewall. If he accepts his responsibility in the matter it is clear to me that Professor Gates is big enough to let the matter die. But if Crowley shows arrogance he should be made to pay in court.
Sorry bub, but it's best to let this dog go back to sleep.
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=43CCC6FA37E83BF2&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&v=uj0mtxXEGE8
Whether you agree with disorderly conduct as a concept or not, officer Crowley had the authority to arrest him and was right to do so.
Gates was the instigator, he could have behaved civil-like, but instead, acted like a child who can't control their emotions. (and this guy is said to be a thinker)
Bottom line, we wouldn't be having this discussion if the events took place with only black officers.
That itself tells us everything we need to know about Gates.
I figured it out.
Here's my take.
Let me know what you think.
Gates is arrested for not rolling over to Crowley's power trip then Crowley lies in his report to shift the blame over to Gates.
See ya'll.
Then there is the question of race and rank; again, read the police report, para 3, Sgt Crowley introduces 'two black men with back packs'. Where did he get that idea from, surely, not from Mrs Whalen; the 911 transcript proves that Mrs Whalen made no mention of 'black men'. So why did Sgt Crowley introduce 'black men' into the the scene (race profiling?) or could he have known that Skip Gates lived at the scene. He expected black men to be there, or at least one black man, is that a possibility?
A language analysis of Sgt Crowley's report may indicate a race/rank issue. If you attribute sameness of behaviour to all blacks then you are likely to have them all using the same language vernacular and that is the give away. Did Skip Gates really use the language attributed to him by Sgt Crowley?
Then there is the question of race and rank; again, read the police report, para 3, Sgt Crowley introduces 'two black men with back packs'. Where did he get that idea from, surely, not from Mrs Whalen; the 911 transcript proves that Mrs Whalen made no mention of 'black men'. So why did Sgt Crowley introduce 'black men' into the the scene (race profiling?) or could he have known that Skip Gates lived at the scene. He expected black men to be there, or at least one black man, is that a possibility?
A language analysis of Sgt Crowley's report may indicate a race/rank issue. If you attribute sameness of behaviour to all blacks then you are likely to have them all using the same language vernacular and that is the give away. Did Skip Gates really use the language attributed to him by Sgt Crowley?
You like the rest of the media should stop making excuses for the police state.
IMO, the mistake in Gates reaction was that he turned it into a racial issues instead of a civil liberties issue. He assumed that the officer was motivated by race instead of just assuming he was poorly trained or simply on a power trip.
A black neighbor may have made the same phone call. A black officer may have made the same arrest.