Last night, President Obama, seeking to quiet the war of words over his comments about the arrest of Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr., by Cambridge police Sgt. James Crowley, sat down for a photo op and a beer with the two men. Unfortunately, his choice of an alcoholic beverage for the meeting once again sends the wrong message to a leery public.
The president of the United States should be a role model for our children. At all times, he should demonstrate the very best of what so many of our leaders have had to offer: the almost catatonic calm of a Ronald Reagan, the rigid determination of a Richard Nixon, the you-don't-have-to-be-the-least-bit-smart-to-make-it of a George W. Bush. But, once more, Barack Obama has proven he is nothing like any of these men.
Is the president's message to our youth that, no matter what the problem, it can simply be solved by knocking back a few icy cold brews? With obesity a growing problem for America's youth, is ignoring the potential weight gain from drinking malt liquor a wise thing to do?
Furthermore, a recent report in Academic Pediatrics points out that increases in severe obesity are highest among black and Mexican-American children. Having already insulted a white policeman with his remarks, is Obama now taking a back handed stab at blacks and Latinos? Is Obama so racist that he not only hates white people but also every single minority in America?
Speaking of racial insensitivity, Gates is a black man. Crowley is a white police officer. Though I have no idea of his background, Crowley sounds like an Irish name to me. Should a solemn political gathering raise the specter of both an African-American with his "40" and an Irish policeman getting his drunk on? Talk about racial profiling.
And, where is the wisdom in attempting to quell a dispute by utilizing a refreshment which is well known for having the opposite effect in such a circumstance? You don't have to be an expert to know that a few pints can lead to trouble whether you're in a pub, at a ballgame, at home with the wife or, especially, at your neighbor's home with the neighbor's wife. Note -- I, for one, learn from my mistakes.
By the way, besides the intoxicating effect of the ale, the container itself can be used as a weapon. Though bottles were not made available to the two potential combatants, the lagers were delivered in potentially lethal glass mugs.
Worst of all, Obama and Gates drank purely foreign libations (Bud Light, owned by Belgian-Brazilian giant InBev and Red Stripe, owned by London based Diageo) while Crowley's choice, Blue Moon, is, like Obama, only half American. Is this really the message we need to convey as our economy struggles to climb out of recession? Their beer or ours -- it doesn't matter? It would appear this president, no matter how right he is, can do no right. Now that's a sobering thought.
Finally, there was Joe Biden, who joined the gathering by drinking a non-alcoholic beer. This, too, was a poor choice. For though the purpose of this article was to point out that imbibing sends the wrong message to our children, come to think of it, so does drinking like a pussy.