Let's Chat Over a Glass of Beer

I’m sure everyone has heard the news of Harvard Professor Henry Louis “Skip” Gates being arrested at his own home for disorderly conduct, which now brings the issue of racial profiling back to attention of the media. The 911 tapes have been released along with the police report of the arresting officer Sgt. James Crowley with the Cambridge Police Department. Now, there are always two sides to every story, and then there is the truth. As one of my friends recently said to me, “I think the truth is somewhere in the middle,” and I do agree with my friend.

Last week during his press conference focused on heath care reform, President Obama was asked to weigh in on the arrest of his friend Professor Gates. He admitted he didn’t know all of the facts and he is biased because of their friendship, but went on to say that the police “acted stupidly” in arresting his friend. Now, he also went on to say that cooler heads should have prevailed. Even Gen. Colin Powell gave his opinion last night during an interview with Larry King. Moreover, Gen. Powell discussed his own personal experiences with “racial profiling,” but essentially placed blame on both Professor Gates and the police involved. Again—cooler heads should have prevailed.

Now, do I think President Obama said too much? Yes, I do, but I agree with what he said. Let’s face it, the relationship between law enforcement and communities of color has NOT been good. If you don’t believe, please go look in a history book. There are tons of examples to support this. However, President Obama later admitted he used a poor choice of words and has invited both Professor Gates and Sgt. Crowley to the White House to discuss this matter over beer. Will talking about this over beer, really help? Should President Obama be this involved in this matter? I am really not sure, but this could serve as a “teaching moment” for all of us. But, there is one conclusion that I can make here—we do not live in a post-racial America.

Comments

  1. Lorraine Lyman, Career Coach and College-Admissions ConsultantJuly 29, 2009 at 12:41 PM

    I think that we have truly been blessed to have a President who is willing to speak out on this matter. It needs to be discussed and he is leading by example. When truly trying to hash things out, one of the criticisms might often be that one has said to much. However, I believe that this is when the good stuff can really happen because more of the details and hidden agendas are on the table. Not having enough "real" dialogue nor action for change around this matter in the past is what brought us here today. I can only hope that continued dialogue between everyone involved will allow various viewpoints to be heard and action steps to be created and followed that improve the respect and caring for all citizens of this country.

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  2. UnknownJuly 30, 2009 at 3:26 AM

    I have to admit it is a great thing to have a president that I can Identify with. I only ask that he is fair, impartial, and sets examples and precedences that were not set by previous administrations.

    I don't believe that talking about the situation over beer will help at all. The only reason we are hearing about it is because of who Mr. Gates is and his relationship with the President. I asked myself if it was me and not Professor Gates in this situation would I be invited to the White House to "Chat over a glass of beer"?

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