It's really hard to pick sides on the issue, at least from what I've read and heard. From the police report to the recently released 911 tape, a lot of details regarding the incident seem unclear. The other day, I went out to get some "man on the street" reactions from Cambridge residents. The opinions ranged from calling the incident a "black mark" on the Cambridge police, to accusing Gates of "playing the race card," to describing the hype as an overreaction and backing up both Gates and Crowley as stand-up guys. I do agree that in light of the situation, the Cambridge police training and protocol regarding racial profiling should be reexamined, and there's no doubt that racial profiling is still a problem across the US today, whether or not it is specifically for this case.
One thing I do want to comment on is Obama's role in all of this-undoubtedly part of what made it into the overwhelmingly publicized story that it is. The president unfortunately chose his words unwisely when he said the Cambridge police acted "stupidly," leading to a media frenzy that didn't make Obama look so hot. But even more interesting was the way he handled the aftermath of his comment-in a way that is, I think, both absurdly entertaining and incredibly humble. The president personally called up Sergeant Crowley (who was just chillin' and having a Blue Moon in a Cambridge pub) to make amends, and arranged a reconciliation beer with Gates and Crowley at the White House. Talk about just being one of the guys.
Kudos to you, Obama, for a) making me laugh throughout this media madness, and b) being so damn cool about your mistake.
All I have left to say is: how can I get in on that White House beerfest?
| The Colbert Report | Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| President Obama's Teachable Moment | ||||
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