I’ve been following the events of Mr. Henry Louis Gates, prominent Harvard scholar and police officer James Crowley in Cambridge with some interest. While I know all of you must be aware of this story – let me quickly recount just in case you missed it.
Chapter 1: The case of the mistaken Burglar
Mr. Henry Gates was returning home late one night, after a flight from China, and couldn’t get into his house. He and his driver were therefore trying to pry the door open. A neighbor called the police, thinking the house was being burglarized. Only those who were present on that doorstep know what happened next, but it culminated in the arrest of Gates, and a national news story purporting racial profiling.
Chapter 2: A Stupid Act
The next thing I hear is that Obama is getting involved. I must say he didn’t initiate his own involvement, but was drawn in by a question of a reporter. Unfortunately, Obama responded quite “stupidly” – citing the Cambridge police department of “behaving stupidly.” Another firestorm ensued, and Obama was firmly involved.
Chapter 3: Beer Summit at the White House
By the time I became aware of this chapter my first reaction was – “why in the world is Obama getting so involved in this case?” What should have been a relatively obscure byline in the Boston Globe has now transgressed to a tour of the White House complete with your favorite mug of beer? (By the way, Officer Crowley drank Blue Moon, Gates had Sam Adams Lite, and Obama drank Bud – very important details, I know).
My next thought was that this was maybe not such a bad thing. My concluding thought was that it was a powerful way to set an example, which dramatizes the power of conversation. We all do stupid things, we all say stupid things – and the important thing is to talk through the issues with those that have the opposing view – not to shut them down and ignore them, not to harbor ill will against them, and not to let the situation escalate to violence.
While Obama has more than a full plate of complicated issues to deal with, this simple gesture, may be worth three points. As he said, “What brings us together is stronger than what pulls us apart.”
