Racism, Cops, and Americans

Coverage of the Henry Louis Gates incident morphed, within mere days, from general statements about the situation that unfolded between Gates and Officer Crowley, to asinine commentary about what beers were or were not chosen for the meeting at the White House. I'd say it's unbelievable, but... this is America, and apparently anything is fair game.

While President Obama tried to turn the incident into something that people could understand a little easier than soundbites or tidbits of a police report, it seems that the public quickly made up its mind about what happened. Half of the country jumped on Obama for saying that the police "acted stupidly", while the other half cried "Racism!". The most telling part of this whole scenario is that while race might have played a part in what happened on Professor Gates's doorstep, nobody really bothered to think about what they might have done, or for that matter, what actually happened.

Let's be clear: Once it was determined that Mr. Gates lived in the house, it was the officer's duty to either ensure that Gates safely got into the house, or turn around and walk away. Instead, the scene escalated, and before long, Gates was (allegedly) yelling about Officer Crowley's mama, and Crowley was helping to handcuff the professor. Furthermore, I think both parties share an equal amount of responsibility (blame?) for what happened. The police officer showed up with vague information from a 911 call made by a cautious passerby. The professor stoked the situation by being belligerent. Interesting sidenote: the police report adds a few details that the 911 caller considers inaccurate.

The furor that engulfed the country immediately following the events in Cambridge boggled my mind. People seemed to be much more interested in talking and gauging the reaction of a new president than with considering the facts and their own feelings on the matter. Dialogue is difficult when everyone is talking, and understanding is impossible. Little by little, America seemed to revert to decades past when it talked about the Gates incident.

For me, the bottom line is that America has managed to convince itself that racism is a thing of the past, while reality rears its ugly head in the form of national headlines every 6-12 months. When we have cops telling people that the responsibility for not getting shot lies on the shoulders of those being confronted by police, it becomes clear that the country is still ankle-deep in the muck. Both Gates and Crowley were stubborn and impulsive during their altercation, but the national "dialogue" that followed is what really made the incident shameful.