UP Ibalon Bicol: Race-relation in the White House: mending the “stupid” comment of Pres. Barack Obama

Race-relation in the White House: mending the “stupid” comment of Pres. Barack Obama

7/31/2009 | Posted by mesiamd | Edit Post

As a photo-op to mend the racial controversy sparked by Barack Obama’s siding with his friend, the black Harvard professor Henry Lewis Gates, Jr, the White House welcomed the two warring personalities----Cambridge police officer Sgt. James Crowley who was accused by Obama to have acted “stupidly” in arresting Professor Gates. The teacher was rowdy, belligerent and angry after being asked to produce an ID, prompting Crowley to arrest him..

Sgt. Crowley went to Gates’ house in response to an alleged break-in the latter’s residence. He found the black teacher suspecting the white police officer of “racially profiling” him. In truth, Crowley was just there to help.

The supposedly educated black Harvard mentor escalated the simple situation by raising a race issue----something he professed to be an “expert” of. Many viewed this case as a “Do you know who I am?” kind of thing by a teacher known to Obama which brought the incident to national attention.

In the White House on Thursday, July 30, 2009 Crowley and Gates got time with Obama. They talked and tried to mend fences over a drink of beer.

What resulted was an embarrassment for Obama who joined the controversy by siding with Gates without first knowing the facts. So they had to meet in the South Lawn of the presidential house, most likely to minimize the negative backlash. There were criticisms against the president from the police force nationwide for his “uncalibrated” comment against the police officer.

In simple terms, I believe, Obama didn’t have to meet the two in the White House. He has more important national issues to tackle. Instead of trying to deflect the real issue from himself and his black friend, he could just have apologized for a mistake----a racial bias (a Freudian slip of sorts) he expressed against Crowley. The public is smart to understand. (Photo Credit: CBS/ AFP/ Saul Loeb) =0=

RELATED BLOG: Obama backtracks from “stupid” statement against a white Cambridge police officer Posted by mesiamd at 7/27/2009

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Labels: Barack Obama, Cambridge, Harvard, Henry Lewis Gates, political correctness, politics, race, race relations, Sgt. James Crowley, Totie Mesia

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Race-relation in the White House: mending the “stupid” comment of Pres. Barack Obama

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