It’s been a while since I’ve been here to spread my insights of great ponderence, but this made me take pause and write. So, a potentially racist situation goes down that results in a man’s arrest and Barack Obama immediately comes to the defense of his friend…Yale Professor of African Studies, Henry Louis Gates in the midst of the frey.
It has been an unnecessary crap storm if you will, that Obama has backed himself into regarding this incident having not been availed of the proper facts. I’ve heard it said that there were mostly egos involved that got out of hand. It is more a case of ONE ego, that of Professor Gates. As the police reports have stated, Gates became belligerent the moment the white officer (there was also a black and Hispanic officer on the scene, as well) began asking routine questions that one would ask on a B&E (breaking and entering) call (i.e. Is there anyone else in the house? May we look around?, etc.). These are all standard procedure for a call of this nature. However, the YALE professor felt it beneath him to be questioned in any manner regarding suspicion of any kind. The “educated” and I believe correct response would have been…”Thank you for coming to my home when called in regard to something this serious. Certainly, you may check around. I’m happy to do whatever I can to help rectify any misunderstanding by the neighbor as well as the police department. In fact, I probably should thank the neighbor for his conscientiousness, as well.”
Instead, he was most likely irritable when the officers arrived, having been absent minded enough to lock himself out of his home. That disgruntled attitude (coupled with a predisposition toward racism as an African Studies Prof.) then manifest itself in the form of indignant arrogance toward an innocent officer who was simply trying to do his job. In order for this to be even remotely considered racial profiling, Gates would have to have been randomly stopped. This was a B&E call, plain and simple. When the officer asked for Gates’ ID, he went ballistic prior to complying with the officer’s request. Then the officer was satisfied and began to leave with the other officers and Gates continued to berate and malign the officer all the way to the front door with racial epithets. The officer warned him to let it go and asked him to stand down. Gates refused and the officer took out his cuffs and warned him a last time. Gates, was relentless and as a result was arrested. The only reason that the charges were dropped, in my opinion, is because not only was race introduced (by Gates) but also, because he is a high profile individual. It’s bad press for the department any way you look at it and the higher ups don’t need Obama’s camp looking down at their fair city. They had no choice, even though it would have been a simple misdemeanor.
Adding insult to injury, Obama proceeded to call the officer “stupid” without having read even so much as a newsclipping on the incident. The educated and proper response here, in my opinion, should have been…”I have not read the police report on the incident so, I won’t speculate and will reserve my comments until such time.” His arrogance wouldn’t let him do that. Instead, he chose to get out ahead of the situation and make it about defense of a friend over defense of the facts.
In closing, what this said to me is that both Gates and his buddy Barack arrogantly overstated their cases. It continues to be revealed that Obama has some pretty outspoken friends (Rev. Wright, communist party devotees, etc.). Being outspoken is not a bad thing in and of itself, mind you. However, the destructive words of an outspoken person who is not intent on speaking words that teach, heal or inform for the progression and edification of the whole over self…is quite dangerous. This further indicates to me that birds of a feather flock together. These “friends” of Obama’s that continue to pop up can only cause one to think…Who is the real man beneath the spit and polished President? Is there an outspoken radical buried someplace deep down in there who thinks that every irresponsible, harsh and divisive situation can be excused and brushed off by simply sitting down and sharing a beer together? Great idea, until the beer starts talking…then what? Seriously, though, Obama and other educated black men such as himself have a huge responsibility to speak intelligently to such issues as racism…not perpetuate its destructiveness themsevles by viewing every given incident from a racially-motivate point of view absent of the facts.
That’s my take.
Benman out!
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