What to learn in Obama's 'teachable' race moment?
You can't solve a problem if you don't discuss it.
That's why some say that despite all the accusations and emotions hindering the resolution of the Henry Louis Gates Jr. imbroglio, there is opportunity for racial progress in President Barack Obama's "teachable moment" sitdown with Gates and Sgt. James Crowley.
"If nothing else, it's an important national symbol of a discussion that needs to be held," said Clarence B. Jones, once a confidant of Martin Luther King Jr. and author of "What Would Martin Say?"
"If it's just regarded as the president bringing two guys together to clear the air, then it's meaningless," said Jones. "But if it's really intended to say in effect to the country, 'Look, the difficulties that occurred here are really emblematic of deeper issues,' it can work."
Beyond the symbolic, the meeting is an opportunity for the white cop, the black Harvard scholar and the biracial president "to say that they're wrong when they are wrong, to learn from one another's perspective as opposed to defending their own perspective," said Tali Hairston, director of the John Perkins Center for Reconciliation, Leadership Training and Community Development at Seattle Pacific University.
Harvard Law School professor Charles Ogletree, an attorney for Gates, said they hoped to settle the dispute and "create a springboard for a larger discussion about how law enforcement interacts with minority communities and how we can figure out a way to both enforce the law but also protect civil liberties and civil rights."
Obama stabbed a raw nerve when he said Crowley acted "stupidly" in arresting Gates at his own home. Gates was charged with disorderly conduct for protesting Crowley's actions during a burglary investigation; the charge was dropped.
Obama quickly realized his mistake and sought to calm a national outburst of anger and avoid political repercussions. He praised Crowley, said both men had overreacted and invited them to share a beer at the White House.
Now, after mostly avoiding race issues, Obama may have stumbled into a role he was destined to play.
"Inadvertently, he may be the teacher," said Dorothy Miller, chair of the Race and Reconciliation Dialogue Group at the Saint Paul Cathedral in Pittsburgh.
"He may end up the teacher even though he precipitated that remark" and has avoided race, Miller said. "Because of his evenness, Obama may be the teacher, and get both sides together. He has evolved to become the teacher."
Said Jones: "Obama may be uncomfortable with it, he may not have wanted it, but it goes with his portfolio. Now that he's elected, that's the leadership that is required if he wants to move beyond this issue in America."
Others say that for the Gates affair to create real change, the leadership has to come from the ground up.
"If we want this true racial reconciliation, and it's good that President Obama is making the first step to show others, now you start within your own community," said Stacey LaCompte, executive director of the Wakpa Sica Reconciliation Place in South Dakota, which works to improve race relations for the Sioux Nation.
"It's within ourselves if we really want to see and accomplish these things," she said.
We also should look to young people, Hairston said.
"When we listen to them about this situation, they're dumbfounded," he said. "They're befuddled. They have no idea why this is all over television. And that should tell us a lot.
"As much as I love President Obama, I think he is one of the students here. I think he's learning a lot about what does it mean to sit down and have a beer with two guys around this issue. I think he's learning a lot about saying the police acted stupidly."
For many people, the Gates arrest only hardened their convictions that black people are too quick to cry racism, or that white police routinely mistreat black citizens. If Gates and Crowley emerge from the meeting and continue to insist that the other man was at fault, the teachable moment could be lost.
"No apologies will be expected or conveyed tomorrow," Gates' lawyer, Ogletree, said late Wednesday. "The idea is to extend an opportunity for people to meet others that they didn't know and they only met in the most tense of circumstances."
Others say the biggest lessons have already been delivered — that racism still haunts America even after Obama's election, or that racism has declined so much a black man can insult a white cop and live to make a documentary about it.
And maybe all this still has to sink into a nation that, less than two years ago, could barely grasp the idea of a president who wasn't white.
"Because of the past history of black people in the United States, they carry a whole burden of the past, it is so easy for them to believe things are racist," said Miller, of the Pittsburgh reconciliation group.
"In most cases, in many cases, they are. But in this case it turned out that it could be just a confrontation between two men who both lost their temper. So I think we can learn that we still have much to learn about racism."
Jul 30, 2009 at 11:03 p.m.
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"Aintry? This river don't go to Aintry. You done taken a wrong turn. See uh, this here river don't go nowhere near Aintry."
Jul 30, 2009 at 10:34 p.m.
Jul 30, 2009 at 9:57 p.m.
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Nope Mooshoe....Not a cop:) Just a fun little thought on what I would do if I was a cop!!!!
Jul 30, 2009 at 9:19 p.m.
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Every lawyer is Rock County is hopes and prays 916WI is a cop because your "solution" is a multi-million dollar civil rights lawsuit.
Jul 30, 2009 at 3:26 p.m.
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NVgrf, I'll profile them for you. Ever see the movie Deliverance?
Jul 30, 2009 at 2:30 p.m.
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Gates flat out "race baited" this whole thing. What kind of a person doesn't Thank a Police Officer for doing his/her job & checking his/her home after a reported suspected break-in? He should be happy Sgt. Crowley did his job - what if his house was being ransacked?
I have to wonder how he replies when a cashier or teller asks to see ID to cash a check or use a credit card? "What! do you know who I am?" or better yet, "What, can't a Black Man have a credit card." Give me a break - What I can't figure out though is if this is simply racism or just plainly somebody that thinks they are above the law & the world owes them something & why? because they happen to be African American.
Jul 30, 2009 at 1:57 p.m.
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Is the public & the media that blind that they can't see right through all this? These people in power or in the 15 min. of shame spotlight,really should be reckoned with. Not to say their isn't a problem,but by letting these racist jerks fuel the fire all the time,seems the ones that listen to them are just as ignorant,and are the problem! Now when the white person gets a caring neighbor to call in that there might be a break in of their home,and a of color cop shows up,they will call out racism too,right, WRONG,because "MOST" people will thank the officer,if your NOT a racist, that is.
Jul 30, 2009 at 12:09 p.m.
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+1 Woodsman.......Gates is a racist jackass. He bases his living on driving a wedge between the races and what better way to further his cause than claim he was a victim of racism by those charged with protecting us. I'm sure he figured he would get a book deal out of this. I really have to commend Crowley for keeping his cool--If that was me, right after having this guy scream, "You don't know who your messing with!" at me, I would have gotten out the trusty old taser gun and shot him up with a couple thousand volts........Then, as he was twitching around on the ground, I would have calmly replied to his rant......."Yes I do--an *$#hole"
Crowley should have declined the invite. The only reason it was offered was because this blew up in Obama's face.....In no way should he help with the damage control.....
Jul 30, 2009 at 11:48 a.m.
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First time we get to express our feelings on this matter,they try to hide it as fast as they can! GO FIGURE Crowley; you have more class then the other two put together. Buy your own beer,you'll just feel outnumbered,and feel like you have to justify your actions,again,you don't need the center stage to know you were/are right.
Jul 30, 2009 at 11:46 a.m.
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Typical response.
Jul 30, 2009 at 10:51 a.m.
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I don't want to profile those who made these entries, but........ .
Jul 30, 2009 at 10:40 a.m.
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None of this would be happening if Obama wouldn't have stuck his foot in his mouth before actually finding out the facts! It should be a teachable moment for him especially. And I hope the police officer gets the respect he deserves! This "harvard Professor" got arrested for diorderly conduct not because the officer was racial profiling. I hope he learns his lessons and knows he is not above the law just because he is a personal friend of Obama!Get real!
Jul 30, 2009 at 10:22 a.m.
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P.S. I was hoping Sgt. Crowley would decline the invatation.
Jul 30, 2009 at 10:20 a.m.
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I agree with woodsman 100%. Obama showed his true colors with the stupid remarks.
Jul 30, 2009 at 10:16 a.m.
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This whole thing is nothing but a circus! You people that are wasting our time and money on this crap that was caused by this jerk gates,in the first place. Anyone with some kind of an education knows that when confronted by the police,you cooperate,this guy seen a chance to yell prejudice,a lot of that going on. The pres.is way out of line too,he seen the race card as well,but he must forget he's half white,so he should know better then to play that game. As far as i'm concerned the officer was doing his job,and if this yahoo would've done what a normal human being would have been expected to do,this would not of been an issue. All something like this does is bring out those crazy guys that yell prejudice all the time,a.s.,j.j.,and many more are the most racists i have ever seen,just waiting for any opportunity to play the race card. Pres. "YOU"aught to be ashamed of yourself for jumping the gun before you knew the facts,don't you recall bush doing that,and the mistakes of it is still haunting us, SHAME ON YOU!
Jul 30, 2009 at 10:04 a.m.
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I hope that Sgt. Crowley gets the chance to enlighten Gates and Obama about how to treat a police officer. The worst thing that could happen is if Crowley is lectured to by either of the others.
Jul 30, 2009 at 9:26 a.m.
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I hope that Obama has learned something. What was he thinking? Was this a calculated gaffe to move the attention away from a floundering health care reform plan? If it was, it was clumsy, but effective. It was almost surreal how that red herring popped up at the end of the discussion. It is hard to imagine that this could have ended so badly with the teleprompters and the base coaches unless it was intentional. Damage control was on holiday.
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