Sunday, July 26, 2009

Ratcheting Racial Remarks

Found this in an article I read: “The president did not back down from his contention that police had overreacted by arresting the Harvard professor for disorderly conduct after coming to his home to investigate a possible break-in. He added, though, that he thought Gates, too, had overreacted to the police who questioned him. The charge has been dropped.

Obama stirred up a hornet's nest when he said at a prime-time news conference this week that Cambridge police had 'acted stupidly' by arresting Gates, a friend of the president's. Still, Obama said Friday he didn't regret stepping into the controversy and hoped the matter would end up being a 'teachable moment' for the nation.

'The fact that this has garnered so much attention, I think, is testimony to the fact that these are issues that are still very sensitive here in America,' Obama said.”

Seriously? Sensitive issues?

I don’t suppose B-O has considered that those most sensitive to this issue are blacks, and that certain blacks are the ones that ratchet up the tensions. I wouldn’t be surprised if a good majority of whites don’t consider race to be an issue, unless it is brought up—by blacks.

B-O said the police overreacted by making an arrest; however, the professor also overreacted. Hm. Which one came first? Would there have even been an arrest if the professor hadn’t overreacted? Or perhaps, would there have been a sincere apology to him for the misunderstanding if he had merely cooperated?

I take anything “reported” with a grain of salt, but here’s what it sounds like: The officers were responding to a call according to procedure. Instead of laughing it off and saying: “Are you serious? Look, here’s my ID,” the professor became belligerent and pulled the “Do you know who I am?” number.

I know there are racists out there, and situations like this add fuel to the fodder. That doesn’t make it right. But the Jesse Jacksons and Al Sharptons are the types that instigate racial issues, when there is none. Instead, they should be championing obvious, intentional racism. Crying wolf when there isn’t one doesn’t get the job done. I would like to think most of us are appalled at racism and would get behind a just cause.

However, I don’t care if you’re the president. If you’re acting suspiciously, the police are entitled to investigate, whether you are black, white, red, yellow, or all/none of the above.

Flo