Sunday, February 5, 2012

On Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

July 27, 2009 by  
Filed under engage, obama, race

All one can say is wow.  And similar to the O.J. Simpson verdict, your point of view is likely colored by the color of your skin. For every white guy celebrating our “post-racial” society there is a black man with a “driving while black” story. If that wasn’t enough, President Obama’s remarks on the subject made Gates-gate front page news and issue number one among the talk shows. And the truth of what happened will likely never be known except by the Cambridge Police arresting officer Sargent James Crowley and Dr. Gates.

Was race a factor?  Definitely.

Does that mean Crowley’s a racist?  Not likely, especially if this is an isolated incident in his case file.

Other factors at play?  Equal amounts ego and testosterone.

Teaching moment?  Of course.

At the end of the day, the only thing you can control is how you react to a situation.  This ultimately determines the outcome.  Both men should have handled themselves differently.

Are we post-racial?  We are as post-racial as we are post-gender, and post-social class.

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  • Lisa Johnson

    This is completely overblown. We’ve got more important issues to deal. You’re right on the testosterone.