BEERGATE
Peter H. Scrooby
July 28, 2009
President Obama will host the two parties at odds over what was touted as a race issue that ended up to be an over reaction on all sides even drawing in the President himself.
This event stemmed from the 911 call that lead to a prominent Harvard Professor being arrested in his own home. The Cambridge Massachusetts Police department being accused of racism and ridiculed for obviously doing what they are paid for, serve and protect and to respond to acts of crime.
The President himself adds fuel to the whole overblown event saying that the police acted "Stupidly" while referring to the arrest of a friend and not knowing the facts at hand.
What seems to be nothing more than a big misunderstanding that could have all been avoided by Professor Henry Louis Gates, Officer Sgt. James Crowley and even President Obama. How should this have been handled you ask? How about a little commonsense by all parties?
In a country that is made up of fine Americans from all ethnic backgrounds and has worked hard to fight for an image of a "United States of America" are we taking steps backwards? We just showed to the world with election of President Obama that no matter ethnicity or background that this country has changed.
Admittedly there are of course issues of race still at hand in this country. These issues are however many years from the days of old. This is proven fact. Yet racism does still exist, in this case however it seems to be more about ego.
In a time when this country should be focusing on other events, such as the current wars that are being waged in Afghanistan and Iraq. Sacrifices that are being made by our soldiers of all shades of color, ethnicity,religious make up and age groups so that these "three" not so "wise men" can sit and drink a beer to resolve this issue at the taxpayers expense. Theses soldiers that do not even have the luxury after fighting a pitched battle or just going out on long patrols or their daily tasks, temperatures that reach upwards of 120 Degrees in the desert regions. Theses fine soldiers cant even enjoy the freedom of a cold beer that the are providing.
Times when health care, legislation, budgets are not being passed and states are going broke. Times when jobs are being lost, businesses are closing, people are going hungry in this country. Times when the environment is an issue, troops are coming home to inadequate care and corporations can steal and get away with it. Bailouts and fraud are prevalent. Violence in our own communities that only seems to spiral out of control day to day. Schools that do not have funds to educate the children of this country.
A plethora of problems that are currently plaguing not only our country and but the world at large. At a time in history when we have access to more information, than at any other point in the of history of mankind,maybe we are all guilty of acting "Stupidly".
"Commonsense should be the beer we all drink from in life". When we go on to realize that we are all human beings, made of the same cells, the same blood, we all feel and breathe and eat and drink.
Commonsense I'm sure does not say we have two parties that disagree and a third that is biased, letīs add alcohol to the equation and have the parties rekindle that spark of an encounter they already have enjoyed together, and lets do this at the White House of the United States of America.
Did we need the most powerful leader of the free world holding a press conference to announce that he would like to broker a misunderstanding between Professor Henry Louis Gates and Officer Sgt. James Crowley with the promise of a beer? What happens when egos flare once again after not one, not two but maybe three or four beers.
Will it be an apology like Professor Gates would like? Will President Obama apologize? Will Officer Sgt. James Crowley apologize for being caught up in his doing his job?
Will the women that was nothing more than a concerned watchful citizen doing what more of us should do when seeing a "suspected crime" in progress on a neighbors home or property receive an apologized?
If anyone deserves a beer I believe it would be her, someone that has received more unwarranted criticism, racism and threats. A citizen that was being vigilant and doing what would be assumed the right thing and never mentioned "race" till asked by the 911 operator.
She along with the rest of the American public are the ones that should receive a beer and an apology as BEERGATE is scheduled for Thursday July 30 of 2009.
This event stemmed from the 911 call that lead to a prominent Harvard Professor being arrested in his own home. The Cambridge Massachusetts Police department being accused of racism and ridiculed for obviously doing what they are paid for, serve and protect and to respond to acts of crime.
The President himself adds fuel to the whole overblown event saying that the police acted "Stupidly" while referring to the arrest of a friend and not knowing the facts at hand.
What seems to be nothing more than a big misunderstanding that could have all been avoided by Professor Henry Louis Gates, Officer Sgt. James Crowley and even President Obama. How should this have been handled you ask? How about a little commonsense by all parties?
In a country that is made up of fine Americans from all ethnic backgrounds and has worked hard to fight for an image of a "United States of America" are we taking steps backwards? We just showed to the world with election of President Obama that no matter ethnicity or background that this country has changed.
Admittedly there are of course issues of race still at hand in this country. These issues are however many years from the days of old. This is proven fact. Yet racism does still exist, in this case however it seems to be more about ego.
In a time when this country should be focusing on other events, such as the current wars that are being waged in Afghanistan and Iraq. Sacrifices that are being made by our soldiers of all shades of color, ethnicity,religious make up and age groups so that these "three" not so "wise men" can sit and drink a beer to resolve this issue at the taxpayers expense. Theses soldiers that do not even have the luxury after fighting a pitched battle or just going out on long patrols or their daily tasks, temperatures that reach upwards of 120 Degrees in the desert regions. Theses fine soldiers cant even enjoy the freedom of a cold beer that the are providing.
Times when health care, legislation, budgets are not being passed and states are going broke. Times when jobs are being lost, businesses are closing, people are going hungry in this country. Times when the environment is an issue, troops are coming home to inadequate care and corporations can steal and get away with it. Bailouts and fraud are prevalent. Violence in our own communities that only seems to spiral out of control day to day. Schools that do not have funds to educate the children of this country.
A plethora of problems that are currently plaguing not only our country and but the world at large. At a time in history when we have access to more information, than at any other point in the of history of mankind,maybe we are all guilty of acting "Stupidly".
"Commonsense should be the beer we all drink from in life". When we go on to realize that we are all human beings, made of the same cells, the same blood, we all feel and breathe and eat and drink.
Commonsense I'm sure does not say we have two parties that disagree and a third that is biased, letīs add alcohol to the equation and have the parties rekindle that spark of an encounter they already have enjoyed together, and lets do this at the White House of the United States of America.
Did we need the most powerful leader of the free world holding a press conference to announce that he would like to broker a misunderstanding between Professor Henry Louis Gates and Officer Sgt. James Crowley with the promise of a beer? What happens when egos flare once again after not one, not two but maybe three or four beers.
Will it be an apology like Professor Gates would like? Will President Obama apologize? Will Officer Sgt. James Crowley apologize for being caught up in his doing his job?
Will the women that was nothing more than a concerned watchful citizen doing what more of us should do when seeing a "suspected crime" in progress on a neighbors home or property receive an apologized?
If anyone deserves a beer I believe it would be her, someone that has received more unwarranted criticism, racism and threats. A citizen that was being vigilant and doing what would be assumed the right thing and never mentioned "race" till asked by the 911 operator.
She along with the rest of the American public are the ones that should receive a beer and an apology as BEERGATE is scheduled for Thursday July 30 of 2009.
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