Thursday, July 30, 2009

Sgt. Crowley Has A Drink With The President, Vice-President & A Harvard Professor

So some beer was consumed on the White House grounds and Vice-President Biden even joined in the reverie.

I noticed Sgt. Crowley and Professor Gates kept a healthy distance from each other with Biden sitting next to Gates while President Obama sat beside Crowley.

O.K., so President Obama got his photo-op.

But look at it this way. This would never have come to pass had a) President Obama not interjected himself so imprudently into a routine 911 call and b) Sgt. Crowley not stood his ground and said Obama's comments were way off base.

How often does a police sergeant get invited to sit at the same table with the President of the United States, the Vice-President of the United States and a prominent academic from Harvard University as an equal? It's a moment few of us will ever experience and I'm sure this isn't lost on Crowley.

Sgt. Crowley stood tall with his dignity intact. He later told the press that he and Professor Gates agree to disagree. Thus he comes out as the big winner in this whole row.

If there is a "teachable moment" for President Obama perhaps he has learned not to sully the men and women who risk their lives every hour of every day to ensure our well being. Should a similar circumstance arise in the future perhaps he will refrain from passing judgment until he has all the facts before him. People didn't elect him so he could malign local police officers who are just doing their job.

Now unless Gates decides to sue or make his documentary on racial profiling perhaps this tale has now run its course and will recede into the recesses of the past. If so then I'll drink to that.

No comments: