“This is incendiary. Race in this country is, is powerfully incendiary. And I suppose I thought that both sides of this would take a step back. Not listen to the news cycle. Not base future comments on the last news cycle. And make a determination that race is such a powerful–let me finish the thought–is such a powerful factor in this country that it would be better take a step back and try to figure out a way to mend this, not deepen it. … Take down the temperature on this.” – Tony Harris, CNN
Here Ye! Here Ye!
As the Gates – Crowley story escalates. Pick your side.
Now’s your chance, people. Line ‘em up.
Liberals have their police brutality rap down. Even though every single individual emphatically commenting on the Gates arrest is basing their opinion on assumptions from an event from the past. History is a powerful tool, but if we’re going to try to live up to a post-racial America, we’d better up our game a lot higher than what most liberals are doing right now.
Conservatives are using Sgt. Crowley as a battering ram against Obama, hoping to rev up their base against the President, getting a twofer if it ricochets on health care, which is now a secondary story. Trying to also tie it to the Ricci – Sotomayor back and forth to construct a larger narrative.
Meanwhile, people like myself are just trying to get to the actual facts of this incident, which no one knows completely. While being lectured to by people who think they know all because of something they witnessed, know from the past, believe to be true about cops. Not helpful.
One thing is for sure.
You’d think the police gathered for the press conference to support Sgt. Crowley would get that having ALL WHITE OFFICERS stand up, without a single person of color to speak, would present, at the very least, an image issue. It didn’t even make a dent, as I tweeted during the press conference.
Watching it through triple screens in my office, the cable media coverage was interesting to view. Again, via Twitter: … Fox News has a camera trained on Crowley; + split screen Crowley-Gates. CNN & MSNBC did not. Obama slammed.
Tony Harris of CNN was rendered speechless after the press conference. “… I don’t know why I was at the impression that by the end of this news conference we would be resolving this. I don’t know why I thought that… It looks like we may be more entrench with this… But I tell you what, it just feels like… that the divide got wider and wider and wider…”
Don Lemon “knew there would be some fall out.” The police feel it’s been very “one-sided,” with the coverage all about Gates, with the police story not being told. It is now.
I predicted this the moment Obama said “stupidly.” He started it. He’s the only person who can end it. Take the temperature down, as CNN’s Tony Harris said. The police have asked for an apology. It’s the big man move for Obama.
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