Obama, Gates, Crowley

There's been a lot of media coverage dedicated to the Cambridge, Massachusetts incident between black Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates and police officer James Crowley. I find this story particularly interesting because it serves as one of the first major events in race relations to occur during the Obama administration. The incident takes on a decidedly different tone with a black man in charge of the country and Obama's decision to personally address the situation is a unique change of pace itself.



Obama's initial statement saying Crowley "acted stupidly" was a bit disappointing. After spending nearly an hour discussing health care and the economy, one quick comment took the focus off the important issue at hand. However, the president's later actions have demonstrated a desire to correct the issue and settle down the controversial matter. By downplaying his comments and choosing to bring both parties together for a drink, Obama fulfills the role of mediator in a situation that really could have been resolved if cooler heads had prevailed.



While it's a shame that our country must still deal with the disease of racism, Obama's handling of this particular incident is a great step forward in opening up the topic of race relations to significant dialogue.