Henry Louis Gates and the Cambridge Police - Peace is in the Offing

As I read and hear more about the incident involving Prof. Gates ot Harvard University and his arrest on charges of disorderly conduct by the Cambridge Police Department I have become drawn in despite my dislike of such issues. During the time this has been in the news I thought Prof. Gates looked very familiar somehow and, leave it to me, I placed that recognition in a negative context before actually recalling the circumstances; I had seen him narrate a show on television dealing with the use of DNA as a tool for genealogical research. The moment I realized that was where I had seen him before the entire incident changed perspective and has gone, in my mind, from a very negative and potentially publicity seeking event into a tragic (fortunately not in the worst sense) event that was difficult not only on Prof. Gates but the responding officers as well.

Imagine the chagrin and humiliation Prof. Gates must have felt upon being confronted at his own home by the police when he is a man very likely unused to such embarrassments and socially questionable confrontations. (This IS all assumption on my part, so if it sounds like braying, well...) Imagine the disquiet and chagrin of the responding police officers at finding someone who they realized must normally be a very soft-spoken and calm individual so upset he was unable to contain his own paranoia - much of which they themselves could understand, too. It sounds as if the situation has played itself out in the best way possible in that the incident has calmed down and charges have been dropped, but they do raise some points that still need desperately to be addressed in our nation, that being the question of persons of non-caucasion origin being treated less than fairly by a legal system that, despite the incorporation of multi-ethnic officers and politicians, still predominantly over-incarcerates those of non-caucasion origins.

It also must have crossed Prof. Gates' mind that his friend, as in "Mr. President," would surely hear of this and his embarrassment must have been acute. Although seemingly inappropriate politically, I am glad our sitting president came to the defense of his friend. Were he a friend of mine I would like to think he would do as much for me as well.

I also applaud the Cambridge police officers for their handling of the situation. Often times it is difficult for an officer to know how an individual is going to behave in any given circumstance and they are trained to control the situation, which they did as quietly and discretely as possible. Unfortunately it was already too late to save Prof. Gates from the embarrassment he has suffered, but hopefully he will come to understand that his being so upset likely left the officers with little or no choice in the matter.

I just hope when the arresting officer, Prof. Gates, and Pres. Obama meet at the White House, they are able to relax in one anothers' company as well as forge ahead with some new ideas about what to do to help remedy some of the inequalities that still exist under a system of law so dedicated to equality.

Blessings and Peace,
Izzlebug