Henry Gates, Obama: Mistakes, Misjudgments

President Obama has made a troubling mistake and misjudgment in his comments about the arrest of Professor Henry Gates by Cambridge police Sergeant James Crowley. It was a personal and political mistake--a big one--because it was a factual error, an uninformed emotional response, and a serious political misjudgment. He has hurt himself with many supporters, even 'in-the-tank-for-Obama" supporters like me.

I am deeply disappointed with both Professor Gates' and the President's representation of what happened. Having read everything available, including the Cambridge Police Department incident report, having heard the personal accounts of both men involved and the findings of relevant police organizations, I am persuaded that Professor Gates has misrepresented what occurred, and recast a simple case of an officer trying to protect Gates' private property as a racial incident. In light of the facts, it appears evident that Professor Gates overreacted, straining the events and facts to create one.

I've long been a fan of Professor Gates. Among my graduate degrees is a later-in-life masters from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Professor Gates is a revered figure on the Harvard campus, and rightly so. And I was among those who lionized him. But what I saw in the picture painted by the various reports of this unfortunate situation was not the response of a black man or white man, but the response of an arrogant, privileged man who felt he was above being accountable, respectful, and cooperative with a police sergeant who was trying to do his job. In that spirit, Gates was apparently verbally abusive and willing to dramatically play the race card as well. It's especially ironic and troubling when you consider that this respected sergeant was in fact trying to protect Gates' property.

I am aware of similar incidents that have occurred over the years in my neighborhoods and those of friends. My instinctive response and those of my neighbors and friends were to understand that the police were dutifully responding to a concerned call from a diligent neighbor. More, the instinctive responses most often were to be grateful for the quick action of both the neighbor and the responding officers. Also understood was the need to respond to the officers respectfully, and that they had to confirm the identity of those they found there--to be assured they were in fact the owners. They had to follow the procedures set out to complete the job and report it thoroughly. The responses of the police officers were welcome and assuring to the owners, and most often acknowledged with appreciation.

The only people I know of who respond to such situations in the way Professor Gates did are the arrogant, self-important people with notable personal issues regarding status and privilege. They think that by virtue of their success, status, prestige, wealth--whatever--they are above the inconveniences or implications of submitting to the requirements of police officers doing their jobs--even when it is to protect them. I know the good professor was tired after a long trip home from China. We all can have a bad day. But his pride has kept him from setting things straight, acknowledging a more balanced account of the events, and his contributing culpability as well. Professor Gates' halo has tarnished and fallen, to be sure.

I am also disappointed at the emotional, uninformed response of President Obama. I'm still "in the tank" for his agenda, but the president needs to respond with one of his more characteristically thoughtful and balanced assessments of things. He needs to retract his uninformed statement, apologize for reacting without all the facts, and apologize for the implication that this event was in any way related to the unfortunate history of law enforcement and minority peoples in some places.

(Just a little while ago today, the President more-or-less addressed the first two points--although it was only his choice of words that he retracted. He otherwise issued no apologies and admitted no error. He failed to acknowledge substantive misjudgment on the facts or to back away from the third point on inherent underlying racism in the incident. If this was a "teachable moment," it was perhaps most appropriately one for the good professor and the president.)

The President must also correct the appearance that because Professor Gates is a personal friend, and a respected scholar on race, he must be supported in this case, regardless. So far, that appearance remains. If it is clear that it is not yet a post-racial America, it is now equally clear that our president is not as even-handedly post-racial as we wanted to believe either.