Mike Murray essay -- A Teachable Moment

30 July 2009

A “Teachable Moment”

-- by Mike Murray

Liberal egg heads love to throw around such pretentious terms – usually immediately after sticking their feet squarely into their own mouths. They believe they can save face (and quietly extricate their tootsies) by seeming to take the ethical and intellectual high ground.

Such is the case now. President Barack Obama – possessed of an impeccable Ivy League pedigree (and having spent a brief stint as an instructor at a law school) – thinks he can remove himself from the mess he’s made by transforming himself into the Lecturer-in-Chief. He proposes to “teach” the rest of us a thing or two about race relations in America.

Spare me.

I do not accept moral lessons from people who act in bigoted ways. And that is precisely what Obama did in the case of the Harvard professor who was arrested by a Cambridge police officer. The prof (Henry Gates) is black; the policeman (Sgt. James Crowley), white. That’s all Obama – who neither read the arrest report nor consulted with anyone present – needed to know in order to size things up. He proclaimed in a press conference that the Cambridge police officers (specifically, Sgt. Crowley) had “acted stupidly.”

The Harvard professor says he will “forgive” the police officer if he “apologizes.” Apologizes? For what? Doing his job? Being white? By the accounts of all who were present at the arrest – including neighbors and African American and Latino police officers – Crowley acted professionally and appropriately throughout the incident. It was Gates who was loud, abusive, and out of control.

But none of that matters to people steeped in victimology. In their world, the black guy is always the victim; the white guy always the victimizer. And so it is with America’s “post-racial” president. (It seems that real progress won’t be made until America elects a post-post-racial prez.)

The so-called Beer Summit is taking place today, at which Obama, Gates, and Crowley will all sit down for some imported brew and a little jocularity at the White House. No doubt, they’ll subsequently claim to be getting along just fine. A real Kumbaya moment. I expect the “white guy” to be gracious (as he is always expected to be at times like these). But I hope he does not apologize. There is absolutely no reason for him to express regret. He did nothing wrong.

It is Gates – and, even more so the President of the United States – who should be remorseful. But don’t hold your breath. Obama is oh-so quick to apologize for other people’s mistakes, but very seldom his own. Sure, he’ll own up to choosing his words poorly, or to failing to accurately “calibrate” his remarks – but never to any ill intent or serious misjudgement. He’s way too arrogant for that.

So, what are we to take from this “teachable moment?” Here are my suggestions: 1) Mr. Obama, it is a form of stereotyping and bigotry to assume the worst about someone based primarily upon race and gender. Try not to do that. 2) Prof. Gates: It is every bit as racist to call one person “whitey” as it is to call another “nigger.” Please refrain in the future. 3) Sgt. Crowley: There will always be people inclined to think ill of you because you are white and male. It is a cross that you have to bear.

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