It was a unique cocktail hour at the White House. Four men getting together for a cold beer to discuss the scorching issue of race and police-minority relations.
But beyond the photo-op, President Obama hoped to accomplish what he called a "teachable moment" for the country and dial back the controversy that has exploded from a local issue into a national debate. Yet, his “teachable moment” is growing into a full-blown semester.
In Obama's 40-minute meeting with Cambridge, Mass., Police Sgt. James Crowley and Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr., there were no apologies, or the appearance of a reconciliation, but the two men agreed to disagree.
"We have all agreed that it is important to look forward rather than backward,"Crowley said at a news conference at the AFL-CIO's national headquarters after the suds summit. "What you had today was two gentlemen [who] agreed to disagree on a particular issue," said the police officer. "I don't think we spent too much time dwelling on the past. We spent a lot of time talking about the future."
However, If President Obama is unable to bring a cop and a Harvard professor together, what chance does he have brokering a peace deal with Israeli PM Netanyu and Palestinian PM Fayyad.
My name is Sang Hyun Jung
Like you I try hard to stay informed by reading and watching the news
I passionately observe current/world events, because
I want to know why people behave or think the way they do
And how societies respond.
The Tenderfoot is a collection of article entries
framing the news and discourse through a sociological lens
Since news in general is not really about what is reported
But about greater issues that underlie within these everyday events
Friday, July 31, 2009
Obama's Beer Summit
Written by Sang Jung
It was a unique cocktail hour at the White House. Four men getting together for a cold beer to discuss the scorching issue of race and police-minority relations.
But beyond the photo-op, President Obama hoped to accomplish what he called a "teachable moment" for the country and dial back the controversy that has exploded from a local issue into a national debate. Yet, his “teachable moment” is growing into a full-blown semester.
In Obama's 40-minute meeting with Cambridge, Mass., Police Sgt. James Crowley and Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr., there were no apologies, or the appearance of a reconciliation, but the two men agreed to disagree.
"We have all agreed that it is important to look forward rather than backward,"Crowley said at a news conference at the AFL-CIO's national headquarters after the suds summit. "What you had today was two gentlemen [who] agreed to disagree on a particular issue," said the police officer. "I don't think we spent too much time dwelling on the past. We spent a lot of time talking about the future."
However, If President Obama is unable to bring a cop and a Harvard professor together, what chance does he have brokering a peace deal with Israeli PM Netanyu and Palestinian PM Fayyad.
