And What's This Shit About Having a Beer?

Yes, I'm still pissed. If you're looking for some reasoned, calm blogging check back Tuesday. Until then...

What's up with the President saying that Gates and his arresting officer should sit down and have a beer with one another? Thinking about it now, that, in and of itself, is pretty stupid. What this officer did to Gates wasn't some little harmless embarrassing mistake, it was a gross humiliation. To be ducked walked out of his own home, past his neighbors to assuage the ego of this cop. Not only that, but as an older black man getting arrested can be terrifying. You're talking about a group of people who come from a generation where getting arrested can be a sentence of death and torture. Where you can walk into a building and come out in a bodybag. Particularly when you know that what you're being charged with is complete BS. Usually that needs to be covered up, and you know what some cops do when they need to do a cover up? Put you underground and cover you up with dirt. Yeah, maybe that sounds a bit extreme, but it has happened and it does happen. Again, if you think I'm making this shit up then you need to read a book, or maybe ask an old black dude about their experience with cops. I'm betting not too many will have first or second hand experiences (usually coming from family members) that are pleasant. Obviously, I don't know how Gates felt but I'm sure it wasn't good, and it certainly doesn't seem like an experience you'd like to rehash with the arresting officer over a Goddamned beer.

And how would that exchange go?

Officer: Hey Gates, remember when you cursed at me from inside your own house and I arrested you, and slapped the cuffs over your wrists, and then pushed you outside on your lawn so people could take pictures, like I was hunting Zebra in Africa? Wasn't that fun?

Gates: Why don't you go fuck yourself.

Officer: (Pulling out the cuffs) Yeah, I like reliving the experience over reminiscing too.