It may well be the most talked-about gathering of three guys sitting down to chat over a beer.
This afternoon, President Barack Obama, Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Cambridge, Mass., police Sgt. James Crowley will share a cold one at the White House.
The so-called “Beer Summit” follows two weeks of national attention and discourse over race relations after the black professor said he was the victim of racial profiling when he was arrested for disorderly conduct by the white police officer. Charges were dropped shortly after Gates’ arrest, but Obama tossed fuel on the fire when he said during a nationally televised press conference that police had “acted stupidly” in making the arrest.
The sharing of a drink will be pretty much for show. Obama, Gates and Crowley are expected to have their beers at a round table off the Rose Garden, but make no statements in the presence of the media. The actual meeting between the three will go on after that, in private.
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Ron is in charge of the main news sections of the Sunday Post-Dispatch and supervises newsroom production of the daily paper several nights a week. He has worked at newspapers since 1976 as a reporter, copy editor, layout editor, deputy sports editor and news editor. He has been at the Post-Dispatch since 2006. 
justjim:
“*Libertarians are correct in stating that people should be safe from arrest in their own homes. This includes gun hoarding white people in rural areas as well as genteel folk in urbane areas.”
Does it also include Branch Davidians who have guns in their own Waco compound?
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I know I should not post because you can’t fix stupid . . . but,
*Libertarians are correct in stating that people should be safe from arrest in their own homes. This includes gun hoarding white people in rural areas as well as genteel folk in urbane areas.
*Gates probably acted like and a**hole to the police officer. Not a good way to act, but acting like a jerk is not against the law.
* We all have bad days . . . . even police officers. When most people have a bad day, they do not have the power to potentially ruin someone’s life via an arrest. Police officers have an awesome responsibility.
* The president may have said too much in front of the cameras, but if your friend was arrested in his own house for acting like a jerk, you may feel for him too!
* We should not underestimate the amount of racial animosity between minorities and the police. The discussion these men had needs to be continued on a national level. Minorities need to fear and hate the police less; police need to be vigilant that they do not sow the seeds of future animosity.
* We are never closer to divine as when we forgive.
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The obvious Rascist in this picture is Prof Gates and the shoot from the hip Prez. This is also an obvious case of police profiling by Gates and the Prez of all the people for all the people; not the dictator yet of all the people. I would have had beer w/Crowley, the hispanic officer, and the black officer at the scene after I had shook each one’s hand w/sincere thanks for being professional and clearing my house. The prof was in public domain on his front porch when he was yelling racial and condescending epitaphs at Crowley… probably evenly the black officer for not brothering up with him.
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Everybody is missing the big picture here. These two guys are going to Washington to have beer with the president at the tax payers expense. It makes me kind of envious.
The persident says ‘a beer’. I know when I go to have’a beer’ with my friends I end up getting half sh**faced. I wonder if thats going to happen with these guys. I know if I were going to go to Washington to have just one beer, I would consider that I complete waste of time and travel. If I were going all the way to Washington o drink beer, I would make it worth my while. I would hope that the prez has a lot of beer on hand…and a place for me to crash!
A lot of folks are concerned that the police officer is going to feel coerced into apologizing to the professer dude. It doesn’t concern me in the least. I really don’t think he should anyway. Heck, if they drink enough beer, they may get all lovey dubby. Or maybe not. I know some cops that get mean when they drink. They may even get in a fight. Maybe then the cop might do something that he will need to apologize for. his whole sumit thing could have the opposit effect that the president is hoping for. That party should begetting under way real soon, I think.
Anyway, the more i write about it, themore jealous I become. I wish some cop would comeover to myhouse and beat on thedoor and ask me for my ID. Before now, I would dutifully produce it and thank him for watching out for me. But that is no longer the case. If it happens (which I hope it does), I will raise a great big stink about it. It would be even better if the cop were black. I am white you see. I could play the race card then. Then it would be ‘Hello White House’. Going to hae beer with the president and the arresting officer at YOUR expense. Yep, these guys have it made.
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How about a stud and 2 duds having suds? Oh, and the stud is the cop who acted “stupidly”.
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That’s right, BooBird, the police officer did nothing wrong. Really? We need to realize that this issue is not just about race. It is about race, class, authority, etc. There are many, many layers. Don’t forget that Prof. Gates is a high class Harvard professor – an important fact. Don’t forget that the police officer could have easily just left Gates to his irate self and the issue would have been over. While irate, he was certainly not hurting anyone. This is a multi-layered mess.
I LOVE that they are all meeting over a beer. We need to have this discussion as a nation as well.
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Non of the choices seem a good fit in describing the meeting. It should have a choice that somehow reflects the fact that there will be two racial driven radicals with a chip on their shoulders meeting with a cop.
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