Comments on: Schieffer on the Real Teachable Moment
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- The difference here is one of these men [Gates] became angry while the other man [Crowley] had a gun. Their reactions to the situation were not equivalent. The teachable moment here is that this is happening every single day to people with less status than Henry Louis Gates Jr. and their story is not being told. We may have a half-black President but that does not mean racism and unfair use of force against racial minorities do not exist.
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- While I agree with the lesson Mr. Schieffer noted, I disagree that it is the main lesson; but perhaps it offers some explanation of why it is still a lesson that needs to be addressed. As white people, we cannot relate to experiences of prejudice that affect responses to encounters with police. To simply say this was about two men and a president who overreacted is to continue wearing the blinders that allow this type of racial/class action and reaction to continue. By failing to acknowledge the structural (not personal) racism in play here, we fall into the complacency that gives it subliminal, but no less valid, permission to exist.
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- Gee, Mr President. If a white Harvard professor shouted racist rants at a black police officer, would you invite him to the White House for a beer? Would you be silent while Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton demanded that he be fired from Harvard? Mr. President, do you still support the double standard...affirmative action, government set-asides and other perks for "justice"? Lets have a beer and sing Kumbaya. Tell us how your policys will ensure "equality for all". Lets make this a teachable moment.
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- Mr. Shieffer as an elderly man I would like you to look at the on thing no one has spoken about. You have an elderly man who uses a cane, just arriving at his house from "China" a grueling tiresome flight. You get to your door and can't get it open. Then once in the police arrive wanting you to prove you are not a robber. Your patience is now thin, you are impaitient and angry.
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- Bob Schieffer really hit the nail on the head. The issue for all is that we are so conditioned by prior experience that we often see events thru that lens in a narrow focus. Until all races can start assuming the best of each other, we will have these moments. Somehow we must stop assuming the other party is guilty until they show beyond a shawdow of a doubt they are guilty. If Gates had never assumed the officer was racist and acting from that view, this never would have happened. I also agree that the officer should have tried harder to walk away from the continued outburst.
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- A perfect comment Mr. Schieffer.
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- But then the President is a human being as well and also a friend of Gates as well. It's unfortunate that this nation is in such crisis as it has never been before and we are still too focused on this incident as a main theme. People are dying, going hungry, homeless and without adequate health care. Pollution is threatening the planet. Our very survival may be at stake in a few years.
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