Obama and the cops—perfect example of media acting “stupidly”

As soon as President Barack Obama said it, I knew he had stepped in the stuff we dodged as kids cutting through cow pastures in the rural South. Asked during his press conference about what has been dramatically dubbed by media as “The Gates Case,” Obama characterized the cops as having acted “stupidly.” As prelude to that unfortunate remark, Obama admitted he didn’t have all the facts in hand. As postlude, I reminded myself Obama has the nuclear codes actor Matt Damon worried about Gov. Sarah Palin having.

My concerns about security aside, I recalled a series of emails I received from law enforcement officers who read my column. I didn’t run a story at the time because I couldn’t confirm some of the claims.

The emails expressed disappointment with the president because he didn’t attend events for Peace Officers Memorial Day in May. With this latest Obama-law enforcement drama, I decided to vet claims in those emails.

I figured there must have been years when other presidents missed the event, and that was confirmed by a spokesman for the Fraternal Order of Police. Asked about the accuracy of what the emails claimed, I asked if our president did as rumored send Attorney General Eric Holder. That claim is true. Asked about other presidents, the spokesman said, “Bush did attend in person most times.”

The FOP has an official statement up about the Gates Case. President Chuck Canterbury expressed “disappointment with the remarks” and said he looked forward to an “appropriate resolution.” Canterbury gave the president credit for various actions benefiting law enforcement.

Having watched some of the coverage of the professor’s mishap with the Cambridge police, I realized how difficult times are for law enforcement officers.

Try for a moment to put yourself in the policeman’s shoes. A 911 caller reports suspicious behavior—two men entering a house by forced entry—the caller said they “barged in and broke the screen.” To make matters worse, she noticed two suitcases. Those would make a handy container for hauling loot. The caller explained she wasn’t sure what was happening. On the audio, she sounds like a person trying to do the right thing. So the policeman takes the call and goes to the house with no idea who’s actually in the house. Think for a moment how many law enforcement officers are killed on domestic calls. I can’t say what happened then; I wasn’t there. We do have reams of stories, sound bites and audio, though.

The audiotape makes clear there was no hidden racial agenda on the parts of the caller and law enforcement.

Obama’s press secretary, commenting on the Gates Case, said the president’s words weren’t “calibrated well.” The press secretary acted incredibly stupid by making that remark because we already know exactly how well-calibrated the president’s remarks were.

Obama’s response to the Gates Case is a teaching moment, but not in the way most perceive it. Our president assumed the cops acted “stupidly,” and then he admitted he didn’t have the facts, an example of his own bias perhaps. Media, smelling blood, ran away with the facts.

It is sad that leaders in Washington perpetuate racial differences among us. We would be better served if they reinforced the fact we’re all Americans born with equal rights. And we’d be smart to realize media plays up the race card because it makes a good news cycle—if anyone acted “stupidly” here, the media can lay claim to the assertion. Because the sound bites poured before anyone knew the full circumstances in Cambridge, further dividing the nation and reinforcing hatred that can be found in the hearts of many. Those hearts belong to people of all colors.

Obama and the cops--perfect example of media acting 'stupidly'
by Kay B. Day
The US Report, Jul. 27, 2009