Gates agrees to have beer with Obama and Policeman.

What's your problem

lol. Actually, sociologically speaking, you simply have to be perceived as white to be white. If you look at all like you might be "not white" then you're considered anything but white.

Ha, did you just call yourself stupid and then ask who is stupid in the same breath? Ha, is that what I just saw happen. Hahahaha! John, you slay me. I think you are one of my favorite people on here...

Why not.

Wow, that's not a blatantly racist stereotype is it? LOL! I had my suspicions about you. Thanks for the confirmation!

LOL! I am well known for my sarcasm around here. What you did was just make a joke in bad taste. And I didn't need to say anything about the beer comments pertaining to white people because I felt others here are doing a sufficient job of addressing it. Making a joke about racism when you have made dubious comments already pertaining to your 'balanced' view of the situation is simply, ha, bad form. Feel free to try again though...

Nah, beer is the bonus!

Then the fight starts........

Hm, it can be argued the neither ones attitude was really beneficial to the situation. But I still question the reasoning of the officer, especially after it was proven it was Gates's home. And, I'm not sure if you are aware of this but profiling is still a big problem in our country, my friend.

Incorrect. He did produce his Harvard ID as well as his driver's license. And while you say both are foolish and both are wrong, you only produce evidence citing Gates's supposed wrong doing. AND if you weren't arguing against profiling, why use a quote that cites it? You profess to be fair minded, but your intent is so obvious. It's better to be honest about what you really think than attempt to hide behind a mask if false civility.

When you can prove to me that you can speak intelligently about a topic without bias, sure. I'll even pay...

How is walking into your own home over the top?

LOL, let's stay focused, onemalefla. You are meandering into the irrelevant. Your comments about my perspective about your 'blackness' is laughable at best, considering I have made no comments concerning them. Honestly, I could care less. My concern in not your background, but your consistently biased view about this topic. That's it. Any other inference that you are getting is coming from you. I don't attack people. I attack ideas, opinions, philosophies, etc. If you want to attack me personally, that's fine. Ha, it just shows you are not equipped for proper debate.

And I know you have not read anything substantial concerning this topic, or your comprehension of them is way off because your statements Cop says 'Gates came at him right off the bat.' and 'Gates said cop was a racist pig right off the bat.' are simply wrong. Read the police report. Read an interview or two with Gates. The situation is not as simple as you are making. The difference is that I do my research before I speak, so I know what I'm talking about. And as I person is familiarizes with a subject before they speak on, it is quite easy to recognize those who do not. Furthermore to simply eliminate a possible scenario, such as profiling, simply because you don't want to talk about it screams bias. Ha, screaming that I am wrong does not help your premise. Your view is still biased and grasp of the facts is flawed. Instead of bringing up irrelevant points about what you think I am saying about your character, actually read what I am saying and go read from ALL angles of the situation. Ignorance is very treatable, my friend.

Word!

D, look at the icons of those who are making these silly statements.

Its the same poeple, not suprising...

I know, but BEER? How can you be angry about BEER? Jeez!

mmmm baraksploitation that would be hot.

spot on!

Have to skip on the Bud. On the other hand a phat bud would do nicely.

I assume they won't be doing keg stands of busch light.

Did you really want an honest answer to your question of who's being stupid now? Got a mirror handy???

Good idea hunzedog, lets start a war and teach our kids how to play soldier and die!

I mean, drinks and cigarettes for proffesional men and women who have stable, respectable jobs - yeah, that's a bad message.

Geez, the president is trying to quit and pretty much advertised it, so children are going to read that presidents aren't very good if they smoke. Now drinking... if you're in a stable place in your life, why is it a bad thing?

Actually a bong or two would work just as well.

It's a better message than "all our problems can be solved by war and violence."

Children notice these things, and unfortunately our government has been teaching this lesson for decades.

i love you pjacobs...need i say more?

I'm glad you find being stereotyped and marginalized so enjoyable. I do not.

who is right wing, check my profile before you judge my comments.

it was Crowley's idea. does anyone read the article anymore?

Noted RudyRudell, I didn't read the article.

LOL! The damage of Obama's statements?! LOL! I gotta thank you massanova. You make it so easy for me to detail why we have such a hard time progressing as a country. Uninformed opinions such as this. Taking B.Ob's statements completely out of context, ignoring the American context of history concerning relations between sub-cultures and, my favorite, perpetuating a lie to push forward a dying conservative agenda. I hope your handlers are paying you well to continuously embarrass yourself.

i absolutely agree...much better than going on a sunday morning talk show and spouting off some stupid rhetoric...

and maybe one day it can be a beer and a joint?

now that would be some progress!!
(cough cough)

Yeah, now all they need is some chewing tabacco and some shotguns to cling to and Mr. Obama and Mr. Gates can really pretend they like white men.

There is nothing white about beer, fucking everyone drinks it.

But do keep revealing yourself by being overly defensive.

That's what think of white men. We're a bunch of beer swilling, tobacco chewing, rednecks clinging to our guns and religion.

It's just you. Anytime you get invited by the President there's nothing low brow about it.

Beer is becoming less and less associated with being uncouth. A lot of Americans have discovered that beer is suppose to have flavor. Beers are being paired with foods the way that wine was in the past. More and more pub brews and micro brews pop up every day. What was once referred to as weird beer is becoming more common place.

cant they meet on their merit and personal diplomacy alone? beer needs to be the attractor?

in my humble opinion it is the best form of diplomacy, because it speaks more truth to the human condition rather than what we humans define as being diplomatic with all of our fronts and "prestige."

What's wrong with beer?

It's not like Obama eats caviar on his own time. He goes to the bar and buys greasy-ass hamburgers all the time.

Should they eat a 14-course meal and open up a bottle of champagne instead?

As long as there are cameras around, as long as there are cameras.

Nah, they need PBR.

Great way to stir up the race problem.
I agree JohnA, this is demeaning.
Like when Gates finally gave an ID it was his presteigous Cambridge ID....well la de da!
Like He's a SMART CAMBRIDGE PROFFESSOR! What a trump card play!

@John

your reply made me laugh, thanks for the giggles.

Beers aren't just for white guys silly, everyone likes beer!

It's true. White guys are stupid, especially cops. That's why they need guns to feel like real men.

I would love to be demeaned in this manner. Invited to the White House for beer with the POTUS. How uncivilized can you get?

You know John, I would have a lot more respect for you if you just came out and told us what your problem is with Black Americans. Ha, it's so obvious. That would serve your cause a lot better then jumping to such ridiculous conclusions. Seriously... why don't you like Black folks John? Here's your chance to get it off your chest...

I've know plenty of black people who drink beer. Also many intelligent people who drink beer. SO John, it really sounds to me like YOU are stereotyping people who drink beer as stupid and white and I have to disagree with that assessment.

hey i cant think of a better way to dissolve differences than to kick back, get buzzed and share a few good laughs. i'd even be so bold to bust out a blunt and light it up with all these guys were I invited lol.

Just imagine Ronald Reagan inviting a black man he had insulted over for fried chicken. How do you think that would go over?

John, are you being serious are sarcastic? I just don't understand when BEER became some kind of racial symbol for American white men! I know people from a diverse range of cultures and countries that enjoy beer!

There's nothing white about beer, and if you even remotely read the article you would see that he practically came up with the idea himself! It's the Harvard guy that's being invited.

And what of it if Reagan hypothetically asked a black guy to come for fried chicken? There's nothing racist about it unless it was a deliberate racist choice. Did it ever occur to you that maybe REAGAN would have liked fried chicken?

Your eagerness to be offended when there is no racial implication has been duly noted more than once now.

Something you want to tell us John? It's nothing that we don't already know by the way.

What I want to say is I don't like to be made out to be a buffoon swilling beer in front of the television set like every television sit-com by the President of The United States, especially after he's insulted me for doing my job. Is that to much to ask?

Again, it was Crowley's proposal to sit down and talk about the whole thing over a beer. Read the fucking article people.

So much for the HealthScare reform Professor Obama was trying to push and failed to get out quickly.

JohnA, people around the world drink beer. The is no white monopoly on drinking beer. Seriously, I think talking an issue over a beer is better than doing it over some formal dinner where you have to act perfectly, use the right fork, etc.

And really, if he'd done dinner, folks would still complain that he was feeding people on taxpayers money, wouldn't they?

you mean good that Gates accepted, it was Crowley's suggestion in the first place.

At the risk of sounding racist I would have to vote for a beer from Oregon called Black Butte Porter. This is one of the best commercial beers I have ever tasted.