Three beers: a teachable moment

[Anonymous]

Everyone is going off on this three beers summit. I think it is actally the most rational thing I've ever heard of. I'm so tired of these events and controversies being dragged out for months because no one is big enough to just get together and talk. But I'm sure I'm in the minority.

[Anonymous]

Wives-partners will be there so it will be civil. All for lifting a brew...

[Anonymous]

The White House is now a saloon where you can air your grievances? Seriously, I can't even believe this is happening. I for one think the President has much more important things on his plate than to sit down with these two gentleman (I use the term loosely). If I were Officer Crowley, I would have no interest in sitting down with the man who called me a racist and insulted my mother.

[Anonymous]

Dear Troll,

I will answer you anyway, even though your trolling should be ignored.

The reason it is great is that there is ALWAYS a good reason not to talk, ALWAYS a good reason not to reach across the aisle, ALWAYS a good reason to go to war. The fact that there is virtually no common ground between Crowley and Gates is precisely the reason it's good that they are talking anyway.

Anybody who has worked on peace building can tell you coming to the table is the most important concession that's ever made.

[Anonymous]

look, frankly, i'm a libertarian but i can't tell you how much i've learned from the rolling rock(and no, i'm not amy winehouse)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dear Troll,

I will answer you anyway, even though your trolling should be ignored.

The reason it is great is that there is ALWAYS a good reason not to talk, ALWAYS a good reason not to reach across the aisle, ALWAYS a good reason to go to war. The fact that there is virtually no common ground between Crowley and Gates is precisely the reason it's good that they are talking anyway.

Anybody who has worked on peace building can tell you coming to the table is the most important concession that's ever made.

Because I disagree with you, I am a troll?? I have come to the table and you resort to name calling. So much for your peace building philosophy. The President treats those of differing opinions better than you. Or perhaps you are both very similar as the President first resorted to name calling by saying Officer Crowley acted "stupidly" before inviting him to the table. I think I understand peace building from your perspective now. First demean and denigrate your opponent before calling him to the table from a position of self-righteous indignation. Very Saul Alinsky of you. (I think you will notice from my punctuation and spelling that I am different from the one you think I am. I haven't posted in a week myself.)

[Anonymous]

Okay, you're not a troll. But you are creepy. I don't monitor people's spelling or punctuation.

I actually am going to apologize for calling you a troll. You do indeed have a different opinion from me. I was indeed self-righteous. I was snarky. You are entitled to be angry at me and the president, who did indeed side with Gates immediately. All true.

But as someone who has worked on peace, my final point about the table remains true. Whatever the disagreement, you'll never resolve it if you don't talk.

Look, do you feel better about us now? I do! (that was not snarky, either)

[Anonymous]

Perhaps I would feel better, had you not called me creepy.

[Anonymous]

Ugh.....this is a tough crowd.

My immediate reaction to this whole arrest thing was .... racism. Plug in a good ol irish dude returning from the country club.....I think there is a good chance things would have turned out differently. So many of us have learned that people of color are less than white people.....it is taught subtly, overtly and assumed in all the phases of our upbringing. It is alive and well today. I am grateful that Gates and Obama are so classy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ugh.....this is a tough crowd.

My immediate reaction to this whole arrest thing was .... racism. Plug in a good ol irish dude returning from the country club.....I think there is a good chance things would have turned out differently. So many of us have learned that people of color are less than white people.....it is taught subtly, overtly and assumed in all the phases of our upbringing. It is alive and well today. I am grateful that Gates and Obama are so classy.

Yeah it was super classy when Gates called the officers "racists". The only reason why Obama had to be so "classy" was because he stepped in it so badly by calling the actions of the police officers stupid at a press conference. This is a man whose entire family is protected every minute of the day by police officers who would give their own lives for him. He should have a little more respect for police officers and should have handled himself better when asked about the situation.

And it is heartbreaking that the African American officer on the scene has been called an "Uncle Tom" for defending his fellow colleagues. No one knows better what happened at that house than that guy. Where was his invite to the beer summit.

As for this whole "beer summit". Doesn't the President have anything better to do? Isn't the country in the financial hole?

Oh and there is no one better to invite to an event to clear things up when you misspeak than Joe Biden! He is the king of the foot in the mouth.

[Anonymous]

I am a little tired of the argument, "Doesn't the president have better things to do?", as if this beer summit is somehow taking his vital nose off the grindstone of the financial crisis. Like he needs to be pushing some important button and now the whole country has to wait for him.

What, in your mind, was the specific activity he needed to attend to on the financial crisis between say 4 pm and 7 pm last night? Or was it just, "being at the wheel"?

[Anonymous]

I don't know...maybe between 4-7 pm last night he could have been briefed on the Cash for Clunkers mess that is drying up. Or maybe he could have spent time with his family during those critical hours.

I don't need a teachable moment from him. He needs his own of "don't say stupid things" and turn a 1 day story into a 10 day story and distract the country from the real problems in the country. There was no race issue here. Gates overreacted and the President was wrong...plain and simple.

So no need to teach us anything. I don't need his arrogance. I need him to do what people elected him to do and that is to lead this country. Something he is proving he is not very good at. All he is good at is photo ops and that is all his "teachable moment" was.

[jsteele]

Last night proved that Obama can eat a pretzel and not pass out on the floor. Just one more thing he can do better than Bush.

It must be driving the right wing nuts that they won't have Sgt. Crowley for a poster child.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:Last night proved that Obama can eat a pretzel and not pass out on the floor. Just one more thing he can do better than Bush.

It must be driving the right wing nuts that they won't have Sgt. Crowley for a poster child.

Wow...choking jokes..funny.

And Obama proved that he can stay stupid things too...

[Anonymous]

I think the whole thing was lame. Of course the media has nothing better to do than to over analyze it.

And do, did anything ever truly resolve - just agree to disagree?

Cheers!