Beer Diplomacy

Despite the fact that high level talks began with China this week at the White House, the main news story on everyone's mind is the fact that President Obama will be meeting with Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates and Cambridge Police Sergeant James Crowley to discuss the incident from last week. As you'll recall, Gates (who is black) was returning from a trip to China and was unable to enter his house due to the fact that the door was apparently stuck. He and his limo driver then proceeded to attempt entry into the house by bashing in the door. A neighbor spotted this activity and notified police about the incident. Sergeant Crowley was one of the first officers on the scene and has been subsequently accused of racial profiling due to his actions in the arrest of Gates.

The result was that last week, everyone was jumping onto the bandwagon that racial profiling was the only plausible explanation but as it turns out (as more and more evidence comes to the forefront) that perhaps race wasn't really an issue. Early claims that the neighbor identified Gates and his driver as black men isn't exactly true and though the exact exchange between Gates and Crowley remains unclear at this point, it is becoming clearer that perhaps Gates goaded Crowley on due to the perception that Crowley's actions were racially motivated. President Obama fits into this discussion because he brazenly injected himself into the situation without the full facts of the matter. This occured during his press conference last Thursday on Health Care when he was asked his opinion of the incident during the questions phase.

Obama responded by stating that he believed the Cambridge Police (in particular Crowley) "acted stupidly". It was a knee-jerk reaction to a case that again proves that racial tensions still run high in this country. If it didn't then why would there be so much scuffling about due to Supreme Court nominee Judge Sotomayor's comments about how a Latino woman would be able to better understand the plight of fellow Latinos rather than a white man. But the discussion here is how to smooth over the situation which is why Obama has invited both men to discuss the situation over some beer. Now some are already questioning the rationale behind wanting to invite both men to the White House but I think it's a matter of wanting to help allay the situation.

I would hope that all men in this meeting would be willing to look past what has been going on in the media regarding the case up until this point and hopefully understand that mistakes have been made by all parties. That being said then, what's the beer going to be that's going to be drunk at this 'meeting of the minds'? I am personally a fan of Guinness (To Arthur for 250 years!!) but I don't think that will go over too well with the media either. In fact I would think that most any imported beer would be looked at with some scrutiny. It would become a political message that the President isn't drinking a domestic but rather an imported beer. In that case there are plenty of domestic breweries but who then do you choose?

Obama could choose a beer from Goose Island brewery in Chicago (which was served in Grant Park the night he won the election) but then people might think it's personal bias seeing as how he's the only one from the Chicago area. Then how about something from Boston? Sam Adams might be a good choice but then again there is question in some circles about whether or not Sam Adams did own a slave (he apparently received one as a gift in 1765 but there is uncertainty as to whether he freed the slave or not). Though he was against it, the possibility of controversy is ripe with potential so that would probably be discounted as well. What about a Washington beer? Something local that would be brewed with thought given to the hot and stuffy summers? Then again someone from outside of Washington would say that it's proof that Obama is a 'Washington Insider' so that may work against him too. He can't have Busch Beer for obvious reasons (think about it and you'll understand) so I guess it comes down to something like Budweiser or Michelob. Whatever he ends up with I'm sure it will end in some controversy or the other. Who would have ever thought that so much could ride on choosing the right beer?