There are a few facts that everybody seems to agree on.
The black Harvard professor forgot his keys and when he returned from a trip had to break into his own house. A concerned neighbor called the police. The officer that arrived ascertained that he lived there.
And then things get interesting. The officer claims that the professor got abusive and was arrested for being disorderly. The professor claims that he was arrested because they didn't believe a black person could live there. President Obama stated that the cops acted stupidly.
it doesn't sound as though race was a factor. I'm sure that after such a long trip, anybody would be tense. But even so, you don't harass cops. I recently had state police point their guns at me after a misunderstanding. I didn't take offense; I knew they were doing their job.
What I find curious is the people that think every bad thing that happens to them is because of racism. If the cops had taken too long to respond- or hadn't responded at all- the same charge would have been levied. Instead, the cops quickly and thoroughly arrived and did their job, only to hear the same complaints.
I'm pleased that the officer has refused to apologize. And I caution people that if they cry racism at every slight, we won't believe you when it actually happens.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
Circle of Life
How appropriate that it began with an orange.
I was recently contacted by an old friend through the power of the internet (itself run by little 1s and 0s). I met him in high school when a mutual female friend tried to get my authoritative opinion. He was eating an orange as though it were an apple- taking a big bite right through the rind and all. Instead of criticizing, I shrugged. We became instant good friends.
Our circle of friends constricted a bit into a triangle with the aforementioned girl. And then it constricted again when I gave her a ring. He found his own girl and we regretfully went separate ways.
I wish I could say the ways we went were separate but equal. They were, if you consider that we both made big circles. I moved away and back home several times. I went from married to single and around again. I went from what I studied in college to a hated job that paid the bills and now am back in film.
He only needed the one ring for a woman. His Navy tours took him under the North Pole, in a big loop around the Pacific, and back again. He went through the Mediterranean, and came back. He moved from the east coast to the west coast, and now is back again.
After two decades of us traveling, moving, and changing our lives, we met up a couple of towns over from where we first met.
And, of course, he was a little more orange-shaped, which was gratifying.
I was recently contacted by an old friend through the power of the internet (itself run by little 1s and 0s). I met him in high school when a mutual female friend tried to get my authoritative opinion. He was eating an orange as though it were an apple- taking a big bite right through the rind and all. Instead of criticizing, I shrugged. We became instant good friends.
Our circle of friends constricted a bit into a triangle with the aforementioned girl. And then it constricted again when I gave her a ring. He found his own girl and we regretfully went separate ways.
I wish I could say the ways we went were separate but equal. They were, if you consider that we both made big circles. I moved away and back home several times. I went from married to single and around again. I went from what I studied in college to a hated job that paid the bills and now am back in film.
He only needed the one ring for a woman. His Navy tours took him under the North Pole, in a big loop around the Pacific, and back again. He went through the Mediterranean, and came back. He moved from the east coast to the west coast, and now is back again.
After two decades of us traveling, moving, and changing our lives, we met up a couple of towns over from where we first met.
And, of course, he was a little more orange-shaped, which was gratifying.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Is It A Real Connection?
Something strange happened over the weekend, and I'm not sure how to feel about it.
Disney had a crash with its monorails and someone was killed. Although tragic and unusual, that isn't what is perplexing me.
I've been keeping in touch with a friend of mine from high school via a networking website. No personal pictures, limited direct messages, mostly generic comments on their status. Just enough to let them know somebody was thinking of them.
I first heard of the crash by people leaving condolence messages for her. She wasn't hurt or involved, but undoubtedly knew the operator. I wasn't the only one confused. Somebody else questioned what was going on, and I followed a link to a news story that was provided by way of explanation.
Had I heard about the crash by standard news channels, I would have been interested and concerned. Yet knowing that somebody I knew was near the crash made it more vivid and dramatic. But I keep thinking that I don't really know her. Know OF her, yes. I used to be familiar with her. Had she been the one that died, I doubt my life would change a bit. I don't even know that she actually works there; I have to take her claim at face value.
So is this a real emotional connection? It seems so, since it made the reaction stronger. But I can't get over the feeling that it is more illusion than connection.
Disney had a crash with its monorails and someone was killed. Although tragic and unusual, that isn't what is perplexing me.
I've been keeping in touch with a friend of mine from high school via a networking website. No personal pictures, limited direct messages, mostly generic comments on their status. Just enough to let them know somebody was thinking of them.
I first heard of the crash by people leaving condolence messages for her. She wasn't hurt or involved, but undoubtedly knew the operator. I wasn't the only one confused. Somebody else questioned what was going on, and I followed a link to a news story that was provided by way of explanation.
Had I heard about the crash by standard news channels, I would have been interested and concerned. Yet knowing that somebody I knew was near the crash made it more vivid and dramatic. But I keep thinking that I don't really know her. Know OF her, yes. I used to be familiar with her. Had she been the one that died, I doubt my life would change a bit. I don't even know that she actually works there; I have to take her claim at face value.
So is this a real emotional connection? It seems so, since it made the reaction stronger. But I can't get over the feeling that it is more illusion than connection.
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