Thaindian News

By beer-bust standards the much awaited “beer summit” by US President Barack Obama, Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr., and maligned Cambridge police Sergeant James Crowley, was a fairly tame affair.

Following 10-days of he-said, he-did accusations, that resulted in a multitude of racially based stories in the US media, the most powerful man in the world sat down to have a beer with the cop he had described as having “acted stupidly” when he arrested Professor Gates for suspected house breaking.

After having to back-track the comments he made about Sergeant Crowley, the US President yesterday sat down to what he described as, “three folks having a drink at the end of the day and hopefully giving people an opportunity to listen to each other.”

To balance the racial overtones of the meeting and garner appeal from blue-collar American’s, US vice president Joseph R. Biden Jr., was also roped into the “beer summit” with the two white men sitting opposite each and the President and Gates likewise, around a white circular table in the White House lawns.

While the two visitors appeared formally dressed in suites, the President and vice-president sat dressed in shirtsleeves, again adding to the psychological image the White House was eager to promote.

Rather than bottles or cans, the four men drank their beer out of handled mugs, with Mr. Obama having a Bud Lite, Sergeant Crowley a Blue Moon, Professor Gates a Sam Adams Light and Mr. Biden, who does not drink, a Buckler nonalcoholic beer.

Gates and Crowley had met earlier as their families were being given a tour of the White House and after becoming acquainted in the library, continued their tour together before the much talked-about “beer summit”.

After the beer-swilling session Sergeant Crowley said, “what you had today was two gentlemen who agreed to disagree on a particular issue.

“We didn’t spend too much time dwelling on the past, and we decided to look forward,” he said when asked about his relationship with Gates.

For his part, Gates said, When he’s not arresting you, Sergeant Crowley is a really likable guy”.

Perhaps though the final words belong to the man whose two words set of a fervor of racial headlines, the likes of which have not been seen in the US for a long time, US President Obama.

While no apologies were made, Mr. Obama, no doubt hoping the few beers will put the matter to rest for good, said, “I am thankful to Professor Gates and Sergeant Crowley for joining me at the White House this evening for a friendly, thoughtful conversation.

“Even before we sat down for the beer, I learned that the two gentlemen spent some time together listening to one another, which is a testament to them.”