University of Chicago Law Professor Richard Epstein provides this analysis of the Gates/Crowley controversy in Forbes. His conclusion:
In these circumstances, it was ungracious for Obama to damn Crowley
by faint praise. Of course an “outstanding officer” like Sgt. Crowley
with “a fine record of racial sensitivity” can have interactions with
members of the African-American community that are “fraught with
misunderstanding.” This Solomonic effort to split the baby is undercut
by one simple fact: Crowley’s compliance with protocol in the face of
Gates’ gratuitous confrontation. Gates is hardly covered with glory
because his own abusive conduct may not be criminal. Common civility
requires more.There is a larger lesson to be learned. No
national dialogue will improve race relations by treating a model
officer like Crowley as if he were a rogue cop. The rate of racial
progress in Cambridge makes these harsh denunciations hurtful. Gates
could have contributed to improving relations by keeping his cool after
the incident was over. Yet, no matter how one views the case, standard
statistical protocols caution against sad generalizations about race
relations from one unfortunate incident. Professor Gates and President
Obama would have done a lot better if they had reined in their own
harsh charges. Sometimes silence is golden.
