Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Are You Black or Blue? African American Members of the Cambridge Police Force Support Their Own Against Henry Louis Gates



Choose a side, are you black or are you blue?

One has to give it to the police, they are a gang of sorts that always has each other's back.

I must wonder, is there an informal rule that where race is introduced as an element in a public controversy, that the press needs to find a person of color who will support the party line? Perhaps, in the production meeting for the evening news the director says something akin to "a black public figure has said or done something controversial, now hurry up and go find me a black person to contradict him."

Once more, Officer Kelly King choose a side, are you black or are you blue?

4 comments:

A.Smith said...

I think your assessment of what may go on in production meetings is probably not too far from what actually happens.

It's amazing to me how quickly they can find the black person to go opposite of the percieved black opinion. It's ridiculous sometimes.

cinque said...

It's clear she has already chosen.

gordon gartrelle said...

The sad part is that this is really how a lot of people think about black folks and institutions/ideals.


White folks, of course, have no race. They are neutral. They never have to choose between a "race-neutral" institutions/ideals and racial bonds, which 1. only exist for non-whites and 2. are always pernicious.

Anonymous said...

Someone once said that people shouldn't be judged by the color of their skin, but on the content of their character. Evidently you disagree.