Beer Summit Just A Drink After Work

Despite the hype and great expectations, the “Beer Summit” on racial relations turned out to be just a couple of guys having a drink after work, which was pretty much what the Prez. had promised.  No apologies offered…no surprises there. The biggest surprise was the addition of the VP, who was served an obscure non-alcoholic Buckler beer.  Buckler?

As soon as the beers were placed on the Rose Garden table, maybe even before the photo-op toast, Sergeant Crowley took a swig of his Blue Moon, a spiced Belgian-style brew made by Molson Coors. The Professor’s beer was to be a Red Stripe, a Jamaican lager, but he switched to Sam Adam’s Light at the last minute. The President had a Bud Light, but I think would have preferred a Sam Adam’s Light, an infinitely tastier beer in my opinion.

The President immediately grabbed a handful of peanuts, and the VP followed suit. The suited Gates and Crowley appeared to be conversing quite amicably as the VEEP and PREZ listened and munched.

After the meeting, Gates issued a written statement on his blog and Crowley gave a short press conference in which he said their meeting had been cordial – that they had agreed to disagree and that they had also agreed to meet again and continue the dialogue.

In a telephone interview as reported in The Caucus, a NY Times blog, the professor said that he learned about the realities and stresses that police officers face everyday.  He also stressed that it is important for Americans to become “more sensitive to the realities of racial profiling.”

Gates goes on to say, “we hit it off from the very beginning” and that “when Sergeant Crowley is not arresting you, he is a really likable guy.”

While the Beer Summit didn’t exactly live up to the billing, it has touched off a needed dialogue on the dangers of racial profiling and unfair stereotypes of police officers.   Let’s hope the sergeant and professor can reach the summit together one day and take a whole bunch of folks from base camp with them.