We ALL do it. Something happens that in some way touches us emotionally or some other sense of identifying with the situation, and we take a position before we know all the details.
I know I have done that, only to later back away from my first perspective after learning more details. Even as a Law Enforcement Officer, I have found myself in a position to assess a situation one way, only to reverse it later as more facts are learned. (Victims, are not always "victims".)
But I have a real problem with President Obama, and his rush to judgment. If anything, HE should never rush to judgment. His judgment affects the lives and welfare of all our nation's citizens, in one way or another.
Take the case with the Cambridge (MA) Police Officer (who is white) and the Harvard College Professor Louis Gates (who is black). While opinions vary of what the Police should or should not have done, Obama came out of the gate pretty early on, stating, "...the Cambridge police acted stupidly." Obama took a side, and ... sorry ... it APPEARS that Obama took the side of a Black man, over a White Cop, and all before the investigation was fully completed. In my view, Obama had NO business stepping into that situation, and choosing a side. Particularly in a "local" police matter.
(see: http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2009/07/obama_cambridge.html )
Then, we have the death of a 17 year old unarmed Black kid (Trayvon Martin), who was shot by a Hispanic (George Zimmerman) "neighborhood watchman" during a scuffle. This happened on Feb. 26, 2012. On Mar. 23, 2012, while commenting about the case, Obama said, "If I had a son, he'd look like Trayvon." Obama, in some attempt to identify with the Black community, says such thing, and takes a side before all the facts are known ... and even before the trial (which, by the way, is going on as I type this, on July 12, 2013!). Obama had NO business commenting to such a degree, and to choose a side in a pending criminal investigation. NONE!
(see: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/23/obama-trayvon-martin_n_1375083.html )
Fact is, and while NOT a reason to shoot anyone, Trayvon Martin is suspected of being a burglar, a pot-smoker by his own photos, and may have been in procession (illegal, as he was 17?) of a handgun in the past. Really President Obama? THIS is the type son you would have had? Really?
Furthermore, from THIS former Law Enforcement Officer's viewpoint, while George Zimmerman will be judged by a jury for his use-of-force, had Martin kept walking, the police would have arrived to check on him. But he didn't. He went back and confronted Zimmerman. Zimmerman had a right and a purpose for being in that apartment complex. Martin was passing through. Zimmerman may have been following Martin, but Martin was not "likely" in fear, or he would never have come back around to confront Zimmerman. A person in fear, unless there is no exit, will head for an exit from the danger, real or perceived. All that is for the court case to unravel, but point is .. Obama should never have commented in any way to take a side.
As for Professor Gates, had he simply stayed calm, and provided the identification and verification the Officer requested, that matter would never escalated. But instead, the Professor took immediate offense to being questioned, and referred to the Officer with "your mama", which jumped to the racial right away. The Professor was wrong. But Obama took a side.
In any case, Obama had NO business, as THE President of the United States, to make such comments on the Cambridge or Martin matter! In both cases, he rushed to judgment. Hardly presidential. And to me .... to ME .... it smacks more of taking a racial side, than an objective one.
Obama, to my dismay, IS our President, and with that, should be the President to ALL Americans, and should hold his tongue until all the facts are out. Even then, local matter should be left to local people, and for any President to comment in a way that takes one side over another, is just wrong.
The rest of us may well keep jumping to early conclusions, but for the most part, such rushing to judgments do not impact a nation.
