In Response to Gatesgate

What follows are my thoughts, in the most infant stages of development, on the incident between Professor Henry Louis Gates and Officer Crawley. This is such a late response to this incident that I want to apologize ahead of time if I am regurgitating ideas and views that have long since circled the blogosphere. (I really hate that word.) I have been so caught up in other endeavors that I haven't had a chance to think critically about what happened to Professor Gates, much less share my thoughts. I am not sure if I will continue to develop these thoughts or leave them as they are, but in any event I would like to share them with you.

Let me start by saying that what happened to Gates outside of his own home was despicable. The officer did indeed act "stupidly". (To continue to suspect a man for Breaking & Entering after he showed you a Driver's License and another form of ID is stupid.) Although it was a terrible incident, I appreciate that people seemed to care.

However, I cannot help but wonder if there would have been this media hoopla if Gates wasn't so white. Let me explain. I am aware that Gates is an African American. What I mean is that Gates has a PhD, is a Harvard Professor, and is very wealthy - ranks usually held by white males. Therefore, Gates' status, for better or for worse, makes him whiter, and this is why this incident attracted so much attention and so much outrage.

Racial profiling is a disease that plagues every police force. Incidents like this occur daily, yet we never hear about them. If Gates was a postal worker or a gas station attendant, or if Gates didn't live in such a white place - nearly 70% of Cambridge's population is white - this story may have been buried in the back pages of the newspaper, but there would be no CNN and there certainly would not have been beer at the White House.

But Gates is a "model" African American. He worked hard and made the most of his opportunities and realized the American dream ( I really wish the powers that be would create a sarcasm font). And the incident did generate hours of media coverage which in turn did "spark a national debate." Or so they say. Pundits claimed the White House happy hour was a giant step in advancing the discussion of race in America. But was it really? It has been over a month and, save the week after the beer-talk, has there been any discussion? The fact remains that incidents like this (ie. DWB - Driving While Black) happen more than most anyone in white America know, but we are not outraged until is happens to a whiter African American. Furthermore, the outrage is short-lived and it isn't long before we return to the status-quo.

We cannot make any real progress if we huff, puff and discuss isolated incidents. Progress cannot happen until we look at the real issue at hand: systemic racism. Sure, stereotypes and ignorance are hurtful and backwards, but they are only bits of the quagmire, and until we are able to realize the scale of racism, well then we are stuck.

Hello. Is there anybody in there?

LIVE [lahyv] adverb 1. at the moment of its happening

So maybe I should rename the blog "Justin...When he gets around to it", or just stop blogging altogether. Is there anyone out there that reads this for an actual update on what is going on with me that does not already know? Is there anyone that reads this for leisure? Let me know.

So just in case there are one or two of you - I'd settle for half a person - out there, the following is an update on my life since my last post:

I moved back to Traverse City. I love Seattle. It was a magnificent city with a ton to offer both as a major metropolitan city and as a city that embraces and utilizes its natural surroundings. The people are enlightened, like-minded and generally hip. They even had a soccer team, but I could just not make it. I was on what seemed to be a never ending quest for work while living way outside of my means. I was depressed and accruing debt. Needless to say I needed a change. So I packed my car up with all of my things (my riches are not in possessions) and made the 3-day trek back to Michigan.

My summer was great- although as Josh has pointed out it was more like a warm autumn. I had a chance to give back to society through work. I became healthier. I got a new haircut. I was laughing again. Needless to say, I got my swag back.

Since moving home I even managed to pay a credit card off. I can't tell you what a relief that was. I made the final payment earlier this week, and just tonight I checked my statement for the first time. I was delighted to see "$0.00". It will be nice when the card listed below it reads the same. I will feel so much better about moving (again) for a job with a balance that is more manageable. Although I will say that I am thankful that this is happening now instead of 10 years from now when I have a family and mortgage and even more white hair.

I also even managed to find rediscover a girlfriend. Her name is Alex and I say rediscover because I dated her when I was a senior in high school. We broke up when I moved away to college - she was still in high school - but we always managed to stay in touch. We both ended up at Michigan, and we both started to talk and hang out towards the end of my senior year. (Theme alert) But once again I was off to Micronesia and all across the country while she finished school. Well finally we are both in the same place and a relationship was inevitable. To say we are compatible is an understatement - we are pretty much the same person.

I am still on my never-ending job search, but I am also living within my means. It was hard for me as a 24 year old college grad to move back in with his parents, but I had to put my pride aside. Sometimes a seemingly backwards step is actually a step in the right direction. It is all about attitude.

Let me know if you are out there.