Lessons learned at Harvard

It’s rare to begin a column with a disclaimer. This is one of the exceptions.

The truth is that I’ve never attended a single class at Harvard University, a record I’m confident will remain intact until my dying day. I’ve never even passed the ivy covered entrance to Harvard or driven through Cambridge. Yet I’ve learned some lessons from Harvard, lessons that are worth sharing.

Reality dispersed the fallacy surrounding Professor Henry Louis Gates’ arrest just as sure as a drop of water disperses oil. That doesn’t mean the incident didn’t warrant an investigation. No one--regardless of their race--should be arrested inside their home without just cause. However, jumping to conclusions before facts become evident isn’t a good excuse for speaking in ignorance either. That became the norm in the Gates episode.

Sgt. Crowley’s account was corroborated by other officers--including black officers--and an eyewitness. Gates’ version carried the weight of Harvard, a famous and venerable institution. These men aren’t stupid; they are intelligent, professional and supposedly rational.

To have formed an opinion during the investigation’s early stages indicates an undeniable lack of discernment. That’s lesson one. Don’t form opinions without facts, which brings us to lesson two.

The president displayed an alarming lack of wisdom. When asked about the Gates arrest President Obama was quick to concede his ignorance of the particulars. Yet Obama told the entire nation exactly what he thought of the situation despite having admitted his lack of knowledge. He said it was troubling for a black man to be arrested inside his own home.

I concur. But that didn’t happen to Prof. Gates; he wasn’t arrested inside his home. He was arrested outside after following the investigating officer to the front porch, his belligerent attitude in tow.

Prudence, especially in a president, demands that we keep our opinions silent until we have the facts. Obama would have none of that. He spoke publicly and authoritatively immediately after admitting his ignorance, displaying a disturbing lack of judgment.

A third lesson is where racism may exist. If Gates was the target of racist police tactics or profiling, where did it occur? The scene didn’t unfold at a Klan rally or in a corner booth at Denny’s. It happened at Harvard University, the school where Berkeley leftists learn liberalism.

Harvard is one of the most liberal outposts in one of the most liberal areas of arguably the most liberal state in the union. We’re constantly told that such high-minded institutions are nuanced and intellectually superior to those of us in the great unwashed. Yet the alleged racism took place in the heart of leftist philosophy. Oh, say it isn’t so!

Addendum to lesson three. With more facts now available concerning Gates’ actions prior to his arrest it’s becoming apparent that racism is indeed alive and well at Harvard. Can you figure out who was stereotyping whom?

Fourth lesson, what if the suspected burglary had been real? Suppose Officer Crowley had accepted forged identification from a genuine burglar. Had Crowley then left the burglar at the scene he would certainly have been labeled a racist. Do you believe for a minute that Gates wouldn’t have accused the white officer of refusing to protect a black man’s property?

The fifth lesson is that race shouldn’t have become a factor. There’s been no proof of racism, only the unsubstantiated rants from Gates, for whom life is all about race. Sgt. Leon Lashley, a black officer at the scene, supported Gates’ arrest. And black Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson called Obama’s imprudent comments racist and irresponsible, and accused the president of “causing deep irreparable damage to race relations in this country.”

Racism remains the Left’s favorite political tool. They practice racism from one side of their mouths while accusing opponents of it from the other. That makes six lessons I’ve learned from Harvard, all without attending a single class.