THE PANTOMIME ON A WHITE HOUSE LAWN.

The "meet" between President Obama, Professor Gates and Police officer Sgt. Crowley took nobody by surprise, because its popularity had preceded its occurrence by the media. In fact, the event was of the media, by the media and for the media, as the news of it played out on the front page of newspapers for days; the Network television and Cable (as well as Satellite and Dish) news formats made it a priority to announce it, and not withstanding radio broadcasts, which made it the first item on their news bulletins.

The general population was agog to see it happening, because it was thought that the issue was more divisive than just an ordinary incident that took place in a Massachusetts suburb. It had racial connotations all over and around it, and it was making everybody more uncomfortable than usual, including the President, of course.

A Caucasian police officer arresting an African-American senior professor and ending in the professor being put in handcuffs. A sad, sad scenario in terms of publicity.

The case was so racially sensitive, it touched the nerves of everybody; that of the Cambridge Police Department, the people in Harlem, New York, The Chicago's Magnificent Mile, the blustery plains of North Dakota, the Bible Belt of the South. The ruckus became so widespread, and eventually affecting every corner of the earth (thanks to the media).

It was being loaded with both positive and negative comments from all quarters of social, political and economic arenas; and it became wildly disturbing for all politicians, as well as for the common man and woman in the street.

However, the President did a very good thing, announcing a meeting for all the principal players at the White House, to discuss the matter over a glass of beer. By doing so, he brought the whole incendiary situation down to the level of ordinary folk having to settle a quarrel over a cool drink; thus defusing the problem into the size of a "palaver", for what it should have been in the first place. BRAVO, President Obama.

What, however, satisfied many people was that it (meeting) became a pantomime for the media, their cameras and microphones. They could only see from afar, but they could not hear anything being spoken by either the President or the special invitees. Nevertheless, the ranting continues on the "News outlets" as usual. Unbelievable!!!!