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The Character of Sergeant Crowley: A “Beer Summit” photo that tells it all

By: Jake (Diary)  |  August 1st, 2009 at 12:27 AM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

Doubtless all of you here are well aware of the “beer summit” that took place the other day. However, I’m not entirely sure if all of you saw a certain photo that speaks volumes as to the character of Sergeant Crowley.

afterbeers_PS-0436

You can find the image at the White House’s official blog here (I wonder how long it will be up there, though?).

The American Thinker had something interesting to say on the subject:

I am stunned that the official White House Blog published this picture and that it is in the public domain. The body language is most revealing.

Sergeant Crowley, the sole class act in this trio, helps the handicapped Professor Gates down the stairs, while Barack Obama, heedless of the infirmities of his friend and fellow victim of self-defined racial profiling, strides ahead on his own. So who is compassionate? And who is so self-involved and arrogant that he is oblivious?

And they are right. Sgt. Crowley had no reason to help Dr. Gates. After all, wasn’t it Gates who had insulted both him and his family? Furthermore, isn’t Obama supposed to be the emphatic one here (after all, it’s a trait that only Democrats are supposed to have because they “feel your pain”!) for inviting them down in the first place in the hopes of reaching some sort of understanding that never came to fruition?

But, in this unusually candid photo, the truth comes out. Obama keeps on walking paying no heed to Gates, and it is Crowley, who has been demonized throughout this entire incident, who is left to help the man.

I can’t help but think back upon a certain photo I saw of President Bush and Senator Robert Byrd.

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President Bush had no reason to even want to help Senator Byrd, who had spent much of his time in the Senate railing against the Bush administration, particularly on the war in Iraq, yet he helped the old man regardless.

Note the difference between the two Presidents. Furthermore, note how both Bush and Crowley helped men who didn’t deserve it, at least not from them.

Character isn’t about who you are when you know the spotlight is on you, it’s about who you are when it isn’t, or when you THINK it isn’t.

Promoted to front page by Robert A. Hahn

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COMMENTS

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  • pac_NY

    both of these photos speak volumes.

    I was always taught by my parents’ example that integrity of character is the conviction to do rightly, even when no one is looking, and my faith has taught me the conviction that there are times we must turn the other cheek.

    Sgt. Crowley is obviously a man of such convictions, and I always believed this to be so of President Bush.

  • wordsarepower

    We need not add any.

  • JadedByPolitics
    • http://www.examiner.com/x-1597-Charlotte-Law--Politics-Examiner Mike gamecock DeVine
      • DONTREADONME

        saudi

        • http://www.examiner.com/x-1597-Charlotte-Law--Politics-Examiner Mike gamecock DeVine
          • Leon H. Wolf

            But sometimes i see stuff like this and I think to myself, “I miss Bush.”

          • Jake W

            I’d take him, or, heck, even McCain, over Obama any day.

  • redneck_hippie
  • AceInTX

    Were I in his place My first inclination would be to kick the came out and laugh as the old bigot rolled down the steps…I’m a Christian and My conscience wouldn’t allow me to do it but the sinner in me would take great pleasure at having the oportunity to get a little payback.

    GOD Bless Crowely…He’s a better man than most of us to be sure!

  • SteveLA

    Sgt Crowley that is.

    Someone raised this Gentleman well is all I can say, as helping your elders out as Sgt Crowley is seen doing in this photo is a sign of good manners where I grew up.

    Manners, what a concept.

    • Scope

      and it truly made me choke up. I thought of what Sgt. Crowley has been through, and, may likely still go through, and wondered at those that can be so blind. This should make those blind people see. I never saw the Bush photo before, but, thanks so much for showing it in comparison. I have many problems with some things that Bush did, but, his caring and class have never been among them.

    • BlueStateSaint

      And, Sgt. Crowley’s parents deserve the credit here, for teaching their son properly. I’d buy Sgt. Crowley a beer anytime–and his parents, too..

  • Rod_Patrick
  • Scope

    and it truly made me choke up. I thought of what Sgt. Crowley has been through, and, may likely still go through, and wondered at those that can be so blind. This should make those blind people see. I never saw the Bush photo before, but, thanks so much for showing it in comparison. I have many problems with some things that Bush did, but, his caring and class have never been among them.

  • Scope

    The sign of good character is in how you treat children, the elderly, and animals.

  • itrytobenice

    Very good.

    There are things that happen, sometimes in a very short period of time, which reveal the character of our leaders. This photo says a lot about BO, but also a lot about Sgt. Crowley.

    One of these men is of high quality. And it isn’t The One.

    • mom2oneson
      • http://www.redstate.com/tnjim TNJim

        Jake might want to fix his American Thinker link first, though…

  • Jake W

    This is the first time I’ve ever had an entry promoted to the front page. Thanks guys!

    Also, thanks for fixing the links!

  • martellus

    That the messiah would be anything beyond what he has shown himself to be.

  • Scope

    American Thinker has a great article which includes excerpts from an open letter to Gates from another well known and esteemed Harvard Professor. It was published in the Cambridge Crimson.

    http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2009/08/dear_skip.html

    The author, having lived in that area for more than twenty years, has claimed that Gates will be bothered by a lack of respect, that he has brought on himself.
    The question is- How will he handle that bothersome feeling. He can go either way. Now that he has the first black president on his side, I can only hope he chooses wisely to not further racial divides.

  • Hera

    I’m not surprised that Sgt Crowley would show compassion to a person who had insulted him while Pres Obama would not take a moment to extend himself to show compassion to a “friend”. Obama’s behavior is typical liberal behavior that says “do as I say and not as I do”.Obama’s actions reminds me of Joe Biden’s tax returns showing he gave a whopping 0.16% of his salary to charity while complaining that others were being “unpatriotic” for not wanting to pay more taxes. BTW- I’ve read that Gates has a bachelors degree and not a phd, so he has not earned the title “Dr”.

    • Right_Again

      The top photo reminds me of another situation involving Obama. In his first autobiography Dreams of My Father he writes about a high school friend with whom he shared long discussions on life and race while sharing drugs. This was obviously one of his closest friends in high school.

      The friend was unable to kick the drug habit. While Obama was campaining for President (I believe it was right before the New Hampshire primary) he received a call from this friend asking for help. Obama’s compassionate response was to tell his friend he was busy but he would have his staff get him some numbers of government agencies that could help.

      Compassion is apparently the role of government rather than individuals.

      • mom2oneson

        It fustrates me to no end. Helping means giving a referral or a phone number. It really fustrates me especially for something inexpensive that a group of could easily help with. The just love to refer people. I see this more from affluent Christian republicans IRL. I know plenty of lower income Obama supporters that would do someting like find a real solution. I understand it’s a conservative idea like private help but that isn’t what I see IRL. Many conservatives have jumped on the same wagon of giving out phone numbers.

        • Xasteius

          behavior, but their motives probably fall under two categories:

          1) They’re just too busy to help, and figure that they pay the gov.(or someone else) to take care of their neighbor.

          2) They genuinely don’t know what to do (i.e no professional background)

          3) They don’t know where to go (i.e. non-governmental sources of help)

          Frankly, I’d rather see someone get professional help or in some than flounder about because of my stupidity, but I’d would at least see them into the door and get them taken care of.

        • Right_Again

          I appreciate your comments. I agree that too often we give lip service and “let me know what I can do to help” is really just a means of avoiding real service.

          I am reminded of a recent Dilbert cartoon where the pointy-haired boss tells Dilbert to do something that will help the environment. Dilbert questions when their company became concerned about the environment. The boss replies that they are not concerned about the environment, they just want to appear like they are.

          I equate referrals, phone calls or making people aware of causes with appearing like we are concerned.

          • mom2oneson

            I guess I was just trying to say, refer refer refer is what a lot of people do, even good Christian republicans, not just Obama or liberals. Obviously Obama isn’t a a psychiatrist to write him an Rx for methadone for an an addiction but maybe he could have helped with other needs he has or paid for a psychatrist or helped him get into a place like teen challenge or paid his rent or whatever he needed. This could have opened his eyes to the total lack of addiction help for the poor and uninsured and how swamped the private charity places are that provide the help like teen challenge or rescue missions.

            I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten an email or call and the person wanted to know where they can tell someone to go and it’s for a need that is relatively small. Like why don’t we all just paypal what we can and let the person get on with their life now that their need is met. Or if it’s too big maybe we can do something to relive their stress a little. We can’t solve a complex situation but we can make sure they have sneakers and food and their utilities are caught up. It’s so fustrating. Now there are some very kind people too that do just help but I am just saying the referal line is common.

          • mbecker908

            is a 100% load of crap about the size of Mt. Everest.

            Let me introduce myself. Hi, my name is Mike & I’m an addict. As it happens, I’ve been clean since September 15, 1976.

            That said, let me note that pouring money into “rehab” programs is THE biggest waste of money that the US Government wastes. And please don’t quote statistics to me because if you go into a federally funded rehab program as a heroin addict and give up heroin by becoming an alcoholic, you’re counted as a success. The “cure” rate is damn near zero. If federal funds to rehab was cut to zero it would have no impact on the number of addicts who stop using. Actually, it might be a good thing because then they would have to take themselves into a program that does work.

            There is no 12 Step program in the US that will turn away a poor person who is addicted. AA, NA, CA and the largest Christ centered recovery program, Celebrate Recovery, will take on all comers no questions asked.

            The problem IS NOT a lack of help. The problem is a lack of desire to live clean and sober. Period. There is no magic bullet for addiction, it’s not a broken arm, it’s a lifestyle and if you are an addict and you are unwilling to change your lifestyle you WILL die. And that’s not a bad thing for those around the addict.

          • mom2oneson

            OK this is something I posted on that I did not know about. I do know that places like teen challenge have waiting lists and sometimes they are long. I thought places like that and rescue missions and then private pay rehab facilities were the only help out there outside of emergency psych units that only stabilize people. I didn’t know there was any federal funding. I agree wtih you. I have no sympathy for addicts except the people who have severe intractable pain like with cancer or a bad injury and obviously those born with the addiction that I know we aren’t talking about. I don’t have sympathy because it seems like they are self centered and always trying to borrow money and stuff and they are kind of manipulative, like they appear nice but it’s just to get something. I’ve seen messed up lives in my own family (and I’ve always had a fear of turning out like them) and have been thieved by addicts before (and they were healthy men not someone with a disease trying to get pain relief.)

          • mbecker908

            1. Teen Challenge is a private organization and last I knew they do not take a nickle from the feds. Most centers do have a waiting list, but I can assure you that lack of money is NEVER a reason a person does not get help at TC.
            2. There is no such thing as a “healthy” addict. An addict who can hold down a full time job and provide financially for those around them is nothing more than a guy who’s fallen off the top of the Empire State Building and just hasn’t hit the pavement yet. See Michael Jackson for the most recent example.

  • pilgrim

    There is no indication of a thank you or even that he came up to the table. They just avoid even looking at the guy.

  • http://aposematic.wordpress.com aposematic

    Just another case of O’s and all Dems. hatred for their fellow man.

    This picture also shows the willingness to blame “whitey” for all the ills in the world when reality and truth is all the ills in the world are the cause of Liberal radicals like O.

    Gates and O are so racially biased neither can see through or past it creating a perpetual liberal hate of everything right.

  • Susannah

    Thanks for posting this. Oh, and it was nice meeting you this weekend at the RS gathering. :-)

  • bk

    I wonder if Biden said something like that after they had a couple brewskis.

  • Jake W

    Biden could even say such a thing through all of the peanuts he was wolfing down.

  • http://keydesignsllc.com bkeyser

    I guess that’s why he needs empathy in the court; there’s none in the white house.

  • http://www.redstate.com/tnjim TNJim

    and he read the quote from The American Thinker article. too. I was hoping to get to see it tonight, but I didn’t expect to find it in comparison to the one of Bush helping Byrd. Great find, Jake, thanks for this plus your diary accompanying the two is spot on. Obama is striding ahead as if to say “Here I am, media! Look at me!”

    What a… oh wait… Be respectful, or be banned. No Profanity.

    Better stop right there…

  • fotophun

    remember Clinton and his standard I FEEL YOUR PAIN

    they are just in it for themselves while they sock it to the rest of us
    But then again we do not deserve anything because THEY ARE ALL BETTER THAN US….in their minds that is

    also what about the compassion Obama feels for his half brother lliving in a hut