I have a few thoughts on the matter:

1. The public needs to better understand the state of mind that a police officer has when responding to a potential breaking & entering call (particularly when the alleged perpetrator is at the scene). The adrenaline is pumping and the officer is at a very elevated level of alertness. He has to display a certain level of assertiveness as these can be very dangerous situations.

2. The public needs to better understand the state of mind that African-Americans have when responding to police officers. White America cannot fathom the racism of the past, and present when dealing with "certain" police officers. I am confident that it's a minority of officers who fail to act properly.

3. Other than the two men who were present, none of us knows exactly what happened. President Obama was right when he stated this, but he should have left it at that. And I do recognize that Gates is a friend of his, and it's quite natural to come to his defense.

4. Opportunists on both sides (Sharpton), and right-wing radio, will stir the pot for different reasons, and they should be condemned.

5. We all need to realize how easy it is for small incidents to escalate. When one is in the heat of a moment, it's terribly difficult to maintain good judgment, and proper manners. I certainly can attest to this firsthand.

6. This could be a magnificent "teachable moment" to discuss my first two points. It would require that both men rise to the occasion. I don't know if that's possible, but what an opportunity it would make.

Peter T.