There seems to be two opinion camps with regard to this Gates affair.

1. Racial: Gates was arrested because he was black - a white person in similar circumstances would not have been arrested. This speaks to the racism in this country.

2. Authoritarian: Gates was not arrested because he was black - he was arrested because he talked back to the police, as well he should be. People who don't respect the authority of the police deserve whats coming to them.

My perspective falls into a third column:

3. Gates was not arrested because he was black - he was arrested because he talked back to the police. The police ought to understand that someone whose house has been broken into is going to be in an agitated state, particularly if they are confronted with an officer of the law who at least initially thinks they might be the criminals who did the break-in.

I agree with Obama's observation that:

The Cambridge police acted stupidly in arresting somebody when there was already proof that they were in their own home.

This was petty muscle flexing on the part of the officers. This is not a racial issue. This sort of unnecessary exercise of power by government officials is an everyday problem that occurs in all kinds of different contexts.

I don't understand why none of the public commentary on this issue that I've seen takes this position. Its interesting to see the President speak out on something like this, but inevitably the policy responses will be targeted at solving the wrong problem.

BBC NEWS | Americas | Black scholar arrest angers Obama