Speaking Up ...

Sometimes helping can get you in such trouble. Ask Lucia Whalen, the neighbor who reported the possible break-in that started the whole Gates arrest mess ('SNAFU in Massachusetts').

After the Gates arrest made the headlines, and Mrs. Whalen's role became known, she claimed harsh criticism from the press and from some who called her 'racist'.

Today she held a press conference to make it clear she didn't mention race initially in her 911 call. Only when pressed by the 911 interviewer did she say the suspects might be 'Hispanic'. She claimed she made no mention of 'black males with backpacks', and the release of the 911 tape a day earlier supported her claims.

So, good news for Lucia Whalen - she's now off-the-hook she should never have been hung on in the first place. She can go on about her life - even if she won't be sipping beer with the professor, the policeman, and the Prez.

But we should ask ourselves - carefully, why would it have been wrong if she had said 'I saw two black males with backpacks', if that had been exactly what she witnessed? Surely, it wouldn't be racist or racial profiling if it was an accurate description?

In the Gates case, the witness, Mrs. Whalen, wasn't even quoted accurately, and thus labeled 'racist' without any justification. But hers' is just an extreme example of how quickly people will resort to deflection and finger-pointing in tough situations. Unfortunately, accuracy is no protection against being labeled a 'racist'. Or, in other situations, against being unfairly labeled a 'leftist' or a 'socialist' (Eh, Mr. President and my fellow Democrats?)

So, if you witness what you suspect to be a crime, and you are asked by the police to describe the suspects, I hope you have a camera on hand and can just hand them a picture. If not, don't say anything that might remotely suggest ethnicity or racial heritage. Or religion ('I saw two Lutherans with backpacks'). Better safely and anonymously quiet, than publicly sorry. Just ask Lucia Whalen.