Gates' arrest: "...a local issue..."?

My COMM 229 summer web class is discussing race and media representation this week, and the arrest Dr. Gates in Cambridge has certainly enlivened discussion.  Here's the latest snippet I posted to our discussion board, complete with ongoing tie to local sports-talk radio station WEEI (which does great local sports coverage, but way too often veers off into right-wing political diatribes--listen to their 6-10am morning show on the web in the next few days to get a taste of how they're discussing the issue).... 

Did you all catch the Obama press conference last night?  If not, here's the Yahoo article from this morning w/ relevant quotes, plus the rebuttal from the Cambridge officer.... as quoted on WEEI!  Unreal....  

In view of our discussion on the phrase "playing the race card" this week (it's not about race until Gates says it is), I want to highlight something the officer said that again shows the lack of understanding of the context of this issue:

"I support the president to a point, yes, I think it's disappointing that he waded into what should be a local issue and something that plays out here," Crowley told WEEI. "As he himself said ... he doesn't know all the facts."

So not only would this not be about race (if Gates would have JUST SHUT UP), but it would also not be of national attention (if The [national / liberal (ha!)] Media and/or Obama would JUST SHUT UP).

There is the event itself, and there is the perception of the event.  And there is the discourse surrounding the event, which is part of a larger discourse on race in the USA.  The pattern I see emerging from the Right is the attempt to not only refute any perception of racial injustice but as well any possible linkage from this to any wider social context.

Nothing to see here, folks--drive on by.  Wow.