Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Editor-in-Chief of "The Root" (we got it right this time), put up this statement after his brew-haha with President Obama and Cambridge Police Sgt. James Crowley (and late-add Vice President Joe Biden) at the White House.

An excerpt:

Let me say that I thank God that I live in a country in which police officers put their lives at risk to protect us every day, and, more than ever, I've come to understand and appreciate their daily sacrifices on our behalf. I'm also grateful that we live in a country where freedom of speech is a sacrosanct value and I hope that one day we can get to know each other better, as we began to do at the White House this afternoon over beers with President Obama.