Not so fast, Professor Gates

In the wake of reports (here) that Cambridge police were contemplating the release of audio surrounding his arrest for disorderly conduct, Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. says he's "ready to move on . . ." From the AP:

In an e-mail to the Boston Globe late Friday, [Gates] said: "It is time for all of us to move on, and to assess what we can learn from this experience."

In a statement to The Associated Press, Gates promised to do all he could so others could learn from his arrest.

"This could and should be a profound teaching moment in the history of race relations in America," Gates said. "I sincerely hope that the Cambridge police department will choose to work with me toward that goal."

Based on reading these statements, Gates appears eager to move on as well as intent on maintaining his victim status. I suspect Gates is not eager for the facts behind this incident to come out, but this will not truly advance the debate about "racial profiling" if it incorrectly continues as race-merchant fodder.