In a nutshell, through President Obama's demeanor and choice of words, he instructed the nation on many levels, when he was queried about the "stupid" response of the Cambridge police to a simple "house call" on a dignified professor several days earlier.
As a personal friend, as a previous Cambridge resident, as a previous college professor, as a previous legislator concerned with racial profiling as an institutional issue requiring correction, as a top-level government official, as POTUS, and as a dignified African-American man, I felt President Obama's response was very cool, calm and measured and delicately worded.
In a word, the action of the arresting officer was "stupid."
To label the unnecessary handcuffing and arrest of a person who had merely come home from a trip as "stupid" was, I thought, a calm yet clear description of what I believe was a typical and unfortunate poor example of community policing.
The word "stupid" to me said that the arrest was improper and wrong, yet probably not worthy of a strong legal response such as civil suit for personal damages or a strong personel action by the police department.
The word "stupid" said I am strongly unhappy with the handcuffing and arrest of someone who could have been me, but I will not weigh in with a strong generalization or command for specific changes in Cambridge policing or general domestic policing methods.
The word "stupid" was a mild, yet effective and coolly emotional response to the presser question.
The response was simply honest.
More importantly, I believe, the response was a healthy holistic response to a distressing situation. President Obama told us with a word, "stupid," that the police action was not reasonable or emotionally acceptable to one who can properly empathize with the person being mistreated.
The concise takeaway of this presser answer by President Obama, I believe, was I am unhappy with this police incident, and I will not judge the motivation of the Cambridge policeman, but I will not hestitate to give a dignified and complete response: it was stupid.