Biology Week 4 - Common Ancestor from Europe?

I think it is incredible the knowledge we continue to acquire about the evolution of our species either through new fossil finds or new technology applied to previous finds.  However, there seems to already be significant evidence that speciation of humans was a very slow and gradual process that originated in Africa.  I would be inclined to think that it could have happened in both Europe and Africa and am confused by the controversy.  As long as we humans cling to our arrogant image that we are superior and evolved in some special way, I think we get in our own way of what these fossil discoveries might be trying to teach us.