Joe Lowery and white people

Frequent commenter KevDog didn't take to kindly to Joe Lowery:

Look, everyone knows that we fucked things up in the past. We also know that we can do better. But for crying out loud, all we want is credit for trying. Would that have been too much to ask? This was our day too. This was the country's day.

There is a strong temptation to simply say, "Tough. Get over it." Or some such. I think, from a black perspective, we don't expect sensitivity from people who've basically run shit for the past few centuries--especially given that we spent the last two decades hearing about how black people are so sensitive. Moreover, it was a kind of joke, a reversal of that old rhyme about "black get back."

Finally, Lowery's a man of a particular era. He was never a nationalist, and is, arguably, the most honorable of King's followers. In the green room at the Newshour, he complimented Gwen Ifill and then told her he knew he was old, because when comes home late now, his wife never asks him where he's been. "Sometimes, I just want to wake her up and say, 'Ask me where I've been!'" he said, jokingly. His wife just sat there and laughed. I guess my point is, if there is any living incarnation of the humanism and broad values of the CRM, it's Lowery.

All of that said, I did some thinking, and some sleeping, on this. Certainly, there is a sector of white folks who just want the niggers to get over it. But there is also a section of white folks who, themselves, want to be over it. We never talk about how it must have felt to, say, have been a progressive in the Deep South, who loved the South, but hated the racism. It must have been embarrassing--sort of like hearing the conversation around black life being dominated by the murder rate.

Some folks, are just tired of playing the stock villain--especially when they're really just doing what human beings do. Give us the guns and the ships. Would things have been any different?

UPDATE: We need a timeout here. Seriously guys. Take a moment to try to understand what your folks on the other side are saying. If you just want to vent, call a friend. I'm not--nor will I ever be interested--in a big "whose fault is it" debate.

UPDATE #2: Comments back open. Come on guys. If we can talk Israel, we can talk about this.