Time For Politics?

There are places where speaking politics is considered rude and inappropriate. One of those places is a funeral. In today's climate, unscrupulous individuals sling political mud regardless of location.

Last week, former President Jimmy Carter and Rev. Joseph Lowery chastised the POTUS at a funeral service in Atlanta for Coretta Scott King. Rev. Lowery said, "For war, billions more, but no more for the poor." Mr. Carter spoke about racial inequality, "We only have to recall the color of the faces of those in Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi." Specifically commenting on New Orleans (where most of the cameras were), almost 70% of their population is black; it stands to reason more black faces were on television. Apparently Mr. Carter missed the figures concerning Katrina's wrath; the storm was indiscriminate of race or wealth. Mr. Carter also mentioned wiretapping, a reference to the current 'Domestic Spying' dispute.

Rev. Lowery is a man of God and his passion for helping the poor is admirable, but his comment were malapropos. A funeral is hardly the time for political potshots. Insinuating Mr. Bush dismisses the suffering of poverty stricken citizens is fallacious; doing so in Rev. Lowery's manner is despicable. He contrasted sharply with the respectful (and proper) demeanor of the POTUS.

I'll close with the response from former POTUS Bush; "In terms of the political shots at the president who was sitting there with his wife, I didn't like it and I thought it was kind of ugly, frankly." He continued, "Anybody that shoots at the president of the United States at a funeral, I just didn't appreciate that."His public remarks are more benign than mine, but I'd bet his private reaction was fairly boisterous.