Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s holiday celebration has meant little to some Americans for quite some time — even many African Americans. It’s just that, these days, King’s detractors are emboldened to verbalize their distaste or disrespect in the most profane and vile ways.
Maine’s newly elected governor Paul LePage told the state’s NAACP to “kiss my butt” when they criticized him for missing the myriad King celebrations over the Jan. 14-17 weekend and holiday.
What happened is this: LePage declined the organization’s invitations to a dinner in Portland, Maine, on Sunday night and a breakfast in nearby Orono on Monday because of prior commitments. The NAACP’s state director is indignant that LePage would flagrantly neglect his responsibility the new governor, a tea party favorite who was just elected in November.
When asked by a reporter Friday to respond, LePage said: “Tell them to kiss my butt,” says the Portland Press Herald. “If they want to play the race card, come to dinner and my son will talk to them.”
LePage was referring to Devon Richard, a 25-year-old black Jamaican whom LePage took into his home at the age of 17.
That the governor has prior commitments, including a funeral on Monday, is one thing. But the fact LePage had the intestinal fortitude to publicly tell people to place their lips on his derriere in reference to King’s celebration is quite another, and rather dastardly, response.
But … when African Americans exhibit little respect for MLK’s legacy — which many don’t because they attend MLK programs but do little or no community activities — we shouldn’t get our feelings hurt when others exemplify a lack of respect for King as well. King is not really honored by pomp, programs and circumstances. Speeches and sermons did little to move King then, and they wouldn’t now if he were alive. King only used speeches to get people in motion toward a common goal. The rest of the time during the Civil Rights Movement, King was in perpetual motion. We’ve lost sight of that.
We’d be a powerful people if we did what we say King stood for. But, because we don’t, because we don’t honor the many who were slain so we could vote by staying away from the polls, someone like this ignoramus LePage can openly declare to a bunch of fishermen during his gubernatorial campaign, “you’re going to be seeing a lot of me on the front page, saying ‘Governor LePage tells Obama to go to hell.’ “
Don’t get mad, black people. Your silence, listlessness and inactivity invites such treatment. –terry shropshire
