Normally, I try to steer away from people making political statements. It is everyone’s right to state their opinions, even if I don’t agree with them. But when you call for a boycott of my home state and, in the process, paint the entire state as racist when your home area has had a poor record on race, I’m going to say something about it.
In case you missed it (and given the lack of attention about it, a lot of people probably missed the story), filmmaker Michael Moore called for “all Americans with a conscience to shun anything and everything to do with the murderous state of Georgia”—a response to the execution of Troy Davis. He has even gone so far as to demand his publisher pull his book, “Here Comes Trouble”, from every bookstore in the state. If not, then he will “donate every dime of every royalty my book makes in Georgia to help defeat the racists and killers who run that state.” Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal’s office has responded with the following statement: “We think it is cute he thinks anyone in Georgia would buy his book, but if any Georgian does, I'm happy to double the royalties and buy a pack of gum for a charity of Michael Moore's choice.” Ouch!
First of all, Mr. Moore might be confused about whether he is talking about Georgia or his hometown of Flint, MI. Yes, Georgia has a bad history of racism, but Flint, in case you didn’t know, also has a long history of racism in it as well—like many areas north of the Mason-Dixon line which you never hear about (and anyone who challenges my assumption about that, maybe they should recall Indiana’s history with the Klan or that Boston, MA is still today considered a largely segregated city). And Flint’s crime rate makes Detroit look like paradise. Sounds like the pot calling the kettle…never mind. But painting the entire state of Georgia as racist… do you have any clue, Mr. Moore? How many of my friends who herald from the Peach State are progressive in their views? This state brought the nation Jimmy Carter, Ted Turner, and John Lewis—none of them I would consider conservatives. It also was the adult home of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.—the man most responsible for leading the Civil Rights movement. What has Flint produced to help the cause of civil rights?
Oh, and I would suggest to keep an eye out on Mr. Moore. If he donates any money to the Carter Center or King Memorial, he’s a hypocrite. Also, if you see him drinking a Coke product, eating at Chick-Fil-A, flying Delta, or shopping at Home Depot, that’s showing he doesn’t practice what he preaches. It’s easy to call for a boycott on South Carolina, which happened many years ago. But Georgia? Shows me Mr. Moore wasn’t thinking at all when he opened his mouth to stereotype an entire state while ignoring his problems at home.
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