Sales men

Conventioneers

Some rock stars

With tambourines

Short skirts

And skinny legs

Selling blogwatch

And real estate…

Amptoons: Points out that MLK supported affirmative action. There’s a bit of back and forth between us in his comments box, but on the historical question he’s right. I think there are ways of understanding affirmative action that are consistent with King’s famous “content of our character” phrasing, as I said here, but there’s also an obvious (SEE BELOW…) reading in which affirmative action judges us on the content of our character eventually–but not now–and thus is inconsistent with King’s speech. So although it’s definitely super-lame to pretend that King didn’t hold the views he held, it’s also OK, in my view, to cite and praise his formulation of the colorblind ideal while thinking affirmative action is inconsistent with that formulation and that ideal. –Oh, and as I told Ampersand over email, I apologize for the somewhat curt/snappish tone in my comment at his site.

UPDATE: He’s responded, and points out that the King speech in question emphasizes that people will only be judged by the content of their character in the future, i.e. “eventually.” Since the speech is basically attacking the racism of King’s day, I’m not sure that that gets anyone anywhere–obviously King has to frame any description of the colorblind ideal in the future tense, since he’s expressing a hope for what hasn’t yet happened. However, Ampersand is right that his parsing of the speech as consistent with affirmative action works. (I think we’d have to take into account the context of the speech, the way it was likely received by listeners, and such stuff before we could necessarily say which interpretation, if either, is “obvious.”) Anyway, my more substantive, less MLK-interpretation-y post on affirmative action is here.

Catholic Light has been ordered to active duty January 10; prayers requested for his family. (Via Relapsed Catholic.)

Marriage Movement: Criticism of Bush’s economic proposals as they directly affect family structure and child care.

P.L.A.: Heroism. (Via Ted Barlow.)

William Gibson blogs. (Of course, if you care, you probably already know this.)

They call for Mr. Jones

They put him in charge

Mr. Jones will help us out

He’s a lucky guy…