well, my only point was that while I didn't mind Landry's (was that his name?) comments - that I personally found them mild and good-natured, but I could easily see how some people might be bothered by them - neither did I find Warren to be out of line. Warren seemed...mild and good-natured, I suppose.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that it felt like one standard was applied to Warren but not to the other guy.

For reference, the stuff about being black, yellow, red, etc. was a 60s/70s counter to a phrase in a Zora Neale Hurston story, "Story in Harlem Slang,"

where two male hustlers are in a mock argument on a Harlem street corner. Broke and hungry, the blowhard dandies put on a show for each other, howling in the wind about how they've each just landed rich, beautiful women. Hurston catches not only the colorful bravado of the language, but every burlesqued pose and gesture.

"Who? Me? Long as you been knowing me, Sweet Back, you ain't never seen me with nothing but pe-olas. I can get any frail eel I want to. How come I'm up here in New York? You don't know, do you? Since youse dumb to the fact, I reckon I'll have to make you hep. I had to leave from down south'cause Miss Anne used to worry me so bad to go with me. Who, me? Man, I don't deal in no coal. Know what I tell 'em? If they's white, they's right! If they's yellow, they's mellow! If they's brown, they can stick around. But if they come black, they better git way back! Tell 'em bout me!"

Mr. Jane opened the bar at 10 this morning so we could all come in and celebrate.

We did shots after the swearing in. Cried during the speech (I think being acknowledged as an active citizen despite my non-belief made me burst into tears).

I really liked the benediction. I didn't have a problem with the ending at all. Everyone here laughed and cheered.

The other guy is Lowery.

I found Warren to be a poor speaker. I (as an atheist) wasn't offended by his invocation of Jesus or use of the Lord's Prayer; I'm pretty accustomed to the Christian-centricism of American public events. He just lacked gravitas.

Lowery had the gravitas. And I thought that the rhyming race thing at the end was an actual quotation of some 1960s thing, as so much of his speech was, but I could be wrong. ETA: And Sail's quote suggests I was right!

For reference, the stuff about being black, yellow, red, etc. was a 60s/70s counter to a phrase in a Zora Neale Hurston story, "Story in Harlem Slang,"

And Hurston didn't make up the little ditty, I'm sure.

Thanks Sail. Another example of the Buffista brains.

I was wondering if there was a reference I was missing, thanks Sail.

I thought Warren was boring . As a non-believer I wasn'tt offended by him - in this context. I think he did his job. Lowery was more interesting -- and there was something for a no-believer to listen to . But, like a lot of others, I feel uncomfortable with religion mixed with state functions.

Just because we all have our cranky buttons: The Other Guy, not just some guy, founded the SCLC with Dr. King, led the Selma march, etc etc etc many decades of etc.

I was surprised Warren wasn't simply a better *speaker*--as such a popular pastor, I thought he'd have a better demeanor. He was looking DOWN most of the time! I thought he'd be a smooth, rhythmic, kinda guy, you know? But instead he barely looked up. That really surprised me.

The "brown, stick around" etc stuff was also in a song: [link]