We have a reader! He’s an old white guy.

And we hear he’s angry because he thinks we called him an “angry white man”. Actually, what I said (also here, here, and here) was:

As an old white man, even I find it impressive how much this area is run by old white men.

Curious that someone would be angry about what we didn’t say. Maybe he just heard what somebody erroneously told him we said. That happens when somebody volunteers for public office. Which is why I applaud anyone who steps up to volunteer.

Besides, it’s not the appointees we’re criticising. It’s the Lowndes County Commission we’re criticising: all its appointments to the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission are old white men.

Now, I have nothing against old white men, being one myself. The person I like to quote the most, Ben Franklin, was an old white man when he said some of his most quotable stuff, like:

“Our critics are our friends, they show us our faults.”

Oops, that’s Bill Clinton’s version. He’s another old white man. Here’s Old Ben’s original version, written when he was already 50:

“Love your Enemies, for they tell you your Faults.”

And I can see by our critic’s law firm bio that he’s younger than me. Young enough to be my son, but at my age that still makes him an old white man. And by the longer resume he provided the Commission (that took an open records request to get that board packet so you can see it) he seems eminently qualified for the Planning Commission. As no doubt are all the other county appointees.

Which still leaves the main point: why can’t the county find anybody to appoint who is maybe a tad different? Other people who weren’t even considered may be just as qualified. Maybe the current appointees and elected officials just don’t know many likely appointees who aren’t old white men. Maybe if they actually advertised open positions in advance so people would know to apply to them, they might get more applications. They could even use that snazzy new website they’re already paying for for several months now but we haven’t seen yet to post board packets so people could see who was applying.

Meanwhile, I welcome any new reader to LAKE!

-jsq