The man read that a university professor of Muslim
faith spoke ill of a former First Lady following the
First Lady’s death, something about racism and a

war-mongering son. Well, the old adage about never
speaking ill of the dead, one hardly ever observed,
wasn’t observed and you could hear the gasp across

the land. The man flinched when reading it even as
he thought to himself, she’s probably right. Like
when the black preacher in Chicago shouted during

one of his fiery sermons regarding national hypocrisy
and racism, “God damn the United States of America.”
Another gasp across the bow and the man, a minister

in that preacher’s denomination, flinched when he
heard it as he thought to himself, he’s right. The
female, tenured, Muslim professor is on a leave

of absence from teaching and who ever hears from
that black preacher anymore? They crossed the
culturally polite line and got off pretty lightly

when they spoke truth to power. The man thought,
not too long ago, the culturally and politically
polite practice would have been lynching.