Attention:  Jim “Pappy” Moore

June 19, 2026

Gilmer Mirror News

Attention:  Jim “Pappy” Moore

 

I am writing in response to your inaccurate and defamatory characterization of “Blacks in America” in the opinion editorial, “Only Black People Can Save Black People.” Your research, stated references, and conclusions are deeply flawed. Understanding a Chris Rock comedy routine does not provide the knowledge, context, or wisdom needed to judge an entire ethnicity. If your reasoning were applied consistently, it could be used to condemn every ethnic group, which is unreasonable and harmful. The Gilmer Mirror’s decision to publish these views was irresponsible and narrow-minded. You used a comedic performance as the basis for telling an entire people how to survive, succeed, or become “good Black folks.” That does not make sense. Being a good or bad person has never been, and will never be, determined by ethnicity. I also must address your misleading use of the word “culture.” Culture is learned behavior shaped by families, communities, and societies. In that sense, Gilmer itself may reflect a culture as much as any group you criticize.

 

When you make unsupported claims such as, “Black people kill more Black people in America than all others kill Black people, and it’s not a close call,” without citing a source, it suggests that your goal is not to inform or encourage honest discussion. Instead, it appears intended to inflame readers and validate the views of those who already agree with you. That, too, is culture.

 

Finally, I must address the blame running throughout your editorial. You place responsibility on an entire ethnicity for crime, poverty, isolation, family values, morality, and even a criminal trial, all based on a narrow opinion and a comedian’s routine.

 

You are blaming an entire ethnicity because you are angry, and that anger is evident.

 

Carolyn Altemus

Gilmer, Texas