Whenever the Rev. Al Sharpton is attacked—particularly by those he deems misinformed, misguided and otherwise clueless—his first impulse is not to dignify the allegations, to let his detractors be hoisted on their own petard or, in contemporary terms, let the crap fly back in their faces.
That was his first reaction when he was assailed by four local ministers, who charge that while Sharpton “is jet-setting around the country, people are going to our churches saying they don’t have money to eat,” said the Rev. Dr. Johnnie Green, senior pastor of Mount Neboh Baptist Church in Harlem. Sharpton “is out of touch” and too busy with his television show and promoting his new book, they say.
But on second thought, during a phone interview on Wednesday morning, Sharpton felt compelled to register at least a few words of repudiation to the pastors.
Later reports from the Daily News and the ministers indicate attempts to tamp down the tempest, with the ministers claiming their comments were misrepresented.
Attempts to reach the ministers at press time were unsuccessful.