Maine isn’t exactly known as a bastion of diversity. It’s pretty darned homogenous to the extreme white of the melanin spectrum.

Perhaps that’s why governor Paul Lapage is getting some flack about some comments he made about drugs dealers coming to his state from New York and Connecticut and leaving white girls with illegitimate babies.

“These aren’t the people who take drugs,” LePage said, in comments first reported by the Portland Press Herald. “These are guys with the name D-Money, Smoothie, Shifty. These type of guys. They come from Connecticut and New York, they come up here, they sell their heroin, then they go back home. Incidentally, half the time they impregnate a young, white girl before they leave, which is a real sad thing because then we have another issue we’ve go to deal with down the road.”

People are crying racism, and that’s being intellectually lazy. The average middle class black family is not naming (or nick naming) their sons “D-Money.”

Here’s what I think Lapage is saying: “It’s not about your shitty race. It’s about the shitty culture you let represent your race.”

He specifically says, “THESE TYPE OF GUYS.” ——>Not race specific, but surely culture and class specific.

The lowest, bottom feeding groups of black culture seem to dominate the conversation, and with our own special “black guilt” we let them under the guise of “authenticity” or “keeping it real.” Every black family has a “cousin Pookey.” But Pookey needs to fall back.

It’s time black folks who know better stop allowing our lowest class represent us. Let’s address the problems with the CULTURE that’s keeping black people from reaching their potential. Let’s talk about how the CULTURE of illegitimacy is normalized in our community. Let’s talk about the CULTURE of rewarding and making excuses for men who make money by nefarious means.

Black isn’t inherently flawed. Black is amazing.

But let’s face it–too much of the negative aspects of our culture is celebrated, and white folks ain’t here for it.

And neither should we.

FILE – In this file photo made Sunday, May 6, 2012, Gov. Paul LePage speaks at the Maine GOP convention. In his effort to cut state spending, Gov. LePage proposed revamping the state’s Medicaid program. Supporters of the cuts say spending is unsustainable and that Maine provides Medicaid coverage to 35 percent more of the population that the national average. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)