The civil rights movement and the space program always shared a strange juxtaposition of 19th century agrarianism and 20th century technological achievement. So maybe it should be no surprise that we’re currently confronting our civil rights demons in the parking lots of fried chicken joints while one of our spacecraft makes its final approach to Mars. But still … what the hell, America?

David Kurtz

David Kurtz is Managing Editor and Washington Bureau Chief of Talking Points Memo where he oversees the news operations of TPM and its sister sites.