Memphis Mayor Pro Tem Myron Lowery caught attention from the national media this week when he fist-bumped the Dalai Lama.
A video clip of Lowery greeting the spiritual leader has aired on The Today Show, CNN, FOX News and the Conan O'Brien Show.
Now Lowery has taken to CNN.com to defend the greeting "heard round the world."
"Hello Dalai, Well, hello...Dalai!" Lowery begins in his column, which you can read by clicking here.
"It seemed like a good idea at the time. And with hindsight being 20/20; it still does.
How often do you get to meet an international figure as captivating as the Dalai Lama? I wanted to make an impression, and break the ice, in my Southern hospitality sort of way."
Lowery writes that barely an hour had passed before reporters started calling his now infamous fist bump "disrespectful" and "inappropriate."
"It's unfortunate that not everyone could allow themselves to enjoy the moment, as we did," Lowery writes.
Lowery explains that he started fist-bumping around Memphis amid growing concerns of catching the H1N1 flu.
But that's not why he ultimately decided to fist bump with the Tibetan government's leader-in-exile.
"I greeted him this way because I'm a down to earth guy, who was raised by a single mother with four sons in public housing," Lowery writes. "I still tell everyone to call me Myron. I am now living a dream as the mayor of Memphis."
Lowery said in a statement released today that he's "thrilled that this warm, genuine moment between myself and the Dalai Lama has generated nothing but positive, worldwide attention for the City of Memphis from so many major news and entertainment programs."
I watched the fist-bump on nightly news, and I've read Mayor Lowery's excellent comments on CNN's website. I was not distressed in the least by this interchange, and in fact I continue to be impressed by Mayor Lowery's down-to-earth behavior in what is surely a turbulent atmosphere! Congratulations to both Mayor Lowery and Mayor Wharton for having the opportunity to spend time with such an international man of peace... isn't that where our attentions should lie?
Mayor Lowery excuses his "down-to-earth" behavior as "Southern Hospitality". But Southern Hospitality is all about ettiquette, manners, respect for the other. The fist-bump, on the other hand, comes from the streets.
He also blames it on his single mother, who had to raise four boys alone. I was raised by a widowed mother, also one of four children, but my mother taught me to respect my elders and my superiors. It pains me to see how people so disrespect our President and other leaders, and now our Mayor wants to denigrate the office and just be "down-to-earth". I am sorry, sir, but I can not and will not call you "Myron". You are "Mr. Mayor" or "Mayor Lowery" for as long as you hold that office, interim though it is. You are our Mayor and you deserve nothing less.
And His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, was a visiting dignitary, and he deserved more.
He is an idiot. this is the highest, utmost leader of the Buddhist religion. He should have looked up how to properly greet a man of such stature!! He doesn't know what that fist bump could mean in another countries and religions. What an idiot!
Go read the comments on the CNN web site. Mr. Lowery has received tremendous support from all over the country. It's the people of Memphis who have been the harshest critics.
Mr. Lowery DID investigate the right way to address the Dalai Lama and was assured that his gesture would be received positively. And it was.
The Dalai Lama was very clear when he spoke yesterday that he sees himself as no different than the 6 billion other humans on this planet. He is all about love, compassion, and acceptance. The backlash and hatred swirling around what is actually a very minor issue is exactly the sort of sentiment that His Holiness has worked tirelessly to work against.
Lighten up, Memphis. Myron, cheers to being yourself!
adope - He did get it approved before hand. Click on the link.