One of the high ironies of the last several months was the brief news flash that the Rev. Al Sharpton is a distant cousin of the late and unlamented Senator Strom Thurmond, formerly of South Carolina. Even Al Sharpton seemed to be struck dumb by the news, at least for a long minute. It reminded everybody that Southern Blacks and Whites are often cousins. Well, Mr. Sharpton is back in the news, having chased Don Imus off the air, and making an obnoxious remark about Mormons like Mitt Romney. So --- close your eyes for half a minute, and imagine...