The events over the weekend in Virginia have shocked and outraged so many and rightfully so. It was a despicable act of a depraved individual that turned a protest march into a bloodbath. However, we, as a nation, should not be shocked by the lengths that individuals will sink to in order to prove a point. That hatred that fueled the murders in a Charleston church is the same hatred that fueled the attack in Charlottesville. This hatred runs deep and wide across this country. It always has and it always will.
I've mentioned in a previous post that perhaps the election of Donald Trump would allow those on the left to take off their rose colored glasses and realize what country they are living in. Hopefully we are no longer living under the illusion that we have turned some corner or crested some hill on our way to racial and cultural harmony. We thought that the wounds of our past were beginning to finally heal and that we were ready to face a new reality.
The election of Barack Obama was seen as the beginning of a new age on enlightenment. We had finally put to rest our ugly history. We were in a post racial society were people were judged by the content of their character, not the color of their skin. The only problem was that none of that was true, but the belief in that new America allowed those on the left to become complacent. Their work was done. We had reached the mountaintop that Dr. King spoke of. We had seen the promised land and it was rose colored and beautiful. In their eyes America would never look back. The big picture was complete and the details would take care of themselves.
Those filled with the racial and cultural hatred, that is so deeply rooted in this country, did not see an age of enlightenment. They saw the election of an African-American to the highest office in the land as an affront to all they hold sacred. There was no complacency on the part of those who hated what they saw. Hatred doesn't take a day off. Hatred is never satisfied with the status quo. Hatred cannot be satiated. Hatred is a 24/7 job. In the age of Obama, those filled with hate may have been less vocal and less visible, but make no mistake, they were always there. That is what those on the left cannot forget.
I've said this before but it bears repeating, complacency is the enemy of victory. The fervor on the left is genuine at this point, but will that translate at the polls? That remains to be seen. We can quickly become comfortable with the status quo when our day to day lives seem to be sailing along peacefully. The hatred that people feel based on skin color, religion, nationality, sexual preference, etc. is very real and it's not going anywhere. I would ask those who are not a member of a discriminated class to remember how you felt when you heard about Charlottesville. I would ask those whose skin color does not immediately make them a target for racism, to think about how it feels to wake every day and know that you have a target on your back.
The hatred in this country isn't going away. It won't be beaten by slogans about love, or light or fairly tales. The battle will continue forever. It is just as easy to teach hate as it is to teach love. Remember that fact, the next time life feels a little too comfortable.
5 comments:
Hopefully we are no longer living under the illusion that we have turned some corner or crested some hill on our way to racial and cultural harmony.
For a short time before the 2008 election I bought into that idea. About a week before the election though I listened to a NPR interview where a group of random voters were asked their opinions of what would happen.
My illusions were shattered when an upper middle class white woman voiced her concern that African-Americans might use the election of Obama as a chance to get revenge on centuries of slavery and racism.
I knew then that we were all screwed and that any chance of the change President Obama talked about would be blunted by people like that ignorant woman. In fairness, I have to say after the 2008 election Democrats quickly went back to whining about how Obama didn't change the world overnight. Even worse, they totally went AWOL in the 2010 and 2014 midterms allowing reactionary republicans to make Obama's work even harder.
The worst part of it I guess is how little shock I feel Mycue23.
These racist, torch bearing assholes in Dockers are the least of this demographic: They are its best most normal-looking face and they look very familiar to anyone who has looked at photos of the Civil Rights era. All of these groups, whether it's the openly radicalized White Nationalists, or the clownish Neo-Nazis or their ideological cousins: -the various militia groups that insist on protesting with rifles and guns in hand or at the hip in front of our National Guard and police (I'd love to see by contrast, what would happen if a thousand women showed up at a demonstration anywhere in the country bearing weapons of any kind with the same obnoxious and dangerous attitude of entitlement the Tea Party has shown on many occasions.) need to be treated no differently than the terrorists of ISIS or Al Qada or another other group of homicidal maniacs, -or do we need another Tim McVeigh, another Unabomber, to show us just how little difference there is between a terrorist who is American born or not? The KKK, with its own long, long, long track record of torturing and killing an innumerable amount of Americans is allowed to exist by a bizarre loophole in American thinking that supposes that in order for freedom and liberty to exist with integrity, it must guarantee the existence and freedoms of ALL within the Republic. I would point out, at the risk of being called a hypocrite, intolerant, fascist, or worse by my Liberal and Progressive fellows that the freedom of speech, right to assembly, guarantee of safety of one ends where it encroaches on those same rights and freedoms of another. This loophole the KKK enjoys is of course further widened by the selectivity and racism of our government officials, and perhaps their own decades-long infiltration by closet sympathizers and active members of these groups on the local and federal level. The KKK and this new generation of White Nationalists enjoys a certain pass because they threaten and kill people, who at least half of our government officials don't care about or don't recognize as Americans who should be protected. The ACLU will continue to defend their speech, their right to exist; I will continue to point out that they have no more right to exist than the Confederate State insurgency that gave birth to them and their moronic worldview.
I'd love to tear down every Confederate statue, and leave a plaque in its place citing the number of American soldiers that particular traitor's actions were responsible for killing. I'd love to shred every Confederate flag, because flying a rebel flag is an act of treason that should at least generate as much rage and indignation as the burning of the stars and stripes - we should really ask people on the Right why it doesn't piss them off.
In truth I have been expecting so much worse for a very long time.
Many of these citizens/members or sympathizers of the above mentioned groups have been theatrically flipping out since the Civil War. The question remains, if they consider themselves to be a nation unto themselves, -a people entirely apart -with a different set of founders and different goals, different morality, and a complete defiance of our agreed upon laws, Constitution, and lack of recognition of our law enforcement authorities, why don't we treat them that way?
-SJ
I remember democrats deserting Obama in droves shortly after his election, calling him awful names simply because he didn't push universal health care. They hammered and hammered at him, much like they are doing now only targeting Trump instead of Obama. Democrats are their own worst enemy and unless they stop eating their young 2018 will be more of the same, with democrats left in the dust as republicans become stronger and stronger. We must unite, but I don't see that happening anytime soon. (Michael J. Scott)
@SJ, damn that's some awesome stuff. You really need to write something soon.
@Kentucky Rain - It's great to hear from you Mike. And you are right. The Democrats couldn't wait to pounce on Obama for not being a unicorn with rainbows flying out of his butt.
@Beach Bum - The left is it's own worst enemy at times. Whining about everything that isn't perfect. They continue to search for the progressive superman or superwoman who will make their lives a magical wonderland.
It's great seeing so many old friends. I have fond memories of my blogspot days, and invite everyone over to my place at madmikesamerica to comment or, if so inclined, to submit an article. If reluctant to leave an email in the comment field just make up something just make sure it ends in .com, preceded by @ after whatever name you choose. In the meantime I plan on renewing those friendships. Have a wonderful day.
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