We’re at the point now where if you’re a white person who doesn’t spend every waking moment agonizing over the memory of slavery, you’re part of the problem.
Oh, and God have mercy if you utter a single word about being proud of the United States, a country to be remembered for only one thing: slavery.
In a pair of speeches over the weekend, President Trump accurately characterized the “angry mob” that for the past two months has been tearing through the country, demanding that we rearrange life to accommodate its sick, race-based ideology.
“Angry mobs are trying to tear down statues of our founders, deface our most sacred memorials, and unleash a wave of violent crime in our cities,” he said Friday. “They think the American people are weak and soft and submissive. But no, the American people are strong and proud, and they will not allow our country, and all of its values, history, and culture, to be taken from them.”
In similar remarks the next day, he said, “We will never allow an angry mob to tear down our statues, erase our history, indoctrinate our children, or trample on our freedoms. We will safeguard our values, traditions, customs, and beliefs.”
That, the Washington Post said, was part of “Trump’s push to amplify racism.” Moreover, Trump’s “push to preserve Confederate symbols and the legacy of white domination.”
Appreciating American history? That’s racism. Placing cultural value on historical monuments? That’s white supremacy.
That Washington Post article, by the way, was in the news section and co-bylined by Robert Costa — who was once a conservative reporter!
That kind of language used to be found almost exclusively on college campuses. Now it’s standard in the media.
The New York Times said Trump’s speeches “signaled even more clearly that he would exploit race … in an effort to win re-election.”
It apparently needs to be stated upfront that vandalizing property, government property included, is a crime punishable by law. That remains true even if a lot of people think the property is offensive.
Defacing and destroying monuments and statues is not a moral right. And yet the media describe criticism of the repulsive, illegal conduct as though it’s an exaltation of white power.
The killing of George Floyd apparently settled all debate: Whites should be ashamed of themselves and prove that they are. Anything else is an overt display of racism.
White guilt is no longer an option. It’s now the expectation.
