Wednesday 13 July 2022

Critical Race Theory. What's in a name?

One Clear Remnant of America's Racist Past: Lynching

To those of us who are not American, the effort by many of her politicians and citizens to hide their shameful racist past is in itself shameful. Along with its gun sickness, it is just another example that characterizes this country as a special needs country on the world scene. In modern schools there are special teachers for special needs children - not so on the international stage.

Other nations who have infamous and horrible racial pasts such as Germany and South Africa have long since acknowledged their sins. They have made a point of educating younger generations of same, in order to help prevent it from being repeated. They didn't do it with assault weapons or by trying to sweep it under the carpet. Great Britain has not gone quite as far but certainly teaches its past colonial policies to history students. 

The USA and Canada did horrible things to native people in their very distant pasts. That was an unfortunate element of all discoveries by explorers and conquerors when they settled new lands with abundant resources but were inhabited by other beings to whom those resources rightly belonged.

But there is a special place in hell for those who then travelled to foreign lands like Africa and southern islands to capture and force black people to be taken back to America (and Britain) and turned into personal property like common beasts of burden. 

It happened. Surely the way to redeem oneself is to own up to the deeds and make amends. America has indeed come a long way but at the heart of most of her problems today is the same old passion - racism. 

If you consider an alcoholic or other addict, many also fail to admit their problem and seek help. In many cases they don't think they have a problem. There is an urgent need for it to continue. They don't want it "fixed" especially if it means going public and admitting a weakness. It seems in America that racism is no different.

However there is at least one scar on America that will never go away whether they ban them all from the text books or not. That is lynching. I have just read that it took some 120 years to finally outlaw this practice, and then it is only a hate crime! Indeed!  How can anyone have hesitated for so long to make such an horrific practice illegal in every single state? Are there really people who plan to use it again? Were some of them the ones yelling "Hang Mike Pence" on January 6th, 2020? 

You can also charge a lynching perpetrator with murder but why was the practice itself not put on a parallel with murder deserving equal punishment? It is just a personal form of 1st degree murder driven by hatred. American law has always been based on the premise that no one person or group can be judge, jury, and executioner. Apparently lynching was an exception.

It seems like a "no brainer" to the world at large. Perhaps those two simple words provide the simple explanation for taking so long to do the right thing.

Trying to abolish critical race teachings is just Critical Race Tinkering. The cat is out of the bag. The world and history already know.

#thebrewsterblock




3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Very good perspective. Keep reminding those who refuse to accept the truth of their actions. Hopefully in time, civility and respect will be the norm.

Doug said...

Rep by pop - It's in 1st amendment aligned with need for census to make sure this was happening
Separation church/state - I believe also in 1st amendment
Publish tax returns - Isn't privacy protected by const'n?
Taxes - Top 10% of earners pay 71% of federal taxes. Is that not "taxes scaled to income level". And same deductions are available to all taxpayers.
Elect Supreme Court - Judges should be neutral arbiters, not elected to carry out a political agenda
Campaign financing - Pretty sure audits have to be done on PACs within specified time period. I recall in 1996, both Clinton and Dole campaigns were
punished for violations. Sure you could search and find plenty of other examples. Real all the time about prosecutions here in Canada for violations.
Misleading advertising - If you're referring to product advertising, I read all the time of companies being sued and losing.

The Brewster said...

Thanks for the catch up. Rep by pop. is a joke in both countries. Leaders don't want the popular vote to carry the day. They change ridings in their own favour all the time. I hope separation of church & state remains. There are some who want church and religious beliefs to rule. Presidents have traditionally revealed tax returns. Corporations have lots of tax deductions private citizens do not as costs of doing business. Judge appointments for life is the problem. Campaigns? How many lose their positions for violations that got them elected? I don't see many prosecutions for false advertising - only when real harm is done. Private citizens can't afford to take corporations to court. Some like CLR removing 20 year stains with one swipe should be pursued by a government department or ombudsman, not us. Appreciate the feedback.