Both the Civil Rights Movement and the Civil War were battles over the status of black people, and by default all people of color. And even with a black president, and other ethnic minorities running major companies and running for the highest political office, this battle is far from over.
But it is clear from recent political events that there are many forces in this country who are not happy with the new paradigm shift. There are many people, some openly, some covertly, who long for a time, when white men ran everything, and everyone else knew their place.
This is what Tea Party members mean when they say "they want their country back." And this is what people like Pat Buchanan mean when they lament about the decline of America and pine for the 1950s.
However it's more than just believing that white men should control the reigns of the government and commerce, it's also a belief in the inferiority of black and brown people. During Obama's election campaign, we often heard comments from white voters (mainly in the South) saying they "didn't think a black person should be in that position."
It's hard not believe that there are forces who want to reinforce and reestablish white supremacy. Consider these recent events:
- Arizona's new immigration law gives police the power to stop and question people who they deem to be "illegal." And by illegal we are not talking about Asians or Caucasians, this is directed at people who look like illegal Latino immigrants. Not satisfied with that, Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, on orders from God, passed another law that banned ethnic studies classes and teachers with heavy accents. .
- Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell signed legislation declaring April Confederate History month. The state's recognition of the Confederacy made no mention of slavery. According to historian William J. Cooper Jr., "From at least the time of the American Revolution white southerners defined their liberty, in part, as the right to own slaves and to decide the fate of the institution without any outside interference."
- According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, the Southern Legal Resource Center has requested for a "Confederate Southern American" box on the census.
- And most recently Rand Paul, won the Republican primary for the Kentucky senatorial seat. In an interview, Rand Paul said he takes issue with the Civil Rights Act, because it allows the government to dictate to business owners who they can let in their establishments. Effectively Rand Paul is arguing that private business owners should have the right to bar black people from their establishments. This is all the more disturbing considering Rand's father, Rep. Ron Paul, has been pictured arm-in-arm with leading white supremacists. Rand Paul had to fire his media director when it was discovered that he had posted racist messages on his MySpace page.
It's hard to believe that in the second decade of the 21st century we are still having these arguments. Many editorial writers suggest that this resurgence of racial animosity is the last gasp of the dying beast. The days of white male supremacy are over. American society has gone through huge changes which cannot be repealed.
Women now have financial and sexual independence to the point that many of them are choosing not to get married or have children. Black people have penetrated every level of American society, and those numbers are going up. Black culture has morphed into pop culture and almost every kid under the age of 20 has Lil Wayne on their iPod.
And for the all the madness coming out of Arizona, America needs Latinos bodies. White America is simply not producing enough children to pay into the Social Security system, and more and more brothers don't want to fight the American empire's wars.
So let's end this nonsense once and for all. America is not going back to a white male-dominated society and the sooner certain segments of this society understand it, the easier it will be for all us.
I been saying this for years, 'cept i never had any citations or facts to back it up. Just based it on the actions of white america, as a New Jersian Living in the deep south.
ReplyDeleteYou are wrong from the first sentence, of the first bullet point.
ReplyDeleteYou, like Holder,Kagan, Obama and many of the others, need to
read the bill. Either you are misinformed, or you're lying, both
are exceptable.
Todd - you are either lying, or you are lying, both are acceptable .
ReplyDeleteRead the bill. Since its now considered illegal by the state to be an illegal immigrant, that is sufficient reason to stop people due to accent / skin color, as has already been going on by ICE.
My friend, do not allow the Black Civil Rights movement to be hijacked by anyone. The problem with your logic is blacks were U.S. Citizens fighting for our Constitutional rights as U.S. Citizens. I'm sorry, but I do not view illegal Aliens in the same manner in the U.S. They need to start their own Civil rights movement in the streets of Mexico, mainly, and other parts of South America.
ReplyDelete