At Least I Can See Their Faces
The headline is the one thought that I keep circling back to.
It's probably hollow symbolism in the long run, given what the Nazi-ish protesters in Charlottesville are doing right now. (Although I question the use of tiki torches; not exactly intimidating there, tough guys.)
The aim is to stoke fear and panic and get attention. Which they are getting a lot of attention, so I guess that is working at this point.
Individually, these guys are clowns. Individually, they are sad, pathetic, and pitiable.
En masse, though (even with tiki torches), they are a horrifying spectacle.
But to those questioning and wondering, "What has become of America?" I have some news for y'all:
This is what America has always been.
Sure, President Cipher has enabled the jackwagons and assholes that have taken over the college town in Southwestern Virginia. Sure, his White House, even with all the turmoil, is still chockfull of Steve Bannon and people of his ilk.
But the racial animus has been present in this country for centuries.
The Trail of Tears.
Slavery.
Jim Crow.
World War II Internment Camps.
Railroad Construction in the late 1800s.
Hatred of "the other" has been around long before we got the current administration of douchebags. I mean, hell, it's not like the Klan just came into existence on Tuesday.
Outright violence has ebbed and flowed, true; but the ideas of White Supremacy show up in other ways.
Gerrymandering.
Rolling back the Voter Rights Act.
White flight.
Bussing.
"Welfare Reform."
Let's not be Pollyanna and act like everything was hunky dory with regards to race relations except for the last few years. The ugliness has always been there.
It's just now, there is a more youthful face to it.
And at least I can see it.
It's probably hollow symbolism in the long run, given what the Nazi-ish protesters in Charlottesville are doing right now. (Although I question the use of tiki torches; not exactly intimidating there, tough guys.)
The aim is to stoke fear and panic and get attention. Which they are getting a lot of attention, so I guess that is working at this point.
Individually, these guys are clowns. Individually, they are sad, pathetic, and pitiable.
En masse, though (even with tiki torches), they are a horrifying spectacle.
But to those questioning and wondering, "What has become of America?" I have some news for y'all:
This is what America has always been.
Sure, President Cipher has enabled the jackwagons and assholes that have taken over the college town in Southwestern Virginia. Sure, his White House, even with all the turmoil, is still chockfull of Steve Bannon and people of his ilk.
But the racial animus has been present in this country for centuries.
The Trail of Tears.
Slavery.
Jim Crow.
World War II Internment Camps.
Railroad Construction in the late 1800s.
Hatred of "the other" has been around long before we got the current administration of douchebags. I mean, hell, it's not like the Klan just came into existence on Tuesday.
Outright violence has ebbed and flowed, true; but the ideas of White Supremacy show up in other ways.
Gerrymandering.
Rolling back the Voter Rights Act.
White flight.
Bussing.
"Welfare Reform."
Let's not be Pollyanna and act like everything was hunky dory with regards to race relations except for the last few years. The ugliness has always been there.
It's just now, there is a more youthful face to it.
And at least I can see it.
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