Some European Americans openly admit to being white supremacists. Their awful remarks can be seen on neo-Nazi websites. A greater societal danger, however, emanates from far more numerous crypto-racists who hide their bigotry behind dog-whistle code words.
For instance, when Donald Trump or Ted Cruz supporters express disdain for “multiculturalism” or “political correctness” while contending that we live in a “post-racial era” in which “all lives matter,” poisonous prejudice bubbles behind their deceptive verbiage.
They’re actually saying that we must keep the USA white-dominant, reverse key gains won during the Civil Rights years, close our eyes to epidemic police excess that’s triggered the Black Lives Matter movement, and pretend that “opportunistic race hustlers” are fomenting inner-city unrest.
Forget the desperation that predictably arises from relentless ghetto poverty, caused by a systemic unwillingness to universalize equality and opportunity. Instead, simply stereotype all ghetto residents as “thugs” gratuitously engaged in street crime.
By so doing, they paper over their responsibility for extending intolerable injustice that they themselves would certainly be combating if this nation’s racial history had occurred in exact reverse. Their bigoted outlook also blithely absolves murderous police abuses.
Then, to ostensibly prove their purported lack of bias, they sit down with drinks and snacks on Sunday afternoons to cheer their favorite NFL teams, comprised of all those thrilling black players.
Aren’t “athlete” or “entertainer” the only societal roles they’re comfortable in having racial minorities assume?
How liberating it would be if they’d get their heads and hearts in the right place, and accept leadership by the most oppressed among us, allowing a march forward in unity toward necessary justice for all.
That includes low-income white workers, who are commonly duped to scuttle their own best interests by demagogues using divide and conquer tactics, allowing the transfer of dollars from Joe Sixpack’s slimming wallet into Charles and David Billionaire’s brimming coffers.
Although there are Caucasians who’ve developed admirably progressive views via the influence of labor unions and various leftist groups, it’s a tragic truth that the most reactionary conservative forces in politics—as clearly seen during this election cycle—gain impetus from their ability to recruit poor, white males who should know better but sadly don’t.
Nobody would dive headfirst from a high bridge into boulder-strewn, raging rapids far below on someone’s crazy claim that it would be good for their health. Not unless doing so involved incredible gullibility whipped into a blind frenzy during a Trump or Cruz rally.
It’s here that Bernie Sanders’ campaign plays a pivotal role. His emphasis on joint struggle by regular folks of all races, both male and female, gay or straight, provides hope for averting ultimate American fascism.
During Black History Month, we whites should take instruction and inspiration from our darker brothers and sisters, knowing that their prioritization of issues, at the cutting edge of change, gives everyone else who’s getting shafted by unfettered monopoly capitalism the mutual means and collective power to realize more rewarding, fairer tomorrows.
Dennis Rahkonen of Superior, Wisconsin, has been writing progressive commentary with a Heartland perspective for various outlets since the ’60s.
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How should White America relate to Black History Month?
Posted on February 12, 2016 by Dennis Rahkonen
Some European Americans openly admit to being white supremacists. Their awful remarks can be seen on neo-Nazi websites. A greater societal danger, however, emanates from far more numerous crypto-racists who hide their bigotry behind dog-whistle code words.
For instance, when Donald Trump or Ted Cruz supporters express disdain for “multiculturalism” or “political correctness” while contending that we live in a “post-racial era” in which “all lives matter,” poisonous prejudice bubbles behind their deceptive verbiage.
They’re actually saying that we must keep the USA white-dominant, reverse key gains won during the Civil Rights years, close our eyes to epidemic police excess that’s triggered the Black Lives Matter movement, and pretend that “opportunistic race hustlers” are fomenting inner-city unrest.
Forget the desperation that predictably arises from relentless ghetto poverty, caused by a systemic unwillingness to universalize equality and opportunity. Instead, simply stereotype all ghetto residents as “thugs” gratuitously engaged in street crime.
By so doing, they paper over their responsibility for extending intolerable injustice that they themselves would certainly be combating if this nation’s racial history had occurred in exact reverse. Their bigoted outlook also blithely absolves murderous police abuses.
Then, to ostensibly prove their purported lack of bias, they sit down with drinks and snacks on Sunday afternoons to cheer their favorite NFL teams, comprised of all those thrilling black players.
Aren’t “athlete” or “entertainer” the only societal roles they’re comfortable in having racial minorities assume?
How liberating it would be if they’d get their heads and hearts in the right place, and accept leadership by the most oppressed among us, allowing a march forward in unity toward necessary justice for all.
That includes low-income white workers, who are commonly duped to scuttle their own best interests by demagogues using divide and conquer tactics, allowing the transfer of dollars from Joe Sixpack’s slimming wallet into Charles and David Billionaire’s brimming coffers.
Although there are Caucasians who’ve developed admirably progressive views via the influence of labor unions and various leftist groups, it’s a tragic truth that the most reactionary conservative forces in politics—as clearly seen during this election cycle—gain impetus from their ability to recruit poor, white males who should know better but sadly don’t.
Nobody would dive headfirst from a high bridge into boulder-strewn, raging rapids far below on someone’s crazy claim that it would be good for their health. Not unless doing so involved incredible gullibility whipped into a blind frenzy during a Trump or Cruz rally.
It’s here that Bernie Sanders’ campaign plays a pivotal role. His emphasis on joint struggle by regular folks of all races, both male and female, gay or straight, provides hope for averting ultimate American fascism.
During Black History Month, we whites should take instruction and inspiration from our darker brothers and sisters, knowing that their prioritization of issues, at the cutting edge of change, gives everyone else who’s getting shafted by unfettered monopoly capitalism the mutual means and collective power to realize more rewarding, fairer tomorrows.
Dennis Rahkonen of Superior, Wisconsin, has been writing progressive commentary with a Heartland perspective for various outlets since the ’60s.