Othering Your White Uncle Was Just the Beginning

 

I nominate Matthew Boose’s article, Apologize to Your ‘Racist Uncle,’ for Post of the Counter-Revolutionary Moment. Some hard and tragic truths are spoken here:

“But nobody defended him. After all, he didn’t go to college. He never worked at a think tank. He wasn’t an expert. He watched Bill O’Reilly. What did he know about politics? Political correctness, he failed to understand, was about decency, not control. “Reverse racism” was incoherent; you can’t discriminate against white people! Your uncle didn’t understand how racial hegemony works. He hadn’t read Angela Davis (or a facsimile of a facsimile of Angela Davis, anyway). He was just uninformed, or maybe he was just selfish. He was afraid of losing his advantages. He was irrationally afraid of Muslims and Hispanic immigrants. He bought a gun to compensate for his insecurities. He was the butt of every comedian’s joke, a stereotype of ignorance and hatred.

But there was something pitiful about him, too. True, he was at the top of a hierarchy, they said, but that was a fading reality. In truth, he was the one type of person left in our society it was still okay publicly to despise, and with relish. And it was precisely because of this that he felt deeply what many others only sensed but could not express given their fear of losing respectability.”

I see this othering of average whites in the unprotected class everywhere. My diocesan Catholic newspaper published a column by the local CEO of Catholic Charities (a white man) that sounds like a confession written by a Stockholm bank hostage.

“As brothers and sisters in Christ, we must address the ways in which we are complicit and seek reconciliation. We must confront intolerance and compel ourselves first, and then our neighbors to rectify it.” [emphasis mine]

Appalling. I literally groaned reading it.

Our very lefty (white) neighbors’ daughter put a Black Lives Matter sign up in her bedroom facing our house on the opposite side of the street. She’s 16 and has lived as our neighbor since she was two. Played with my daughters. Irrationally feared our friendly, but enthusiastic dogs. Helped decorate our home for Christmas when Little Miss Anthrope was in the hospital having brain surgery in December 2013.

BLM is an organization that hates us. Hates us for being white and “privileged” and an intact family and, mostly, for me being a practicing Catholic. I’ve considered putting a sign up in our window facing hers that says:

Bullies,
Leftists, and
Marxists

But, I’m too civilized and I have a strong desire for peace that, I’m increasingly convinced, the Left will never, ever give us.

How long, oh Lord?

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  1. Manny Coolidge
    Manny
    @Manny

    Western Chauvinist (View Comment):

    Manny (View Comment):

    TallCon (View Comment):

    Manny (View Comment):

    I’m sick of it all. This is not going to end. We need to resurrect the Tea Party as a counter to BLM and the likes. They are just taking advantage of our lack of organization.

    Those parchment worshipers? What did they ever do?

    Sorry, I’m slow. What’s a parchment worshiper?

    Constitution, I believe. Problem is, the Tea Party was only ever loosely organized and faced opposition within the Republican party establishment from the get-go. It was also willing to sacrifice conservative, founding principles to save Social Security (and other entitlements). It’s not enough to know what you’re against. You have to be able to articulate what you’re for — in the conservative case, a government that secures our (natural) rights, not our retirement.

    It wasn’t so loosely organized from what I remember. I remember a number of organized protests in several cities, which were quite remarkable. And it delivered the vote in the 2010 midterms. It scared Obama so much he had to use the IRS to undermine its leadership. 

    • #31
  2. TallCon Inactive
    TallCon
    @TallCon

    Manny (View Comment):

    TallCon (View Comment):

    Manny (View Comment):

    I’m sick of it all. This is not going to end. We need to resurrect the Tea Party as a counter to BLM and the likes. They are just taking advantage of our lack of organization.

    Those parchment worshipers? What did they ever do?

    Sorry, I’m slow. What’s a parchment worshiper?

    It was a pejorative term for the people who thought that the Constitution says something specific and were actually serious about that whole limited government thing, even when it didn’t apply to Barack Obama. 

    • #32
  3. philo Member
    philo
    @philo

    Manny (View Comment): It scared Obama so much he had to use the IRS to undermine its leadership

    A funny way to write “to silence its constitutional right to free political speech.” Just sayin’…

    • #33
  4. Judge Mental Member
    Judge Mental
    @JudgeMental

    It’s a stark contrast though, isn’t it?  Antifa burns down entire neighborhoods, while the Tea Party is stopped by lack of tax exempt status.

    • #34
  5. Annefy Member
    Annefy
    @Annefy

    Lois Lane (View Comment):

    Manny (View Comment):
    I’m sick of it all.

    Yes. I am, too. I just don’t see how to stop it. It’s certainly not with the 2020 election. If Joe Biden is elected, there’s an endorsement of this behavior, which is disgusting. If Donald Trump is re-elected, these forces will not quiet.

    I don’t know how it ends.

    This just dawned on me last night, and I’ve been in a minor state of panic ever since. There’s no way this has a happy ending. Or even an ending. 

    • #35
  6. Western Chauvinist Member
    Western Chauvinist
    @WesternChauvinist

    Annefy (View Comment):

    Lois Lane (View Comment):

    Manny (View Comment):
    I’m sick of it all.

    Yes. I am, too. I just don’t see how to stop it. It’s certainly not with the 2020 election. If Joe Biden is elected, there’s an endorsement of this behavior, which is disgusting. If Donald Trump is re-elected, these forces will not quiet.

    I don’t know how it ends.

    This just dawned on me last night, and I’ve been in a minor state of panic ever since. There’s no way this has a happy ending. Or even an ending.

    Mr. C had the same realization a couple days ago and woke up in a bad mood. And he’s never in a bad mood. 

    The Left has captured a major political party and it will never leave us alone now.

    • #36
  7. Basil Fawlty Member
    Basil Fawlty
    @BasilFawlty

    Western Chauvinist (View Comment):
    Mr. C had the same realization a couple days ago and woke up in a bad mood. And he’s never in a bad mood. 

    Well, hardly ever.

    • #37
  8. Western Chauvinist Member
    Western Chauvinist
    @WesternChauvinist

    Basil Fawlty (View Comment):

    Western Chauvinist (View Comment):
    Mr. C had the same realization a couple days ago and woke up in a bad mood. And he’s never in a bad mood.

    Well, hardly ever.

    I’ve been married to the man 36 years this year and I’ve never heard him express such negative sentiments before. He’s known by all as a sunny, optimistic guy, even in the hardest of times. So, “never” until a couple days ago. I’ll keep a count and let you know.

    • #38
  9. Clifford A. Brown Member
    Clifford A. Brown
    @CliffordBrown

    Barfly (View Comment):

    Western Chauvinist:

    Bullies,
    Leftists, and
    Marxists

    But, I’m too civilized and I have a strong desire for peace that, I’m increasingly convinced, the Left will never, ever give us.

    How long, oh Lord?

    Until we make it hurt, I’m afraid. It’s the nature of the Fall to devote increasing effort to denying reality until it breaks through.

    Exactly so.

    • #39
  10. Clifford A. Brown Member
    Clifford A. Brown
    @CliffordBrown

    Lois Lane (View Comment):

    I’ve never been frightened by it all before. Now I am frightened.

    That is a feature, not a bug, banking on you putting your head down and being politically inactive.

    • #40
  11. Clifford A. Brown Member
    Clifford A. Brown
    @CliffordBrown

    Manny (View Comment):

    Western Chauvinist (View Comment):

    Manny (View Comment):

    TallCon (View Comment):

    Manny (View Comment):

    I’m sick of it all. This is not going to end. We need to resurrect the Tea Party as a counter to BLM and the likes. They are just taking advantage of our lack of organization.

    Those parchment worshipers? What did they ever do?

    Sorry, I’m slow. What’s a parchment worshiper?

    Constitution, I believe. Problem is, the Tea Party was only ever loosely organized and faced opposition within the Republican party establishment from the get-go. It was also willing to sacrifice conservative, founding principles to save Social Security (and other entitlements). It’s not enough to know what you’re against. You have to be able to articulate what you’re for — in the conservative case, a government that secures our (natural) rights, not our retirement.

    It wasn’t so loosely organized from what I remember. I remember a number of organized protests in several cities, which were quite remarkable. And it delivered the vote in the 2010 midterms. It scared Obama so much he had to use the IRS to undermine its leadership.

    Exactly. And the House and Senate Republican’t leadership made sure the Tea Party stayed dead, holding hearings without consequences for the IRS.

    • #41
  12. Samuel Block Support
    Samuel Block
    @SamuelBlock

    Western Chauvinist (View Comment):

    https://www.crisismagazine.com/2020/cancel-culture-comes-for-the-catholic-church

     

    What do you suppose these morons think a man from Bethlehem would look like? Colin Kaepernick? Should we give Jesus an afro? Or how about corn rows? 

    • #42
  13. Samuel Block Support
    Samuel Block
    @SamuelBlock

    Western Chauvinist (View Comment):

    Jules PA (View Comment):

    Western Chauvinist:

    I’ve considered putting a sign up in our window facing hers that says:

    Bullies,
    Leftists, and
    Marxists

    Or go light hearted with words and pictures

    Blueberries

    Lemons

    Marshmallows

    That’s raaaaaacist.

    True. Food is becoming really problematic. 

    • #43
  14. Western Chauvinist Member
    Western Chauvinist
    @WesternChauvinist

    Samuel Block (View Comment):

    Western Chauvinist (View Comment):

    Jules PA (View Comment):

    Western Chauvinist:

    I’ve considered putting a sign up in our window facing hers that says:

    Bullies,
    Leftists, and
    Marxists

    Or go light hearted with words and pictures

    Blueberries

    Lemons

    Marshmallows

    That’s raaaaaacist.

    True. Food is becoming really problematic.

    Especially marshmallows. I mean, they’re white! They must be racist.

    • #44
  15. TallCon Inactive
    TallCon
    @TallCon

    Samuel Block (View Comment):

    Western Chauvinist (View Comment):

    https://www.crisismagazine.com/2020/cancel-culture-comes-for-the-catholic-church

    What do you suppose these morons think a man from Bethlehem would look like? Colin Kaepernick? Should we give Jesus an afro? Or how about corn rows?

    To be fair, how many classic depictions of Jesus look Jewish? It starts with a valid (and hardly new) criticism and goes off the rails that it is somehow white supremacy. (Is anything on the trails today?)

    Counterpoint, how much did Alexander Hamilton look like Lin Manuel Miranda?

    • #45
  16. Jules PA Inactive
    Jules PA
    @JulesPA

    Western Chauvinist (View Comment):

    Or go light hearted with words and pictures

    Blueberries

    Lemons

    Marshmallows

    That’s raaaaaacist.

    True. Food is becoming really problematic.

    Especially marshmallows. I mean, they’re white! They must be racist.

    You are right.

    Blueberries

    Lemons

    Mangoes

    All fruit. 😂

    • #46
  17. Samuel Block Support
    Samuel Block
    @SamuelBlock

    TallCon (View Comment):

    Samuel Block (View Comment):

    Western Chauvinist (View Comment):

    https://www.crisismagazine.com/2020/cancel-culture-comes-for-the-catholic-church

    What do you suppose these morons think a man from Bethlehem would look like? Colin Kaepernick? Should we give Jesus an afro? Or how about corn rows?

    To be fair, how many classic depictions of Jesus look Jewish? It starts with a valid (and hardly new) criticism and goes off the rails that it is somehow white supremacy. (Is anything on the trails today?)

    I could be wrong, but I believe the kinds of facial features that we would consider Jewish nowadays come from isolated populations that had relocated to Europe either during or after Roman occupation of Israel. Particularly in Eastern Europe, marriage between not-so-distant relatives was common for centuries in where Jews were constantly under threat of pogroms. 

    • #47
  18. TallCon Inactive
    TallCon
    @TallCon

    Samuel Block (View Comment):

    TallCon (View Comment):

    Samuel Block (View Comment):

    Western Chauvinist (View Comment):

    https://www.crisismagazine.com/2020/cancel-culture-comes-for-the-catholic-church

    What do you suppose these morons think a man from Bethlehem would look like? Colin Kaepernick? Should we give Jesus an afro? Or how about corn rows?

    To be fair, how many classic depictions of Jesus look Jewish? It starts with a valid (and hardly new) criticism and goes off the rails that it is somehow white supremacy. (Is anything on the trails today?)

    I could be wrong, but I believe the kinds of facial features that we would consider Jewish nowadays come from isolated populations that had relocated to Europe either during or after Roman occupation of Israel. Particularly in Eastern Europe, marriage between not-so-distant relatives was common for centuries in where Jews were constantly under threat of pogroms.

    See, this would be a fun thing to learn about in a culture that didn’t attach far more significance to it than is appropriate.

    But I’ll get both more general and specific. Nobody in DaVinci’s The Last Supper looks like they came from the middle east. (For example.) 

    (I apologize that my spelling is worse than usual today. I’m recovering from surgery.) 

    • #48
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