Let me begin with a reference to a short-lived psychology discipline known as Phrenology. In the mid-1800s, phrenology hypothesized that a person's mental attributes and behaviors could be predicted by the size, shape, and irregularities of their skull. Phrenology was fashionable in Victorian England's secular environment; elites wanted a non-religious explanation of behavior. Reminiscent of those 19th Century phrenologists, are today's social justice activists who maintain that white skin indicates that a person is racist. This “white skin indicates racism” concept results from decades of media-created forms of white racism, each a little more extreme and a little more inclusive. Media has woven the various forms of white racism it has created into “systemic racism.” They want us to believe that all whites are racists and white racism has mushroomed into a culture-wide phenomenon. “Woke.” is the term for those who unconditionally accept the concept of “systemic racism.” These woke types also maintain that systemic racism is much more than a malady diagnosed by social scientists. They claim it is as well-grounded as a phenomenon of nature such as gravity and tides. And, as it is caused by white folks, it can only be eliminated by eliminating Whiteness. That is the goal of Wokeness. The Woke movement has had some success in demeaning Whiteness. Consider the online racial discrimination training seminar formerly used by the Coca-Cola company. The theme of the seminar was “Try To Be Less White.” In order “to be less white” employees would have to compromise their principles and accept the establishment's white racism accusations at face value. After the lengthy civil rights movement and the myriad of racial legislation it produced, it was claimed that America was a post-racial society. Such a claim was inimical to the race-obsessed establishment who responded with the ”Critical Race Theory. ” This theory posits that races don't actually exist but are merely social constructs. Consequently equality would be easily attained were it not being blocked by a white supremacist societal structure designed to hold back minorities. A successful aspect of the crusade to eliminate whiteness is the demolishing and renaming of monuments and other tributes to famous white heroes and leaders. As there was little resistance to the destruction of Confederate memorabilia, tributes to other famous whites were soon targeted. Founding fathers, presidents, and other notable figures were discredited because of even a meager involvement, direct or indirect, with slavery or racism. Roughly 200 memorials to notable white figures have been eradicated or altered in recent years and the process continues. Will the momentum of ongoing monument eradications ultimately decimate Mount Rushmore, America's symbolic shrine ? Many, including South Dakota's governor Kristi Noem , adamantly claim that Mount Rushmore will not be harmed. But other statues of the presidents depicted on Mount Rushmore have been demolished or vandalized. And a planned Mount Rushmore 2020 Fourth of July celebration was characterized as “a rally glorifying white supremacy.” A precursor to the fate of Mount Rushmore is Georgia's Stone Mountain. This carving, actually larger that Mount Rushmore, depicts Confederate leaders: Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, and Jefferson Davis. This carving has long been verbally attacked and targeted for removal. Stacey Abrams, a Georgia Democratic political organizer and darling of the Left, made this condemnation of Stone Mountain: “We must never celebrate those who defended slavery and tried to destroy the Union… the visible image of Stone Mountain’s edifice remains a blight on our state and should be removed,” I maintain that if Stone Mountain goes Mount Rushmore won't be far behind.
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AuthorGail Jarvis is a Georgia-based free-lance writer. He attended the University of Alabama and has a degree from Birmingham Southern College. His writing is influenced by years of witnessing how versions of news and history were distorted for political reasons. Mr. Jarvis is a member of the Society of Independent Southern Historians and his articles have appeared on various websites, magazines, and publications for several organizations. He lives in Coastal Georgia. Archives
June 2023
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