Why
is The Washington Post’s resident Don Quixote tilting at the
windmills of history in Obama’s post-racial America? While
the adage that “those that don’t know history are bound to repeat
it,” the opposite extreme is Courtland Milloy whose myopic focus on
Civil War struggles—fortunately and mercifully exactly 150 years
now long over—ignore the passage of time and the clear evolution of
America into a more accepting society. Indeed, what
greater proof of this new reality (inconceivable to people in
Lincoln’s time) could there be: a black man is currently cooling
his heels in the White House for a second term. Mr.
Milloy’s two beefs are a waste of valuable newspaper column space:
he laments the supposed ignorance of the millennial generation
claiming they don’t even realize that the Civil War was fought over
the forced enslavement of black people; and he sees subtle racism in
the fact that the general public sees more value in monuments
depicting “battles and generals” rather than “freedom and
slavery” at a military park in Fredericksburg, VA. Undoubtedly,
for many, slavery was a bummer pre-1865 and it sure is an irrelevant
downer to Jane Q. Public and her brood now.
Further,
does the insipidly scribbling columnist Milloy really subscribe to
the idea that the millennial generation—hooked into technological
everything—does not know, for example, of the Oscar winning Steven
Spielberg film “Lincoln” (2012)? The truth is the
racist culture embodied by the Old South is literally “Gone with
the Wind” in America of 2015. The “point” Mr. Milloy
wishes to peddle in his ‘slavery’ column is White Guilt for
things that happened to people no longer alive by people no longer
living: six generations ago.
Somehow
this august generation should feel guilty for not erecting enough
monuments to the vaguely eluded to “contributions of slaves”
although Mr. Milloy—in his righteous fervor—never bothers to
specifically articulate what those contributions were. That
is likely because he does not know—because the rest of the world
has already moved on from this unfortunate chapter of American
history—a point he clearly “misses” as he berates his
readership for missing “his point.”
The
greater “point” that Mr. Milloy doesn’t deal with in his column
are the massive present-day problems that affect the black community
happening in this time: 50 percent of Afro-American children aborted
in the womb; out-of-wedlock births for blacks are over 72
percent; 90 percent of blacks in America are killed by members
of their own race per 2012 crime statistics—to name just a few. No
doubt there is still work to be done. However, the present
is called the “present” for good reason: the “now” is the
only place constructive societal change can be undertaken.
However,
today is not as bleak as Mr. Milloy’s ‘slavery’ column would
have the uninformed reader incorrectly infer about America of
2015. To a great extent, we are actually living in a
post-racial and inclusive society. There are Afro-Americans at every
level of government, the private sector, the arts and sports.
Interracial marriages are commonplace and their children are vibrant,
fully embraced members of our society. Moreover, Eminem
notwithstanding, rap music—a principally black form of artistic
expression—is mainstream American music. Likewise, black
athletes and entertainers (recent Oscar winners include: Denzel
Washington, Halle Barry, Morgan Freeman, Whoopie Goldberg and
Jennifer Hudson) are lionized with an almost God-like status
universally by white and black young people. Indeed, blacks
have taken over popular culture: movies "Be like Mike"
(2002) and its sequel "Be Like Mike 2" (2006) are
flattering references to NBA superstar Michael Jordan (whose $200.00
Air Jordan sneakers are highly sought after). In this same
vein, the white youth of today have eagerly integrated the rather
questionable language and fashion sense of their black idols from Mr.
T-style necklaces and jewelry to baggy jeans that hang down exposing
the backside of the wearer.
In
every way possible, the dominant white culture has repeatedly
extended the hand of friendship (through equal employment statutes,
civil rights and social welfare programs) to our black American
brothers. It is their persistent resistance to accept our
integrative overtures due to 150 year old historical
grievances—never-ending and reiterated by Mr. Obama last week and
echoed in Mr. Milloy’s July 1st salt-in-the-wound
“historical” column—that have nothing whatsoever to do with the
current generation that populates America.
To
demonstrate how far we have come, there used to be a "one-drop
rule" for a person of mixed race to determine that individual's
non-white identity. Being white, as close to white as
possible—or even better "passing for white"—was a
necessary mechanism of economic survival when racism ran rampant in
America of the past. Today, we have Rachel Dolezal, disgraced
former president of the NAACP chapter in Spokane, Washington: a white
woman who lied about her racial identity and passed herself off as
black (a position that definitely would have landed her in the mad
house in Lincoln’s time).
Since
Mr. Milloy likes to wade in the annals of history he should follow
the sage advice of the Ancient Greeks who said: “Only speak well of
the dead” (related to both sides of the Civil War). I
would therefore encourage Mr. Milloy (and Mr. Obama) to join the rest
of us in the 21st century. Their enslaved
ancestors, if they had any, would have found the waters better than
fine—a comparable paradise of tolerance—more than worthy of
commemoration at that military park in Fredericksburg, VA that the
public of today would flock to, with pride.
http://www.americanthinker.com/author/david_l_hunter/
re. Courtland Milloy's 'Is America ready to deal with slavery, or just continue to miss the point?' (Washington Post, June 30, 2015)
