The American religion of Antiracism

Spot on.  My boys and I talked about this very thing some weeks ago, as we noted the growing number of people, books, movies, songs and just about everything else that is being heaped on the pyre of our self-righteous hatred of racism.

It's passed something, though we couldn't put our finger on it.  Clearly, what we are seeing today, just like the laughably absurd Oscar Scandal of 2016, is well beyond any sensical or even moral assessment of racism past or present.

Obviously part of the problem is those who shamefully and wickedly exploit and even promote racial tensions and ideas in the hope of personal gain, or advancing an agenda.  We've seen that in spades ever since Obama's election threatened the narrative of 'Racist America that only the Liberal gospel can redeem.'

But it's more than that.  I heard some time ago that there is some award in the name of H.P. Lovecraft that has been eliminated on the grounds he was a racist.  That's what spurred the discussion with my boys.  The point is, we were sure those who presented the award were aware of his racism if he was, indeed, a racist.  And he probably was.  Based on our definitions today, you'd be hard pressed to have lived before 1965 and not be racist. 

But there was something else.  A beyond 'holier than thou' attitude behind it all.  It wasn't just 'Look at me!  See how awesome I am because here are all those evil racists and their racist ways I hate!'  No.  It went beyond that.  Clearly the ones who protested the Lovecraft award had to know that the ones giving the award were aware of Lovecraft's racism.  People as into awards like that would have to know.  And from what I've read, most who opposed ending the award were quite aware of his racist ways.  They simply didn't believe it mattered.

And therein was the issue.  You see, the antiracism of today has become something of a religion.  Or at least a cult.  And a major tenet of this new cult isn't just to demonstrate my moral superiority of all those loser racists of yore by reducing them to their racism and condemning them outright.  It's also to show my infinite superiority to everyone else in the world today:  'You see?  You're just not as antiracist as I am.  There you were, with your racist Lovecraft award, excusing his racism.  Perhaps even snickering behind the scenes because in reality, you're not as antiracist as me.  Who knows?  Maybe it's because you're really, deep, deep down, a racist just like him.  I'll show you how antiracist I really am!'

And that looks a lot like what we are seeing, especially among whites who strut like peacocks under the banner of 'uber-antiracist warrior.'  Sure, some of it is just keeping the flames alive, or using it to keep a job undeserved or get an award unearned.  And of course there will be times it is a legitimate complaint. 

But the almost fanatical zeal with which it seems folks are running up and down the aisles, tearing anything off of shelves, destroying art and movies, tossing down anyone and everyone past or present because of the charge of racist, seems more than a condemnation of racism.  Increasing it looks like a condemnation of everyone else around us for not being antiracist enough.