So there's this uproar about Mitch McConnell. Senator Cory Booker has jumped in on it, saying something to the effect of 'that's horrible!' without any real details that I've found.
Apparently Senator McConnell, who is about as interesting as dry air, pointed out that it's a special form of blood guilt to suggest that white people today owe anything to do with slavery just because they are white. He even seems to suggest that paying ages old reparations based on sins long ago committed isn't right either.
He then went on to point out that both he and former president Barrack Obama are descended from slave owners. The last part being based on a report that found slave owners in the ancestry of then President Obama.
From there, all hell has broken loose, but I don't know why. It's just reports of outrage, but no clear details about why he is wrong. If the story about Obama's ancestors is false, then that needs pointed out. If he isn't descended from slave owners, then McConnell would need to retract his initial statement. But nobody is saying it is wrong.
They're just outraged. Why? Are they saying slavery is no big deal if you have certain skin colors? Are they saying only some skin colors are guilty for all sins by others of those skin colors, while others are not? Do they say Obama is guilty in the same way as whites, and nobody ever denied it, so McConnell is merely making a big issue out of nothing? What are they saying? Every story I've seen so far just says everyone is outraged, and quotes people who are upset. Absolutely nothing about why they are upset.
So if I could be educated about this, I would appreciate it.
I've tried to do that a bit too, ask people, "What's wrong with ___?" when they are upset about something. Imagine I'm an alien or a human from another culture - what's the issue? The answers can be... illuminating.
ReplyDeleteWhat no one will admit is the whole "minorities are sacred objects" point I've heard expressed. If you imagine Christians' reactions to say... if someone declared Jesus was a racist, or some other sin, it will start to look similar to these reactions that Obama could be in any way guilty of things he should be innocent of in the new religion.
Yep. A day later and I have yet to see anyone say *why* it is bothersome, wrong or offensive. The speed with which we've accepted the whole 'different standards for different skin colors' is almost mind numbing. And yet, even that doesn't explain why what he said is so offensive. It's as if people just yell "Offended!" and feel no need to explain why, as long as they know they're in the correct demographic group.
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