Columns

Army Bob: Reverse racism comments get a free pass

by Robert M. Traxler

An article in the Washington Post quoted a speech by Dr. Aruna Khilanani lecturing at Yale, saying she had dreams about “unloading a revolver into the head of any white person that got in my way.”

“The Psychopathic Problem of the White Mind,” her lecture, not only included daydreams of gunning down white people, but also dismissed the possibility that any of her targets could empathize with people of color or understand racism. She said, “addressing racism assumes that White people can see and process what we are talking about.”

One more example of the loving, inclusive, caring socialist movement. A person should ask if her point was wrong, but we are not allowed to question “Woke” culture, lest the cancel culture descends upon us hammer and sickle.

Dr. Khilanani went on to say when white people complain about her fee, she tells them the white mind is so screwed up, it is the price you pay for being white.

OK, folks, you truly cannot make this stuff up. A test I like to use is to substitute one race, sex, religion, or national origin for the one being ridiculed. If you substitute black for white in her lecture, would it be acceptable? No, no it would not, and she would have been canceled.

A story I like to quote comes from a book about the Battle of Gettysburg. A Union regiment is marching north on July 1, 1863. It is extremely hot and humid; a halt is called, and foragers are sent out to find water for the troops clad in woolen dark blue uniforms.

Hiding in a stream bed is a “John Henry,” a runaway slave; John Henry is a character in Harriet Elisabeth Beecher Stowe’s world-wide bestselling book Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The man was starving and scared to death; he never thought he would find himself surrounded by an entire corps of soldiers, not knowing if friend or foe. The troops took him to the regimental commander, who directed the regimental physician to attend to him.

The men took up a collection and gave him clothes, money, and a map north. One of the senior NCOs, an Irish immigrant, in speaking of slavery told the colonel he damned any man who judges another by the group, citing his treatment at the hands of the English. The sergeant said that any man who judges another by the group is a peewit. A man should be judged as an individual and by his intellect, not his group.

I always felt this was the best definition of prejudice ever written.

So, returning from 1863 to Dr. Khilanani at Yale, it appears that the good doctor, a physicist, is not as intelligent as the literate Irish/American Civil War Sergeant. To fantasize about mass murder is strange enough, but to disparage all “white folks,” to judge us by the group, is just plain old-fashioned wrong.

Let’s for a second replace white in her statement with black, Asian, native American, South Sea Islander and more; acceptable? Not by a mile, say it and the hammer and sickle wielded by the cancel culture will crush you — a double standard anyone?

To judge all police officers by the actions of less than .05% is as wrong as judging African Americans by the actions of the small percent who commit crimes, but who cares? It is politically correct to lump all police officers with the very few bad ones.

It is good that the socialist movement always goes from the sublime to the ridiculous. Lacking a common-sense filter, they go into areas Americans do not and never will support: letting people who disagree with them die without medical treatment, or shooting folks they disagree with in the head, defunding/eliminating law enforcement and releasing convicted felons en masse, confiscating the property of the rich, and eliminating the Bill of Rights.

Thanks go out to the extremely radical 5% who have always and will always destroy the socialist movement, those who will not face the facts that socialism always fails over time, leaving death and destruction in its wake.

8 Comments

    • Mr. Jones,
      Sir,
      My family name is indeed German, I did one of the DNA tests and my heritage is 99% Swedish, Scottish, Irish, Welsh, and English. Most Americans are a blend of many nations, colors and creeds. The Nazis were Socialists, Nazi is an acronym for National Socialist German Workers Party. Fascists are Socialist, socialism was founded by a second generation Socialist leader in Italy. Those who call a Capitalist a Socialist only show a lack of understanding of history.
      Thanks for the comment.

  • John Jones, are you a working American or government supported? You appear in your responses to be a hater of anything requiring common sense. Evidently you are a Biden supporter since he supports Marxist and Communist causes and rejects hard working, taxpaying, Americans. You, sir, are what’s wrong with this country!

  • I’ve noticed that very week or so, our esteemed columnist references a news article, a current or past event, what someone said, what someone did, or some combination thereof, and then extrapolates that content as applicable to Liberals, Socialists, Communists, Conservatives, Marxists, Fascists, BLM, Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, demonstrators, journalists, politicians, public employees, racists, scientists, or whatever.
    And then, commenters weigh in to argue, trade insults and labels, and dispute the facts regarding who believes what, who did what, why they did it, what to call them, who’s to blame, who should get the credit, who lies or tells the truth, what it costs, what the Founders meant, what will happen next, who’s making the money, who’s pulling the strings behind the scenes, etc. etc.
    My weekly 5-10 minutes here usually either makes me smile, or shake my head. But as a kid, I also enjoyed watching Dick the Bruiser, Leaping Larry Chene, and their masked contemporaries “battling” in the ring on TV. So I’m easily entertained. But my caution to us all is that lately I’m seeing much more flapping than flying. Opinions are fine to share, but I’m concerned that collectively, we’re not really learning, growing, or coming any closer to finding solutions.
    I thank you, Mr. Traxler, for your past and continuing service, and I also thank my fellow commenters for staying tuned and keeping these conversations going. But I will also challenge us all, me included, that we might try a little harder in the future to seek a little more clarity and common ground regarding our problems, possible solutions, and on what steps we will each take in the days ahead to hopefully make things a little better for current and future generations.

    • Mr. Bergeron,

      I always value your opinions, read them and take them to heart because you seem like an educated, somewhat liberal, but with common sense person.

      With that said, I presume you voted for the Democrats at the top of the ticket. Both without any executive experience, and any opinion Joe had when Obama was in office was the opposite of the president (the raid on bin Laden’s compound being the most glaring). He has shown racist tendencies throughout his years in government, as Kamala said in the debates.

      In a little over four months we have witnessed another extension of unemployment benefits, radically growing inflation, high fuel prices, Keystone pipeline shut down, approving of Russian oil and gas sale to Germany, defunding of police without a whimper from the White House, and not a word about China unleashing a deadly virus on the world.
      I guess you and those voting as you did approve? Your silence will make it abundantly clear you do.

  • Hmmmmmm, it’s hard to argue what your asking for. One question, where were you four years ago when President Trump was getting roasted everyday on TB………..Now your asking for common ground?

    Kumbaya!

    Cheers!!

  • Mr. Wilkens and Mr. DTOM, thanks for your thoughts.
    In my experience, common ground is a starting point to help identify what isn’t working, to seek consensus on alternatives, and to motivate corrective actions. My own spare time and energy focuses in my little community and my county, where I’ve learned that an extra hand or two often makes a huge difference. State and federal issues matter to me as well, but I try not to waste much time or energy dwelling on our dear leaders in the federal Executive Branch, their respective political philosophies and caucus talking points, or the roastings they may feel from media spotlights.
    Instead, I’m cursed to believe that the challenges of our country, economy, and world transcend political philosophies and news cycles, and are far more complicated than any boasts, whims or promises from any person on the throne. However, I do communicate with state and federal policymakers regardless of their party affiliation, and with administrative agency staff, whenever I feel my perspectives might be helpful.
    Mr. DTOM, feel free to label my votes, philosophies and party allegiances however you wish. Regarding the things you’ve witnessed in the last four months, researching each one could reveal to you some very interesting and direct cause-and-effect connections to events, decisions and actions from prior years. Do I approve of what is happening? Sometimes yes, sometimes no.
    But instead of complaining and ruminating week after week about what others are saying or doing, arguing over labels and details, and trading insults, I’ll suggest that we each try looking in the mirror every day, and thinking about what actions we can take to help make things better. If future columns and associated comments all ended with a suggestion and pledge to actually do something positive, over time, lots of good things could happen. My opinion 😉

    • Mr. Bergeron,
      Sir,
      Thank you for the comment. We all have a political center and concepts that matter to us, our Constitution and its Bill of Rights for example. Capitalism vs Socialism appears to be the national debate again as it was in the 1960/70s and in 1904/20 when Mr. Eugene Debs was at his zenith. Our nation is unique as we have a Bill of Rights that limits Government control of our lives, many of us believe in it and wish to serve and protect the Constitution.
      Thanks again for the comment.

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