Repeatedly.
We have lost our civility. What used to be a difference of opinion is now a reason to charge others with being a racist or just hateful in general.
I responded to a blog post from a… Well now-former FB friend. A writer I met here at our local writer’s group in Columbus. We both write Speculative Fiction also known as Science Fiction. I learned a lot about my craft in our discussions. He has since moved out west.
But it was politics that ended our FB friendship. I never thought him that shallow. But then I never thought he couldn’t read either.
Ooh, that was harsh. Most truths are.
His premise is founded on the idea that unless you acknowledge that all whites are racist, you too are a racist. And any response that is not exactly worded to the specific agenda he espouses just proves you are.
He questions another friends statement about not supporting Black Lives Matter and still be against racism is it “…possible to be both against racism and against the Black Lives Matter movement(?)”
His first response is “The statement made no sense to me,” Then he writes 3900 words why the un-named person is wrong and is a racist for making it.
That should have been my first clue to leave the ignorant along. My problem of course is I can’t ignore the evil behind it. “The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing. Yes, there is a time when good men and women must stand up for what’s right, even when it involves risk, but that moment comes only after evil has already been well established and is powerfully on the move.”
Edmund Berk’s quote is too true, too important not to take a stand.
Maybe the end of his quote is the problem. The evil he cloaks himself in is too established to be questioned.
My friend quoted Black Lives Matter and the Black Panthers, groups not known for peaceful change. He does point out their charter, which as written is great. But, as they say, actions speak louder than words, and their actions both directly, and indirectly are prone to violence.
Protester and Rioters are not interchangeable, despite the fact the media equates the words every day. The media is selling, and the plebes are buying the false premise the violence of rioting is the equivalent to peaceful protest, both morally and legally. Any attempt to point out the difference is met as proof of racism on the part of the speaker of this truth. A protester marches for change. He or she marches to say here I am, please hear me.
The rioter is there to enrich themselves and cause as much damage and violence as the people will allow. They are there to be evil. Nothing more, nothing less.
My problem was in pointing that out. He, like me, lives in a place that is not prone to such wanton violence in times like these. Maybe if he lived through a riot and feared for himself and family, he might see his “truth” is a mist of fog covering reality.
Or maybe he is one of those self-hating people looking to justify his self-hate, and no truth can be heard by him.
I say him in general, but what I mean is he and all those that think as he does.
Then I pointed out Dr. King’s I Have a Dream Speech. It is what is needed here, not hate, looting, arson, and murder. I was accused of claiming Dr. King was repugnant. Asking him to quote the post where he claims I said that were ignored. Not even an attempt to point out where he believed I hinted at such an evil thing. “All lies and jests, still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest,” came to mind. He needed to believe I said it and God Himself was not going to change his mind.
His response to my request was to unfriend me. He knew I didn’t say it. He knew I didn’t imply it. He knew I was praising Dr. King. But his hate wouldn’t let him acknowledge it.
I have attempted to elicit his opinion on BLM’s anti-Semitism roots in Louis Farrakhan, which as of today is spilling into hate of Christians and its icons, but alas, he won’t respond. When one’s hate rules, one must disregard honest probing questions.
There is danger in such an attitude. A grave one. It emboldens evil, it says you are guilty of racism because he wants you to be. The real problem is he is not alone in his hate of all that won’t admit to something they are not. They are legion and their hate is the most lethal virus ever known. Those fighting against racism and bigotry will go silent rather than suffer at the hands of the willfully hateful. Fewer and fewer will stand against those that need the issue to gain more power and those that revel in self-hate. As that happens hate grows.
Isaiah 5:20-21 20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. 21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight. here to edit.