The Terror That Lives With Us
The United States has always needed a bad guy. There has always a need for a frightening boogie man that can be used to rationalize and justify any and all acts. We are more than a decade into the age of Anti Islam. From 9/11 forward, the warning signs portrayed by media to society is that of the fearing the middle eastern man. From the slim percentage of individuals an entire demographic has been painted the proverbial scarlet letter. In the meantime on the home front of United States, in big cities and rural communities, the greatest danger is allowed to exist, organize and arm themselves.
Currently we exist with this over hyped sensationalist fear of an entire religion. The nation has been under attack for years from both rouge and organized killers who are followers of White Supremacist ideologies. Many people hear this and don’t fully understand it. It isn’t simply not liking people of other races and ethnic backgrounds, but it is a deep down belief that that the white race is superior to all and that the idea of all races living on an equal level field is somehow an affront to white existence. This extreme mind set has been a scourge to the well-being of American citizens longer than anything ISIS or Al Qaeda has presented. White Supremacy is what this nation was built on as already inhabited lands were soaked with native blood and then worked by African slaves at the final destinations of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. It is what allowed national law to list Black people as 3/5 of a person following the civil war. A war that the north was losing until freed slaves joined the Union. It’s what then gave birth to the KKK an organization that march proudly through the nation’s capital with high standing membership within state and federal government.
Today, we’ve had much progress in the way society operates. Strides have been made to allow the average citizen a fair shake at the “American Dream” but then you encounter the equally destructive little brother of White Supremacy, the low key White Privilege. This is less a personal belief then it is a subconscious mind set where you view the entire world through a white prism. It tells you that white/European standards of life are the universal mark that all people should live by. It’s what makes American history in all its distorted glory a requirement in schools while African American studies or other global focuses additional electives. It’s what tells us the slim size 0 egg shell colored model with long blonde hair in France is the height of beauty and grace. Meanwhile a youth Latina entering the workplace is told her natural hair isn’t professional
These ideals of entitlement and privilege warp and fuel the twisted minds of the savages that will go down as some of the most horrific events in modern history. Young white men with this imaginary war going on in their minds lash out at innocents from malls to schools to churches targeting those that don’t see that world as they do. Many get the tissue paper soft excuse of being mentally ill. That is until the research is done and we learnt that no this isn’t illness it is calculated, well thought out hate supported by notes, plans and online communities of like mind hate mongers.
The very things this nation claims to stand for are being shown to be pure hypocrisy on a daily basis. Today groups like the Justice League and Black Lives Matter scream out in peaceful nonviolent protest for the bare minimum of equality and safety to live life without the specter of death from overzealous law enforcement. On college campuses students of all races rally for an end to racist acts towards students. What are these 2nd amendment exercising people granted with when they speak out loudly? Tear gas, riot squads, slanted media coverage and as of last night death lethal force. 5 people were shot last night by White Supremacist in Minneapolis during a Black Lives Matter protest. Thankful the victims did not sustain life threatening injuries but clearly the stakes have been raised. Numerous studies strictly from a statistical standpoint list homegrown white supremacy groups as the biggest terrorist threat to daily American life, but the powers that be refuse to acknowledge and more importantly, treat this threat is the force that it applies to supposed Muslim threats or the threats from urban youth within the inner cities.
You see to admit this fact in all its ugly truth would force the Unites States of America to do something it continuously refuses to do and that look in the mirror and admit that it was always been the greatest threat to peace and equality. The constant changing of bad guy narratives has been an centuries old ploy to avoid responsibility for an oceans worth of bloodshed.
Last week Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings responded to the statements of fellow southern republicans lashing out at the Syrian refuges, the newest villains of the moment.
“I am more fearful of large gatherings of white men that come into schools, theaters and shoot people up, but we don’t isolate young white men on this issue,” Rawlings said.
We need more of this honesty and actions to go along with it.
It’s always someone else. Native Americans were uncivilized, Africans Americans were inferior, Asian were communist spies, Latinos were thieves……it’s always the other people at fault. Meanwhile barely of age Johnny and Timmy buy guns at local trade shows without background checks and later murder their classmates.
No act of violence should be excused. Laws are made to be followed but the question that people like me want to know is why are unarmed black kids seem as threats to life by trained, armed police officers but white supremacists with clearly violent doctrine operate without obstruction? We’re approaching a dangerous tipping point. The nation needs to act before the people take matters into their own hands.
