Police across America have decided enough is enough. They are tired of being held accountable for their actions are have decided the best way to clean up their image is to boycott pop singer Beyoncé. The Miami chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police said the reason for the boycott was because Beyoncé "used this year's Super Bowl to divide Americans by promoting the Black Panthers and her anti-police message".
How very mature of the police union to suggest that because Beyoncé, in their eyes, had used the Super Bowl to divide the country, they would in turn further divide the country by boycotting her performances. If we were having this discussion on an elementary school playground, such a childish response would be expected, but we are talking about the people who are tasked with public safety. This is a group that has taken an oath to protect and serve. If their goal was truly to unite the country, they would have come out with a statement that the police shootings referenced do not represent them or their members; and, while they disagree with this portrayal, they support Beyoncé’s first amendment right to free speech and would love to sit down with her to discuss her view on how police departments across the country could bring all Americans together.
After all, many people who are outraged by Beyoncé’s performance and video are the same people that have called on black leaders to fix black on black crime or for Islamic leaders to denounce Islamic terrorism. Why do they not hold police officers to the same standard? Data show that, despite comprising only 13 percent of the population, African Americans represent 32 percent of the people shot and killed by the police. Even if all of these events were completely justified, which seems unlikely given video footage, the optics are clearly troubling and should be addressed in a very public fashion.
Of course the bigger problem is the hypocrisy of those who are bashing Beyoncé. For example, the conservative media has complained for years about African Americans who turn every situation into a racial incident, yet these same people were falling all over themselves to claim that the 'X' formation made by Beyoncé’s backup dancers was a reference to Malcolm X. Maybe that was the case or maybe it wasn't, but for a group that wishes African Americans didn't see everything in terms of race, assuming a dance formation symbolized a departed black leader is an astounding double standard. It should also be noted that the very next formation was an arrow. Was this also an homage to another black activist, or is it possible that these white people are hypocritically seeing race where there is none?
Even if the entire performance was a reference to historic black leaders and groups, is there a problem with that? February is black history month, so paying tribute to those who fought against injustice and violence towards their community shouldn't be seen as an attack on whites as much as honoring past civil rights leaders. We as a country celebrate those who fought for this country and protected it from tyranny, yet we label those in the African American community who spoke out against undeniable oppression and occasionally turned to violence, as a means to protect themselves, as terrorist.
If the mere threat of violence is enough to condemn people, then we should be similarly outraged by the NRA who's member routinely suggest they will exercise their second amendment right against the authorities if they try and take their guns away. We should be outraged by the churches that advocate for the death of homosexuals because that's what the good book tells them they should do. We should be outraged by the spike in patriot hate groups that see the government as the enemy and have organized to kill police officers. We should be outraged at the free loaders who pointed guns at federal officers.
It may just be a coincidence that it is mainly white people who defend the threats of violence from white leaders and organizations yet denounce those same threats when it comes to black leaders and organizations, but the duplicity in reactions and the inequality it creates is part of the reason that many in the African American community continue to speak out.
There is perhaps no better example of this issue than the recent debate over the confederate flag. Despite the fact that the flag didn't fly over the South Carolina State House until the height of the civil rights movement, many white southerners feel this represents their heritage and are willing to ignore the vicious history it represents; yet when it comes to African Americans honoring their heritage and far less violent struggle, these same people are somehow offended.
The reality is that the U.S. has a long and shameful history of mistreating African Americans that data show continues today. Trivializing this fact while hypocritically feigning outrage at the slightest acknowledgement of the African American experience only serves to divide us further.
The problem here is not that Beyoncé chose to publicly celebrate her culture and comment on what challenges still remain, but that so many others refuse to accept any responsibility for their part in creating an environment where race is still an issue.
Thursday, February 25, 2016
Tuesday, February 16, 2016
Conservative fear mongering hurts Muslim assimilation
It is human nature to fear things we don't understand. Unfortunately, too often, rather than recognizing this issue and taking steps to become informed, many look for opportunities to justify their fear and the bigotry it creates. This mentality can be seen in the rhetoric around immigrants from Mexico, where the recent discussions have attempted to paint these people as criminals despite the data to the contrary. Uninformed fear over government regulations on guns has advocates hoarding firearms and rejecting even minor changes because they believe the government is coming to take their guns. But perhaps the greatest example of the fear mentality right now can be seen in the Islamophobia that has taken root in recent years.
Clearly if you are an American traveling through ISIS controlled territory there is reason to be concerned about terrorists, but here in the United States you are far more likely to accidentally kill yourself with your own gun or get shot by police than you are to die at the hands of an Islamic extremist.
In spite of this fact, there are far too many people who have never picked up a Qur'an who claim with absolute certainty that Islam runs counter to American principles and values. One recent example of this mentality is an article titled "The multiculturalism myth: World leaders ignore Islam's refusal to assimilate" by Fox News political contributor Cal Thomas.
To validate the odious ethnocentrism that follows it, Thomas opens his piece by suggesting the repugnant actions of some Muslim immigrants towards women in Europe will surely spill over to the United States unless something is done.
It's an outstanding fear-mongering tactic to use anecdotal evidence and paint an entire religion as aggressively misogynistic; but the reality is that women across Europe and the United States already face extraordinarily high rates of sexual abuse, especially when compared to Syrian women. Using rape as a tool to push a political agenda is embarrassingly irresponsible.
Of course Thomas isn't really that concerned about the threat Muslims represent to European women. The goal of his article is to scare Americans into making irrationally jingoistic decisions, because like a lot of old white conservatives, Thomas is afraid of change. So rather than discuss strategies for helping Muslims assimilate, Thomas makes a politically motivated attack on those who embrace diversity.
"What we are witnessing is the complete breakdown and failure of multiculturalism. Dictionary.com defines multiculturalism as "the preservation of different cultures or cultural identities within a unified society, as a state or nation."
That definition contains a glaring contradiction. A society cannot be unified if it preserves different cultures and cultural identities within itself."
"Our failure to inculcate American traditions, beliefs and history, even in the native born, not to mention immigrants, is rapidly destroying the country bequeathed to us by our forebears."
The problem with Thomas' beliefs here are many. First, expecting any group of people to arrive in a new country and adopt that country's history, beliefs and traditions while totally abandoning their own within a few years is silly. History shows that assimilation takes generations. Beyond that, being Syrian or Muslim is part of who these people are. Retaining aspects of the life they have lived up until war drove them away isn't an attack on American or European values.
If Thomas was suddenly forced to leave America and live in a Middle Eastern country would he be quick to learn the local language, embrace local traditions and forsake his own values like he expects these immigrants to do? Would he stop celebrating Christmas and Easter and instead embrace Muslim holidays? Would he allow his wife to leave the house without a hijab?
There is also the question of when did we reach the pinnacle of American traditions, beliefs and values that Thomas would like to freeze in time? Were we greatest when we thought owning people should be legal? Are the traditions of a 40 hour work week, minimum wage and weekends included in the parts of America we should inculcate? Is providing universal health care, free public education and a social security net important American values. Were we harmed by the introduction of music from other continents that lead to the songs we hear today? American traditions, beliefs and values have changed over time and will continue to do so. It's asinine to suggest further changes will destroy this country.
While Thomas' stance on American traditions is uninformed and self-centered, his statement that "A society cannot be unified if it preserves different cultures and cultural identities within itself." is very disturbing. The idea that, unless we are one homogeneous society we cannot be unified is outrageous. Many people who would probably agree with Thomas' assertion are the same people who are unabashedly patriotic and believe the U.S. is by far the best country in the world. If that is the case, it should be noted that there is probably no country in the world more diverse than the United States. If the U.S. is great it is great because of this diversity and the unity it has created, not in spite of it.
The reality is that what we should really be concerned about is how we as a country assimilate immigrants and their traditions, beliefs and values to make us a better, stronger more advanced country; because, based on how we have treated many of the immigrants in the past it seems that the people who really have the biggest problem adjusting are the natives who think America is perfect as it is and go out of their way to make immigrants feel unwelcome.
The solution is understanding muslims and getting them to understand us.
Clearly if you are an American traveling through ISIS controlled territory there is reason to be concerned about terrorists, but here in the United States you are far more likely to accidentally kill yourself with your own gun or get shot by police than you are to die at the hands of an Islamic extremist.
In spite of this fact, there are far too many people who have never picked up a Qur'an who claim with absolute certainty that Islam runs counter to American principles and values. One recent example of this mentality is an article titled "The multiculturalism myth: World leaders ignore Islam's refusal to assimilate" by Fox News political contributor Cal Thomas.
To validate the odious ethnocentrism that follows it, Thomas opens his piece by suggesting the repugnant actions of some Muslim immigrants towards women in Europe will surely spill over to the United States unless something is done.
It's an outstanding fear-mongering tactic to use anecdotal evidence and paint an entire religion as aggressively misogynistic; but the reality is that women across Europe and the United States already face extraordinarily high rates of sexual abuse, especially when compared to Syrian women. Using rape as a tool to push a political agenda is embarrassingly irresponsible.
Of course Thomas isn't really that concerned about the threat Muslims represent to European women. The goal of his article is to scare Americans into making irrationally jingoistic decisions, because like a lot of old white conservatives, Thomas is afraid of change. So rather than discuss strategies for helping Muslims assimilate, Thomas makes a politically motivated attack on those who embrace diversity.
"What we are witnessing is the complete breakdown and failure of multiculturalism. Dictionary.com defines multiculturalism as "the preservation of different cultures or cultural identities within a unified society, as a state or nation."
That definition contains a glaring contradiction. A society cannot be unified if it preserves different cultures and cultural identities within itself."
"Our failure to inculcate American traditions, beliefs and history, even in the native born, not to mention immigrants, is rapidly destroying the country bequeathed to us by our forebears."
The problem with Thomas' beliefs here are many. First, expecting any group of people to arrive in a new country and adopt that country's history, beliefs and traditions while totally abandoning their own within a few years is silly. History shows that assimilation takes generations. Beyond that, being Syrian or Muslim is part of who these people are. Retaining aspects of the life they have lived up until war drove them away isn't an attack on American or European values.
If Thomas was suddenly forced to leave America and live in a Middle Eastern country would he be quick to learn the local language, embrace local traditions and forsake his own values like he expects these immigrants to do? Would he stop celebrating Christmas and Easter and instead embrace Muslim holidays? Would he allow his wife to leave the house without a hijab?
There is also the question of when did we reach the pinnacle of American traditions, beliefs and values that Thomas would like to freeze in time? Were we greatest when we thought owning people should be legal? Are the traditions of a 40 hour work week, minimum wage and weekends included in the parts of America we should inculcate? Is providing universal health care, free public education and a social security net important American values. Were we harmed by the introduction of music from other continents that lead to the songs we hear today? American traditions, beliefs and values have changed over time and will continue to do so. It's asinine to suggest further changes will destroy this country.
While Thomas' stance on American traditions is uninformed and self-centered, his statement that "A society cannot be unified if it preserves different cultures and cultural identities within itself." is very disturbing. The idea that, unless we are one homogeneous society we cannot be unified is outrageous. Many people who would probably agree with Thomas' assertion are the same people who are unabashedly patriotic and believe the U.S. is by far the best country in the world. If that is the case, it should be noted that there is probably no country in the world more diverse than the United States. If the U.S. is great it is great because of this diversity and the unity it has created, not in spite of it.
The reality is that what we should really be concerned about is how we as a country assimilate immigrants and their traditions, beliefs and values to make us a better, stronger more advanced country; because, based on how we have treated many of the immigrants in the past it seems that the people who really have the biggest problem adjusting are the natives who think America is perfect as it is and go out of their way to make immigrants feel unwelcome.
The solution is understanding muslims and getting them to understand us.
Monday, February 1, 2016
Christian persecution is a self-inflicted fallacy
A growing number of Christians in America feel they are being persecuted. Some of the examples they give to prove Christianity is under attack include the war on Christmas where nativity scenes are shamefully made to exist in the same public space as other religious symbols while some companies refuse to greet every customer with Merry Christmas. Some view removing god from the pledge of allegiance and preventing educators from proselytizing at public schools as an affront to Christianity. Others believe that laws prohibiting Christians from using their faith as a reason to discriminate shows how godless liberals are ruining this great country.
While most Christians aren't this oblivious, the vocal minority that feel their religiosity should be on display at all times and in all places clearly can't put themselves in the shoes of those Christians and non-Christians who would rather not be inundated with Christian symbols and principles in public spaces. To many, this sort of overt display of one religion makes them feel like they are being forced to participate in something they don't believe in or would prefer to handle privately.
Fox News contributor and bestselling author Jason F. Wright recently penned an article discussing the fine line between forcing religion on others and practicing his faith. Wright was compelled to write this work after he received an email that suggested that by raising his kids in the Christian church he was forcing them to believe in God. The idea being that the kids should have free will to decide for themselves what they believe.
To counter this assertion, Wright states that "It’s up to us to send signals to our children about what’s important" and that as a parent he also teaches his kids not to touch a hot stove, to say "please" and "thank you", and to look both ways before crossing the street.
While this may seem like a good justification for his position, there is a subtle bigotry to his statement that rubs some people the wrong way. The idea here is that Wright's job as a parent is teaching his kids the difference between right and wrong. By including Christianity in this list, he implies that by not teaching your kids about God you are essentially sending them across the street of life without looking to see if there is traffic first.
This sort of arrogance and ignorance about others is why so many Christians are baffled when non-Christians reject their religious expression in public spaces. Claiming that banning prayer in school is leading to the demise of America is insulting to those who don't believe in God. Many of the people who support prayer as the answer for public schools were the same people that were outraged when the President addressed the countries children. Despite the fact that message was completely innocuous - stay in school and work hard - and that Republican Presidents before him had done the same thing, there was an outcry from the right that the President was trying to indoctrinate their kids. It is an odd double standard to be offended by the President’s appearance in a public school because of his liberal views but fight for the inclusion of religious symbols in these same schools that don't represent the entire student body.
Of course, even beyond Wright's implicit belief that raising his kids Christian is superior to bringing them up as non-Christians, there are many different interpretations of the Bible which make such blind faith troubling. In years past, Christians used the Bible to justify the killing and enslavement of non-Christians. More recently Christians have used their religious convictions to refuse marriage to interracial and same sex couples. Over time the view of what is considered good and moral changes, and Christians are not always at the forefront of these shifts.
Perhaps worse than Wright's soft bigotry toward non-Christians is his explanation for why his kids aren't being forced to believe in God. To Wright, forcing implies that the kids have no choice in the matter, so he prefers to see his guidance as "inviting" them to believe in God. One wonders how Wright has handled the situation where one of his kids refused their father’s invitation to Church. Did Wright willfully accept this rejection, or did he let his kids know that, while they lived under his roof they would be attending Church and honoring God? If the invitation doesn't include the option to say no then it becomes much less of an invitation and much more of a command.
Even in letting readers know that he would still love his children if they decide not to pursue the life of a devout Christian, Wright continues the unwittingly condescending tone when he says "as adults, they’ll find their own way, make mistakes" because in Wright's mind not choosing to have Jesus in your life is clearly a mistake.
Wright's essay offers the perfect example of why some people fight so ardently against religious proliferation in America. No one rejects Christian imagery in the public sphere because they want to end Christianity. They reject it because it represents an intolerance of non-Christians and an establishment of Christianity as the de facto state-sponsored religion.
Christians like Wright mean well; but if their intentions were truly just about being allowed to practice their religion as they see fit while "inviting" others to share in their faith, then they must quit pushing their symbols and principles on those who turn down this invitation and stop looking down their noses at everyone who chooses a different path. Because the so called persecution of Christians in the U.S. all but disappears if these peddlers would just take no for an answer.
While most Christians aren't this oblivious, the vocal minority that feel their religiosity should be on display at all times and in all places clearly can't put themselves in the shoes of those Christians and non-Christians who would rather not be inundated with Christian symbols and principles in public spaces. To many, this sort of overt display of one religion makes them feel like they are being forced to participate in something they don't believe in or would prefer to handle privately.
Fox News contributor and bestselling author Jason F. Wright recently penned an article discussing the fine line between forcing religion on others and practicing his faith. Wright was compelled to write this work after he received an email that suggested that by raising his kids in the Christian church he was forcing them to believe in God. The idea being that the kids should have free will to decide for themselves what they believe.
To counter this assertion, Wright states that "It’s up to us to send signals to our children about what’s important" and that as a parent he also teaches his kids not to touch a hot stove, to say "please" and "thank you", and to look both ways before crossing the street.
While this may seem like a good justification for his position, there is a subtle bigotry to his statement that rubs some people the wrong way. The idea here is that Wright's job as a parent is teaching his kids the difference between right and wrong. By including Christianity in this list, he implies that by not teaching your kids about God you are essentially sending them across the street of life without looking to see if there is traffic first.
This sort of arrogance and ignorance about others is why so many Christians are baffled when non-Christians reject their religious expression in public spaces. Claiming that banning prayer in school is leading to the demise of America is insulting to those who don't believe in God. Many of the people who support prayer as the answer for public schools were the same people that were outraged when the President addressed the countries children. Despite the fact that message was completely innocuous - stay in school and work hard - and that Republican Presidents before him had done the same thing, there was an outcry from the right that the President was trying to indoctrinate their kids. It is an odd double standard to be offended by the President’s appearance in a public school because of his liberal views but fight for the inclusion of religious symbols in these same schools that don't represent the entire student body.
Of course, even beyond Wright's implicit belief that raising his kids Christian is superior to bringing them up as non-Christians, there are many different interpretations of the Bible which make such blind faith troubling. In years past, Christians used the Bible to justify the killing and enslavement of non-Christians. More recently Christians have used their religious convictions to refuse marriage to interracial and same sex couples. Over time the view of what is considered good and moral changes, and Christians are not always at the forefront of these shifts.
Perhaps worse than Wright's soft bigotry toward non-Christians is his explanation for why his kids aren't being forced to believe in God. To Wright, forcing implies that the kids have no choice in the matter, so he prefers to see his guidance as "inviting" them to believe in God. One wonders how Wright has handled the situation where one of his kids refused their father’s invitation to Church. Did Wright willfully accept this rejection, or did he let his kids know that, while they lived under his roof they would be attending Church and honoring God? If the invitation doesn't include the option to say no then it becomes much less of an invitation and much more of a command.
Even in letting readers know that he would still love his children if they decide not to pursue the life of a devout Christian, Wright continues the unwittingly condescending tone when he says "as adults, they’ll find their own way, make mistakes" because in Wright's mind not choosing to have Jesus in your life is clearly a mistake.
Wright's essay offers the perfect example of why some people fight so ardently against religious proliferation in America. No one rejects Christian imagery in the public sphere because they want to end Christianity. They reject it because it represents an intolerance of non-Christians and an establishment of Christianity as the de facto state-sponsored religion.
Christians like Wright mean well; but if their intentions were truly just about being allowed to practice their religion as they see fit while "inviting" others to share in their faith, then they must quit pushing their symbols and principles on those who turn down this invitation and stop looking down their noses at everyone who chooses a different path. Because the so called persecution of Christians in the U.S. all but disappears if these peddlers would just take no for an answer.
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