CONSTITUTIONAL CONVERSATIONS
Oprah and White Privilege
by
M. E. Boyd, Esq., “Miss Constitution”
Last week Miss Constitution distinguished the sincere efforts in the 1960’s for equal protection of the law for black Americans from the attacks on our culture and economic system that seem to be woven together in one tapestry. It is this one tapestry concept that is causing chaos, injury, and injustice to many American citizens. Sometimes when one begins a knitting or weaving project it becomes clear that the whole thing has to be taken apart and re-started. Our nation needs to do this now regarding issues of racial justice, white supremacy, white privilege, systemic racism, implicit racism, social justice, speech protected from government interference, peaceful versus unlawful assembly, the Rule of Law, and the necessity for gratitude in each of us for the many blessings of this life. My goodness how did all these disparate threads get woven together? What is the purpose of language intended to make everyone crazy, unsure, insecure, and depressed? Miss Constitution tries to stay away from motive but one of the effects of this schizophrenic stage we are experiencing in our country may be that our external and determined enemies are using this time to take clear-eyed actions intended to ultimately bring down the United States of America and its allies. The world is watching the “conversation” going on in our country and some think we are weakening ourselves to such an extent that partnering with us may be re-considered. Every person of every nation takes pride in what is unique about themselves and how they live. Americans are evidencing a self-loathing that is shocking, totally unhealthy, and quite undeserved.
Let us tear this fabric apart thread by thread.
- On the threads of racial justice, white supremacy, white privilege, systemic racism, implicit racism, and social justice – these are what Miss Constitution calls “clouds” – they seem real and billowing and something one could touch but they are not real, they are air, there is nothing to them. One of the wonderful things that came out of the 1960’s was the purging of any laws that distinguish status, except in the rare instance where status might be a legitimate qualifier. By status we mean the immutable – race, gender, ethnicity. The vast majority of Americans are people of goodwill around these issues and support our country having made the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution concrete and palpable rather than illusory. Bottom line: most Americans are not racist, implicitly, or otherwise. Most Americans want to go on living their individual lives and appreciate good and honest people of any status. Most Americans also reject the wicked and the sociopathic and the rude and obnoxious of any status. There will never be 100% of the population thinking a certain way. “The vast majority” is as good as it is ever going to get.
- On the threads of speech protected from government interference, peaceful versus unlawful assembly, and the Rule of Law – the first two are clearly spelled out in the United States Constitution in the 1st Amendment. No government entity, state or federal (that means Universities and public schools) can prohibit speech that is about public policy, in the right form and not obscene. This means no government can say what “hate speech” is or is not. “Hate speech” is fully protected from interference from government authorities and this is supported by Supreme Court rulings. The Founders created this marvelous marketplace of ideas so that arguments back and forth can be made, and each person can form his or her own opinion. Private companies like Twitter are not government entities and can censure speech but should not. Employees of Twitter or Facebook are not arbiters of truth – individual Americans are arbiters of truth. Let people have their say; that is the basis of our marvelous system. Any criminal activity involved with a protest ends its Constitutional protection. There is no such thing as a peaceful protest with a little bit of criminal activity. The Rule of Law includes right behavior from wrong behavior, and it includes courtesy and kindness. There is no such thing as justified burning and looting, coldcocking a ninety-two year old woman, throwing paint in the face of an elderly person trying to protect property, beating and officer with a metal pipe; blinding officers with tasers, running over people with automobiles, throwing pieces of concrete into the heads and faces of the police, assaulting persons in their own homes, shooting to kill, shooting to maim, cursing to injure, raping to overpower, and murdering innocent men, women, and children to raise awareness of an abstract concept Miss Constitution calls a “cloud.”
- On the thread of gratitude for the blessings of this life – no one personifies those blessings more than Oprah Winfrey. Her success is because of who she is as a person and not because of her status as black. Suburban women liked her, all people like her, and those who heard her thought she liked them and was sympathetic to their issues. To announce now that no matter how sincerely white persons responded to her and helped secure her fortune for her that they are “white privileged” is to reject the gratefulness and the humility that gratefulness inspires. These are qualities each person in our society has a duty to develop so that the blessings continue and are multiplied. Miss Constitution is sure she will re-think this statement as she is a hero to so many.
Miss Constitution is also saying that to destroy the great to get to the perfect is damaging rather than commendable. Weaving the fabric of our society with threads of optimism, honor, integrity, morality, intelligence, knowledge, energy, and goodwill to all will take us where we want to go in the right way and secure needed world alliances for the betterment of humankind.
Copyright© M.E. Boyd, Esq., “Miss Constitution
APPLES OF GOLD – Voices from the Past that Speak to us Now is available at
www.amazon.com
