At a [Congressional Black Caucus] Foundation reception on Wednesday night, [Rev. Jesse] Jackson denounced [Rep. Artur] Davis's vote, saying, "We even have blacks voting against the healthcare bill from Alabama. You can't vote against healthcare and call yourself a black man."Jackson is simply inserting identity politics and racial spin into a political power grab that will provide more "victims" for him to "represent." The statements that he made to the CBC were for his own personal gain, and they do nothing to actually advance or promote the well-being of those whom he claims to fight for.
Unfortunately for all of us as a nation, far too many people in America fall for the identity politics trap. Many in our country have become lazy, intellectually and otherwise, and find it much easier to accept being defined as victims by charlatans such as Jackson, rather than giving the time and effort necessary to advance themselves as far as their abilities and expended effort will take them. They will give up their liberties and freedoms to perpetuate that ruse of victimhood, and to promote the power of their figure-heads, all in the hope of being provided for as their so-called leaders blame others for their misfortune. Those forked-tongue social leaders and community activists will loudly demand a bounty from other groups who have allegedly oppressed the victim class, but that bounty will do little more than line the pockets and secure greater power for the leaders and activists.
If one tries to suggest that the victim classes are to blame (in part or in full) for their own misfortunes, or that the victim classes can turn their situations around by hard work and the application of God-given ability instead of by a forced hand-out from others, then one will be promptly and publicly demonized. Questioning the veracity of the victimhood claims of the victim classes is a mortal sin in today's America. One who would dare make such assertions is identified as a bigot, and will be accused of making such claims only out of one's own self interest in not being held accountable for one's role in the creation or exploitation of the victim class. If the assertion is made by one outside of the victim class in question, then that individual is told that he or she can't possibly understand due to not being a victim. If the assertion is made by one who would normally be identified as a member of the victim class in question, then that individual is labeled as a turncoat and a sell-out to victims as a whole.
Jackson's comments are a perfect example of the last item noted. Jackson, and apparently the CBC, believes that the creation of legislation that would establish government run or provided health care is a key issue for anyone with black skin, and Rep. Davis is being publicly called out as a turncoat because he had the audacity to vote against it. In effect, by stating that one can't vote against health care and call oneself a black man, Jackson is declaring that Rep. Davis can no longer be considered a part of the "black community," regardless of his skin color.
I'm glad, though, that Rep. Davis has been declared as ineligible to be identified as a black man. The truth is that I do not want to see any black representatives in Congress. In fact, I don't want to see homosexual representatives, female representatives, Hispanic representatives, Asian representatives, or white representatives in Congress, either. Instead, I would like to see American citizens who represent all of the people from their district in Congress.
We have been becoming a hyphenated people for far too long, and as Lincoln noted in 1858, "A house divided against itself cannot stand." If we do not start realizing that we are all Americans first, then this experiment that began a couple of centuries ago will most certainly fail. This does not mean that we cannot bring the positive aspects of our various heritages to the mix, but it does mean that we cannot put those heritages before our nation.
Our elected officials seem to have forgotten that. Much like the social and community activists that many of them have modeled themselves after, they pander to special interests, and advance victimhood and the redistribution of that which the productive and innovative have built. Instead of promoting the interests of the United States of America as prescribed by the Constitution, they promote in-fighting amongst groups of hyphenated-Americans in order to distract us from the power and money that they are grabbing for themselves.
I refuse to be a hyphenated-American, and I will never allow my heritage, skin color, or any other classification to grant me any special victim status. The lineage of my ancestors may trace back to Europe, but I am not German, Dutch, or any other of the various nationalities of my ancestors. My ancestors left their homelands in order to make a better life for my grandparents, my parents, and me. I am an American, and I thank my ancestors for having the courage to come to this nation, to work hard, and to build something better for those who would follow them.
In order to honor those who came before me, I shall continue to be an American who is true to the founding principles of this nation. I will work hard to improve my lot in life, and to pass that same opportunity on to those who will follow me. I will provide for my family, extend charity and assistance to those who truly need it, and pass those values on to my child and those in my charge. If I am ever offered help when I am in need, I will humbly accept only that which is freely offered, and I will not accept more than I actually need. I will do all of this because I am an American, and I will do so in the name of those who bestowed that birthright upon me.
So, what say you? Are you an American, or are you just another helpless victim?
USMC 9971 OUT
No comments:
Post a Comment