Despite the existence of much sound and fury, evinced by the persistence of the Nation’s problematic, race relations, it is our view, that an attempt at the examination of said singular and divisive, issue in a dispassionate and analytical context may tend to be of pragmatic use in its amelioration.
Initially, we cannot resist the impulse to observe, that the metaphysical, dynamics of American race prejudice, grave and complex as it, inarguably, is, has its own bizarre, empirical dynamic. Unlike the antipathy for example, of the Armenians against the Turks, for their cruel historical mistreatment, or the Chinese against Japan, for the “Rape of Nanking,” the extant racial hatred and bias in America, is bizarrely, evinced by the descendants of the White Christian slave owners, (i.e. the “wrongdoers”) against the modern descendants of the victims, (the “wronged”) of black enslavement. The prejudice, albeit, historical and profound, is thus, not retribution, but is empirically, skewed and conversely, irrational; yet is profound and dynamically, reflexive, i.e., requiring, merely, the mere, visual ascertainment of non-white, skin color.
A second, preliminary observation, is that the MAGA constituents have, profitably, added another tactical misnomer to their arsenal of ignorant epithets, viz., “woke.” The previously, misused word, “socialism,” has been generously employed by Trump sycophants, for any and all government programs of citizen benefits, (inclusive of their own beneficial receipt of the same). It appears to be an entirely, futile exercise to, eternally, remind the sage, MAGA conspiracy mongers, that “Socialism,” inapplicably, is a belief in the complete ownership and control of industry and business by government desired by, absolutely, no one. Their chosen epithet du jour is “woke,” which, in reality, simply means, presently aware (viz., of the fundamentals of the race issue).
“Woke,” in essence, simply, stated, is a descriptive adjective signifying that the attributed individual has a mature and objective understanding of the extant, unconscionable and eternal persistence of the institutionally, demeaned, status, which, had, historically, been assigned to the enslaved, black, individual. There seems to exist many American citizens, who, albeit, sincere and ardent opponents, of slavery, and racial discrimination in general, but, nevertheless, are not sufficiently, cognizant of the atavistic, societal, persistence, of such institutional perception. At sometimes it is subtle, at other times, it is more easily discernable; the exemption from such impediments, termed, “white privilege,” may well, circumstantially, go unnoticed, by its beneficiary. The informed, awareness of the contemporary, persistence of the subject phenomenon (the persistence of the institutionalized, differentiated racial status) is our understanding of the meaning and social context of the term, “woke.”
Some illustrative, examples of such atavistic, institutionalized, perceptions and consequent, differentiated, treatment may, at various times, be observed in the context of real estate and apartment rentals, admission to institutions of higher education and golf and country clubs, loans and mortgage finance, employment, the criminal justice system, and automobile drivers’ interactions with municipal police, and sadly, in personal relationships.
Enlightenment, more to the point, the maturation of Man’s perception, is a vitally, important ingredient in the foundational keystone, of personal development and, as well, of desirable, National cohesion.
-p.
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