Oregon Legislators of Color Speak Out Against Racist Violence: A Reply

Here is the original article I am responding to: http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2017/08/oregon_legislators_of_color_sp.html

The violence that took place in Charlottesville earlier this month marks yet another heartbreaking and tragic chapter in America's history of bigotry and bloodshed.

Wow, I sure am glad you are one of my state elected officials with a view of America like that. If you think that all American history is a history of bigotry and bloodshed, you need to look a bit closer, or perhaps go back to school. I instead see American history as the planting of the seeds of freedom and liberty for the individual. The language of the constitution, which you use later, has been used to throw off ideas of bigotry and bloodshed. Instead of looking at the horrors in the past and sitting in judgement, why not look at how those horrors were overcome because brave Americans had the freedom and courage (and free speech) to stand up for what they saw as right.

We mourn the lives shattered and lost, including Heather Heyer, who was killed while standing up for civil rights.

The death of Heather Heyer is a tragedy. I’m glad to see that you will not let a good tragedy go to waste. What civil rights was she standing up for? I thought the Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. I agree that if the Alt-Right Neo Nazi types gain power they would be a threat to civil rights, but the truth is they are a minority group and have been for a long time. In fact they are only growing due to these counter-protest movements that sweep up anyone they don’t like and label them Nazi or Alt-Right.

But while we grieve, we must also recognize that the responsibility of standing up to Nazis, white supremacists and the Klu Klux Klan belongs to all of us.

 

This I mostly agree with. I would have said it belongs to each individual instead of all of us, but that is just splitting hairs.

History has shown clearly that in the face of a growing tide of people who seek division, none of us can stay silent.

I am not a religious person, but Jesus said it best, “You hypocrite! First remove the beam out of your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck out of your brother's eye.” Matthew 7:5 World English Bible translation.

Every elected leader in the country needs to boldly and unequivocally denounce fascism, racism and bigotry in all its forms.

I am going to operate on the basis that most people do not like fascism, racism and bigotry. So I think it is kind of pointless virtue signaling to ask for everyone to denounce those things. Almost as if you are asking for a purity test, but I’ll just chalk it up to ignorance as opposed to malice.

"We the people" must show commitment to the ideals of the Constitution, and never retreat from the fight for "a more perfect union."

Very true. I’ll be waiting for your defense of freedom of speech at the next pro-free speech rally that gets invaded by Antifa.

Unfortunately, we've seen politicians giving aid and comfort -- if not outright encouragement -- to white nationalist groups.

Pictures or it didn’t happen.

That is why we, the people of color in Oregon's Legislature, felt it was important to speak up.

What the heck is with the phrase people of color? Are there people that are not of color? If it is okay to say people of color, would it be okay to say colored people or does the order of the words matter? I’m going to have to side with Martin Luther King, Jr on this one “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” I could care less about your color, your character is what truly matters. The jury is still out on the content of your character by the way.

Through the Trump campaign and administration, these groups have become emboldened, reenergized and empowered by the rhetoric and the exploitation of fear toward people of color, Muslim, Jewish and immigrant communities.

Yeah it had nothing to do with the rampant bias in the mainstream media, the unrelenting attempts at character assassination carried on those who are not Progressives, or flagrant over use of the words racist, sexist, homophobe etc. It had nothing to do with article after article blaming white people for everything that has gone wrong in history from sites like Vox, Huffington Post, and Buzzfeed to name a few. It had nothing to do with the ideology pouring out of college campuses that says America and the West is nothing but evil racist misogynist society that needs to be torn down. Nah it was all Trump.

There are not "many sides" to this issue.

Every issue has many sides.

There are fascists and then there are the rest of us, who have a responsibility to reject racism and white supremacy.

If the fascists reject racism and white supremacy will it still be okay that they are fascists? I don’t think this kind of language helps bring people together. I feel like this could easily be “There are Progressives and then there are the rest of us, who have a responsibility to reject racism and people of color supremacy.” Or “There are Feminists and then there are the rest of us, who have a responsibility to reject sexism and female supremacy.” This is very divisive language for someone who just said “History has shown clearly that in the face of a growing tide of people who seek division, none of us can stay silent.” Consider this me not staying silent.

For Oregonians, it's easy to see what's happened in Charlottesville and elsewhere as something that can't happen here.

If you let the police continue to do their job and don’t tell them to stand down I think we will have little to worry about.

The reality is that we've seen a rise in hate crimes and hate-related activity in Oregon.

Yeah Antifa is out of control and these Anti-Free speech protesters seem to only care about their hate for anyone they perceive to be a Nazi.

And now more than ever, we must confront our state's dark history of sanctioned racism and its ongoing impacts.

I feel like we already confronted our state’s dark history of sanctioned racism. As for its ongoing impacts, would you mind providing some information on those?

Anti-immigrant groups still have support from Oregon politicians and are still pushing xenophobic measures to the ballot.

Proof? I think those groups are probably anti-illegal immigration or rather pro following the law. As for xenophobic measures, again, I’d like some proof. If they are truly xenophobic and they are going on the ballot than I think you can rest easy as most Oregonians are not xenophobic. I also think you have a different definition of the word xenophobic than I do, but I can’t be sure. Rejection of unfettered immigration and open boarders is not xenophobic by the way.

We must not supply the fires of hate with oxygen to spread terror in our great state.

These words sound pretty, but basically have nothing behind them. Whose hate are we talking about, Antifa’s hate for anyone who is not an anarchist or Communist, or white supremacist hate for anyone who isn’t white or Progressives hate for anyone who is white, straight, cis-gender, or male? I am guessing from the previous statement you mean the Anti-Immigrant xenophobic politicians and groups. Which I would take to mean basically anyone who is not from your party. How do you plan to cut off the supplies of oxygen to these people? When you say oxygen do you mean free speech or do you really mean literal suffocation? Poetic language sounds nice and can be powerful but this use of it here falls flat with any amount of scrutiny.

Racist violence doesn't happen in isolation.

Yeah, if you are isolated there is no one to be racist against. Geez.

It's fed by fear and anger and exploited by those seeking to consolidate power.

So you admit politicians are exploiting fear and anger to consolidate power. Who would be the ones consolidating power, the people who want government to do everything or those calling for a smaller government? Guess I’ll just vote for the people running on the smaller government platform.

It's up to all of us to prevent it from taking further hold by speaking out, by passing pro-equity legislation and by educating our fellow Oregonians. 

I am sure it was just a typo but I think you meant “reeducating.” Pro-equity just means that we all have the same in the end. For example 50% men and 50% women hired on at a company. This leaves out merit and interest. Equity can only be achieved through forced compliance. I doubt you have women who are lining up to become trash collectors or sewer cleaners. You cannot force people into jobs they don’t want and you cannot force people out of jobs to make a spot for someone else based on gender or anything else. Instead what you can do is provide equality before the law so those with the desire and the ability to obtain those positions are free to do so. You should not be allowed to be a doctor just because you want to be a doctor, you should have to earn and prove your ability to be a doctor, not just have it handed to you because some politician wants a world where we all have the same outcomes. You cannot force everyone to be the same because people are different, have different dreams, desires and abilities.

The Oregon Constitution proclaims, "We declare that all men, when they form a social compact are equal in right: that all power is inherent in the people, and all free governments are founded on their authority, and instituted for their peace, safety, and happiness."

Glad to know the Oregon Constitution agrees with me that people are equal in rights and says nothing about people being equal in outcome. I don’t think you are bad people but you have been swept up by bad ideas. Ideas that have been tried before and ended in some of the most horrific atrocities committed. Stop focusing on the rights of the group and instead look at universal rights of the individual.