Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Some Southerners try to create a moral equivalency between the North and the South in the Civil War. Our ancestors were protecting their homeland against Northern aggression, one might say, and they were fighting for states’ rights, another one says. The War was not about slavery they will say. But in the end slavery ended and the southern whites continued to fight against the rights of former slaves. They formed the KKK, they created the system of Jim Crow, they made voter poll taxes and required citizenship tests for black voters only to suppress their votes. But our ancestors were not about slavery and white rule? No we white southerners are on equal footing with the North as far as the Civil War and slavery are concerned.

The moral equivalency that the rest of the populace allowed to slowly take a foothold in our country has allowed the far right to garner power. We allowed them equal time to express their opinions in our media and then justified it by saying there are no wrong views. We can have a person spout racist ideas and commit racist acts but we are told “do not call me a racist.” They essentially have made the term “racism” only apply to the alt-right groups and if you listen closely to them this is under question. But racism comes in other shades too they explain.

The far right have used the moral equivalency against the rest of the population. The far right accuse moderates and liberals of the things they do. The traditional racists say ‘NO you are the real racists.’ They continue,” You are the ones who ignore facts. You are the ones who argue from emotion. You are the purveyors of immorality.’ And the far right all the while spouting traditional racist views are given equal time and legitimacy, all in the interest of fairness and moral equivalency by the rest of us. So unless you do more than surface thinking they sound almost reasonable. All the while promulgating the same sins of their fathers.

They challenge not just abortion but birth control. They challenge LGBTs not just marriage equality but recently Jeff Sessions has proclaimed that homosexuality is not covered by the Equal Opportunities Act. They not only say illegal immigration and DACA are bad but they challenge any immigration at all. They not only say government should be small but they revel in being able to shut it down. They not only say Obamacare is bad but Medicare is too. They were given an inch and they have taken a mile.

They will keep that mile as long as we allow them to claim they are more patriotic, more holy, more loving than us. The South supported slavery and the end result of the Civil War was slavery ended. There is no moral equivalency with the North especially when the slaves’ ancestors are still not allowed equal footing with their white counterparts. So in closing I say fly your Confederate flag, accuse our first black president of not being an American, continue to oppose healthcare for all, cut the government’s social programs, oppose gay and transgender rights, that is your right. But it is my right to declare, with a lot of confidence, that you are a homophobic, racist, unloving human who appears incapable of living Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount teachings. To hell with a false moral equivalency and to hell with equal time to people who only argue with their heads and have lost their heart in the godless churches of America. By the way that is my mild opinion. The only person I am willing to give equal time is to someone who gets their hands dirty helping others, has the ability to change their opinion, actually has spent time thinking and learning about the things they speak, and treats in their actions, words, and thoughts everyone with inherent worth and dignity.     

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