Rubbing salt in the nation's wounds
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
According to the Left, America is apparently only America when we're brawling, with one side spewing profanities – but only until they fashion an all-powerful socialist government in which dissent will be a thing of the past.
Kate Smith, famous for "God Bless America," has become the latest American to be jammed down the memory hole.
The singer, who died in 1986 at age 79, sang the semi-national anthem, most famously at baseball games, especially Yankee Stadium, which began regularly playing the recording during the seventh-inning stretch after 9/11. It invariably elicited tears and a sense of unified purpose.
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A partially covered statue of singer Kate Smith is seen near the Wells Fargo Center, Friday, April 19, 2019, in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia Flyers covered the statue of singer Kate Smith outside their arena, following the New York Yankees in cutting ties and looking into allegations of racism against the 1930s star with a popular recording of "God Bless America." (Associated Press) |
But upon learning that Ms. Smith sang a song called "Pickaninny Heaven" and "That's Why Darkies Were Born" in the early 1930s, the Yankees announced an end to the tradition, as did the Philadelphia Flyers hockey team, which also removed a statue of her.
Ms. Smith's indefensible renditions took place more than 85 years ago when demeaning portrayals of blacks were common in Hollywood. The nation was not yet awakened to the toll exacted by institutional and cultural racism.
But for many blacks, the pain of second-class status is not so distant. It wasn't until 1964 that the Civil Rights Act ended the Jim Crow era. The welfare system constructed by white liberals continues to hold millions of blacks in its patronizing grip.
Over the years, America has striven bumpily at times to live up to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s 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."
King's fierce activism was tempered by his Christian faith. He talked of a land where all races lived side by side, not perpetually conflicted. It's why radical leftists still see him as an Uncle Tom.
Leftists pour gasoline on racial animosity, encouraging segmentation for political purposes. Wielding critical race theory, a variation of Marxist class warfare, they tell us over and over that America is a uniquely sinful, irredeemable nation that must be destroyed and remade. The latest ploy is to demand reparations for slavery. Another is to accuse someone of "cultural appropriation" if they adopt a costume, custom, music or even a food associated with a different race.
Somehow, they overlook Democrat racism, such as the Ku Klux Klan's and Jim Crow's origins and the blackface adventures of Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam and Attorney General Mark Herring, who still hold office. Or Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger, who schemed to eliminate "human weeds" such as black Americans from the population pool.
Newspapers and broadcasters love stories that inflame racial animosity and show how America falls short of its ideals.
The Washington Post 's Richard Cohen recently wrote a column, "Songs of our horrendously racist past." Of Kate Smith, he wrote, "these episodes of recovered racism are useful. They are reminders of how indelibly racist America once was." And part of the daily litany.
"We cannot enslave the present by forcing it to honor the dishonorable past," he wrote. Which means that we have to keep beating ourselves up until our leftist cultural cops are satisfied, which means never.
Does Mr. Cohen subject those he loves to nonstop reminders of their shortcomings? Did Mr. Cohen himself ever do something that he now regrets? Should we remind him of it every single day? You know, out of love?
To be fair, Mr. Cohen notes that Kate Smith "did not write the racist songs she sang," and that "she is at least once removed when it comes to racism." He chided the Yankees themselves for taking eight years after Jackie Robinson's debut to add their first black player, and noted that the Klan denounced "God Bless America" because it was written by a Jew – Irving Berlin.
Still, Mr. Cohen reveals his taste for radical conflict in his recollection of a 1970 pro-Vietnam War rally he attended in Washington. As Kate Smith sang "God Bless America," protesters "waded through the Reflecting Pool on the Mall, smoking dope and hurling f-bombs her way. In one ear I heard Smith's singing and in the other the proper profanity of a pissed-off generation. It was an extremely American afternoon." Really? "Proper" f-bombs?
America is apparently only America when we're brawling, with one side spewing profanities. That's not just Mr. Cohen's view. It's the Left's vision for this country, but only until they fashion an all-powerful socialist government in which dissent will be a thing of the past.
Until then, as Saul Alinsky wrote, the "agitator" must "first rub raw the resentments of the people of the community; fan the latent hostilities …. To agitate to the point of conflict."
Kate Smith, who sang for American troops during World War II, raised millions in war bonds, and was awarded a Presidential Medal of Freedom by Ronald Reagan, gave an impassioned plea against racism in 1945, saying, "Race hatreds – social prejudices – religious bigotry – they are the diseases that eat away the fibers of peace. Unless they are exterminated it's inevitable that we will have another war."
Rubbing salt into old wounds and damning the likes of Kate Smith benefits only those who want to fundamentally transform America into something else.
Robert Knight is a contributor to The Washington Times.
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“America is apparently only America when we're brawling, with one side spewing profanities. That's not just Mr. Cohen's view. It's the Left's vision for this country, but only until they fashion an all-powerful socialist government in which dissent will be a thing of the past.
Until then, as Saul Alinsky wrote, the "agitator" must "first rub raw the resentments of the people of the community; fan the latent hostilities …. To agitate to the point of conflict."
Kate Smith, who sang for American troops during World War II, raised millions in war bonds, and was awarded a Presidential Medal of Freedom by Ronald Reagan, gave an impassioned plea against racism in 1945, saying, "Race hatreds – social prejudices – religious bigotry – they are the diseases that eat away the fibers of peace. Unless they are exterminated it's inevitable that we will have another war."”
Funny you would quote such a thing when it's extremely apparent that the right wing ideology in America is the one now clinging to racial hatred as they continue to ignore the racial disparity in the justice system and the GOP is caught targeting "African-Americans with almost surgical precision," with their new voter ID laws intending to disenfranchise people of color. And they expose their social prejudices by refusing to serve other law abiding tax paying American citizens just because they happen to be gay and are fighting to restrict lgtbq rights. And the biggest violators of religious freedom are those on the right who continue to attack Muslims and those of other faiths even denying some religions the right to build their places of worship. And as they attempt to deny other faiths religious freedom, they scream and complain about their own place of privilege being eroded, bitching about people saying "Happy Holidays" to them instead of "Merry Christmas", whining about their supposed right to discriminate against others being curtailed.
America is plenty big enough for us all, right wing and left wing, so no "exterminations" of any people are necessary, just the extermination of the hate and prejudice. If the right would simply treat others as they want to be treated, worked hard to overcome the obvious racial disparities in the justice system, worked hard at making it easier for minorities to vote instead of the opposite, embraced diversity and religious freedom for all religions, not just their own, then we would truly be greater and would avoid a war. It's only when one side demands their right to discriminate, demands a privileged position in society and greater representation than everyone else that a physical conflict becomes inevitable. Only one side today demands a right to refuse service to other law abiding tax paying American citizens. Only one side has been caught by the courts intentionally trying to disenfranchise minority voters. Only one side has a double standard for religious freedom that allows them to attack others faiths all while playing the faux victim.
For some on the right they need to feel special even if it means they have to lie, cheat and steal to do so. The revisionist history where Africans were happy to be slaves and terms like "A Christian nation" are just a couple of examples.
For others its greed and control and the only way they know they can "win". The ID laws that were exposed to shave as much as 4% points from Democrats as well as the crazy gerrymandering maps that got thrown out by the courts show this to be true.
“Leftists pour gasoline on racial animosity, encouraging segmentation for political purposes. Wielding critical race theory, a variation of Marxist class warfare, they tell us over and over that America is a uniquely sinful, irredeemable nation that must be destroyed and remade. The latest ploy is to demand reparations for slavery. Another is to accuse someone of "cultural appropriation" if they adopt a costume, custom, music or even a food associated with a different race.
Somehow, they overlook Democrat racism, such as the Ku Klux Klan's and Jim Crow's origins and the blackface adventures of Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam and Attorney General Mark Herring, who still hold office. Or Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger, who schemed to eliminate "human weeds" such as black Americans from the population pool.
Newspapers and broadcasters love stories that inflame racial animosity and show how America falls short of its ideals.
The Washington Post's Richard Cohen recently wrote a column, "Songs of our horrendously racist past." Of Kate Smith, he wrote, "these episodes of recovered racism are useful. They are reminders of how indelibly racist America once was." And part of the daily litany.
"We cannot enslave the present by forcing it to honor the dishonorable past," he wrote. Which means that we have to keep beating ourselves up until our leftist cultural cops are satisfied, which means never.
Does Mr. Cohen subject those he loves to nonstop reminders of their shortcomings? Did Mr. Cohen himself ever do something that he now regrets? Should we remind him of it every single day? You know, out of love?”
We the people refuse transformation. We are proud patriotic Americans who have made America great again and we are going to Keep it that way. We will defend our progress, our culture, the Heritage of our past heroes and our success.
We know. Except you're a minority of "we".
Pride goeth before the fall.
You look like fools trying to make America "white" again by revising history, normalizing hate and stoking fear of "others".
Okay... sure. /s
Keep defending bigotry, hate and oppression. That's such a great heritage to keep alive so we never forget what the face of human evil really looks like.
Proud patriotic Americans may well be a minority in the secular progressive sewer the left placed America in from 2009-2017.....,, It’s sad to think secular progressives believe that a nationalistic pride in, love of, and patriotism for ones country is what leads to it’s downfall....... Putting America first and making America great again has nothing to do with fear, race, or hate. Nice sweeping generalization on your part but that’s what liberals do when talking down to their domestic ideological opposition..... And your wild sweeping generalizations about how horrible, hate filled, bigoted and evil America is was and always will be and what an awful Heritage we come from is typical of former democrat and United States UN ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick in 1984 referring to the San Francisco Democrats and their ongoing attitude of Blame America First. America saw the face of human evil in World War II and the Cold War, stared them both down and defeated them.
This from the group that apparently idolized General Robert E. Lee? The leader of one of America's greatest enemies throughout history.
Robert E. Lee was for all his human flaws a great American. Nor was the American South one of her greatest enemies. It is good that the south lost and reintegrated into the USA 🇺🇸. Because now it has risen and is the most powerful part of the country.
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I’m just glad that everyone liked and appreciated my fine seeded article. It’s always an honor to defend our exceptional America 🇺🇸 and the heritage of liberty 🗽 and freedom it has passed down to us. It’s great to have a patriotic and nationalist pride in what we have and have made. God bless America! Land that I love ❤️!
I'm confused.....on one hand you extol the virtues of MLK but on the other you're up in arms about the Yankees not wanting to play "God Bless America" because of Kate Smith's racist past.
Please explain
Martin Luther King Jr. was a great American and his dream is still the right one for America. As to Kate Smith, people change and times change. It’s beyond stupid to hold people living in the past to today’s standards. And leading democrat progressives from Wilson to FDR were open racists. It would seem to me that her statements in 1945 would overcome whatever she sang in the early to mid 1930’s.
“Kate Smith, who sang for American troops during World War II, raised millions in war bonds, and was awarded a Presidential Medal of Freedom by Ronald Reagan, gave an impassioned plea against racism in 1945, saying, "Race hatreds – social prejudices – religious bigotry – they are the diseases that eat away the fibers of peace. Unless they are exterminated it's inevitable that we will have another war."
Rubbing salt into old wounds and damning the likes of Kate Smith benefits only those who want to fundamentally transform America into something else.” from the seeded article
Yes. He opposed pretty much everything you say you stand for.
Either racism is bad (and it really is) or it's not. You can't have it both ways, nor can you revise history to make it seem more palatable. To keep statues and honorifics around that herald a heritage (<- your word) of bigotry and oppression is to continue to honor those sentiments. You said above that these symbols are:
Therefore you continue to honor the worst abuses of our past, the worst ideas of our Republic and will "exterminate" any who stand opposed.
Why do you think I'm confused?
There is nothing wrong with being color blind and opposed to racism while still loving America, it’s history, and it’s culture. America is an exceptional nation.
right
I’m glad that you agree.
King's fierce activism was tempered by his Christian faith. He talked of a land where all races lived side by side, not perpetually conflicted. It's why radical leftists still see him as an Uncle Tom.
Dr. King was assassinated over 51 years ago, over that time span I have heard not one individual refer to him as an Uncle Tom. During the sixties some of the more radical blacks (ie: Malcolm X), referred to him as such, but outside of that I myself do not recollect any disparagement of Dr. King on the scale you describe.
As an aside, speaking of the sixties it was the last time that I can remember the term leftist used with such abandon.
And yet in my life I’ve supported or voted for three African Americans not named Barack Hussein Obama for President (Alan Keyes, Herman Cain, Ben Carson) and look forward to doing so again when Sen. Scott of South Carolina runs for that office.