First post ever to CP, though I have been reading it intermittently throughout the years. I watched the entirety of Mr. Coate's discussion. Unfortunately, for those of you who have been up-in-arms about his message I am here to tell you that you are on the wrong side of history. The problem with our country and those people who were "offended" (to take offense to something, the substance of what is said must resonate with that individual i.e. you see yourself in that mirror that is being held up to you) is simply this: they are uneducated.
"What?!", you cry, "I have an MBA or graduated from such-and-such university!". Excellent, good for you. However, did you truly get an education in the foundation of this country? I don't mean the white-washed (literally, whites washing out the history that doesn't put them in a positive, righteous light) history you received as part of your education. I mean actually taking the time to read and understand how this country was founded and by whom.
You were taught that the Founding Fathers were akin to Gods of democracy, not men of their time and thus bound to contemporary social constructs. They were educated, land-owning white men of means and privilege. Democracy to them did not include ALL people, certainly not Black people. The Civil War was taught to you as an issue of State's rights. This was a half-truth, it was about State's rights, but specifically the right of states to decide whether they could own slaves.
Alas, all that was "solved" by the Civil War which was won by the North. Unfortunately, this is a fallacy. True, the trade of human lives ended but the South (through terror campaigns, the Compromise of 1877 and Jim Crow laws) continued to resist. Which brings us to our current state of affairs.
Many of you seem to not only be uneducated about your own country's history but also balk at the parallels to the current political climate in this country. Again, I implore you to inform yourself about our past not simply because it is your duty as a citizen to be informed, but also to realize that what we are witnessing now is a dangerous path for this country and democracy.
The Republican Party appears to be on track to completely dismiss an insurrection against the United States government that was fomented by the ex-President. Not holding him and those who committed this violence to the rule of law sends a very clear message to those of us who understand not only the history of this country, but of world history. While it is a fact that right-wing, white-supremacists groups were responsible for the events at the Capitol on 1/6, what is unsaid thus far is that not holding all accountable will lead to an equal and opposite reaction.
In closing, as we observe all around us the inability to grasp reality (Biden won a free and fair election), the graft (MAGA and "Save America" rally...gotta make sure you sell that merch) and the fervent belief in conspiracy theories (take your pick...QAnon, COVID is a plot to vaccinate you with a chip, Biden has dementia and is controlled by the far-left in his party...and so on) I am reminded of a quote by Ulysses S. Grant. “If we are to have another [civil war], I predict that the dividing line will not be Mason and Dixon’s, but between patriotism and intelligence on the one side, and superstition, ambition, and ignorance on the other.”
"What?!", you cry, "I have an MBA or graduated from such-and-such university!". Excellent, good for you. However, did you truly get an education in the foundation of this country? I don't mean the white-washed (literally, whites washing out the history that doesn't put them in a positive, righteous light) history you received as part of your education. I mean actually taking the time to read and understand how this country was founded and by whom.
You were taught that the Founding Fathers were akin to Gods of democracy, not men of their time and thus bound to contemporary social constructs. They were educated, land-owning white men of means and privilege. Democracy to them did not include ALL people, certainly not Black people. The Civil War was taught to you as an issue of State's rights. This was a half-truth, it was about State's rights, but specifically the right of states to decide whether they could own slaves.
Alas, all that was "solved" by the Civil War which was won by the North. Unfortunately, this is a fallacy. True, the trade of human lives ended but the South (through terror campaigns, the Compromise of 1877 and Jim Crow laws) continued to resist. Which brings us to our current state of affairs.
Many of you seem to not only be uneducated about your own country's history but also balk at the parallels to the current political climate in this country. Again, I implore you to inform yourself about our past not simply because it is your duty as a citizen to be informed, but also to realize that what we are witnessing now is a dangerous path for this country and democracy.
The Republican Party appears to be on track to completely dismiss an insurrection against the United States government that was fomented by the ex-President. Not holding him and those who committed this violence to the rule of law sends a very clear message to those of us who understand not only the history of this country, but of world history. While it is a fact that right-wing, white-supremacists groups were responsible for the events at the Capitol on 1/6, what is unsaid thus far is that not holding all accountable will lead to an equal and opposite reaction.
In closing, as we observe all around us the inability to grasp reality (Biden won a free and fair election), the graft (MAGA and "Save America" rally...gotta make sure you sell that merch) and the fervent belief in conspiracy theories (take your pick...QAnon, COVID is a plot to vaccinate you with a chip, Biden has dementia and is controlled by the far-left in his party...and so on) I am reminded of a quote by Ulysses S. Grant. “If we are to have another [civil war], I predict that the dividing line will not be Mason and Dixon’s, but between patriotism and intelligence on the one side, and superstition, ambition, and ignorance on the other.”