One Standard Or None
In 2020, the voters of the State of Rhode Island formally dropped “Providence Plantations” from the name of the state. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D, RI) still thinks he gets to live like he is on a plantation.
The progressive Democrat is, with his wife, a member of an all white country club in which his wife is a major shareholder. When confronted, Senator Whitehouse declared that these are part of a “long tradition” in Rhode Island and has no interest in walking away.
Were a Republican Senator to maintain an interest in or be part of an all white country club, the national press corps would be shoving microphones in Republicans’ faces demanding to know if they stood by the senator. It is really telling the media is mostly quiet on this matter.
There must be one standard. If there is one for Democrats and another for Republicans (there is currently a double standard) then one side will treat the matter of segregation less seriously while the other will use it only to punish their opponents. They will make the issue political.
In fact, the media seems quite complicit on this issue right now. The Washington Post is running a video series that tries to push white people to embrace their whiteness as a racial definer of their person. The national press is turning a blind eye to the trend among CRT proponents of seeking to segregate races while ridiculing conservatives for pointing it out.
This is a dangerous game that, like with the partisan press ignoring Whitehouse, will force more tribalism in the country not less. But it is not the only double standard that makes us demonstrably more tribal.
In 2016 and thereafter roughly 60% of Democrats claimed President Trump had, with the help of the Russians, stolen the election. Now, after 2020, roughly 60% of Republicans think the Democrats stole the election.
We’ve reached the age of tit for tat. But the history of the media allowing Democrats a loose command of reality goes back to 2000. George W. Bush won the election and Democrats were convinced Halliburton stole the election. They were again convinced of fraud in the election in 2004 with Bush getting over 50% of the vote.
Each time Republicans win, Democrats claim voter suppression or a stolen election. To this day, the media allows Stacey Abrams of Georgia to claim the 2018 election was stolen.
But the media was adamant Republicans must embrace the truth of Trump’s defeat after November of 2020 and after January 6, 2021, dogmatically insists every Republican renounce the events of that day or else.
Or else what?
Part of the double standard is a rage from the left, reflected in the media, that try as they might they just cannot finish off the GOP. Their greatest talking point has been that only once since 1988 has the GOP won the popular vote for the presidency. It is true, but also not how the system works.
In fact, the left via the press tends pretty regularly to discredit the way the system works. The country is now systemically racist. The Electoral College and Senate are racist institutions. The police are racist. Everything and everyone is racist — except Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island and Providence Planations who is a member of an all white country club. But then he has a “D” next to his name, which operates as a shield from press criticism.
The election was stolen has been a Democrat talking point for years now adopted wholesale and with gusto by the GOP. Only now is the media industrial complex upset. You really think the media and left turning a blind eye to Sheldon Whitehouse’s all white country club while telling Republicans they’re racist is going to end well?
The elections were not stolen.
Racism is bad.
The country is not systemically racist.
The Electoral College and Senate are not racist institutions.
In the 21st century in Rhode Island, the custom of all white country clubs should die and Sheldon Whitehouse should quit them or the Senate.
I can say all those things. A lot of people cannot based on their tribalism. And the last one pretty much everyone will agree with, but one tribe will do their best to be quiet about it. That’s part of the problem.
Truth still matters.
In the real world where I live, there is no black or white, rich or poor, racist, non racist, Democrat or Republican. You see I am a nurse practitioner in public mental health. Come walk in my shoes for just a day. You shall see the real America. We are all just walking each other home. There are all black institutions, all Muslim enclaves, all male clubs, all women clubs. I am a member of Mary Martha Circle and I don’t think any men would come to join us. We talk about menstruation and children and Jesus. American Indians have reservations. I don’t think I can go live on one if I wanted to. It may not be allowed. As Rohr says we live in both/and. Why doesn’t everyone try to embrace? Each other. I’m doing my part. One patient, one life at a time. In a minute I’m going to walk out that door and I don’t know what I’ll face as I walk into that public mental health clinic, but I know this. They will fall into my arms. Broken, abused, addicted, homeless, wet and hungry. They will be black, white, Muslim, Jew, Latino, every race, creed and color. I’ll be there. Embracing, holding up, encouraging. No time for so called racism. I’m doing my part.
I honestly could not care less if a club is “all white” or “all black” or “all” anything. People should be free to associate with whomever they choose. The population of Rhode Island is 80% white, only 6.5% black, should we demand that some of the 30% black population of Georgia be forcibly relocated there so they’ll have more “diversity”?