Angry White Men

Sometime I wonder what it's going to take/To find dignity -Bob Dylan


Today James Kirchick published a piece for the New Republic entitled Angry White Man. It's an expose of racist, homophobic, misogynist, anti-semitic, anti-government (Right Wing Wacko 101 stuff) content in monthly newsletters Ron Paul published since at least 1978. The veracity of Kirchick's article- and "Dr Paul's" relationship to the newsletters- is currently being hotly debated and, while I don't want to get into the pros and cons of each argument (read the article yourself and draw your own conclusions), raises some very disturbing allegations about the grassroots W.J. Bryan-type Republican making a run for the presidency. But that's not what I wanted to write about, just what prompted it.

For some reason there's a very mean vein running through the souls of many young (old too, but not as much) white people today, generally men. I can't say exactly where it comes from, but it so often finds its outlet in the same type of intolerance and outright bigotry that's mentioned above. To be sure this vein comes with varying purity of hatred and fear -- joking about Hillary needing to be raped (yes, I've heard that) is a far cry from simply wishing she doesn't get elected because she's a woman -- tying someone to a fence post and leaving them to die is a far cry from opposing a marriage amendment -- training a militia for a coming race war is a far cry from opposing Affirmative Action -- but, whether openly discussed or approached with much more socially acceptable indirectness and euphemism, these type of views still stem from the same impulses and emotions. And it's scary (and depressing) how prevalent they are in our supposedly enlightened generation. Is it really that bad that we have to honestly compete with women and minorities for the positions of prestige and influence which have been ours by default for so many centuries? Shouldn't that simply awaken the sense of respect, brotherhood, and co-stewardship for our civilization that I know we have? Our race isn't being threatened, respect for men isn't in jeopardy, gays aren't recruiting our children, and the State isn't trying to crush Christianity. We have problems enough without dwelling on stuff like this.

Take a minute, turn off the Sean Hannity or Lou Dobbs, and let the anger drift away; forget what you've ever heard about the Bible from Pat Robertson and take a moment to contemplate what the (White/Black?) Jewish Feminist- on whom the religion to which you claim devotion is founded- said: Inasmuch as ye have done (legislated?) it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. You've heard it many times before, but really think about what he meant by such a statement. And, whether Christian or not, we can all learn from that man's example. This world already has plenty of hatred and xenophobia; it doesn't need any more contributions.