The White Racist Absolution Wave
Day before yesterday at the airport waiting for my flight, I caught sight of a TV showing the nationally televised major league ballgame between the Dodgers and Padres. I noticed that every Dodger was wearing the number 42. I love baseball but after discovering the depth of its competitive duplicity, I don't pay any attention to what's going on there. Even as clueless as I was about this, however, I did figure the 42 thing had to be about Jackie Robinson, who wore that number. Now, as a rule, I despise the Dodgers, being a faithful San Francisco Giants follower, so my take here may be a bit biased indeed. You may certainly think that. But this wearing the number 42 thing. Utterly ridiculous.
It is not only that it is silly, but it is a prominent reflection of this obsession so many have with their racist guilt. I've wondered how to articulate all of this, and I think I've found one way to do so.
It came from Shelby Steele, a black writer who has joined many thoughtful writers "of color" to decry the idiocy that is "race guilt" in the world today. It came to the fore once again with the whole Don Imus incident (see previous blog post). Recently I heard a promo for Laura Ingraham's radio show that featured comments by Steele about all of it, and the question posed to him was why he wasn't invited on all the network morning talk shows ("Today," "The Early Show," etc.) while the Jesse Jacksons and Al Sharptons and their victim enabling rants are all over the airwaves.
He replied that white people actually want the Jacksons and Sharptons for, get this, absolution. He stated that if he were to go on those shows, the white people would not get absolution from him, so he's not an attractive media product.
I thought about that. Wow.
It makes perfect sense, especially if you understand how the world works from the Catholicist Nation persective.
For absolution only makes sense in the context of someone sinning, in this case, the sin of keeping the Jackie Robinsons of the world from being allowed to fully benefit in a white man's economy. White people are now to feel such guilt for what they did, that they can only feel better by constantly hearing of the beneficent graces bestowed by the good black empowerment reverends. If those guys can absolve us of our inherent racism, then we can feel better. If we can shout to the world how much we feel shame for our racism by wearing 42-numbered attire and properly beaming anytime Jackie's name is mentioned, then we'll be golly gosh okay.
Now I'm not for a second saying people don't sin. Or that people have not been racist or that we shouldn't honor brave people like Jackie Robinson and genuinely appreciate that.
My point is simply that we don't do what it really takes to get rid of the sin in whatever form it's in, racist or not. The only way that can happen is to humbly accept the gift of forgiveness for it all from God in the Person of Jesus Christ. That's the Kingdom way, and it gets one truly free to authentically love one another no matter what their skin color or disposition is.
The World's way is to ride the wave of sin-shame-absolution-sin-shame-absolution-- up and down, up and down-- let's feel just a bit more guilty for not commemorating Jackie Robinson day enough, so let's paint 42 all over our clothes. Not enough? Let's wear it on our foreheads, tattooed there permanently-- not enough? Let's have plastic surgery so we all look like Jackie Robinson.
Oh, yeah, that's a bit much. But if that's too much,
Why isn't the utter folly of every baseball player wearing 42?
It is not only that it is silly, but it is a prominent reflection of this obsession so many have with their racist guilt. I've wondered how to articulate all of this, and I think I've found one way to do so.
It came from Shelby Steele, a black writer who has joined many thoughtful writers "of color" to decry the idiocy that is "race guilt" in the world today. It came to the fore once again with the whole Don Imus incident (see previous blog post). Recently I heard a promo for Laura Ingraham's radio show that featured comments by Steele about all of it, and the question posed to him was why he wasn't invited on all the network morning talk shows ("Today," "The Early Show," etc.) while the Jesse Jacksons and Al Sharptons and their victim enabling rants are all over the airwaves.
He replied that white people actually want the Jacksons and Sharptons for, get this, absolution. He stated that if he were to go on those shows, the white people would not get absolution from him, so he's not an attractive media product.
I thought about that. Wow.
It makes perfect sense, especially if you understand how the world works from the Catholicist Nation persective.
For absolution only makes sense in the context of someone sinning, in this case, the sin of keeping the Jackie Robinsons of the world from being allowed to fully benefit in a white man's economy. White people are now to feel such guilt for what they did, that they can only feel better by constantly hearing of the beneficent graces bestowed by the good black empowerment reverends. If those guys can absolve us of our inherent racism, then we can feel better. If we can shout to the world how much we feel shame for our racism by wearing 42-numbered attire and properly beaming anytime Jackie's name is mentioned, then we'll be golly gosh okay.
Now I'm not for a second saying people don't sin. Or that people have not been racist or that we shouldn't honor brave people like Jackie Robinson and genuinely appreciate that.
My point is simply that we don't do what it really takes to get rid of the sin in whatever form it's in, racist or not. The only way that can happen is to humbly accept the gift of forgiveness for it all from God in the Person of Jesus Christ. That's the Kingdom way, and it gets one truly free to authentically love one another no matter what their skin color or disposition is.
The World's way is to ride the wave of sin-shame-absolution-sin-shame-absolution-- up and down, up and down-- let's feel just a bit more guilty for not commemorating Jackie Robinson day enough, so let's paint 42 all over our clothes. Not enough? Let's wear it on our foreheads, tattooed there permanently-- not enough? Let's have plastic surgery so we all look like Jackie Robinson.
Oh, yeah, that's a bit much. But if that's too much,
Why isn't the utter folly of every baseball player wearing 42?
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