It's Actually Sinister

He who forgets history is doomed to repeat it.

That's how I feel about the recent news out of Virginia that the state's governor doesn't think "slavery" was "significant" as it relates to discussing the Confederacy. That's what he said when he was challenged about his decision to leave out any mention of slavery when discussing Confederacy History Month. The whole human chattel issue wasn't really a big deal. Seriously.

Some folks are upset by the governor's comments. Other folks are complaining that people are making too big of a deal about nothing. There are also a few folks who are pointing out that the War of Northern Aggression was about "state's rights" not slavery.

Nobody is seeing the big picture.

This incident reminds me of a story a friend told me about having to take a tour of a southern plantation. She was taking the tour as part of her job, and hating every minute of it because she's a logical-minded black woman.

Anyway, she said the tour guides gushed on and on about the clothes the slave owners wore, and the balls they held, and the lives they led. But, curiously absent from the discussion was the role of slaves in making this lifestyle possible.

In fact, although there was still an intact slave shack still present on the property, the tour guides for the plantation told all the visitors that visiting those quarters was only "optional." That's right, you visit a plantation, but it's "optional" to get a glimpse of the suffering and misery that supported the entire lifestyle.

Again, there is a bigger picture here.

It's not about black folks getting up in arms because another old white man showed his hindparts. That's blase. Nah, the real problem is that an elected official felt comfortable telling the media that slavery was not a "significant" part of the history of the Confederacy. It's bad enough that Virginia celebrates an armed insurrection as a "high point" in the history of the United States, but to pretend that slavery was only a minor issue, and expect folks to buy that, well that's a sign of something sinister.

Blacks folks know that the "history" taught to most Americans is really "His-story". The story of the greatness of white folks and how they conquered the world.

Most information that contradicts the firy tale that America was basically a wonderful place filled with wonderful, loving people, is left out of the standard school curriculum. Even those periods like slavery or the Jim Crow-era are covered as quickly as possibly to avoid bringing down the vibe about America the Beautiful.

Thankfully, I went to school with black folks. Black people talk about the ugly stuff in this country's past, particularly the ugly stuff that affected us. WE don't pretend the Civil War was about taxes. We know damn well it was about whether master could continue to run his little, darkie harem without federal interference.

Certain folks are working overtime to change even the most basic facts that we all know to be true. Those folks understand that if they can re-shape and re-define the truth, they can then create the world in the image they prefer.

It's why they twist words, and ignore obvious context. It's not because they are stupid or stubborn, it's because they actually have devious aims they are trying to accomplish. This governor knows damn well that the Confederacy was all about slavery, but he believes that if tells the Big Lie long enough, nobody will be able to prove it's not true.

And that's a real danger. I've found that if people repeat a lie long enough, most people stop questioning its veracity. They just assume that nobody would lie about something so serious, and assume it must be correct.

For example, I've seen certain types of white folks mention that black men rape white women far more often than white men rape black women. It's often quoted as statistical fact with allusions to news articles to buttress the claim.

Only, it's complete crap. It's not true, there are no news articles, and any sort of serious analysis of the Justice Department's statistics would preclude any honest person from making that argument. But, folks tell that lie everyday, and other folks believe it.

The governor of Virginia understands that given the current educational system and the general unease most white folks feel about talking about race, there will come a time when most folks are willing to believe that slavery wasn't a big deal. Once they consider that, they will be ripe for the idea that slavery wasn't really the main issue that drove the Civil War.

They might even believe that the Confederacy was a manifestation of true patriotism. It seems far-fetched to you and me, but bigger lies have been told and accepted.

So, I'm glad people are calling the governor out for his Big Lie, I just wish they would focus on the fact that his attempt was far more sinister than stupid.

That way we can all stay vigilant.





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