Awash in Absurdities – Wokeism

Awash in Absurdities

– By Tom Garrison –

“Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.”

Voltaire, an 18th-century French writer, historian, and philosopher.

What does the quote mean? Simply that if someone, or an organization or institution, can convince you that something absurd is a fact, they can further convince you that they know the lines of right and wrong, good and evil. All that is necessary to get you to commit an atrocity is to point to something they say is evil and tell what a good thing you are doing by destroying that evil.

Unfortunately, contemporary American culture is awash in absurdities, and belief in these absurdities is shared by millions of people. Examples are everywhere, but I’ll discuss five that typify the absurdist movement.

I assume everyone reading this reads some sort of news. Did you know that the Associated Press (AP) Style Book, followed by almost all newspapers and certainly every AP story, promotes institutionalized racism? It does.

Read any AP story wherein the race of people is relevant and mentioned. If the person is White and that fact is mentioned, the “w” in white is lower case (w). If a person is Black and that fact is mentioned, the “b” in black is upper case (B). Both words describe a person’s race. Why the difference? Why no consistency?

Here is the relevant section from the AP Style Book:

Black(s), white(s) (n.) Do not use either term as a singular noun. For plurals, phrasing such as Black people, white people, Black teachers, white students is often preferable when clearly relevant.

Imagine the outrage if that was reversed. What can possibly justify treating White and Black people differently in how they are described? There is no rational, logical reason for this. It is an absurdity. It is systemic racism against White people.

There is a joke from the old Soviet Union modified to reflect the AP absurdity.

Two communists were walking along talking about the new communist-style guide for writers. One is a writer and explains that a lower case “w” and upper case “b” are not grammatical and incorrect. The second, a high-ranking party apparatchik, says, “Comrade you are right about the inconsistent use of lower and upper case letters. However, it doesn’t have to be factually correct if it is politically correct.”

Gosh, it’s almost like White people are relegated to the back of the grammar bus as second-class citizens simply because of skin color.

It happened because those who support it buy the absurdist line that disrespecting White folks is no big deal while disrespecting Black people is a very big deal.

Let’s examine the recent Georgia voting law—the Election Integrity Act of 2021. As with Covid, everyone is an expert on this. I’ll narrow the focus for brevity to just the most contentious aspect of the new law—the requirement to show an ID when in-person voting or for absentee voting. In fact, the law contains an exemption for people without ID to provide their Social Security number (line 1244 of the law) when absentee voting. It also allows a potential voter who does not have a driver’s license to receive a free ID card.

The “wokesters” call this racist voter suppression. Is it?

In the last few months, several polls have shown a large majority of Americans, including a majority of Democrats, support IDs for in-person and absentee voting.

Who cares the “wokesters” say, we know what is best. One thing the “wokesters” love to do is to compare American political processes to those in more progressive European countries. A recent survey of 47 European countries showed all but one, the United Kingdom requires a government-issued ID to vote. And in the United Kingdom, voter IDs are mandatory for all elections in Northern Ireland and in parts of England for local elections. No help for the “wokesters” in Europe.

How about our neighbor to the south? Mexico requires a government-issued photo ID to vote. Darn, no help there.

Let’s back up for a minute. Why does anyone need an ID? I think just about everyone has seen the extensive list of activities for which an ID is necessary—obtaining a US passport; driving an automobile; renting an automobile; buying a house; renting a house or apartment; buying liquor; getting a covid vaccination; opening a bank account; cashing a check; boarding a Greyhound bus for any other than intercity travel; boarding a commercial airplane; checking in at a hotel or motel; obtaining many forms of government assistance; being hired for many jobs; and so on.

How racist are the items on this list? Is it racist, or suppressing someone, to require an ID to open a bank account? Or renting a house or apartment? Or getting a US passport? Or legally driving a motor vehicle?

I marvel at the ability of many adults (at least 18 years old) to function in modern American society without a photo ID. That means they don’t drive; don’t buy or rent a residence; have not got the covid vaccination; don’t have any sort of bank account; never take public transportation for other than intercity trips; don’t stay at motels; never had a job requiring a photo ID; and on and on.

But how many US citizens have never done any of the above in their entire life? I imagine almost no adult has missed every situation where an ID is required.

So, is requiring an ID to vote a form of racist voter suppression? If it is, a large majority of Americans disagree. Almost all of Europe and Mexico disagree. And rationality and common sense certainly disagree.

Perhaps Burgess Owens, a member of the US Congress from Utah, says it best when discussing how the new Georgia voting law does not suppress the Black vote.

“What I find extremely offensive is the narrative from the Left that Black people are not smart enough, not educated enough, not desirous enough of an education, to do what every other culture and race does in this country: Get an ID.”

Owens happens to be Black.

The opposition to voter ID illustrates the “woke” Left’s attitude toward Black folks: soft bigotry of low expectations. Gosh, if there was only a word to describe the “wokesters” narrative of racially-based voter suppression. Wait, there is—absurd.

What else have the “wokesters” been up to? How about their drive to undermine the 14^th amendment to the Constitution and the 1964 Civil Rights Act—fundamentals in preventing discrimination and promoting equality under the law.

The 14th Amendment is unequivocal: “No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States … nor deny any person within its jurisdiction equal protection of the law.”

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlaws discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin. Later sexual orientation and gender identity were included.

Below are three recent examples illustrating the systemic nature of the “wokesters” attack on fundamental equality and fairness.

In March 2021, Libby Schaaf (a White woman), the mayor of Oakland, California, announced a privately funded guaranteed income program, $500 dollars a month to 600 families, with no rules on how the money can be spent. To be eligible, applicants must have one child under 18 and income at or below 50% of the area median income—about $59,000 per year per family of three. In addition, participation in the program is limited to Black, indigenous, and people of color—No White people need to apply.

The reason given for excluding Whites is that, on average, White families make about three times as much annually as do Black families.

According to the US Census, in 2019 Oakland had a population of slightly more than 433,000. It is statistically impossible, and stupid to make such an assumption, that there are no White families at or below the 50% median income in a city the size of Oakland. Thus, the reason stated by the mayor for excluding Whites is, let’s hear it, absurd. A government-run program systematically rejects White people. What do you call that? Systemic racism.

On May 18, 2021, Lori Lightfoot (a Black woman), the mayor of Chicago decided that for her second anniversary in office, she would grant one-on-one interviews only to journalists of color, meaning any but White journalists. Really? Doesn’t she have aides who said, “That is an extremely stupid idea.”

What is it called when an elected government official of the third-largest city in the United States refuses to meet with certain journalists based solely on their skin color? Racism.

Well, that’s just local politics. The federal level is different. Surely the US government is not infected with “wokeism.” If you believe that, you are wrong.

One section of President Biden’s $2 trillion American Plan Rescue Act, becoming law on March 11, 2021, created a loan forgiveness program for farmers under the US Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency. Many farmers get direct loans through this agency. Only “socially disadvantaged” farmers may apply for the program. Specifically, the law says those eligible must be “Black/African American, American Indian or Alaskan Native, Hispanic or Latino, or Asian American or Pacific Islander.”

So, loan forgiveness for individuals has one gigantic qualifier—no Whites need to apply. There are no White farmers who, other than being White, would qualify? Of course, there are. In April 2021, five White farmers began legal action against the federal government over overt discrimination.

“Woke” defenders of this obviously discriminatory program justify it because decades ago Black farmers were denied assistance by the Department of Agriculture. Okay, let’s say that is true. Find the Black farmers who were discriminated against, the federal government has records for everything, and compensate them. How does racially discriminating against White farmers today have anything to do with government bureaucracies treating Black farmers unfairly decades ago? The notion is, again, absurd.

Americans believing the absurdities above (and there are hundreds of other examples) are okay, have slipped deep into the cave of willful ignorance. The “wokester” manipulators—most of the media, large parts of academe, some executives in corporate and non-profit America, a hopefully not too large chunk of the Democrat Party, government bureaucrats at every level, and many vocal celebrities and sports figures—seem to never sleep in their onward march toward atrocities. Fortunately, ideological organizations (or just groups of fanatics) can’t afford rational considerations. Start thinking rationally, and the whole thing falls apart. Here’s too rational thinking.

Will we remain free or become the hive mind of wokeism?

Sources

Voltaire

CATO Institute. “The Origins of a Warning from Voltaire.” By Walter Olson. December 20, 2020. https://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/origins-warning-from-voltaire.

Wikipedia. “Voltaire.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voltaire. Last modified June 5, 2021.

Associated Press Style Guide

AP Stylebook. “Race-related coverage.” https://www.apstylebook.com/race-related-coverage

Wikipedia. “AP Stylebook.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AP_Stylebook. Last modified May 15, 2021.

Examples of AP Style Guide in use:

Las Vegas Review Journal. “Minn. Mayor blasts protest response.” By Todd Richmond and Mohamed Ibrahim of the Associated Press. April 17, 2021.

Las Vegas Sun. “GOP seeks to empower poll watchers, raising worries.” By Nick Corasaniti of the New York Times. May 6, 2021.

Las Vegas Sun. “Racism derails Black men’s health, even as education levels rise.” By Virginia Anderson of Kaiser Health News. May 21, 2021.

The Spectrum and Daily News. “People of color more exposed to air pollution.” By Drew Costley of the Associated Press. May 1, 2021.

Georgia Voting Law

The Daily Signal. “4 Myths About the Election Integrity Law in Georgia.” By Mike Howell. https://www.dailysignal.com/2021/04/16/heritage-foundation-fact-checks-the-rhetoric-on-georgia-election-reform-law/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=heritage-foundation-fact-checks-the-rhetoric-on-georgia-election-reform-law&fbclid=IwAR3MsrXANowIlXWECrte5uJCndOUMkyslIzMuVaXx8SrbzOrYCMSpGK8vuE. April 16, 2021.

The Daily Signal. “Exclusive: 21 Black Leaders Denounce the Left’s Lies About Georgia Election Law.” By Fred Lucas. https://www.dailysignal.com/2021/04/20/exclusive-21-black-leaders-defend-georgia-voting-law-as-proper-honest-reform/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=exclusive-21-black-leaders-defend-georgia-voting-law-as-proper-honest-reform&fbclid=IwAR0iSCj1PLrQGioHjaT_O-oBXqDJ6D_Fx3tHYhptuHua86hNvvxGEisJXvI. April 20, 2021.

The Daily Signal. “In Europe, Voter ID is the Norm.” By John R. Lott. June 1, 2021. https://www.dailysignal.com/2021/06/01/in-europe-voter-id-is-the-norm/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=tds-fb&fbclid=IwAR2KN394QBZFgw7BLdoO5suVwCNSBSbNi0uQ-DuZR8mcYq6TL5H7TQcIrcQ

The Daily Wire. “Black Americans Debunk Liberal Talking Point that Voter ID is Racist: They’re Ignorant.” By Amanda Prestigiacomo. https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-black-americans-debunk-liberal-talking-point-that-voter-id-is-racist-theyre-ignorant?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=benshapiro&fbclid=IwAR1Ywq0O-Jssqcf4rEnLc0EZalR_KlzQ8620GPT07fR7Y_rX5g6QYZtQmlE. April 2, 2021

Georgia General Assembly, Election Integrity Act of 2021. https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20212022/201121

Statesman. “PolitiFact: Mexico requires photo ID to vote.” By W. Gardner Selby. Updated September 25, 2018. https://www.statesman.com/news/20160923/politifact-mexico-requires-photo-id-to-vote

Tweet by Burgess Owens. April 28, 2021. https://mobile.twitter.com/burgessowens/status/1387534606421856262

USAGov. “Getting or Renewing a U.S. Passport.” https://www.usa.gov/passport. Last modified May 28, 2021.

Washington Examiner. “Burgess Owens blasts critics of voter ID laws and accuses them of racism.” By Andrew Mark Miller. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/burgess-owens-blasts-voter-id-critics-calls-them-racist. March 12. 2021.

Western Journal. “Poll: 77% of Americans Support Photo ID to Vote, Even a Majority of Democrats Agree.” By Cameron Arcand. April 27, 2021. https://www.westernjournal.com/poll-77-americans-support-photo-vote-even-majority-democrats-agree/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=westernjournalism&utm_content=2021-04-27&utm_campaign=manualpost&fbclid=IwAR27fP8HvKAYN6rRj1HZ0gPwJKHr1pWZp8GJOkwNAfgyFiQmhvoiCTXGpZw

Attacks on Constitution and 1964 Civil Rights Act

Associated Press. “Oakland launches guaranteed pay plan for low-income people.” By Adam Beam. March 23, 2021. https://apnews.com/article/oakland-launch-guaranteed-income-low-income-family-of-color-f3c3891bd8b359695ca4c6dc9ba3f8ff

Associated Press. “White farmers seeking loan forgiveness sue U.S. government over racial bias.” April 29, 2021. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/white-farmers-loan-forgiveness-lawsuit-racial-bias/

Chicago Tribune. “Mayor Lori Lightfoot chooses only reporters of color for interviews ahead of 2-year anniversary, sparking debate over media diversity and access.” By Alice Yin. May 19, 2021. https://www.chicagotribune.com/politics/ct-lori-lightfoot-interviews-journalists-of-color-20210519-o6g2ksmaxjditmdainrfvrviia-story.html

Congress.gov. “H.R. 1319 – American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.” https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/1319/text

The Daily Signal. “5 White Farmers Sue Over Loan Forgiveness Only for Blacks, Other Minorities.” By M. D. Kittle. April 29, 2021. https://www.dailysignal.com/2021/04/29/5-white-farmers-sue-over-loan-forgiveness-only-for-blacks-other-minorities/

The Daily Wire. “Latino Reporter Blasts Chicago Mayor’s Reported Decision Not To Do Interviews With White Journalists.” By Charlotte Pence Bond. May 19, 2021. https://www.dailywire.com/news/latino-reporter-blasts-chicago-mayors-reported-decision-not-to-do-interviews-with-white-journalists?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=benshapiro&fbclid=IwAR3rXRnwUuICmlVFpS06z9gjQxX4WPfi6xN0UedhWpviRR3p0zi5lIUuzHA

The Independent. “Diversity: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly Part 2.” By Howard Sierer. March 21, 2021. https://suindependent.com/diversity-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-part-2/

Reason. “Basic Income Programs in Marin County and Oakland Exclude White People. Is that Legal? By Christian Britschgi. March 29, 2021. https://reason.com/2021/03/29/basic-income-programs-in-marin-county-and-oakland-exclude-white-people-is-that-legal/

United States Census. “Quick Facts, Oakland City, California.” https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/oaklandcitycalifornia

Western Journal. “Tulsi Gabbard Takes Stand Against Incompetent Leftists, Calls for Chicago Mayor to Resign.” By Andrew Thornebrooke. May 21, 2021. https://www.westernjournal.com/tulsi-gabbard-takes-stand-incompetent-leftists-calls-chicago-mayor-resign/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=westernjournalism&utm_campaign=dlvritfeed&utm_content=2021-05-21&fbclid=IwAR31vwgdhUSmph6REonnQqKufsH5V8gDFbvKEc6uJl9vDUtEmedqX40CIYE

Wikipedia. “Civil Rights Act of 1964,” Last modified June 9, 2021. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_Rights_Act_of_1964

Wikipedia. “Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.” Last modified June 2, 2021. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourteenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution

Viewpoints and perspectives expressed throughout The Independent are those of the individual contributors. They do not necessarily reflect those held by the staff of The Independent or our advertising sponsors. Your comments, rebuttals, and contributions are welcome in accordance with our Terms of Service. Please be respectful and abide by our Community Rules. If you have privacy concerns you can view our Privacy Policy here. Thank you! 

Click here to submit an article, guest opinion piece, or a Letter to the Editor