If anyone was hoping that I would stop beating this horse I’m not sorry to disappoint you. Today I had a conversation with someone I served in the Navy with. He stayed on active duty and retired after 32 years as a Vice Admiral. I was a young black officer he was white. Although our backgrounds and Navy experience were different we have remained friends. When I say friends I really mean friends. He remains one of a handful of people that I could count on in a crunch.
The subject of our discussion was the controversy around Critical Race Theory. I of course initiated the discussion because we have known each other for more than forty years. I asked Dave why so many people in the White community were afraid of the Critical Race Theory. He didn’t hesitate to respond. He said that the Critical Race Theory brings into question the benevolence of white people. It introduces uncomfortable truths that confront people with reality versus fairy-tales. He went on to say that it’s one thing to know the truth, it’s another thing to see it in black and white and be confronted with it.
Because the notion of American exceptionalism is so integrated into the US self perception they are scared shirtless of their children and grandchildren coming to them and asking why the truth was kept from them. It made perfect sense. If your entire self perception is built on the premise that everything you did is honorable and then you find out that it wasn’t the lie becomes the more palatable choice. Today gave me something to think about and something to open my eyes even wider. Can this gulf be closed??
Think!!
Eyes Wide 👀 Open!!!
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