Congratulations to Maya Angelou. The Mint has announced that it's putting out a series of quarters with women on them... and one of them is Maya Angelou! Naturally, the media is treating Maya's encoinment as an "historic" and "groundbreaking" achievement. But what ground did she break?
Oh, I know. She's the first black person on our currency, right? Well, no. That would be George Washington Carver, Booker T. Washington and Jackie Robinson. So, not the first black. Then she must be the first woman, right?! No, not that either. That would be Martha Washington, Pocahontas, Susan B. Anthony, Helen Keller and Sacagawea, plus of course Lady Liberty. So she's the 7th woman and the 4th black. So what exactly does the media think is so groundbreaking then? Well, she's the first black woman. //rolls eyes That is how identity politics works: if you can carve out a favored category, then your achievements -- no matter how many came before you, suddenly are supposedly unique. It's kind like the way dog shows pretend there are two types of Beagles below 13 inches tall and 13-15 inches tall. And where pushing race and gender are concerned, there is no hair small enough that you can't split another Beagle.
At least she's part of a veritable rainbow of women on these coins, right?! A broad coalition of women of all shapes and sizes and colors, right? Uh, no. The Mint will be minting quarters with a white woman, a black woman, an Hispanic woman and a Chinese-American woman. It will not be minting any lesbians, Trans-women, India-Indians, non-Chinese Asians, Arabs, Jews, Muslims, or handicapped women, not to mention the portly, the shortly and the tall. Sorry suckerettes, but when it comes to identity politics some Beagles are more equal than others.
They did choose the best black woman they could find though, right? You tell me. Are people in a hundred years going to wonder who the hell this obscure writer was? Do you think they would struggle more or less to remember Rosa Parks or Harriet Tubman. Even among modern women, who is more likely to be remembered? This friend of the Clintons or Oprah, Condoleezza Rice, or Serena Williams.
You tell me.
Oh, I know. She's the first black person on our currency, right? Well, no. That would be George Washington Carver, Booker T. Washington and Jackie Robinson. So, not the first black. Then she must be the first woman, right?! No, not that either. That would be Martha Washington, Pocahontas, Susan B. Anthony, Helen Keller and Sacagawea, plus of course Lady Liberty. So she's the 7th woman and the 4th black. So what exactly does the media think is so groundbreaking then? Well, she's the first black woman. //rolls eyes That is how identity politics works: if you can carve out a favored category, then your achievements -- no matter how many came before you, suddenly are supposedly unique. It's kind like the way dog shows pretend there are two types of Beagles below 13 inches tall and 13-15 inches tall. And where pushing race and gender are concerned, there is no hair small enough that you can't split another Beagle.
At least she's part of a veritable rainbow of women on these coins, right?! A broad coalition of women of all shapes and sizes and colors, right? Uh, no. The Mint will be minting quarters with a white woman, a black woman, an Hispanic woman and a Chinese-American woman. It will not be minting any lesbians, Trans-women, India-Indians, non-Chinese Asians, Arabs, Jews, Muslims, or handicapped women, not to mention the portly, the shortly and the tall. Sorry suckerettes, but when it comes to identity politics some Beagles are more equal than others.
They did choose the best black woman they could find though, right? You tell me. Are people in a hundred years going to wonder who the hell this obscure writer was? Do you think they would struggle more or less to remember Rosa Parks or Harriet Tubman. Even among modern women, who is more likely to be remembered? This friend of the Clintons or Oprah, Condoleezza Rice, or Serena Williams.
You tell me.
5 comments:
Heh, well-put, Andrew. If her poetry hadn't been regularly assigned for Black History Month stuff when I was in school I'd never have heard of her myself. Admittedly I'm not a poetry person to start with so I'm not the best judge of these matters but she always struck me as being more of a media star rather than one who gained any degree of renown from the average person for quality work even back then. Still, that choice says it all about how the modern left and Democrats view blacks, huh? Can't have any of those people you mentioned, they actually accomplished things (and Booker T. Washington even saw the modern grievance mongers coming even back then and had something to say about it, unless said quote got wrongly attributed to him in the Great Internet Game of Telephone). Better to recognize minorities who know that their proper place helping smug, almost always upper class white, leftists virtue signal. And isn't science cis het white male supremacy these days? Unless it backs the Winnie the Flu narrative of course. *Sigh* These people and their insane contradictions would be funny if they weren't doing so much damage to the country and average people's lives with their garbage. It does look like reality is getting ready to tear them down soon, thankfully, it's just going to be an issue of surviving the damage that does and rebuilding afterwards. And how that's going to shake out, especially after the years of damage all of this has caused (and the alternative to their insanity having a lot of its own brand of self-destructive stupid) who can say?
Hi Daniel,
Identity politics is a dangerous thing. It's about separating people into tribes and teaching each tribe that the others hate them. What rational person would ever arrange a society along those lines?
But even more to the point, this is group think among the left without any thought. Calling this historic is stupid. It belittles genuine achievement and it makes black women seem kind of like losers if they are counting this as an achievement. Not only does it define an "achievement" as something others have done for you, but it praises people for doing what dozens of others already have... a "you also finished the race" award treated like it has meaning to anyone but you.
And ultimately, I find the choice kind of stupid. If you want genuine achievement, go with the women I mentioned. Or how about MLK or a jazz great or Clarence Thomas or Thurgood Marshall? All better choices.
Kyle,
I can't seem to post on the other article at the moment... not sure why. Anyways:
I look forward to hearing your thoughts on progressives, and other things. I think you will find the articles I'll reference interesting. I was very impressed with them.
As an aside, "The Trouble With Harry" is my favorite Hitchcock! I love that movie! :)
Andrew, The Trouble with Hairy really is great! It’s a nice underrated little movie that no one seems to give praise for… It has great atmosphere, an engaging story and excellent acting. Alfred Hitchcock is one of those directors that gets his due praise, His films are simply awesome!
Even when Alfred Hitchcock was in severe mental decline; he still managed to put out Frenzy. An odd film with very contrasting scenes (for example: a haunting rape scene juxtaposed with genuinely funny comedic scenes within the same film). Hitchcock's worst films are still eons better than the generic crap Hollywood has farted out over the last few decades.
-Kyle.
I personally would've rather seen the honor go to Madam C.J. Walker. But I'm a capitalist pig.
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