The pot is boiling. The burner is turned up high and the water is roiling with thermal energy. It won’t be long before scalding water will be spattering on the stove top. This seems a fitting image to describe the anger that is almost boiling over throughout the country. No matter who you are or where you live you might feel that you have a grievance against some group even if they are deceased.
Charlottesville seems to be the catalyst for much of this angst. But, ironically, the physical clash that took place in Charlottesville among discreet special interests——Neo-Nazis, White Supremacists, and Antifa has since devolved into a much more diverse and amorphous assortment of complainants. Not surprising to astute political observers, the Democratic Party seems to be considering he admonition of one of its own. It was Rahm Emanuel, Democratic Mayor of Chicago who said, “never let a good crisis go to waste.”
As the result of the tragedy in Charlottesville that resulted in 3 deaths and many serious injuries, there is now an organic movement sweeping the country with the purpose to purge the nation of civil war era monuments, which commemorate and celebrate the accomplishments of notable Americans, mostly members or supporters of the Confederacy during the Civil War, who were known to either own slaves or to support the institution. People of all stripes have gone on record, advocating for the removal/relocation of these statues and other artifacts from the public square. Some even advocate the destruction of the monuments.
The Democratic Party appears to be in a feeding frenzy over the issue and, in the spirit of using a crisis to their advantage, it would not be surprising to learn it is actually advocating more ominous measures to sanitize the body of American law, including the Constitution, Articles of Confederation and any other sacred records that may have been authored or sponsored by elected or appointed officials, known to be slaveholders, or to have been sympathizers to slavery.
Such thinking could potentially result in the loss, or amendment of any of the Bill of Rights, which would be tantamount to a revolution without firing a shot. The American people would not stand for it. Attempts to reverse or undo history would not be tolerated. During the 18th and 19th centuries, rich plantation owners in the South and industrialists in the North among others owned slaves and such reality doesn’t suggest the products of their minds or the toil of their brawn was evil or corrupt.
One other dimension to this period of unrest can be seen in the direct verbal denouncements of the President. His public remarks on three occasions have resulted in condemnation from many corners, including from his own party. Regretfully he was very inarticulate in expressing remorse and sadness over the Charlottesville unrest. He condemned the violence, bigotry and racial unrest, even berating the participating groups for the violence. But, during the occasion of his third set of remarks he tried to point out that there may have been some good-spirited people entangled among the organized groups, which had the effect of reversing his previous condemnation of these groups. Consequently, his bully pulpit did not accomplish anything constructive in the aftermath of the debacle in Charlottesville, resulting in polarization among observers and activists.
A cooling off period is needed. This won’t happen unless the President owns up to his misstatements. The narcissist-in-chief needs to show some humility. The pot is boiling.
Perspectives expressed in op-eds do not reflect the views of The Daily Caller.
