Two Events That Are Symbolic Of Our Current Society

Being a citizen of the United States for over eighty years, I have seen and heard a lot of very strange things, especially during what is charitably called "political discourse." I witnessed another of these fantastic incidents recently. This one was particularly troubling, because it has become so commonplace that it could be described as symbolic of this era. I am referring to presidential candidate Martin O'Malley's cringing public apology for saying "all lives matter." In all my years, I never dreamed the time would come when an American had to apologize for saying "all lives matter." O'Malley was exposed to what is becoming a fairly typical audience reaction from social activist organizations - i.e., Black Activist Associations, LBGTQ Alliances, Transgender Support Groups: - audience members interrupt the speaker, shout him off the stage, and often threaten him. This wouldn't happen in a civilized society, but as neither our leaders nor our news media will speak out against it, we can expect it to continue. I was disappointed by O'Malley's apology, and I certainly expected a strong, indignant response to his craven public groveling. Although many referred to O'Malley as a coward, the public's reaction was fairly mild,

The reason O'Malley was forbidden to say "all lives matter" is because it detracts from the current establishment-sanctioned doctrine, "black lives matter." Also, "all lives matter" might give the impression that other groups - even some white folks - might deserve consideration. In prior generations, an American could say that every life mattered. But in those times, Americans hadn't yet been instructed by politicians and media that simply being a white person could have ruinous effects on society. Americans had not yet been indoctrinated with concepts like "white privilege" and "social justice." But in the decades since the 1960s, the public has been inundated with these "progressive" concepts, - In fact, they have been shoved down our throats. And this proselytizing has been so effective that we are essentially witnessing episodes of "mass hysteria" among the populace. - A medical dictionary defines mass hysteria as " a socially contagious frenzy of irrational behavior in a group of people as a reaction to an event." In Colonial Massachusetts, some women behaved so strangely that a group of citizens accused them of being witches. Eventually, public trials were held and many suspicious acting women were convicted of being witches, and put to death. With the advent of radio, mass behavior of even larger groups could be influenced. Orson Welles' radio production of "The War of the Worlds" created panic throughout an enormous region of the country. With the creation of television and Internet, we essentially have become a 'social-media culture.' A significant segment of society decides what to think and how to behave by viewing TV programs and national news media - It is no exaggeration to conclude that the lives of the masses are primarily media-driven. This is the kind of society that self-serving politicians have long sought. Hot lights, cameras, and microphones are in evidence at any event that might be used to influence public opinion, even funerals. There is nothing wrong with political types attending funerals, but too often they cross the line between mourning and politicking.

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We have recently witnessed how burial services are being exploited - Freddie Gray's Baltimore funeral, Tony Robinson's interment in Wisconsin, and especially the various Charleston services for murdered church parishioners. At the Charleston funeral service he attended, President Obama not only proposed gun control laws and removing the Confederate flag, but he also railed against black poverty, discriminatory voting laws, and inadequate job opportunities for minorities. You would think that Mr. Obama was speaking at a Democratic fund raiser rather than a burial service. More subtle perhaps was South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley's cosying up to race hustler Al Sharpton after one of the funerals. This was something new for this Governor. According to South Carolina journalists now defending Haley, her grief was so intensely felt that her viewpoints were forever changed. Her grief was obviously extreme and her bereavement was certainly genuine. After all, these murders were tragic. And the high emotion of the moment justified the comforting of nearby mourners, setting aside past socio/political differences. So we have this picture of Governor Haley hugging Al Sharpton. But we must not let sentiment alone frame the meaning of this picture. After the enthusiastic embrace, Governor Haley and Al Sharpton held each other fondly, as they smiled and talked. And after this fervent snuggle, Sharpton offered some remarks that included these comments: "... we both agreed to meet in the future to discuss a range of issues... a serious conversation about racism and inequality...” At this point many became a little cynical about the grief-induced Haley-Sharpton relationship. Al Sharpton's remedies for eliminating racism have usually benefited him personally more than they benefited members of the black community. Even if Haley's over-enthusiastic hug was merely impulsive, her actions made it crystal-clear that, in the Governor's estimation, Al Sharpton is someone worthy of esteem. How can Haley respect Al Sharpton considering this man's history? A grand jury found that his Tawana Brawley accusations were fabricated; his verbal attacks on Hasidic Jews incited a mob reaction that resulted in the death of a Jewish student. Likewise, as a result of his accusations against Freddie's Fashion Mart, the building was set fire and seven people killed. Sharpton has never refuted his hateful statements about Jews and Gays. Indeed, he has never renounced or shown contrition for any of his activities, so we have to assume that he will continue them. And why not? His questionable actions have provided him with an enormous fortune, so enormous that the IRS is still struggling to collect almost $5 million of unpaid taxes. But you will wait in vain for South Carolina newspapers to raise questions about the integrity of Governor Haley's accommodation of Al Sharpton. Like the mainstream media, these local newspapers are also pushing the popular political contrivances of the Leftist establishment. I suspect that Haley's fond association with Sharpton is a career move, an indication to the public that she has abandoned her political allegiances. Think what you will, Gov. Haley now presents a new public mask, and we must recall that social scientists maintain that politicians rarely behave spontaneously; instead their actions always involve some degree of advance calculation. Martin O'Malley's coerced apology for saying "all lives matter", and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley's non-judgmental acceptance of race-baiter Al Sharpton tell us a lot about the current state of affairs in our society. They say that a picture is worth a thousand words. To many of us, the picture of Governor Haley hugging Al Sharpton does not bode well, but South Carolina's newspaper journalists seem to be enthralled by it.