Dakota Beacon

            As riots descend on American cities, suddenly social justice trumps social distancing as the cause-of-the-day. Confused? Let’s explore.

            Amazing. Fifty years after passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, reinforced by state laws and local ordinances, not to mention the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and other federal agencies, electing a multitude of black mayors, black city councils, appointing black police chiefs, hiring black police, and opening the education system with preferential treatment for blacks and minorities it begs a question. Where’s the racial progress? Explaining their failure to correct inequities, liberals created an alternative universe of explanations – white supremacy, white guilt, white privilege, the systemic racism canard, all loaded with narrow definitions suited to their activism. And still they want a “conversation” on their terms alone. As the greater population sees through the codswallop, that “conversation” may be a long time coming.

            The vile and hideous murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer is the latest cause celebre. He and three other officers are charged and will stand trial. Period. No argument can justify their behavior. Nevertheless, painting all police officers with the broad brush of “racism” can only lead up the dark ally of nihilism. Who wants that? Antifa? Black Lives Matter and their fellow travelers? Mainstream media reporting to the contrary, FBI and DOJ data does not support pervasive racial abuse by police. Beyond that, what does looting, burning, and rioting have to do with honoring George Floyd’s memory?

            No rioting is possible without first sowing bad seeds in fertile minds. A continuous spawning of “hate America” has percolated for decades in academia. Allegations of racism roll easily off the tongue creating flash points and motivating direct action activists. From that point emotions become malleable.

            How have so many high school and college youth come to hate America? Predominantly Caucasian youth burned and looted black and minority owned businesses while chanting “Black Lives Matter.” How does that work? Those who did not participate in mayhem (many of them young women) certainly did not take steps to deter it. In the end, black and minority residents – families, the elderly, the infirm -- were left without neighborhood facilities like grocery stores and pharmacies.

            No single answer addresses all issues. That said, for at least a last half-century Marxist bastions on college campuses promulgated and consolidated the “hate America” theme. Little mystery that groups like Antifa, Refuse Fascism, and By All Means Necessary thrive on campuses.

            Enter Howard Zinn’s book, “A People’s History of the United States”. It is widely taught in high schools and colleges. By any reasonable definition, Zinn’s book does not deserve to have “history” in the title. It is filled with lies, omissions, distortions of evidence, logical fallacies, and plagiarism. Yet, the book appeals to the uninformed and the vulnerable. It is alluring to the reader’s emotions convincing him that Zinn has revealed the long-suppressed gruesome truth about America’s past.

            The power of “A People’s History of the United States” to inspire revolutionary, violent action should not be underestimated. Antifa, for example, is no mere protest movement. It specializes in co-opting legitimate protests and turning them into riots for the revolution. Their goal is a worldwide revolution, a vision Zinn shared. And Zinn’s screed is gospel in academia.

            Two additional mind-poisoning campus resources include Charles Beard’s “Economic Interpretation of the Constitution of the US,” a Marxist effort to disparage America under the guise of scholarship. Also the New York Times “1619 Project” contends that American history should get a do-over where white folk can’t contribute. America must be transformed to right the wrongs of the past.

            Inept Blue City mayors and Blue State governors have a solution to the so-called police brutality of blacks. Get rid of police! Cut their budget! So, who will enforce law and order? Black Lives Matter with its origin and history of violence? Black Panthers? Alexander Solzhenitsyn wrote clearly of his experiences in the Communist gulags. A small cadre of camp officials controlled a ruthless criminal element who in turn controlled the rest of the prison population. Don’t laugh. Washington, DC, Minneapolis, and Los Angeles are all actively discussing disassembling their police departments. And who will replace them?

            Why haven’t the liberal Democrat-run cities and states solved their race problem? With all the black mayors and black police commissions committed to reform, why haven’t race problems been solved? They’ve had over fifty years to do so. So, what is their proposed solution now? Decriminalize the very acts that police chase people for. Then, get rid of the police. Cut their budget. Genius!

            Do black lives really matter to protestors, rioters, and Antifa? Apparently not. Black and minority-owned businesses were looted and burned to the ground in many cities. Black lives don’t matter for the black police officers killed and injured during the riots. Just hyperbole and hypocrisy.

            Here’s the conundrum. Make the US Constitution work for all. Or, change America into something unknown with liberal and progressive authoritarians in control.

Dennis M. Patrick can be contacted at (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).