Rebecca Hains

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The Racism Derangement Syndrome... and the Consequent Real Princess Problem*

Every week (or rather almost every day), virtue-signaling New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe, and many other media outlets publish unoriginal black-good—white-bad stereotype op-eds.  I have yet to read a black-bad—white-good op-ed in those papers... or better yet a journalist-bad/critic- of-journalist-good op-ed.  And of course those papers will not publish a counter op-ed like this one.  And yes, in vain, l have tried over and again to pierce their ideological brick wall.  

Rebecca Hains is on the PC-bandwagon at Salem State University as professor of media and communication, as well as faculty fellow for diversity... or perhaps rather as a faculty gal for vacuity.  Her Washington Post article, “Dear fellow white people: Here’s what to do when you’re called racist,” is predictable, unoriginal PC-blather.  Do white taxpayers really need a white academic to tell them what to do in order to be in lock-step?  Moreover, we’re all racist to a certain extent.  After all, it is actually human to perceive differences and judge.  Those like Hains, who somehow think they are not racist (anti-white is a form of racism!), are simply deniers of that fact. 

Now, an article on black racism in the name of real diversity would have taken a little courage on Hains’ part, as faculty fellow of diversity, and necessitated a rather large step out of the pc-safe box of academic groupthink.  In any case, unsurprisingly/unoriginally, Hains begins her op-ed with an anti-Trump statement:  “Trump supporters say they’re ‘tired of being called racists.’”  Well, I’m not a Trump supporter, but I’m also not inflicted with Trump Derangement Syndrome.  When I was teaching at Bennett College and Grambling State University, I was called a racist because I drew critical cartoons of blacks.  Yet, in general, I sketched more cartoons critical of whites.  But those two institutions were HBCUs (historically black colleges and universities).  Also, that accusation did not get me “tired.”  It simply gave me more grist for my writing and cartooning.  What I am “tired” of is the tedious Racism Derangement Syndrome inflicting so many ideologues like Hains.  But again that provides me with a supply of grist, something my creativity needs to chew on.  

“Making racist remarks while claiming not to be racist seems paradoxical,” notes Hains, while citing a few Trumper incidents, including an alleged statement by a woman regarding Dem. Rep. Ilhan Omar:  “I don’t want her stinkin’ Muslim crap in my country.”  Well, quite frankly I don’t either (e.g., severe restrictions on free speech, egregious anti-semitism, misogyny, and Sharia law).  If that makes me a racist, who gives a damn?  But, Mme Professor since when is Muslim a race?  Hmm.

  And are there really no racists on the Democrat-Party side?  How can one write an objective article when chained to such political bias?  Not possible!  The very title of Hains’ article is racist, putting all whites on the Trump side into the racist-stereotype box.  Well, in a febrile effort to be balanced, Hains does mention blackface Democrat governor of Virginia, Ralph Northam, but he is one of the “good allies of people of color.”

Hains provides those “tired” whites Dear Abby-like advice in the form of AA steps.  Step 1 focuses not on whether or not what you said was truth, but rather “How it was received by those around you (as reflecting a racist bias)” and “How you respond to those who identified racism in your words or actions.”  In other words, kill truth if it might be perceived as racist.  And for racism specialists like Hains, somehow not being perceived as a racist is the most important thing in the universe.  

“What can I do about bias?” constitutes step #2.  Engage in serious reeducation programs is the answer, of course, though not quite put that way.  Hains suggests MTV’s online bias cleanse program.  Now, I wonder if she’s tried it to help cleanse her white bad/black good and other pc-biases.  If so, it evidently was not a very effective program.  Step 3 suggests staying calm and asking for clarification:  “Take a deep breath and pause after being called racist. You will probably feel attacked and defensive. Check those emotions and avoid argument.”  And yet if we are encouraged to eliminate argumentation by academics, what’s the point of higher education?  Groupthink!  And what if in fact the accusation of racism is without foundation, as it often seems to be today?  According to Hains’ formula:  avoid cogent counter-argumentation and simply accept the accusation with “calm and ask for clarification.”  

Step 4 suggests “Don’t interrupt or justify yourself; you’re not on trial. Your goal in this exchange is to listen and learn.”  Why not instead justify yourself with facts and reason, rather than opening wide and trying your best to swallow some white-racist/black-not-racist crap formulated by overpaid, fully-indoctrinated, pc-professors?  Again, facts and reason are of prime importance, as opposed to trying to fit in, being a good team-player, and thinking like the “educated” groupthink mob.  Yet I certainly can agree with Hains that it is good to listen to the other side.  But the other side needs also to be open to that, though usually with racism accusations it is far from being open to that.  

The final step, five, is to express gratitude for being offered an explanation.  Yet what if the explanation is nothing short of hollow nonsense?  The real problem Hains fails to address, regarding racism, is the use of racist accusations to terminate debate, to dismiss uncomfortable facts, to denigrate reason, and to kill the messenger…  Now, how did a reason-devoid op-ed get published in the great Washington Post?  Need I answer that question?

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*Hains’ book is titled The Princess Problem:  Guiding Our Girls through the Princess Obsessed Years.