A Certain Point of View: Writing, Film and Stuff

On the questions-and-answers site Quora, conservative member James Dowry asks: Why is patriotism now deemed offensive, and how can we stop it? My reply: It’s not patriotism  per se  that is deemed offensive. It’s the nearly-hysterical, exaggerated, almost cult-like jingoism and hyper-nationalism that is extremely offensive. Speaking as a first-generation U.S.-born citizen whose parents legally immigrated from Colombia in 1961, I am not ashamed to say that I’m an American. I’ve never self-identified as a “hyphenated American,” i.e. Colombian-American, and I’ve never considered claiming dual citizenship, even though it’s perfectly legal to do so. As far as I’m concerned, I was born in the U.S., so I’m American,  not  Colombian. I’ve also owned two U.S. flag kits, which enabled me to proudly display the American flag on national holidays and other days in which calendars (mostly those sent every year by veterans’ groups to which either my late mom or...

Battle Flag of the Army of Northern Virginia. On Quora, member Cody Pafford asks: Why are people offended by the Confederate battle flag? My reply: Because the 11 states that formed the Confederate States of America from March 1861 to April of 1865 rebelled against the Union to defend the odious institution of slavery. As a result of this dark stain on the American psyche, and because Southern apologists have tried mightily to whitewash history by claiming the Civil War was fought over the more innocuous principle of “States’ Rights,” the Stars and Bars - which was originally the battle flag of the Army of Northern Virginia, but was later incorporated into the last two national flags of the entire Confederacy - represents the side that started the bloodiest war in American history. Most people who know the history of the Civil War and the design history behind American flags will say - accurately - that this is not the  national flag  of the Confederate State...

What are your thoughts on Trump tweeting that four liberal congresswomen should go home to the countries from which they came when three of them were born in the US? Frankly, I am not surprised in the slightest. Donald Trump has a long history of saying insensitive, degrading, racist, and xenophobic remarks about people of color and foreigners who are not from mostly-white European countries. In an August 2016 Time magazine story, readers were reminded of how then-Candidate Trump expressed his views about Mexicans: Donald Trump  kicked off his presidential bid  more than a year ago with harsh words for Mexico. “They are not our friend, believe me,” he said, before disparaging Mexican immigrants:  “They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.” He’s also not shy about his feelings about American citizens whose skin tone is darker than his own orange-tanned epidermis. During the 2016 Presidential campa...

On Quora, member Ethan Endres asks Why do so many people think conservatives are racist? My answer: First, I’d like to point out that I think this question is rather flawed and shows a right-wing bias. It’s a prime example of what my high school and college English instructors taught their students to avoid in their argumentative essays: a gross generality. Second, let’s be very clear that I don’t think that every individual who espouses conservative beliefs is  ipso facto  a racist. There are black conservatives, Hispanic conservatives, Asian-American conservatives, and multi-ethnic conservatives. Calling them  racist  is rather ludicrous, don’t you think? That having been said, many of us who happen to embrace liberal world-views do think that conservatives as a voting bloc tend to do two things that make them look racist. They deny that systemic racism still exists in post-Jim Crow America Many conservative voters - especially in the former Conf...

Is Tucker Carlson a White Supremacist? I’m convinced that Tucker Carlson  is  a white supremacist, or, at the very least, says horrible things that make him sound like one. I mean, seriously now; how can one not think that someone who says any of the following statements is  not  a white supremacist? “Immigrants make America poorer — and dirtier — and more divided.” “White men deserve the credit for creating civilization.” “The Iraqis are nothing but a bunch of semiliterate primitive monkeys.” “You know, I am not even sure that President Obama is really black.” “We need a Presidential candidate who will blame the lunatic Muslims who are behaving like animals.” So, yep. I do believe Mr. Carlson is a racist jerk who believes that the “white race” is superior.

One of the saddest truths that Americans in the 21st Century face every day is that racism, that ever-present stain on the national soul, has never gone away. In fact, over the past decade, there has been an uptick in hate crimes, racist "jokes" and propaganda claims, and a growing boldness among Ku Klux Klan members, neo-Nazis, and white supremacists marked by public rallies, dissemination of "politically incorrect" spiels on YouTube and elsewhere, and "jokes" that are not at all funny. Take the case of Florida high school student Noah Crowley, who thought it would be hilarious to send a "promposal" to his girlfriend, Isabella Vinalli on the social media outlet Snapchat. In an article that appears in the Tampa Bay free newspaper tbt*, reporter Devin Rodriguez writes: Noah Crowley, 18, sent out the "promposal" on Sunday over Snapchat. It shows a picture of him holding a sign that states: "If I was black I’d be picking cotto...

How can we return American society to the 1950s, when people were more politically incorrect? You can’t. Time, societies, and history only go forward in time,  not  backward. The idealized 1950s Extreme conservatives who also happen to be white, religious (often Evangelical Protestants but, really, from any denomination) that miss the “good ol’ days” seem to be asking this, not just on Quora, but in other social media and in “real life” conversations. On the surface, asking “How can we return American society to the ‘50s, when people were more politically incorrect?” seems rather innocent enough, evoking nostalgia for an era where life seemed idyllic. Idyllic, that is, if you were a white person, especially a white male person, with strong religious beliefs and staunchly conservative political views. What the questioner is really asking, though, is this: Why can’t we return American society to a period of history when it was: Okay to discriminate against ...

President Donald J. Trump is perhaps the least popular Chief Executive in U.S. history, according to the latest Gallup poll, published today by the venerable management consulting and polling organization founded in 1935 by George Gallup. Per today's poll , Mr. Trump's job approval rating shows that only 39% of Americans think the President is doing a good job. This is a slight improvement over the low poll results mentioned this weekend, when it was reported that only 37% of Americans believe that Trump is a good commander in chief. The low poll ratings come after the White House released Mr. Trump's proposed budget, America First: A Budget Blueprint to Make America Great Again. This is the controversial preliminary plan by budget manager Mick Mulvaney to increase defense spending by $54 billion and fund the Mexican Wall - the President's pet project - with an additional $21.6 billion. To offset these expensive projects without raising taxes or endangering the ...