By now, you are familiar with all of the turmoil surrounding the video showing a group of University of Oklahoma students engaged in an expression of free speech that is considered racism by societal norms. You are also aware that the local chapter of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity the students belonged to has been shut down, a handful of students have been expelled, and several athletes previously committing to the University have withdrawn.
By all accounts, the episode shown in the video is one of the worst cases of racism ever observed on a college campus. The outrage has been so profound that one would think the students in the video were on the verge of running out and physically assaulting minorities. Unfortunately, the lack of perspective shown by those purporting to be outraged is part of what continues to fuel the problem of racism in America.
If our society truly wants to bring an end to the types of episodes portrayed in the video, and that's even assuming doing so is possible, we need to take a step back and examine our reactions to these kinds of things. I would submit to you that the majority of the outrage directed at the University of Oklahoma students is not real. It is manufactured outrage based on political correctness, elitism and a vast amount of ignorance about what really goes on behind closed doors in modern society.
Racism Not Confined to White College Students
For the record, I am not shocked by the behavior I witnessed on the Oklahoma video. I am shocked by how many other people are shocked by it. Does anyone really think that racism is confined to white college students at Midwestern universities? Does anyone honestly believe that only whites can be racist? Because if that is the case, there is a more serious problem than a bunch of frat boys singing a song after having a little too much to drink.
It is true that speaking ill of blacks is completely unacceptable under any terms. It is true that making references to the lynchings of the past is completely inappropriate. It is true that judging individuals by the color of their skin cannot be justified morally or ethically. However, these truths are consistent across all skin colors, economic classes, educational levels, and geographic locations. What is good for white college students in Oklahoma is equally good for everyone else.
Evidence of Manufactured Outrage
Earlier I made the statement that much of the outrage surrounding this latest incident is manufactured. Now, let's get on to the evidence. Exhibit A is a 1992 hip-hop song from an artist of the name of Apache. In this wonderful piece of lyrical artistry, Apache tells his listeners the following:
Kill de white people!
Whoahh
We gonna make dem hurt
Kill de white people!
Whoahh
But buy my record first
Hahaha..
Fortunately, this song was released on the one and only album Apache made. His short-lived musical career didn't last long enough for him to put forth anything more. Moving on to exhibit B, consider the following comments made by civil rights activist Al Sharpton 1994:
"White folks was [sic] in caves while we was building empires. We taught philosophy and astrology and mathematics before Socrates and them Greek homos ever got around to it."
Lest you say my evidence is too old to be meaningful, don't forget the racist remarks uncovered over at Sony last year. There were also those hate-filled racist tweets leveled at conservatives Nikki Haley and Tim Scott following last November's elections. Some of the tweets posted by disgruntled liberals make the Oklahoma University video seem fairly tame by comparison.
Here's the point: if we are outraged enough to close down a college fraternity and expel students for singing a racist song, why is racism allowed to permeate hip-hop music? If radio host Don Imus is put out of work for making racist comments, why is Al Sharpton still working as a TV commentator? Because outrage is determined by political affiliation. That means it is manufactured.
As I see it, there are three kinds of people involved in this manufactured outrage. First are the politicians and activists who stand to gain from it. Second are the educational elites who believe being outraged makes them superior to everyone else. Third are the run-of-the-mill citizens who are outraged simply because the politicians, activists and leaders tell them to be.
The real problem with racism in the United States is not white college students; it is the leaders of the land who continue to foment racism as a means of dividing and conquering. And that's the truth.
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