The New Normal...oh how I hate that phrase. Part II

Well hey there! Welcome back! Thanks for taking a trip back here, I hope you will be glad you did. So, I guess we will pick up where we left off. So, if you’re comfy, and ready…off we go on my visit to the land known as…

The New Normal.

First, a little disclaimer. While this post, and my previous post as well, may seem a little more history lesson than substance, I can assure you, it is all relatable to the times in which we now live. This post will paint a picture that will almost parallel our current political climate, and how our world is more race-centric than ever before. So, with that said…

Logo of the NAACP

When last we were together, we ended with a tease about how the Democratic Primary affected one of this country’s longest standing civil rights organizations. I am speaking of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Founded in New York City in 1909, the forefront of the civil rights movement was started as an interracial organization. Its origins spawned from a race riot that occurred in Springfield Illinois in 1908. In that event, two black men being held in a Springfield jail for alleged crimes against white people were surreptitiously transferred to a jail in another city, spurring a white mob to burn down 40 homes in Springfield’s black residential district, ransack local businesses and murder two African Americans.

Georgia Gov. Gene Talmadge no
doubt voting for himself

Fast forward to 1948, and the NAACP was again on the forefront, this time on the issue of voter equality. On the day of the democratic primary in Georgia, volunteers with the NAACP were on the ground running shuttles for blacks to the polls. Many faced dangers above and beyond, namely physical attacks and attempts on their lives. Many of these volunteers, as well as those they were charged with getting to the polls, were too frightened after these threats and abandoned their plan to vote. But others, like Isaiah Nixon, went forward and voted against the wishing or most of the white population of Georgia. But this election was unique. Not only was it the first blacks in Georgia could vote in. It was occurring only because the incumbent died before he could take the oath of office.

Gene Talmadge was a 4-time elected governor of Georgia, although (mercifully) he died before he could take the oath of office in 1947. His death caused a free-for-all for the power hungry of Georgia politics. Ultimately the job went to Talmadge’s son Herman who was cut from the same cloth as daddy dearest. It was Herman’s election that is allegedly the reason the Johnson boys killed Isaiah Nixon.

Talmadge was considered a great orator of his day. Much of his platform was based on his ideas as to why segregation was the way to go, and the only way to ensure the life his fellow southern brethren enjoyed. His platform: Simply that the sole purpose of blacks in the south of his time was to destroy and or take over the way of life whites had enjoyed. He also prophesized that black’s intent was to hit whites in the most insidious way possible.

• Taking their jobs.
• Taking their homes.
• Taking their women.

It was that last one that caused the most ire in the soul of good southern gentlemen. Remember the story of Emmett Till? Stay tuned, we will cover that in a future post. But for now, our focus is on the fear that was instilled into true white southerners that blacks were planning to take over. However, Talmadge had a wonderful idea as to how to deal with the “scourge” that was blacks in the south.

Georgia’s coast provided a wonderful drop off point for slave ships that brought individuals over to this country from Africa. So, in Gov. Talmadge’s mind, wouldn’t it be just as easy as to more of less gather up all the blacks, and stamp them “return to sender?” In short, load all the blacks onto boats and return them all to Africa…from whence they came.

We pause now, to ask the question; sound a little familiar? Well, let’s focus on the more specific points of Talmadge’s plan:

• ·         A campaign based on fear, inaccurate information and one individual’s personal bias
• ·         A blatant attempt to further marginalize those already marginalized
• ·         A plan to return these marginalized people to a place they have no real connection

Are these things like anything occurring in our current time?

Not too long ago I was asked my opinion as to why our current President of these United States, had such a bee in his bonnet over former President Barrack Obama. In my mind the answer was two-fold, but quite simple if you break it down. So, let’s take yet another brief trip back in time…

Then citizen Trump fuming at the 2011 White House
Corespondents Dinner...poor thing

It was 2011, and Lally Weymouth, the daughter of Washington Post legends Phil and Katherine Graham, was often accompanied by some of New York’s glitterati to the annual White House Correspondents dinner. Enjoying the height of his “The Apprentice” popularity, his inclusion as a guest caused a bit of concern amongst the staff of the Post; it was also the height of his indulgent “Birther” movement that challenged President Obama’s American citizenship. Among journalists, his invitation would appear to be an endorsement of his unfounded claim. Still, on that evening he hit the red carpet with wife Melania and assured the press that he was looking forward to a “great evening.”

It seems his idea of such an evening, and that of others in attendance are dramatically different.

First up to take some shots was President Obama himself. After throwing a few jibs and jabs at other in attendance and some not, the president turned his attention to the orange one. During his 19-minute routine (one I can in my mind imagine his wife, Michelle, being forced to sit through to try out the material, and offering suggestions to cut the time to 20 min) he managed to land a few high and fast hits on the “D.” Gems like…

• ·         “Now, I know that he’s taken some flak lately, but no one is happier, no one is prouder to put this birth certificate matter to rest than The Donald. And that’s because he can finally get back to focusing on the issues that matter — like, did we fake the moon landing? What really happened in Roswell? And where are Biggie and Tupac?”

• ·         “We all know about your credentials and breadth of experience (for becoming President). For example — no, seriously, just recently, in an episode of ‘Celebrity Apprentice’ — at the steakhouse, the men’s cooking team did not impress the judges from Omaha Steaks. And there was a lot of blame to go around. But you recognized that the real problem was a lack of leadership. And so ultimately, you didn’t blame Lil Jon or Meatloaf. You fired Gary Busey. And these are the kind of decisions that would keep me up at night. Well handled, sir. Well handled.”

As the crowd roared, the butt of those zingers fumed. And it awakened a desire for revenge; not so much on the President himself. Rather, his legacy. To systematically unravel everything that President Obama had done to shore up this country after 8-years of GWB.

So, the seed began to sprout that night. He would be President…no matter what.

The second part to the story of The D living at the White House is for middle America. Since our country was founded, most have taken solace in the fact that the individual who occupied the role of Commander in Chief in some way resembled the tapestry of the American people. Now what might that similarity be? I will give you a hint…it’s race.

Oh sure, there have been blacks in the White House for almost the same length of time; as servants, cooks, household staff. But in 2008, there was a dramatic change in the household for sure.

When the Obama’s took up residency, to many it was not only unsettling, it flew in the face of what their thought of democracy was. Here was some guy, with a name that not only was a challenge to pronounce but sounded very much like the name of a Muslim. And we all know Muslim’s were almost always terrorists, right?

A second term! Hell yeah!!

So, his first term rolls by, and those folks who felt a lack of connection to the office for the first time in history were almost inconsolable when in 2012 that “black(ish) fellow handily won another term of office. Well, that wasn’t going to happen again. So there began the line up of potential candidates who these disenfranchised would hopefully get behind. So, with that the stage was set for a sort of “coup” of the American voter.

Donald Trump (I have avoided using his name as much as I can, else it might seem more like rousing Voldemort from the Harry Potter universe) descended the escalator with his family in tow to announce his candidacy for president. The Trump clan was all smiles…except for Melania. She appeared as if she were about to face a Slovenian firing squad. But

The future First Lady heading
 for the beheading

at the time, no one in their right mind believed that he could pull it off.

I pause a moment for you to think of the popular vote Trump lost, the countless allegations of sexual impropriety, and the still questionable Russian election tampering. Did you take a moment? Then let’s continue.

So, Trump somehow, inexplicably, tapped into that disenfranchised American camp in such a way, that no matter what negative intel was thrown their way, their support would remain unflappable. His strategy was clear; a platform of fear and propaganda. Vilify Hillary Clinton, the assumed shoe-in for the presidency, and ensure that the overflow of immigrants from that country to the south would be halted by constructing a wall and conjuring up reasons to send some who managed to slip through the cracks back.  To recap…

• ·         Scare them with “Evil Hillary” propaganda – √
• ·         Scare them with the threat posed by Mexican immigrants – √
• ·         Scare them by proposing a border wall will be the best way to slow crime and drugs flowing into this country - √

And in November 2016, Trump rode the wave all the way to the White House; not by popular vote mind you, but that’s another story for another time.

Okay so now the similarities between the governorship of Georgia in the late 1940’s and our current climate are hopefully a bit clearer. And just to further align the two, much of the focus the led these two men to political office stem from race. Trump, much like Talmadge years before him, aim at the lowest common denominator, got a direct hit on the bullseye, and subsequently released the dragon known as race. And for many, that is just fine.

But you know the old saying, if you don’t learn from the past you are bound to repeat it. And if we aren’t careful… we will.

I hope you enjoyed part two of my series on “The New Normal.” My next entry will be less heavy and historical, I promise. In the meantime, I welcome your thoughts and comments. And as always, wishing you and yours all the best life has to offer