|
Repression Isn't "The Answer"
In 1822 the Denmark Vesey slave insurrection
was planned in Charleston but was thwarted. Nearly
three dozen people were executed. Erskine informed
us that “thirty-five Blacks were hanged and
more than forty sent to the Caribbean or to
Africa.” (40) Historian Lacy K. Ford added
that the Vesey insurrection revitalized the
“colonization movement” among Southern
whites, as a possible means of colonizing free
Blacks and troublesome slaves as a way to enhance
white security.(41) The net effect of the Vesey
revolt changed many white Charlestonians views of
management of the enslaved. As Stampp said
“After the Vesey conspiracy, Charlestonians
expressed disillusionment with the idea that by
generous treatment their enslaved ‘would
become more satisfied with their conditions and
more attached to whites.”’(42) In other
words, enslavers ramped up greater repressive
actions dropping the paternalistic pretense that
slaves were family. Berlin noted that “white
supremacy manifested itself in every aspect of
antebellum society, from the ballot box to the
bedrooms. MARSE: A Psychological Portrait of
the Southern Slavemaster and his Legacy of White
Supremacy: H.D. Kirkpatrick, p.151-2
I see clear parallels as to how denials of and
retaliation against “socialists” and
Black People are framed today with paternalistic
moralism.
A more vivid parallel exists with the Israeli
“Settlers”, Government military, and
police responding to actions related to Palestinian
People. Blowing up houses, indefinitely holding
people without charges, private roads and
checkpoints slowing and stopping movement in the
West Bank and similar is recognition that the
Palestinians are Not accepting how they are being
treated. Collective punishments and actions far
more extreme than actions - retaliating for what
Palestinans have done reflect the reality of
“Jewish Supremacy” in Israel. The
United States Government and lesser powers support
what goes on, similar to how non-slaveowning white
Southerners, and Northern powerful interests
supported slavery.
In all these situations, the fears of those with
the seeming power dictates systemic repression.
Repression works often in the moment, but is not a
likely long term successful strategy. In the end
the repression usually fails, absent a HUGE
massacre that tries to eliminate “the
problem”.
We white men don’t want to surrender our
power today! Slaveowners didn’t surrender
until the end of the Civil War, paying a huge price
for their resistance. The Israeli Jews -
eventually are likely to pay a terrible price. In
our fears of (another) Holocaust, we make another
disaster for us - much more likely.
It is scary to believe in Peace - Lasting Peace!
It is the only path, and its dangers are far
smaller than the (current) “realistic
alternatives”. Keeping our heads in the sand
- and not proactively working for justice is
destroying the United States. Hopefully more of
us worldwide, as well as locally, will learn and
act upon the truths before it is too late!
©2023, George
Marx
* * *
Contact
Us |
Disclaimer
| Privacy
Statement
Menstuff®
Directory
Menstuff® is a registered trademark of Gordon
Clay
©1996-2023, Gordon Clay
|
