Human beings crave simplicity. So it’s hardly surprising that when faced with complex, multi-layered problems, some people crave a simple, all-encompassing boogeyman to blame. In the case of pretty much any “race”-related issue (and even issues that have nothing to do with race), that boogeyman is white supremacy. In my article, What If White Supremacy Isn’t The Problem?, I pointed out that “white supremacy” is a comically inaccurate lens through which to view the Rittenhouse case. And worst of all, it obscures several other obvious issues that might avoid similar tragedies in future.
Oh my I KNEW it was Howard you were going to be discussing…
After thoroughly enjoying your article on Medium, I delved into the comments. While not making my way through all of them, it became increasingly clear that there was one person who was belligerently and emphatically convinced that Rittenhouse was an irredeemable hideous racist and any black person would have been shot on sight that night.
And yep - here we are…listening to Howard rail against white people for being white and black people for being victims inevitably as police kill ‘10,000 a year’. Jesus. What to say in the face of such blind ignorance and hate?
I agree that Kyle should not have been on the streets of Kenosha that night with a rifle. I also agree that officials sanctioned terrible violence against small businesses by doing nothing or by explicitly telling police to stand down. If my community was so threatened, I honestly don’t know what I would do. But I certainly don’t believe that misguided efforts to judge America from afar without a firm understanding of why we have a 1st and 2nd amendment makes a ton of sense.
And Howard? I think your response of ‘why are you like this?’ says it all.
Why do you carry this burden of festering hate. What does it give you? Does it justify the way you treat the people around you? Are they guilty based on the stain they carry from the color of their skin? And how does that make the world better?
We all share the burden of lifting each other into a better space where we can value our respective talents and honor our individual perspectives. Seeing skin color is a flat out rejection of what I see as the principal path toward a better shared community of fellow humans.
So I won’t indulge a Howard beyond a simple question: ‘why are you like this?’
"I agree that Kyle should not have been on the streets of Kenosha that night with a rifle. I also agree that officials sanctioned terrible violence against small businesses by doing nothing or by explicitly telling police to stand down. If my community was so threatened, I honestly don’t know what I would do."
I really wish more people had the empathy and the honesty to admit this. I would bet my life's savings that most of the people talking about how evil and racist the militia was, would have been grateful for any help they could get if it were *their* homes and businesses being destroyed by looters.
I completely agree with you, Rittenhouse absolutely shouldn't have been on the street that night. But the fact that he was, was one point of failure in a long line of failures stretching back at least two days. It's ridiculous to ignore all of that context and pretend everything would have been fine if he'd stayed home.
p.s. 😅 Well remembered on that, "Why are you like this?" comment. I was genuinely bewildered after the 10th comment or so.
I love that quote. It's bittersweet knowing that these flaws in our thinking aren't anything new, but worrying that they seem to be getting stronger as the years pass.
Exactly. There's nothing wrong with having your beliefs, and we're all capable of making mistakes. It's just the absolute conviction in what are basically guesses that's the problem.
Here's an idea: Why don't we blame 'male supremacy', since white, black, brown, or all of the above, men are the group that commit the lion's share of the violence.
Yes, I'm being facetious. Too bad we can't stick to the facts, and not layer it with everyone's race obsession.
Haha, ah yes, the all-pervasive patriarchy. And honestly? I'd have much less of a problem doing this by sex than by "race". At least there are actually behavioural differences between males and females that can be attributed to the effects of testosterone (I wonder how much longer I'll be able to state this simple fact before I get cancelled😅).
Haha, ordinarily I wouldn't confirm or deny who these conversations are with. I don't want to create any internet drama with these posts. But as you say, Howard does have a particularly...distinctive style of writing.
Oh my I KNEW it was Howard you were going to be discussing…
After thoroughly enjoying your article on Medium, I delved into the comments. While not making my way through all of them, it became increasingly clear that there was one person who was belligerently and emphatically convinced that Rittenhouse was an irredeemable hideous racist and any black person would have been shot on sight that night.
And yep - here we are…listening to Howard rail against white people for being white and black people for being victims inevitably as police kill ‘10,000 a year’. Jesus. What to say in the face of such blind ignorance and hate?
I agree that Kyle should not have been on the streets of Kenosha that night with a rifle. I also agree that officials sanctioned terrible violence against small businesses by doing nothing or by explicitly telling police to stand down. If my community was so threatened, I honestly don’t know what I would do. But I certainly don’t believe that misguided efforts to judge America from afar without a firm understanding of why we have a 1st and 2nd amendment makes a ton of sense.
And Howard? I think your response of ‘why are you like this?’ says it all.
Why do you carry this burden of festering hate. What does it give you? Does it justify the way you treat the people around you? Are they guilty based on the stain they carry from the color of their skin? And how does that make the world better?
We all share the burden of lifting each other into a better space where we can value our respective talents and honor our individual perspectives. Seeing skin color is a flat out rejection of what I see as the principal path toward a better shared community of fellow humans.
So I won’t indulge a Howard beyond a simple question: ‘why are you like this?’
"I agree that Kyle should not have been on the streets of Kenosha that night with a rifle. I also agree that officials sanctioned terrible violence against small businesses by doing nothing or by explicitly telling police to stand down. If my community was so threatened, I honestly don’t know what I would do."
I really wish more people had the empathy and the honesty to admit this. I would bet my life's savings that most of the people talking about how evil and racist the militia was, would have been grateful for any help they could get if it were *their* homes and businesses being destroyed by looters.
I completely agree with you, Rittenhouse absolutely shouldn't have been on the street that night. But the fact that he was, was one point of failure in a long line of failures stretching back at least two days. It's ridiculous to ignore all of that context and pretend everything would have been fine if he'd stayed home.
p.s. 😅 Well remembered on that, "Why are you like this?" comment. I was genuinely bewildered after the 10th comment or so.
“I swear, the biggest problem we face today is the absolute certainty with which people are wrong.”
Or as Mark Twain said, it ain’t the things you don’t know that get you in trouble, it’s the things you know for sure that just ain’t so.
I love that quote. It's bittersweet knowing that these flaws in our thinking aren't anything new, but worrying that they seem to be getting stronger as the years pass.
"Being absolutely right and being spectacularly wrong feel exactly the same." -Scott Adams
I think that many people fail to consider that when they present their assumptions as timeless truth.
Exactly. There's nothing wrong with having your beliefs, and we're all capable of making mistakes. It's just the absolute conviction in what are basically guesses that's the problem.
Your posts are the best, Steve. You tell it like it is AND you make me smile. (Testing that cap lock thing!)
Thanks Ruth! In your case, the caps lock key only adds to your point.😁
Here's an idea: Why don't we blame 'male supremacy', since white, black, brown, or all of the above, men are the group that commit the lion's share of the violence.
Yes, I'm being facetious. Too bad we can't stick to the facts, and not layer it with everyone's race obsession.
Haha, ah yes, the all-pervasive patriarchy. And honestly? I'd have much less of a problem doing this by sex than by "race". At least there are actually behavioural differences between males and females that can be attributed to the effects of testosterone (I wonder how much longer I'll be able to state this simple fact before I get cancelled😅).
Is Howard the same person as Howard J. Eagle
Haha, ordinarily I wouldn't confirm or deny who these conversations are with. I don't want to create any internet drama with these posts. But as you say, Howard does have a particularly...distinctive style of writing.
It seems even more unlikely that there would be two writers with that style who were both named Howard.
Yes
I wouldn't be surprised if he was.
I would be surprised if he wasn't. Mr. Eagle has a very recognizable style
😄 It's crazy how difficult it's becoming to get an accurate picture of events. Glad I could help.