Beware of arguments that open with “There was a time when ...” as someone seeks to “discuss” racial and cultural sensitivity.
There was a time when lynchings of Americans with darker skin were celebrated. There was a time when Indigenous people were violently removed from their lands so that whites could occupy it instead. There was a time when millions of white-skinned people were slaughtered and it was accepted.
Some say that if you do not like the “Chief” sign, don’t shop there. According to this logic, a white business owner could put a derogatory caricature of a Black American in the window of their business and say, “If you don’t like it, don’t shop here.” Or a better example, for those who embrace the offensive display of Indigenous people: Perhaps a Black-owned business does the same and erects a small statue outside the business that mocks white-skinned folks and argues simply that, “If you don’t like how I view whites, then don’t shop here.” That would merely reflect the “heritage” of the Black experience, right?
Now ponder the kind of treatment this hypothetical Black business owner would face. Do you think that type of racism would be tolerated by the righteous protectors of “Chief”? Would that be shrugged off by you? You wouldn’t write to the Herald protesting such intolerance by the Black community?
As the father of modern conservatism asserted, “I won’t insult your intelligence by suggesting that you really believe what you just said.”
Michael McGuireDurango
