White lies and racist ties
5th January 2015 · 0 Comments
So there we have it: White supremacy on full display. Glaringly on display for those who don’t know what it is, or doubt or deny its existence.
On the one hand we have conservative radio talk-show host Rush Limbaugh ranting about the possibility of Black, British-born actor Idris Elba taking on the role of James Bond because the iconic super agent James Bond is, always has been and always should be white. A white Scotsman to be exact, according to Limbaugh.
The fact that the James Bond role has been cast to several actors with only one being of Scottish descent is irrelevant. The other men have been Irish, Welch and Australian, but that has never caused Limbaugh angst before. His ignorance to their ancestry was okay. They all had accents, right? Well, so does Idris Elba.
Anyone who has ever listened to Rush Limbaugh spew his racially divisive venom knows all too well that the smug talk-show host has never really let facts, logic or old-fashioned common sense get in the way of his point: White people were born to rule over and dominate nonwhite people. Apparently, the dominion of whites extends deep into the world of filmmaking and popular culture.
Lost on Rush Limbaugh is the fact that James Bond is a fictional character. Unreal, made-up, the figment of someone’s imagination. Just like Santa Claus. But unlike Jesus, or Cleopatra or Hannibal or the many other real historical figures that have been white-washed over the centuries. Limbaugh has never thrown a tantrum over Hollywood’s intentional intent muddy up history.
In Limbaugh’s convoluted mind, Idris Elba cast in the role of James Bond is every bit as offensive as President Barack Obama occupying the White House or Attorney General Eric holder running the Justice Department.
The saddest part of it all is the way Limbaugh’s followers eat up his half-baked theories without every considering the talk-show hosts lack of intelligence, or half-baked arguments.
Interestingly, this isn’t the first time Idris Elba has felt the heat for having the audacity to take on Hollywood roles that defy racial and cultural stereotypes. Elba was widely attacked several years ago for playing the part of one of the Norse gods in the film Thor.
How could a Norse god be Black, some wondered out loudly. How indeed.
But no one cried out when Western historians did everything in its power to make it appear that ancient Egyptians are white despite evidence to the contrary. To this day, many Western historian are reluctant to admit that Egypt is located in Africa. So much for enlightenment.
As if that were not enough, now we have GOP Congressman Steve Scalise whose past came back to haunt him last week when it was reported that he embraced the Ku Klux Klan a few years back by accepting an invitation to speak to its membership, white supremacists led by the infamous David Duke.
No one who has listened closely to Scalise’ race-baiting speeches and comments about President Barack Obama was shocked by last week’s revelations.
The congressman has never hesitated to take a swing at the president or any policy that benefits communities of color because he knows he has the backing of many of his constituents who make it clear how they feel about any effort to create a level playing field for people of all races.
But he should be forgiven because he didn’t know. And of course, because he gave the standard non apology, “if I offended anyone….”
Forget the fact that the group had strong ties to David Duke who has never been shy about his being a white supremacist. Scalise says it was a mistake and all of his allies say that he should be forgiven. It was a long time ago. He was young.
We should just accept his “oops moment” and move on. Just like we all have done with President Obama and whether or not he is an American. Or the fact that he attended the Rev. Wright’s church years ago, or of his defending Henry Gales, the distinguished Black professor who was arrested for trying to enter the home he bought and paid for.
Scalise’s past resurfaced at a most inopportune time for the Party of Lincoln. It comes as the GOP is in the midst of a campaign to convince Black, brown, red and yellow Americans that it is a party that places a high premium on diversity, equal opportunity and inclusion. despite oceans of evidence that suggest otherwise.
The American public should be vigilant about holding elected officials like Steve Scalise accountable for questionable moves and actions that hang a cloud of doubt over political makeovers that reveal very little about who many of those elected to serve the nation really are.
This article originally published in the January 5, 2105 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.
