Political Profanity

In the immortal words of my literary hero, Dave Barry, I swear I am not making this up – In his first speech as Secretary of HUD, Dr. Ben Carson said, and I quote:

 

"There were other immigrants who came here in the bottom of slave ships, worked even longer, even harder for less. But they too had a dream that one day their sons, daughters, grandsons, granddaughters, great grandsons, great granddaughters might pursue prosperity and happiness in this land."

 

*blink blink*

 

I…

 

I…

 

What the actual fuck, Carson????

 

That something so blatantly, absurdly ignorant came from Ben Carson's mouth is not in and of itself surprising. See, for example, his statements about Joseph's grain storage pyramids and homosexuality being a choice, but…

 

WHAT. THE ACTUAL.  FUCK.

 

Let's break this statement down into its constituent parts because, frankly, I think it's the only way I can possibly process this.

 

There were other immigrants who came here in the bottom of slave ships…

 

Merriam-Webster defines "immigrant" as "a person who comes to a country to take up permanent residence."

 

Dictionary.com defines "immigrant" as "a person who migrates to another country, usually for permanent residence."

 

"Slave" is defined as "a person who is the property of and wholly subject to another; a bond servant." (Emphasis added.)

 

Let me make this clear, Dr. Carson: Slaves. WERE NOT. Immigrants.

 

Those folks coming here in the bottoms of slave ships were not coming here with the intention of relocating, settling in a new land. They were kidnapped. Beaten. Starved. Forced into chains and herded onto ships like cattle. They weren't looking for a new, permanent residence; they were stolen from their homes, ripped away from their families, and forced in SLAVERY.

 

They did not come here willingly in the bottom of slave ships.

 

Let me repeat that, as it is somehow unclear to the good doctor:

They did not come here willingly in the bottom of slave ships.

 

 That I need to make this distinction to a presumably intelligent, medical doctor quashes any sense of reason I have on this subject. But wait, there's more…

 

…worked even longer, even harder for less….

 

They were forced to work, you magnanimous fool. They were involuntarily made to work and were lucky if they were fed and clothed; that's not working even longer and harder for less – that's working for survival.

 

We are not talking about people who came to this country to flee persecution, or to make a new life away from the hardships that had befallen to them elsewhere. They didn't come to America seeking any work they could find, to work longer and harder for less because they left somewhere worse in the hopes of something better. They weren't refugees. Of course, if they were refugees, chances are they'd be turned away, but that's a debate for another time.

 

They. Were. Slaves.

 

They worked longer and harder because they were punished if they didn't. How do you not understand this vital difference, this egregious hole in your analogy?

 

…But they too had a dream that one day their sons, daughters, grandsons, granddaughters, great grandsons, great granddaughters might pursue prosperity and happiness in this land.

 

I'm going to go right out on the limb and say that no, they didn't. They didn't think any of those thoughts. That is not what they dreamed. You know why?

 

BECAUSE THEY WERE FUCKING SLAVES!!!!!!

 

They didn't even know what or where "this land" was. And do you know why that is, Dr. Carson? Because they were chained up in the bottom of a ship.  They had no aspiration of a better life for their descendants in this land because they didn't know why they were even there, in the bottom of those ships. They had no explanation for why they were taken, conscripted, other than that they were meant to provide labor without recompense.

 

If I had to guess, I'd say their one, prevailing dream was, oh I don't know, maybe… freedom. Freedom to cast off their shackles and return to their families, not in "this land" but the land from which they came. Their home. From which they were taken against their will.

 

Imagine Carson's words in the same context but with a slightly different subject:

 

There were other women who came here in shipping containers, worked even longer, even harder for less. But they too had a dream that one day their sons, daughters, grandsons, granddaughters, great grandsons, great granddaughters might pursue prosperity and happiness in this land.

 

Sounds an awful lot like human trafficking, doesn't it? Would you call those women "immigrants" looking to take up permanent residence? Working longer and harder to likely provide undeserved pleasure for undeserving men in the dream that their great grandchildren would prosper here?

 

I doubt you would.  And if you would, please stop reading. I don't want your association.

 

Sure, it's easy for this white guy to say these words, to condemn Carson for what appears to be a completely inappropriate and delusional analogy.

 

Yes, it's easy for me to say.

 

It should be easy for ANYONE to condemn such a statement, because it is so utterly ridiculous.

 

Earlier, on social media, I saw that multiple people had posted a statement basically asking what people are afraid of, and stating that we should "get over it" in reference to the election and the president-who-shall-not-be-named.

 

If these kinds of statements, Carson's words, among others, aren't frightening – that an education man, a neurosurgeon, no less, could utter something so moronic… and he's the head of a government department of which he possesses neither knowledge nor experience….

 

We should all be frightened of the path down which this nation is headed, if this man is amongst those leading us. If you're not, you need to search deeply and ask yourself why you're not afraid.

 

No, I will not get over it – not so long as we have a government full of these people, so lost in delusion, seated in positions of authority. Not while a man like Ben Carson, who can't distinguish the difference between an immigrant and a slave, sits in a federal office. Not while someone like Betsy DeVos, who applauded black universities as "real pioneers" of school choice without a hint of irony at the fact that such schools were born of racism and segregation, not choice, sits in a federal office. Not while our Vice President applauds a white man to celebrate Back History Month. Not while our President seeks to further marginalize minorities and women in this country.

 

No.

 

I will not get over it.

 

And I will continue to write these words to remind those of you in the United States reading this that there are like-minded people out there who do not condone the actions of the few in power. There are those of us that will do what we can, whether with our words, wallets or otherwise, to continue to speak up for and support those whose voices are stifled.

 

I will continue to write these words to remind those of you outside of this country that not all of us are ugly Americans; we do not all share the sentiment of a mad few.

 

Mad: [mad] adjective. Mentally disturbed; deranged; insane; demented.

 

I actually do have a dream, Dr. Carson that one day my sons, daughters, grandsons, granddaughters, great grandsons, and great granddaughters might pursue prosperity and happiness in this land.

 

And I will continue to do whatever I can to remove the likes of you from my government so that I can ensure that that dream lives on, for me and everyone else who dreams it.

 

 

 

© 2017 J.J. Goodman. All rights reserved.