There is a looming lesson, to be learned from a simple comment, made by Megyn Kelly, as she tried in vain to defend her response of people wearing “blackface” as part of a Halloween costume. I believe Ms. Kelly’s answer, simple as it sounded, and said in such a manner that, she almost was appalled anyone would find it insulting, is indeed part of the story of why Trump and his band of minions can and do get away with bigotry, bias and bogus, and assume in doing so, the world is a better place. Megyn Kelly, not so much in a defensive manner, but in defense of her remarks, just said, WELL WE USED TO IT, ALL THE TIME AND NO ONE SEEMED BOTHERED BY IT THEN.
I believe, and I have no respect nor love for Megyn Kelly, is she was stating, that the truth of the matter in this nation is that we HAVE always maintained a distaste for groups of people who, if we could, by keeping them in a lesser and lower environment, kept us more secure and superior. The malaise of slavery, since the inception of this nation, the Puritanical worry of witches, the fear that God, albeit supposedly powerful, still might be weaker than the strongest disparaging remarks about him, the insecurity of masculinity, not permitting emotion or empathy from rotting away the muscle or power, providing hate for those who seek freedom in self definition, and the sheer horror that whatever once was might never return, taking with it the perceived powers we held…all of that has peaked and presented itself as a paranoia, permitting people like Trump and his lemming-like empty followers to thrive.
To imagine that NOW our nation is most tempted toward another Civil War is a scary thought, but, let's be honest with ourselves, we really never repaired the wounds from the discrimination, deceit, and decay upon which this nation was founded. We murdered the indigenous people, we enslaved people of color, we read the Bible as if it was written by OUR particular God, denying women and equality, we segregated our communities not only by the color of the skin but by nation of origin, we scapegoated the QUEER, for fear it might be contagious, and simulate our own repressed needs, and we began to think of Capitalism as a form of religion, not a fair-minded economic philosophy.
We are shocked, surprised, angered and full of angst that all we repressed and never addressed has suddenly, like the shifting of tectonic plates has suddenly erupted and soon may explode like a volcanic explosion. Megyn Kelly most likely ALWAYS thought that “blackface” was cool, because no one taught her that there were people, real people affected by her ignorance, and self indulgence. And now we have in power a man who understands just how well to exploit and reawaken the poison in old wounds that have never ever REALLY been repaired.
