White Men Are Super!: Reviewing the Declaration of Independence, Part 1

    Tim Koch Making History 0 Comment

    It was always all about white men.

    Now, God bless Abraham Lincoln for taking the phrase from the Declaration of Independence, “all men are created equal,” and turning it into a view of equality among (at least certain) citizens of the United States. But, really, that was never the intent when first penned in the Declaration of Independence.

    By 1776, landed white men who inhabited the British colonies on this North American continent had decided that enough was enough: THEY were the equal of landed white men in Great Britain. This was, to them, “self-evident.” And since this claim was not being honored, they were therefore declaring independence–that is, they were declaring the right to be just as important as they thought themselves to be; thus, they decided to “dissolve the political bands” that had connected them to King George III, et al. Hey–it’s all there in the Declaration!

    If there is an on-going mantra in the United States, it is “We white men travel first class.” And if that first-class status is threatened, then, dammit, white men will take steps–even go to war if need be. Against Great Britain. Against Native Americans. Against the Union. Against Barack Obama (Black). Against Hillary Clinton (Female).

    No wonder, those white men on the Supreme Court of the United States who are hailed as “originalists” consistently come down in their decisions against Native Americans, against affirmative action, against non-landed, non-white, non-males. No wonder they conveniently forget that “well-regulated militia” part of the Second Amendment so that white men will be able to wage war again if need be.

    After all, what is the good of being “created equal” to everyone? Heck, even the delightful and seemingly innocuous Academy Award-winning animated film, The Incredibles, had as its primary villain (Syndrome) someone whose goal was to make everyone super:

    And we cannot have a world where no one will be super! Spoiler alert: Syndrome is killed in the movie and “order” is again restored. Just like putting a white man back in the White House.