Much like the protests against the police policy of ‘shoot first, ask questions later’ which started the current wave of civil unrest in America, the false binary that Whiteness is exclusively to blame for the United States’ societal woes has lead to a ‘cancel first, ask questions later’ policy being perpetrated by Woke America. What started as a well-intentioned movement to significantly reduce police funding and curtail laws which protect police from accountability – and ransack a few Target retail locations along the way – has spiraled of out control into a Woke turkey shoot in which nuance and context are irrelevant and cancel culture is the rule of law.
In case you can’t keep up the latest cancel culture trends, the last few weeks have seen the rebranding of popular products like Aunt Jemima (conversely the meltdown by conservatives who support a bakery’s right to not bake for a gay wedding but oppose a corporation’s right to change their brand is also amusing), Uncle Ben’s, Eskimo Pies and even Disney’s Song of the South inspired Splash Mountain ride is receiving a politically correct makeover. Classic films like Gone With The Wind and episodes of the popular tv series 30 Rock have been removed from streaming services, and a number of popular films like Dumbo, Aladdin and Aliens now carry disclaimers for “outdated attitudes, language and cultural depictions.” Oh, and the Dixie Chicks are now simply The Chicks and Lady Antebellum are now Lady A because of their former names’ connection to slavery.
Acts of vandalism have now spread beyond Confederate monuments with self-styled vigilantes targeting statues of Christopher Columbus, Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Matthias Baldwin and Teddy Roosevelt – and “Star-Spangled Banner” composer Francis Scott Key.
To be fair, as the basis for ‘cancel first, ask questions later’ is that America was founded upon “racist principles,” then it was only a matter of time until the conversation would turn to the ‘problematic’ nature of the American national anthem. In addition to that, the fact that “Star-Spangled Banner” composer Francis Scott Key was a staunch anti-abolitionist, has landed the anthem in double jeopardy.
Historian and scholar Daniel E. Walker made the case for giving the anthem the heave-ho when he suggested to Yahoo! Entertainment that finding a new anthem is about correcting the “deep-seated legacy of slavery and white supremacy in America.”In the same article, activist and journalist Kevin Powell also added that if anything is deemed “sexist, patriarchal, misogynistic – then it’s time to just throw it away.” As for a replacement, Walker suggested John Lennon’s “Imagine,” as he considers it “the most beautiful, unifying, all-people, all-backgrounds-together kind of song you could have.”
Well, sorry to break it to Walker and Powell, but former Beatles member and activist John Lennon, too, would not pass Woke America’s vetting process. If we forget for a minute that designating a song about a world with “no countries” as a national anthem runs counter to the artist’s intent, it is important to note that John Lennon is widely known to have been an absentee father to his first son Julian, whom he also reportedly smacked for having bad table manners. He was also a notorious womanizer, and in a 1980 interview with Playboy, he admitted to hitting women, adding, “That is why I am always on about peace, you see. It is the most violent people who go for love and peace.” Suffice to say, John Lennon would be flat out canceled today by Woke America.
Regardless, John Lennon probably would not have wanted much to do with Woke America, either. In the lyrics to his song “Revolution,” Lennon expressed his understanding of the need for societal change, but questioned the extreme measures of the New Left of the 60s:
You say you want a revolution,
Well, you know,
We all want to change the world,
You tell me that it’s evolution,
Well, you know,
We all want to change the world.
But when you talk about destruction,
Don’t you know that you can count me out,
Don’t you know it’s gonna be,
All right, all right, all right.
You say you got a real solution,
Well, you know,
We’d all love to see the plan,
You ask me for a contribution,
Well, you know,
We’re doing what we can.
But if you want money for people with minds that hate,
All I can tell is brother you have to wait,
Don’t you know it’s gonna be,
All right, all right, all right.
You say you’ll change the constitution,
Well, you know,
We all want to change your head,
You tell me it’s the institution,
Well, you know,
You better free you mind instead.
But if you go carrying pictures of Chairman Mao,
You ain’t going to make it with anyone anyhow…
“Revolution” drew criticism from radical groups at the time, and one only needs to review Lennon’s ensuing statements to know that he felt past examples of destructive societal change, such as what occurred during the Russian and French revolutions, resulted in abuse of power. Lennon also criticized activists for their “extremer than thou” approach and inability to formulate a cohesive, unified message (talk about déjà vu!). Though he waffled and briefly embraced radical politics in the 70s, Lennon once again embraced his previous message, and, in 1980, said he still wanted to “see the plan” for the revolution.
While Woke America exploits, the privileges of freedom of assembly and freedom of speech bestowed upon them by the founding fathers they now denigrate, other societies around the world have been able come to grips with the fact that some of their historical figures, though important, are not always the best role models by modern standards. In China, Chairman Mao’s shortcomings are overlooked for that fact that “Without Chairman Mao there would be no new China.” Genghis Khan is almost a deity in Mongolia, where the former emperor is revered for his contributions to Mongolian society and culture. Emperor Hirohito of Japan remained in power after surrendering to the Allies at the end of WWII, and his family is still on the throne today.
One wonders; after succeeding in removing anything or anyone deemed “sexist, patriarchal, misogynistic,” will Woke America continue the tradition of American imperialism and embark on an era of moral imperialism worldwide? Without being able to blame Whiteness in every argument, it would surely be amusing to watch Woke America quantify telling people of color what values and historical figures they should and should not embrace.
Oh, and let’s just get it over with: #CancelJohnLennon.
