First, here is Mr. Martineau’s thoughtful article published today in the Journal de Montréal:
https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2020/06/06/quand-lantiracisme-est-raciste
Second, here is a quick translation:
“Here are the two brightest statements I have heard about racism.
Martin Luther King: “I dream of the day when children will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by their character. “
Morgan Freeman: “The best way to fight racism is to stop talking about it. I will not tell you that you are a white man, and I will ask you to stop saying that I am a black man. “
RACE EVERYWHERE
Before, when the virus of political correctness and identity politics had not yet infected people, and when universities encouraged debate instead of protecting “little rabbits” [this is how Mr. Martineau calls/teases the Millennials” in his texts] from “bad thoughts”, anti-racists dreamed of a world where race didn’t matter.
A white man was like a black man and a black man was like a white man.
Today, some anti-racists have elevated race to the rank of a supreme identity marker.
Not only do these activists see race everywhere, but they only see that.
Race, race, race.
For them, race explains everything. It is the be-all and end-all of our identity.
It determines whom we are.
Unlike Martin Luther King, they do not judge people by their character, actions or ideas, but by the colour of their skin.
There would be a black way of thinking. A black way of viewing the world. A black way to vote. A black way of loving [Bambi will allow herself to add her own voice to the text here: as if there was one single group of blacks and they all have to think the same].
It’s funny, that’s exactly what some racists think: that there is a black “essence” that distinguishes blacks from whites.
Unlike the anti-racists of my youth, these new anti-racists do not want to abolish the concept of race. They want to magnify it, celebrate it, sublimate it.
Make it essential. Expand it until it takes up all the space.
I vote for someone because she is black. I listen to another person’s records because he is black, etc.
A TRAITOR TO HER RACE?
This week, on the QUB radio show (called “We don’t have to agree”), Varda said that, for her, the idea that black people should encourage black-owned businesses does not seem like the best way to fight racism.
Result: she was harshly attacked by activists on social media.
As if she were a “traitor to her race”.
As if there was only one way to be black!
As if black people should all think the same, all vote on the same side, etc.!
I’m sure Morgan Freeman would shake his head with sadness when he will hear these anti-racists speak. He would find their speech absurd, ridiculous.
Because Freeman does not consider himself a “good black actor”. But a “good actor, period”.
A HUMAN
George Floyd was killed because he was black. When his killer looked at him, that’s what he saw. Not an individual, but a black.
Now, when we saw Floyd being murdered in the middle of the street, we saw a human being dying before our eyes.
That’s why we were so upset.
This is what separates us from racists.
We don’t see race.
They only see that.”
