Posted on 03/19/2021 8:46:55 AM PDT by Kaslin
Cancel culture is coming for you, whether you know it or not. It’s not about your worldview. It’s about radicalizing everyday people whose inner turmoil will be directed at you.
In October 2020, I wrote an opinion article for The Federalist entitled “More Va. Public Schools Using Kids As Guinea Pigs For Critical Race Theory.” As a parent in Loudoun County, Va., I had become extremely concerned that Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) is being hijacked by rabid radicals eager to spend taxpayer money to indoctrinate teachers and students with critical race theory concepts.
Among the many issues I highlighted included: (1) more than $400,000 in taxpayer money spent on “equity consultants”; (2) an unconstitutional speech code preventing school staff from speaking negatively — both at school and in private — about LCPS’s “action-oriented equity practices”; and (3) unconstitutional discrimination in paying for an “equity” focus group, where participants were chosen based solely on race.
As a parent, a lawyer, and public affairs professional, I was exercising my First Amendment right to question my local government. Certainly, those in Loudoun County on the other side of this debate could have countered my opinion article with one of their own. That is the very essence of the First Amendment: the marketplace of ideas.
But that contrary opinion article never came. What did come, however, is highlighted in this horrifying story by The Daily Wire.
In short, a private Facebook group called “Anti-Racist Parents of Loudoun County” (hereinafter referred to as Chardonnay Antifa) solicited members to help “expose” other parents who had spoken out against the use of critical race theory and “equity” (as opposed to equality) at LCPS. As part of the call to action, one member asked for help in hacking the websites of fellow LCPS parents, spreading information about these targets publicly through mailings, and raising money for these dirty deeds.
Dozens of members of this group started listing their nonconformist neighbors. I was listed by someone I didn’t know for speaking out at a school board meeting about my heartfelt concerns with the speech code. I was listed a second time for my October Federalist op-ed by a neighbor who frequently takes to social media to attack everyone who does not agree with her worldview.
While those posts are certainly annoying to see, it is her constitutional right to express on social media or any other medium as many negative opinions about me as she wishes. But you don’t need a J.D. from the Holiday Inn Express Law School to recognize that soliciting assistance to potentially commit cyber-crimes against people solely for exercising their right to speak —and providing targets for destruction — is not protected by the First Amendment.
These proposed dirty tricks may violate a bevy of laws, including Virginia’s criminal solicitation law, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, and ironically a Reconstruction Era civil rights statute prohibiting a conspiracy to “injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate any person the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to him by the Constitution or laws of the United States, or because of his having so exercised the same.”
As insane as this part of the story is, there is a larger concern here. It is important to understand that being “anti-racist” is not the same as being “not racist.”
The large majority of tolerant people, myself included, put themselves squarely in the latter category. They believe that the color of someone’s skin is as relevant as the color of his eyes or hair. They have been raised to be color-blind and live by Martin Luther King Jr.’s maxim to judge a person by the content of his or her character, rather than skin color. These people believe in race-neutral policies that have the ultimate goal of equal opportunity for all.
Those who pose as “anti-racist” claim that systemic racism is present in nearly every conversation, interaction, organization, and so forth. They aggressively advocate for race-based policies that inflame, divide, and deliberately destroy longstanding norms, language, and institutions.
While many do not subscribe to the “anti-racist” mantra, that does not mean they are wrong or right. That is what civil debate in the marketplace of ideas is for.
Unfortunately, the Loudoun story is an example of what happens when people become radicalized by non-stop gaslighting from nefarious leaders, cable news hosts, celebrities, and people who say things on social media they wouldn’t dare say at a cookout. Throw in the social media algorithms and you’ve got an army of liberal lemmings willing to start secret cabals to bring down anyone who dares raise concern.
So what are parents to do? Well, I helped start a daily newsletter called the Daily Malarkey that frequently highlights the absurdity of cancel culture. Here is what we said about this the other day: “The Cancel Culture war isn’t limited to politics and the media. It’s in your neighborhood, at your kids’ schools, and on your social media channels. In the past, you could generally avoid drama by keeping your head down, but when you’re dealing with a group that literally creates a blacklist, there is no safe space.”
This cancel culture cancer is coming for you, whether you know it or not. It’s not about your political affiliation. It’s not about your worldview. It’s about the radicalization of everyday people whose inner turmoil will be directed at you, for whatever innocuous thing you might do to offend. It’s being fueled by Big Tech, irresponsible political leaders, and perhaps a dash of foreign influence campaigns.
Whatever you do, don’t back down. Go beyond the politics and read the work of James Lindsey, Chris Rufo, and Bari Weiss. If you are conservative, don’t be afraid to read Matt Taiibi just because he is liberal. If you are a liberal, don’t scoff at reading Andrew Sullivan because he is a conservative.
Seek out information about critical race theory in schools and learn why it’s unconstitutional and racist. Send open records requests, go to school board meetings and speak out, and substitute unproductive social media fights with letters to the editor at your local paper.
Ultimately, this is beyond a fight for the First Amendment, a fight for freedoms, or even a fight for the future of your country. This is a fight for you, your family, and the future. Go win it.
Take them to court under RICO - they are involved in racketeering and co-conspiracy.
I don’t think it will be much longer until the Innocent Victims of this Cancel Culture just start Executing these elitist racist snobs.
You thought you had the right to think and say what you want? That right is long gone from the once-great USA.
I love this just for it introducing the term “Chardonnay Antifa.”
😁
The same charges could be made against the FBI, but I wouldn’t hold my breath.
I can not see a peaceful solution to the conflicts we are experiencing. The left will force these issues until the backlash from the right will be inevitable and severe.
We out number them, but they have the media to make themselves appear to dominate. Unfortunately, many of our own children have been corrupted by the evil the left embraces.
I weep for my county.
“You may not be interested in war, but war is interested in you.”
We’d better come to terms with this and act accordingly.
Unless you can simply make them "disappear" you will be playing right into their hands.
Any thoughts on “James Lindsey, Chris Rufo, and Bari Weiss”?
You might be right, but either way it will happen, and soon I think. The only alternative appears to be a RICO Lawsuit against all the nutjobs, making them broke, destitute and Homeless, it might help.
I'm confused.
It used to be that when schoolchildren posted things about other schoolchildren on social media, the school administration was up in arms over "cyberbullying."
But now that it is teachers cyberbullying the parents, it's back to being protected free speech?
-PJ
Being canceled is a badge of honor. When I hear about a liberal being canceled it gives me a little respect for them, because they obviously got something right.
We know for a fact the FBI was in violation of RICO in their anti-Trump activities, so I wouldn’t put much faith in RICO at this point.
The “marketplace of ideas” is no longer the proper venue for this battle....hasn’t been for quite some time.
bookmark
“I don’t think it will be much longer until the Innocent Victims of this Cancel Culture just start Executing these elitist racist snobs.“
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_Revolution
So what are parents to do?"
How about get the f off Facebook? How about never having signed up in the first place, genius.
Another problem with this tactic.
Eventually the shot will be fired that starts the civil war so many say they want.
Many do not realize that if a civil war starts, the Chinese will join in. Probably with agents on both sides.
My guess is that those agents on the rebel side would be very active because it would be in their interest to destabilize the government.
Those on the government side would be a 5th column
No one would know who was what and life would be very dangerous.
The best chance is for our governors to join together and take back their powers.
The feds would not be able to create the same situation that existed in 1861 when it was North vs South, as in our case it would be something like 45 states vs 5.
If successful, the country would return to its roots, a Constitutional Republic.
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