Do you support the Second Amendment freedom to keep and bear arms? If so, you are akin to people who fought for the right to own slaves! That is, if you believe Ibram X. Kendi, a CBS News "Racial Justice Contributor," and anti-racism maven.
Appearing on Sunday's Face the Nation on the occasion of Juneteenth, host Margaret Brennan asked the radical Kendi how he would explain the meaning of the holiday to his six-year-old daughter. Replied Kendi:
"I'm actually going to teach her that . . . throughout this nation's history, there's been two perspectives on freedom, really two fights for freedom. Enslaved people were fighting for freedom from slavery, and enslavers were fighting for the freedom to enslave.
And in many ways that sort of contrast still exists today. There are people who are fighting for freedom from assault rifles, freedom from poverty, freedom from exploitation. And there are others who are fighting for freedom to exploit, freedom to have guns, freedom to maintain inequality."
Brennan didn't push back on Kendi's implication that there is no "freedom to have guns," and his invidious suggestion that people who disagree are no better than slavers. To the contrary, Brennan said his allegations go to the core of his anti-racist theory. And she was quick to inform her audience that Kendi does not teach Critical Race Theory.
Asked by Brennan to explain his notion of anti-racism, Kendi said:
"The cause of inequality is not what's wrong with, let's say, black people, it's what's wrong with bad policies . . . And that's why, let's say, black people, have less. It's not because they are less."
Did racism, historically, deprive African-Americans of their fair share of the American dream of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? And does racism continue to exist today? No doubt. But Kendi's notion of "anti-racism" goes way beyond that. He seems to suggest that individual black people bear no responsibility for their personal situation, but rather, that it is the fault of society, and its "bad policies."
Teaching children that, which is Kendi's plan, is a shame. It's teaching them not to accept responsibility for themselves, but to blame others for their lack of success. It's a recipe for failure and dependency.
Note: with a murmured "mmm-hmm," Brennan agreed with Kendi's take on the cause of inequality.
On Face the Nation, CBS Racial Justice Contributor Ibram X. Kendi saying that people who advocate for the right to own guns are akin to people who fought for the right to own slaves was sponsored in part by GEICO and Amazon.
Here's the transcript. Click "expand" to read more.
CBS
Face the Nation
6/19/22
11:19 am EDTMARGARET BRENNAN: Today is Juneteenth, a federal holiday marking the abolition of slavery and African-American freedom. June 19th, 1865 is when the last enslaved people in Texas received word of their freedom, more than two years after President Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation.
For more, we'd like to turn to CBS News Racial Justice Contributor Dr. Ibram Kendi, who is also the author of two new books: "How to raise an Antiracist," and "Goodnight Racism." Good morning: Happy Fathers' Day, by the way.
IBRAM X. KENDI: Thank you.
BRENNAN: I know you have a six-year-old daughter. So I wonder, how are you going to teach her what this holiday is?
KENDI: Well, I'm actually going to teach her that it's freedom day. And that throughout this nation's history, there's been two perspectives on freedom, really two fights for freedom. Enslaved people were fighting for freedom from slavery, and enslavers were fighting for the freedom to enslave.
And in many ways that sort of contrast still exists today. There are people who are fighting for freedom from assault rifles, freedom from poverty, freedom from exploitation. And there are others who are fighting for freedom to exploit, freedom to have guns, freedom to maintain inequality.
So, I really want to get her to understand there are multiple kinds of freedom, and she should be fighting for and joining with those who are fighting for freedom from something like slavery.
BRENNAN: So this concept kind of gets at sort of the core of what so many of your books are about, when you say anti-racist. And I just want to be clear for people who are listening: you do not teach Critical Race Theory, or CRT, which has become very politicized. You focus on this idea of anti-racism.
How do you explain to people at home the difference? And for those who say this might be too advanced for a child. How do you, how do you respond?
KENDI: Well, the difference is, Critical Race Theory is an anti-racist sort of theory. But I'm thinking about something, I'm really trying to get the American people to really understand that there's inequality, and the cause of that inequality is not what's wrong with, let's say, black people, it's what's wrong with bad policies.
And the way kids can understand it is, kids understand bad rules. My daughter understands what's not fair. And we can teach children that there's bad rules in society. There're things that are not fair in society. And that's why, let's say black people, have less. It's not because they are less.
BRENNAN: Mmm-hmm.
