WaPo Runs Into Big Problem After Publishing Call to Rename Historic American University
Donald Trump was right again. As early as 2017, when he was president, he told us leftists would come after commemorations to America’s Founding Fathers.
On Monday, The Washington Post published a radical article demanding that George Washington University be renamed because of presumed racism.
While it was happy to distribute a smear of the D.C. college, the Post didn’t seem to notice the same name emblazoned on its own masthead — or the name of the place where it is headquartered.
The Post opinion piece was headlined “George Washington University Needs a New Name,” but that was just the beginning of demands being made.
…. have some bad news for WashPo pic.twitter.com/PwZNuY7uvp
— Jon Levine (@LevineJonathan) May 11, 2022
Written by Caleb Francois, a GWU senior, the article followed the contemporary academic playbook of stating biased opinions and spurious revisionist history as if they were statements of fact.
After running through a litany of multicultural grievances, this assertion was made: “These problems are rooted in systemic racism, institutional inequality and white supremacy.”
Francois went on to declare that the “university’s name, mascot and motto — ‘Hail Thee George Washington’ — must be replaced. The hypocrisy of GW in not addressing these issues is an example of how Black voices and Black grievances go ignored and highlights the importance of strong Black leadership.”
[firefly_poll]
“It’s time to fully dissociate with problematic patterns of indifference to racial injustice. … A new name would cement the university’s dedication to racial justice and affirm its commitment to change. It’s time to take action,” he concluded.
These kinds of claims about “white supremacy” and “racial injustice” are routinely and ritually invoked as an attempt to end debate.
For a long time, it worked.
The establishment media were eager to promote the idea that combating racism means acting extremely racist.
This makes no sense, unless the true motivation is understood. There were no principles involved here; it was just a smash-mouth collectivist power grab.
Undermining traditions and standards is a political action used not to build society up but to tear it further apart.
Institutions were willing to pay out big shakedowns to avoid the wrath of activists. Black Lives Matter leadership converted those payoffs into big paydays for themselves.
Opportunistic politicians also tried to catch the anti-American wave, such as in 2020, when Sen. Tammy Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat, mused about taking down statues of — you guessed it — George Washington.
Trump had warned about that three years earlier.
Talking to reporters on Aug. 15, 2017, about the removal of Confederate statues, he said, “So this week it’s Robert E. Lee. I noticed that Stonewall Jackson’s coming down. I wonder, is it George Washington next week? And is it Thomas Jefferson the week after? You know, you really do have to ask yourself, where does it stop?”
Many mocked Trump and scoffed at the idea.
George Washington ?
Every first-grader has more knowledge
of American History, @POTUSThis is so catastrophic, I have no words.@PressSec
— Sebastian Schlagmann (@SSchlagmann) August 15, 2017
Now the Washington Post, whose offices are in Washington, welcomes the view that Washington’s name is problematic.
Many probably still believe proclaiming racism is a growth industry, a career opportunity, the 21st century equivalent of being a witchfinder. There was a point where the accusation itself was enough to damn the accused.
But using racial claims as leverage is not the slam dunk it previously was. The nationwide pushback against toxic critical race theory being taught in schools shows America’s true nature.
The United States is the least racist country in the world. We are united as Americans. Part of being American includes gratitude toward those figures of the past who continue to provide inspiration to new generations.
The strategy of divide and conquer is losing the culture war at the grassroots level.
Ungrateful, divisive and hypocritical institutions such as the Washington Post never consider renaming themselves, because for progressives, everything is OK when they do it.
George himself would be appalled at what goes on in his namesake city.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
