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| VDH: Ahmed and the Art of the Psychodrama |
| 2015-09-28 |
| During Pope Francis's parade in Washington, 5-year-old Sophie Cruz suddenly dashed up to the popemobile and handed His Holiness a note about the wretched plight of her illegal-alien parents from Los Angeles, who are apparently terrified of all the recent talk about deportations. The media loved the spontaneity and courage of 5-year-old Sophie. But that was not quite the whole story. ...Recently, social media created a victim-hero out of 14-year-old Ahmed Mohamed, whose plight with local school authorities earned him global commiseration -- and invitations to visit almost everyone from Barack Obama in the White House and Mark Zuckerberg at Facebook to the United Nations. How did teenager Ahmed become an international celebrity? He supposedly spontaneously brought a "clock" to school that he had built from scratch. Soon after, Ahmed was alleged by his supposedly dim-witted school to have instead brought in something that appeared to look like, or perhaps even sound like, a bomb. After questioning, the young Edison was expelled -- purportedly because he was presumed guilty as a son of Sudanese immigrants and a Muslim. Was Ahmed another innocent child victimized by the oppressive forces of traditional racist America? Again, hardly. Almost everything that Ahmed and his family have alleged is being proved first fantasy, and, second, a likely set-up. ...The fact that so often charges of religious prejudice, racism, and sexism under scrutiny break down and prove melodramatic, if not outright fabrications, suggests that there is a perception by the victims, at least, that there are not quite enough naturally occurring bigots to go around without having to invent some. Even the vociferous Trump apparently cannot provide enough religious intolerance without being lured into more. There are careerist advantages to becoming a victim of religious, racial, or sexual prejudice.. Ahmed Mohamed is now a global rock star; Mattress Girl is a leftist icon. No one much cares that "hands up; don't shoot" was a complete myth. Note that the constructed crimes are always committed against the supposed victims of race and class intolerance.. A white kid two years ago played with his food to concoct something that was felt to resemble a gun -- and thereby earned an unwarranted school suspension. Yet the White House did not invited the seven-year-old boy for a visit either to honor his artistic talents or to commiserate with him over the intolerance of local school officials. ...There is another lesson in these faux-crimes well beyond careerism and politics. Originally, the civil rights and feminist movements sought to ensure an equality of opportunity -- a noble goal that was largely achieved. But after the playing field is leveled, then what?. |
| Posted by:g(r)omgoru |