I was struck by the headline, "America's Shame," on this New York Times opinion piece regarding the recent beating death of Tyre Nichols in Memphis by police. Columnist Charles M. Blow describes the official video of the beating, released yesterday, as akin to "snuff porn." No, I've not watched it. Nor do I intend to.
But the headline, and the reasoning, resonate.
The Christian right likes to envision the United States as a Christian nation, and that may be accurate. Providing one sees the genocide of one segment of humanity and enslavement of another as foundational and Christian, views from the past that continue to have power.
If you've been paying attention, you'll have noted widespread official efforts lately in what we've taken to calling "red" states --- and Iowa is fast becoming one of those --- to forbid objective and wide-ranging exploration of U.S. racial history.
But racism is an original sin around here and dreadful situations like that played out in Memphis will continue to plague us until the past is acknowledged and dealt with.
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