By Ada Fisher

“Cancel Culture,” whatever that means, promotes a political correctness in words and deeds that is impossible to sustain.

Whoopi Goldberg was rightly suspended for two weeks after her comments about Jews implying that we were not a race of people when that was the basis of Hitler’s Holocaust — considering Jews an inferior race of people. By the way, Goldberg’s statement does not appreciate that Blacks, mentally infirmed citizens of Germany and many others were also targeted for extermination. Others have been called on the carpet for saying less where the hurt is sustained through generations.

Now, there is a question of censuring The View’s conservative voice because people don’t like the issues.

Whether it is a “Karen” or  “Let’s go Brandon,” the inference is too often a sense of privilege or entitlement due to perceived white privilege, liberal bias or right-wing leanings. Labeling those receiving federal benefits to meet their needs as “welfare queens” also relegates their lot as those not deserving of benefits due to their sense of Black righteousness.  Critical race theory wants to start Black Americans in slavery, neglecting our African heritage, while Native Americans are continually wiped out of the nation’s telling.

When my 10-year-old grandson was called a racial slur by another Black kid in school with a conversation laced with profanities and allusions to oral sex, I came to further appreciate that our coarseness in conversation is taking it too far. Though I find “Family Feud” at times hilarious, it is now not viewing appropriate for kids, though it is definitely a learning experience in reference to where our heads and our hearts are.

The 2022 Super Bowl halftime show, though viewed by too many in the entertainment industry and population of millennials as spot on, was a glorification of too many who have used words to hurt as well as violence directed at women and flaming misogyny. Their obsession with crotch grabbing was crude, classless, uncouth and symbolic with our fixation on “gangsta” style, not substance. Further, this display of older adults trying to stay hip in a young game was, at times, pathetic.

Our unwillingness to hear what the other has to say is not just promoted in the streets, but it is a reflection of the news media, which has become a relayer of opinion rather than reporter for true news.

The U.S. political parties are missing the mark in squandering their capital to stand for democracy against the creeping and hiding behind portfolios of riches gained from not-disclosed stock holdings and trading. Family nepotism allows Hunter Biden to make millions off of Ukrainian ties, and his father as president is now trying to broker a war there. Trump’s children acting outside of government in non-elected positions of influence bypass checks and balances. The Clintons raised funds for global initiatives make believing they are acting in the best interest of the world with no accountability to any one or government. This is as bad as authoritarianism and nepotism by despots overseas.

Today’s Republican rhetoric mistakes its origins and mission. Rather than a symbol of freedom and justice, too often the party is swallowed by lies told to grab an audience into compliance with facts featuring a distorted look not based on its own history. Neglected is the fact that the Republican Party was founded as an outcry against slavery by Quakers, Blacks and other progressives of their era.

The dishonesty of the Democratic Party’s history is that it doesn’t include promulgating gerrymandering, particularly in North Carolina to keep Blacks from obtaining Congressional Representation in the 2nd District, poll taxes, tests of literacy as well as other “Jim Crow” laws to foster segregation and other white supremacy actions. It is most amazing the switch is trying to be made implicating Republicans for actions instituted by Democrats. The Republican pledge promotes equality, free enterprise, individual responsibility and limited government to only do those things which people cannot do for themselves.

All of us must retain our rights to protect ourselves. If freedom is to ring truly within our national boundaries, we must all be able to speak our truths without fear of personal hurt, harm or danger no matter whether others may or may not agree with in our stance. 

Salisbury’s Ada Fisher is a former licensed teacher, retired physician, former school board member and former N.C. Republican national committeewoman. Contact her at P.O. Box 777 Salisbury, NC 28145 or dradamfisher47@gmail.com.