Before getting to the "cake" of the argument let's quickly summarize what happens when we edit history (and, as we'll see, this is in fact important to our discussion of "cake" below...")
There is a fascinating history of how history is edited (both by the "winners" as well as those that teach our children); and an even more fascinating history of how the editing history is "discovered" by those who lived through it yet didn't realize their "history" had been changed.
Who can forget the Soviet era photo-editing of cosmonauts who "fell out of favor":
Similarly here (again from the linked Wired article). Not bad considering no one had a copy of Photoshop...
Today the same thing is happening before our eyes.
Except that history is being physically destroyed. Removal of statue does not change the history it represents and, in fact, this "editing of history" will simply push the debate further into the future when those who are unaware of the "truth" rediscover the editing.
And there are some important facts about the Civil War no longer taught (or even known for that matter in schools):
1. Slavery was present in the North (see this) as well as the South. The Civil War ended slavery in both. Yet no one is rioting about the "North..."
2. There was much violence and a degrading political discourse (sound familiar?) prior to the Civil War, e.g., the death of Elijah P. Lovejoy an abolitionist who was killed by a mob supporting slavery. The elimination of slavery was based on a "higher moral ground" - kind of sounds like an argument for abortion clinic bombing doesn't it...?
3. Aside from slavery there were numerous economic reasons that the North and South became adversaries (see this and this). After all, slaves existed in both the North and South so slavery couldn't be the only reason...
And today we see these same effects of this discord, but with a twist: the ugly Pandora's box from the left on what's "good" and "bad." These decisions, as we see today, are based on violence. If you attempt to speak on an unfavorable topic you will be exposed and "fired" from your job, for example.
And after viewing the image below one must ask is this "rioting" even real? Look at the picture? Does anyone really look upset? Kind of looks staged. The camera photogs are smiling. The crowd doesn't appear to notice any tension - they all stand around as if nothing is going on... (courtesy of the WSJ - full article and image here):
So how does this (the editing of history and forcing ones view on others) effect our "baker?"
While apparently it's "bad" for a baker not to bake a cake for someone whose behavior he finds morally unacceptable we have to now ask:
Should an African-American baker be forced to bake a cake celebrating racism?
Should a Jewish baker be forced to bake a cake celebrating anti-Semitism?
The same "left" who despises the hatred of gays apparently will require the celebration of racism.
After all, like sex we cannot "discriminate" based on race so should SCOTUS find the baker must bake I guess all the Nazi's from Charlottesville will be heading down to their local bakers to order a cake courtesy of the that same "left..."
Not really the intended effect I would think...
Today there is an incoherence that can only be explained by ignorance.
Rules that make you "feel good" are the unfortunate side effect of opening the Pandora's box mob rule.
It failed in the Soviet Union and it will fail here.
There is a fascinating history of how history is edited (both by the "winners" as well as those that teach our children); and an even more fascinating history of how the editing history is "discovered" by those who lived through it yet didn't realize their "history" had been changed.
Who can forget the Soviet era photo-editing of cosmonauts who "fell out of favor":
Above we see a cosmonaut who didn't quite fit the party line "disappear" from official Tass news agency photos. Only years later is the editing discovered (from Wired).
Today the same thing is happening before our eyes.
Except that history is being physically destroyed. Removal of statue does not change the history it represents and, in fact, this "editing of history" will simply push the debate further into the future when those who are unaware of the "truth" rediscover the editing.
And there are some important facts about the Civil War no longer taught (or even known for that matter in schools):
1. Slavery was present in the North (see this) as well as the South. The Civil War ended slavery in both. Yet no one is rioting about the "North..."
2. There was much violence and a degrading political discourse (sound familiar?) prior to the Civil War, e.g., the death of Elijah P. Lovejoy an abolitionist who was killed by a mob supporting slavery. The elimination of slavery was based on a "higher moral ground" - kind of sounds like an argument for abortion clinic bombing doesn't it...?
3. Aside from slavery there were numerous economic reasons that the North and South became adversaries (see this and this). After all, slaves existed in both the North and South so slavery couldn't be the only reason...
And today we see these same effects of this discord, but with a twist: the ugly Pandora's box from the left on what's "good" and "bad." These decisions, as we see today, are based on violence. If you attempt to speak on an unfavorable topic you will be exposed and "fired" from your job, for example.
And after viewing the image below one must ask is this "rioting" even real? Look at the picture? Does anyone really look upset? Kind of looks staged. The camera photogs are smiling. The crowd doesn't appear to notice any tension - they all stand around as if nothing is going on... (courtesy of the WSJ - full article and image here):
So how does this (the editing of history and forcing ones view on others) effect our "baker?"
While apparently it's "bad" for a baker not to bake a cake for someone whose behavior he finds morally unacceptable we have to now ask:
Should an African-American baker be forced to bake a cake celebrating racism?
Should a Jewish baker be forced to bake a cake celebrating anti-Semitism?
The same "left" who despises the hatred of gays apparently will require the celebration of racism.
After all, like sex we cannot "discriminate" based on race so should SCOTUS find the baker must bake I guess all the Nazi's from Charlottesville will be heading down to their local bakers to order a cake courtesy of the that same "left..."
Not really the intended effect I would think...
Today there is an incoherence that can only be explained by ignorance.
Rules that make you "feel good" are the unfortunate side effect of opening the Pandora's box mob rule.
It failed in the Soviet Union and it will fail here.
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