“All Lives Matter” at the RNC and Other Mild Versions of Implicit Whiteness
The following is a clear sign that Whites’ position vis-à-vis the government and elites has become perilous, or at least tenuous. Traditionally in political rhetoric, the phrase “all Americans” is meant as an implicit rebuke to those who in their hearts would very much like to exclude one particular group who is outside the norm of heterosexual Whites.
For example, picture a leftist politician proclaiming, “We need a country that works for all Americans.” There’s a little bit of attitude in that “all.” It’s another trite cliché of political speech, or if you like, politically correct speech — right up there with “diversity is our greatest strength.” Now, however, the phrase “all Americans” is sometimes meant as a nod to Whites, not Blacks or Hispanics. It is ironic that Republicans, and more broadly the right, have taken up the “all Americans” phrase as a rebuke to the extreme left, Black Lives Matter crowd who would be very happy to focus on their own ethnic interests exclusively.
This phenomenon has occurred recently in the “All Lives Matter” repartee to the BLM slogan. Who would have thought that saying “All Lives Matter” would become a provocative rallying cry for normal White Americans? Former Maryland governor Martin O’Malley was forced to apologize for using this phrase during the Democratic primary campaign. Surely this must come as a bleak reminder of where White identity stands in the diversity hierarchy. Apparently expected to shill for minorities without so much as a hope to also be protected by our country’s laws. Read more
