School buses stop as traffic moves along The Paseo near 16th Street on Friday, May 11, 2018, in Kansas City, Missouri.
Time to turn the page on political correctness…
We’ve been headed down this road for a long time, but the election of Donald Trump really kicked political correctness into high gear – seriously high gear.
When a Japanese-American baseball player can’t pop on a hat at the White House that reads, “Make America Great Again,” where are we headed?
And yes, we live in a world where people of differing colors and ethnicities can still find themselves on the short end of the stick from time to time. However when you look around the globe, it’s a helluva lot better here than most countries all things considered – and like the Beatles said – it’s getting better every day.
Trouble is, we’re trapped – temporarily with luck – in a media-fueled culture of woke.
“Woke means being conscious of racial discrimination in society and other forms of oppression and injustice. In mainstream use, woke can also more generally describe someone or something as being ‘with it.'”
Face it, nobody can get away with anything anymore – off color jokes, political leanings other than to the far left, opinions celebrating religious beliefs or just about anything that passes for conservatism.
One public slip and you’re cooked.
Most folks who lean a bit towards traditional values and thinking, must remain in hiding, lest they be outed and branded as racist, sexist or whatever.
There is no middle ground for the woke culture.
Embrace it, or hide out until something like the Paseo vote comes along and…
That’s when we find that nearly three quarters of Kansas City Star readers disagree with the editorial interlopers from out of town who embrace all-things-woke. And love nothing more than scolding locals for their perceived shortcomings.
Not because the Paseo supporters are flaming racists.
There is, in fact, such a thing as being true to tradition and history. Views that stand apart from not believing that people of all colors, shapes and ethnicities deserve a fair shake in our culture.
So as we all hunker down, awaiting a scolding from our betters at the newspaper, know this:
While we stood up yesterday for history, there’s no reason we can’t move forward tomorrow on a plan to honor civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr.
And do so in a way far superior to many of the cities that have named a street after King, in what generally have been viewed as bad parts of those cities. Frankly speaking, while the Paseo isn’t in the worst part of Kansas City, it’s a far cry from being Ward Parkway (though at one point in time that appears to have been the aim).
Now try this one on for size…
The concept of renaming the far more prominent J.C. Nichols Memorial Fountain on the Plaza for King would be in every way imaginable, superior to just picking a street somewhere. Especially given the chances of renaming Ward Parkway are between slim and none.
Plus it’s so boring and so last century…
On top of which, renaming that fountain would make the former Star political scribe Steve Kraske happy, and who doesn’t want to do that?
Kraske – who is about as white bread as it gets – came out two years ago with a suggestion to rename the Nichol’s fountain to help “combat racism.” Because decades back Jesse Clyde Nichols’ housing developments had restrictive deed covenants (that were pretty much the norm in that bygone era) to keep the neighborhoods white.
“Even today, few minorities live in Nichols neighborhoods, and our city remains one of the most segregated in America,” Kraske opined.
Incidentally, last I checked, Kraske lived in one of the whitest, upscale hoods in the Johnson County burbs. Which prevented him from having to send his kids to the far more inclusive schools in Kansas City, Missouri (do as I say).
FILE – This May 1, 1992 file photo shows Rodney King, right, speaking during a news conference in Los Angeles along with his attorney, Steven Lerman, left. King, the black motorist whose 1991 videotaped beating by Los Angeles police officers was the touchstone for one of the most destructive race riots in the nation’s history, has died, his publicist said Sunday, June 17, 2012. He was 47. (AP Photo/David Longstreath, file)
I digress…
So while I don’t have a hard on for Jesse Clyde Nichols, George Washington, John Wayne or pretty much anybody else who were byproducts of a different era (and it’s not like any of them were members of the Klu Klux Klan), I don’t think Nichols looms large as such a prominent historical figure that replacing him with Martin Luther King wouldn’t be a vast improvement.
Besides, we still have the J.C.Nichols Parkway on the Plaza, so dedicating that fountain to MLK in one the Kansas City’s most prominent areas, would be vastly more visible and superior to picking out some lame street in a quasi bad part of town and dedicating to King.
Speaking of King – Rodney King in this case – can’t we all just get along without trashing the voters who stood up for the Paseo and labeling them as racists?
Fat chance.
Dear Mr Kraske,
The Metoo# girls might want you to hold off on naming that Fountain after MLK Mr. Kraske. In 2027, FBI Tapes will be released, of the Communist, philandering, rapist, Martin Luther King, laughing and encouraging a Baptist pastor, named Logan Kearse, as he raped a young girl.
https://news.yahoo.com/martin-luther-king-laughed-rape-friend-fbi-documents-145714868.html
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/martin-luther-king-rape-fbi-tapes-video-mlk-laugh-files-a8932206.html
https://www.businessinsider.com/fbi-tapes-allege-mlk-watched-rape-2019-5
I get it, that many of our heroes have clay feet, but that Metoo# Grrrrrl power is significant with your female homies on the left Mr. Kraske and a pound of prevention might save you a ton of embarrassment if you are the tip of the spear in this, another virtue signalling paroxysm from the lofty heights of Mount Kansas City Star, where the “High Ground” for the high minded births so many noble causes.
I have no way of knowing for sure, but I betcha most black people who actually live on the Paseo, did NOT want a name change, for the obvious reason. It would kill property values.
No doubt, you are chagrined at having to pass at an opportunity to stir up division and call us all “Racists”, but the only color folks were probably thinking about here, was Green.
Besides, you phony Progressive poseur, you have never needed an excuse to call anyone who disagrees with your politics a “Racist” anyway, so have at it!
Well, from whaat I can ascertain, a number of area blacks did not favor or particularly embrace the change
Excellent article Hearne.
Grazie mille
How did it get changed from the Paseo to MLK in the first place. Was it put to a public vote? Or did a group of spineless politicians bow to some activists?
I’ll take that as a rhetorical question, Guy…
“Most folks who lean a bit towards traditional values and thinking, must remain in hiding, lest they be outed and branded as racist, sexist or whatever.” November 6, 2019 by Hearne Christopher Jr.
Yes folks such as Chuck and I are expected to do just that. Chuck and I have been labeled racists or whatever so many times for just stating the truth and facts. I’m okay with say 18th street being named after MLK as it runs through the heart of the so called black jazz district and to me would mean more than remaining a street already named after someone or thing. While MLK was no saint by any means he did do some good in the civil rights movement and you can’t deny him those facts.
I have grown weary of the new generation wanting to change anything old and attacking whats history in attempts to rewrite history to reflect what they think it should be. There has been a large renaming movement of places here alone in KC as elsewhere. It seem like growing old and dying not only means you’re gone but the new generations wants to completely remove you off the face of the earth.
This Paseo issue in my humble opinion was an issue fired up by a minimal few people of which a majority of the people were against. It wasn’t a racist issue, it was made a racist issue by the same minimal few when they saw opposition coming. The media in this case will go with the underdog as a rule and hint at racism here in KC as being out of control when it’s far from the truth. The truth is many are tired of having things jammed down our throats and seeing laws and ordinances being put into place for such a small majority of the population which in the end disrupts normal flows of life for the majority, while not improving the overall quality of life for anyone. I remember gay people around here since the early 60’s, they bothered nobody and we didn’t bother them. One of the biggest floral shops in NE Johnson County in the late 50’s through 70’s was owned and operated by two gay gentlemen, everyone knew it and nobody cared and it sure didn’t hurt their business any. Nobody boycotted them or got the Star to print up nasty stories about them or the owners complaining to the media how they were being attacked for being gay. Now all of a sudden the current fad is to make life supposedly better for these folks when what they have had since like forever has been there. Like most normal couples and people as a whole back then they knew how to behave and act in public.
People are growing tired of the special interest groups bullying their beliefs and ways and wants onto people everywhere. It’s like special bike lanes wanted everywhere by spending millions for just a few to use. Like a street car (Folly Trolley) more a free amusement ride than a real transportation operation for the masses. Again special interest groups want all the cash and your tax dollars and don’t care other important city services get ignored just as long as they get what they want.
The people have spoken on the Paseo deal, but I really doubt those at 12th and Oak got the message.
Brilliant, brilliant comment. Dead on the money.
This was all about getting the endowed funds the city sets aside for certain streets. Paseo’s endowment was about 900k a year. Meyer Blvd had no endowment that’s why they did not want it.
The fountains are privately supported and not subject to city endowment. The black minister grifter class won’t want anything without an endowment….keep in mind you have to PAY the MLK estate for the right to use his name. Loose Park has an endowment and a separate pool for funding. They’ll likely target that park.
Facts:
MLK never visited Kansas City.
The MLK riots and subsequent black violence were the impetus for the Troost-Paseo corridor to become majority black- they were once mixed.
Very interesting…
I’d love to see some of your contentions verified as fact