A cousin to “social construct” is “conspiracy theorist,” an ad hominem-style attack used to discredit people with a different opinion of any issue at hand: if someone believes that the corona virus originated at the lab in Wuhan, China (which seems increasingly likely), then they can be dismissed as a “conspiracy theorist.” Neologisms, accusations using ill-defined words, diminishment of others via ad hominem insults, are all part of the bread and butter of elite “wokeness,” and are all used in the SA’s “Let’s Talk About Racism,” to some extent, however pseudo-benevolently.

Cultural elitism- be it among corporate CEOs, religious leaders, Hollywood or music celebrities, or just plain white-bread rich people or privileged college students- is characterized by a belief that they exclusively possess knowledge that is unavailable to the socio-economically unwashed masses, and that their great commission is to share it with the small-minded ignorami. Their enlightenment may be disseminated via position papers, statements of core values, “study guides,” as in the case of the SA, or simply bumper stickers and yard signs. In fact, the internet is filled with templates and instructions on how to write “Diversity and Inclusion Statements.” In the end, they all sound pretty much the same, with the SA version differing only by making a number of references to Scripture.

One of the unifying characteristics of the enlightened elite is that their work is done, salvation for them is at hand, simply by feeling outraged and informing the unenlightened plebeians they are sinful and wrong, and demanding that someone should do something: “defund” the police, ban books and words, tear down statues, fire museum volunteer guides en mass because they were predominately white or, in one case, unearth a bolder because 100 years ago someone referred to it with a racist epithet. In 2020, a young mother spoke the forbidden phrase “All lives matter” and was shot dead by an offended party. You see, consequences of words- and actions inspired by those words- don’t matter: the only concern of the elite is that they can feel good about themselves, and receive approbation from their like-minded peers (and perhaps make some money in the process).

 After opening with the decree that “Race is a social construct,” the SA document goes on to use the word “White,” in various incarnations, 119 times, including whiteness, White Communities, White Americans, White Men, and White Youth. Indeed, there are entire sections and appendixes on “whiteness.” In the midst of all this, found in the associated study guide (and perhaps other places- the primary paper is a very long 67 pages and the study guide adds another 13), the utterly banal statement, “The only race is the human one,” along with the predictable declaration that racism can be so entrenched that you have no idea you are a racist: you are a sinner and don’t even know it! So the SA paper begins with denying the existence of race, then spends dozens of pages talking about whiteness, blackness, brownness, and “people of color.” And, by the way, the concept of being colorblind is racist:  “Color-blindness is often dangerous because while we may not claim to see color, we don’t address the race-based stereotypes of beauty, fame and intelligence which often support a supremacist ideology.”

“Let’s Talk About Race” has some fine print in the form of footnotes, resources, and references. Not surprisingly the SA, being an ostensibly Christian organization, many are associated with the Bible and other religious tomes. Their secular sources, however, are both interesting and disturbing. The following are listed in the first few pages, and across the board an objective person could reasonably describe all as part of the elite racialist caste:

Blair Imani (born Blair Elizabeth Brown; for a point of reference she “identifies” as queer, black, bisexual, and Muslim); Michelle Alexander; Rima Vesely-Flad; Jemar Tisby; Angela Onwuachi-Willig; Zuleyka Zevallos; Ibram Xolani Kendi (born Ibram Henry Rogers).

“Let’s Talk About Racism” would more appropriately be termed a manifesto than a guide, and the SA using sources such as these to support their crusade would be like publishing a “guide” to Judaism based upon the odious Protocols of the Elders of Zion (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Protocols_of_the_Elders_of_Zion). Or perhaps, a liberal small town newspaper profiling a conservative candidate for school board by primarily using quotes from her vindictive ex-husband and his current nasty girlfriend, with whom he was having an affair when married.

Many years ago I was the volunteer medical director (PA) at a remote clinic in East Africa. My tribe, so to speak, was the Luo, a people so dark skinned as to be truly black. One night I was walking to my cottage and suddenly came upon a friend named William, an elderly gentleman working as a watchman. I said something like, “You startled me, I didn’t see you.” William replied, “Mr. Reid, I saw you coming from a long distance.” He went on to make a statement both simple and profound: “I am a black man, and you are a white man.”

It requires a combination of hubris, vanity and temerity to declare to a group of people what they do think or what they should think based on such factors as skin color and ethnicity; in fact, this largely defines bigotry. I recall a recent statement by our current President during a radio interview with a predominately black audience that (if you don’t vote for me) “You Ain’t Black!” Regarding the white and “woke” elite, it’s almost as if we’ve gone 500 years into the past with the purchase of indulgences from the Catholic Church, a major factor that led to the Protestant Reformation. By spouting out words and phrases such as “diversity, equity, and inclusion” or “social justice” (or putting up BLM signs in their suburban landscapes) they are, in their mind, protecting themselves against accusations of “racism.” And perhaps, if this goes along with donating (as it is) other people’s money to elite racialist organizations, they can succeed in buying cultural redemption and salvation.

I mentioned above that this controversy with the SA was entirely unnecessary. Among the defenses of their “guide” was, “The truth is that The Salvation Army believes that racism is fundamentally incompatible with Christianity, and we are called to work toward a world where all people are loved, accepted, and valued.” Not to sound too cynical, but an appropriate reply to that would be, “Well, duh!” Hubris, vanity, and temerity in action: no one who professes to be a Christian believes otherwise; the SA elite certainly are not special in this, though obviously they think they are.

While we certainly don’t need the farcical pretense that race doesn’t exist, what is much more pernicious is the mindset- and industry that supports it- that racism, real, or more commonly imagined, must be propagated and at the forefront of all cultural interactions. The woke elite, whose raison d'être, regardless of skin color, depends on furthering racism, and those who tacitly or actively support them, such as the SA and their “Let’s Talk About Racism” lesson, really need to become a quickly passing fad, like the pet rock. There in fact are negative, and even fatal, consequences of projecting on to people, based on skin color, beliefs in perpetual victimhood, personal fecklessness and dependency, emotional fragility, and easy outrage. Paradoxically and tragically, these consequences most commonly are suffered by “black and brown” people. Personally, I’m all for “I am a black man, you are a white man,” and go on from there.