Owning the Libs

Phraseology — The Modern Referencing Race

Considering that the Fox-shouting Trumpian Republicans are considered marginally closeted white supremacists (although not Mr. Gosar who came out) and view the “Libs” as a gaggle of mixed minorities and transgender bathroom campaigners, it’s no surprise this phrase “owning the libs” echoes the deep racially systemic love they have for wanting to “own” them. The mission of the white-wing of the GOP is clear: Own the Libs. A now oft repeated phrase.

But consider why they are able to continue a phrase that shows a desire to “own” minorities. A phrase so insidious given the repression of the minority vote they are after now, obtained during Jim Crow, and completely had suppressed during slavery. They are almost always seeking “ownership” of blacks. It doesn’t seem just a buried allusion or dog-whistle but a direct reference.

This new voter repression, their right-wing movement approved by Supreme Court on July 2021 just before the Independence day weekend, is just one system of keeping “them” down, a desire to position “them” below whites. Primarily black districts will be affected by these new laws, though some Latino and Native American as well. Justice Alito writes, “The mere fact that there is some disparity in impact does not necessarily mean that a system is not equally open […] to vote. And small disparities should not be artificially magnified.” The pain of minorities should be silenced, it could be read as.

In other words, although blacks are always the ones that end up on the negative side of the “small disparities,” they should not be “artificially” magnifying (read complaining loudly) about it. These ‘tiny’ differences are just too bad (I’m so glad he used the word “small” instead of “minor”, which relates to minority). What’s a few black votes blocked or lost? Stop complaining and just accept it, is the message here. Or simply, enough already!

Of course, in Arizona that this lawsuit verdict is about, a place won by “small disparities,” the minor differences involve Native Americans and Latinos as well (10,979 were thrown out). But blacks in particular among minorities are the lowest circle in their vision of the Dantean enemy Inferno ranking. The ninth circle is where they are frozen in ice and thus should not be able to make a sound. A minor difference from those browns in the eighth circle, as we can still hear their muffled footsteps moving toward our boarders in a caravan.

I would hardly consider this phrase Own the Libs, which seemed to develop and certainly became popular under Trump, to be a Freudian slip. It may not be a planned PR phrase dreamed up by a GOP consultant think tank. Although I wouldn’t put it past them. But it certainly seems to deliberately reflect their centuries-long desire to show their higher ‘rank’ over blacks — of Southern white men in particular. Desire might not be the right word, more like way of life, inherited mindset.

“Own” is a powerful phrase. It’s nine-tenths of the law. It implies the white-wing don’t just mark them, the “libs” (which refers to liberals, a word that means freedom interestingly enough), but they want to dominate them. Of course, the physical ownership is not possible like it once was under slavery. But reminding them of the “Lost Cause” is the point. It’s the point of marching through the Capitol waving the Confederate flag.

When something, or someone, is owned, the owners have a right to control it. They have a right to do what they want with it. They can move it about; they can shuttle it across state lines like a teenage girl in the Gaetz-mobile. Their disturbing attitude has persisted for centuries and dominates their world view. And the ‘ownees’ are simply ignored in their complaints, like Trump victoriously and openly deflecting over 3000 lawsuits and 2 impeachment trials.

We still face new laws of voter repression, but deep in their mind they are really laws that seek to once again ascertain the “ownership” of the blacks, and other minorities, known collectively as the “libs”. I’m positive their efforts won’t stop. Their ‘struggle’ is the mirror reflection of the struggle of Civil Rights activist like Martin Luther King, Jr. and a whole host of them throughout history. It is violent, not peaceful. 67% of domestic terrorist attacks were from right wing and predominantly white groups or individuals associated with white supremacist groups. Only one attack that killed someone in 25 years is contributed to left wing terrorism: the shooting of the rightwing activist Aaron Danielson by a self-described “anti-fascist”.

View recent events outside the Capitol just in 2021 alone: Rev. Jessie Jackson was arrested in June 2021 for peacefully protesting; while a mob of mostly angry and violent whites hurled rancid hate speech and insults while being let in by guards who opened barriers for them, like doorman at a fine hotel. This “owner” mentality is open and crassly insulting of the other, not silent and respectful of liberty and justice for all. From history, the minority of non-violent voices against the bullying of the white-wing includes some whites too, like John Adams, one of only two presidents of the first fourteen that didn’t own slaves and viewed it as immoral to do so (the second one being his son).

It’s not the teaching of Critical Race Theory, popularly known as CRT among the Trump crowd like Senator Crowley, that is the issue. (And to be clear no one is teaching this theory except for a few legal scholars in a few elitist law schools perhaps; they are teaching facts of history which include many of black repression and violence on blacks). It is living with inherently biased language and the threatening actions of the angry white-wing that is the problem. A deep historically rooted one at that. Just ask one of the 498 slaves out of the 500 (or 400 or 600) who Thomas Jefferson didn’t free, or the history books in Texas that don’t contain this fact. Just ask one of the 498 slaves out of the 500 (or 400 or 600) who Thomas Jefferson didn’t free, or the history books in Texas that don’t contain this fact.

Just don’t ask those who were not freed. They are still silently frozen in ice.