White privilege practiced in Congress

William T. Robinson, Jr.

The recent attack on Rep. Jasmine Crockett (Texas-30) by U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.-14) should have warranted Greene being removed from the congressional committee—especially when she refused to apologize. But this did not happen, which only exacerbated the situation resulting in Marjorie Taylor Greene biting off more than she could chew. She should have known Jasmine Crockett wasn’t one to play with. Crockett fearlessly countered Greene’s attack with one of her own.

Republican chairmen/women within many of these congressional committees have allowed their White members to exhibit disrespectful and unprofessional behaviors without repercussions or substantial consequences. This only highlights the manifestation of White privilege. We all know if a Black or a person of color in Congress manifested such behavior (firing back at White representatives’ insults), they would be ejected from their committees with lightning speed.

Not only are these Republican clowns being allowed to highjack meetings while entertaining lies, bogus investigations or indictments, they are not being reprimanded. It appears that White Republicans can say and do anything they want. But if a Black representative responds back and gives them a little taste of their own medicine, they feel that retaliation is necessary. Such is the case with Jasmine Crockett tactfully and indirectly giving Marjorie Taylor Greene a taste of her own medicine.

Marjorie Taylor Greene felt quite comfortable personally attacking Jasmine Crockett concerning her eyelashes “impeding her ability to see,” but she also attacked and insulted Hispanic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y-14), questioning her intellectual ability to debate her. These two minority-women-representatives were clearly attacked personally by a White woman representative; however, the Republican chair did not see fit to excuse the White initiator of the insults from the committee.

Does the majority Republican Congress think the public is blind and doesn’t see the outward practice of White privilege being practiced by outspoken, racist Republicans? If any reprimands are made on these committees, they are minimal to say the least. This behavior by many Republicans is supported by their allegiance to Trump and his diehard base, making it comfortable for them to continue to fan the fire.

Trump may be referred to as a P.T. Barnum-type showman, and his circus of followers are adding truth to the adage “a sucker is born every second.”  There are those in Congress not only manifesting White privilege but spreading lies, hate, and divisiveness. Make no mistake, White privilege is on display in Congress for the whole world to see. 

It is puzzling that Greene couldn’t sense she didn’t have the intellect to challenge/insult the likes of a Jasmine Crockett. If you have not been keeping up with Crockett, she is a ‘one-person dynamo’ in calling out the inadequacies and shortcomings of her Republican colleagues, whom she alleges are playing games and keeping progress from being made in Congress at the expense of American citizens. 

No doubt, many would argue, Crockett is a voice of reason and correctness when addressing the real issues in these congressional committee meetings. She calls out Republicans who want to lie, stonewall and avoid the real issues at hand. In fact, whether you like her or not, Crockett is heralded by many as a heroine fighting to bring legitimacy to a failing Congress—which appears to be incompetent in their job of enacting meaningful, bipartisan legislation.

My advice to the Republican Party in Congress is to lay off Jasmine Crockett. This highly intelligent well-educated sister and civil rights lawyer is not one to play with. You don’t want her to really unleash her opinions concerning the world of White privilege in Congress. Some things may best be left unsaid since Republican recipients can’t handle the heat.

Congress represents a diverse, multicultural group of Americans belonging to all races. It should act accordingly. White privilege should not dictate Congressional activity. However, it is blatantly being practiced and not addressed.

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