Virtue signaling theatrics.

My wife and I went to a play at the Dallas Theater Center Wednesday night. It was the first for the DTC since the pandemic began in March 2020.

As the lights dimmed a recorded message began. But it wasn’t the usual reminder to silence our cell phones. This message was highly produced and went on for upward of two minutes. If it ever said anything about cell phones I don’t remember it. Such was clearly not the point.

The point was “social justice,” as virtue-signalers on the left like to call it. The recording began by telling us that the land upon which we were sitting was once occupied by proud Native American tribes such as the Comanche, the Caddo and the Tawakoni. The narration was accompanied by background voices speaking in what I assume is the native tongue of those Native Americans. It then went on to tell us that following the displacement of the Native Americans, the very same land became the site of a settlement of freed slaves.

The message wrapped up with a somewhat preachy reminder that it was at the hands of people of European descent (read: white) that Native Americans and former African-American slaves suffered.

Those in the audience that for whatever reason identify with those aggrieved groups enjoyed another opportunity to indulge in some righteous resentment. Those of us who are white were given yet another opportunity to acknowledge our guilt.

There were no factual errors in the Dallas Theater Center’s pre-show message. But was it necessary? We were all there to see a play.

In another entertainment realm, the National Football League is stenciling slogans like “End Racism” on the backs of players’ helmets this season. Is that necessary? The fans go to the stadium or watch TV to see a football game.

RELATED: Football has become a burden to watch.

Yes, it’s true that white people from Europe enslaved black people from Africa. It’s also true that throughout history, people of every race have alternately been the enslavers or the enslaved.

Ironic in light of the Dallas Theater Center’s preachment, it’s additionally true that the Greek poet Thespis – a white European – is credited with inventing theater as we now understand it. (That’s why stage actors are called Thespians.)

So, do we really need a simplistic, contextually-challenged social justice sermon every time we buy an entertainment ticket? Does that help anybody?

If we want to End Racism as the NFL admonishes, why don’t we set race aside for a few hours every now and then and enjoy a movie or a play or a football game together?

The world is a tough place. Can we not just share the experience of sports and entertainment as fellow travelers? Movies, plays, music and sports provide diversion that’s much needed by all of us. We used to know that. We seem to have forgotten.

No ethic group is free of ancestral sin. Endless recrimination over an unchangeable past serves only to dim hopes for a brighter future. Absent such hope, no society or civilization can survive.

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Paul Gleiser

Paul L. Gleiser is president of ATW Media, LLC, licensee of radio stations KTBB 97.5 FM/AM600, 92.1 The TEAM FM in Tyler-Longview, Texas.

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16 Responses

  1. Rick Schwab says:

    As usual, your observations are timely, well-founded and intellectually stimulating. Thank you for your contribution and especially for the time you spend sitting in for Mark Davis during his vacations.

  2. Greg R says:

    Another great post Paul. We can’t escape racism because some on the left will not allow it. Remember the old saying‘misery loves company’? There’s a video on YouTube with Mike Wallace interviewing Morgan Freeman about racism. Morgan Freeman gave Lefty Wallace a good answer to deal with racism but Wallace couldn’t accept it possibly because it was too simple of an answer. The left loves chaos

  3. Pete A Fasanello says:

    Name the group that has never been a slave to another at some point,time to grow up—I noone anything

  4. Darrell Durham says:

    Racism is never going away because it works. People have devoted their lives to fighting it or fomenting it. Martin Luther King wished for people to be judged NOT by skin color, regardless what it happened to be. Blacks complain about lack of opportunity, and then denigrate successful Black conservatives. Democrats are not actually driven by what is the best policy, but by how said policy is perceived. They like to be known as being FOR helping the less fortunate, and then create programs making things worse. They are trying everything they can to take control, and the only way to do that is to divide the country. In that respect, Joe is doing a fantastic job!

    • Matthew E says:

      Racism will never go away because there will always be racism , is it a tool used by some absolutely, but it still exists. I never knew conservatives had a monopoly on wanting to bring the country together.

  5. C M Solomon says:

    Did the Dallas Theater Center Wednesday night offer you that were possible descendants of the guilty “hands of people of European descent (read: white) that Native Americans and former African-American slaves SUFFERED” suggest a way of reparations or confessions for you to rectify these sins against humanity in order to alleviate your sorrow for the actions of your ancestors? If they didn’t, why would they force you to endure a guilt trip with no method to redeem yourself and gain future respect in THEIR general community in order to be accepted, if ever, by THEM? Aren’t they interested in providing you a prescription for “forgiveness” with a “penance” suitable for you to bear and that they would require as sufficient to drop further blame?

    NO, the answer to these questions reveal their TRUE hatred for America’s past and willingness to discount, dismiss, and destroy the magnificent accomplishments and advancements of personal Liberty and Freedom that makes this Nation the greatest bastion of happiness and prosperity for the most people that this World has ever seen! We need to go on the Offensive as Patriots to shove the Marxist “divide and conquer” hatred back into their face and STOP accepting irrational arguments that are designed to put us Patriots on the Defensive while they (with impunity) try to turn us into a dictatorial dystopia of unrelenting tyranny and SUFFERING beyond our ability to comprehend.

    It’s time to EXPOSE the irrational hatred that these Evil people are using to “cover up” their malevolent goals for which they now can’t HIDE anymore, given the last two years of their LAWLESS actions and habitual disregard for Life, Liberty, Property, the Constitution, and the Rule-of-Law. It is not extreme to identify their TREASON and their SUBVERSION of our culture and their attempt to DESTROY the foundations of this Nation as a Constitutional Republic. At what point will the State of Texas protect and defend our Liberties as the Federal Marxist agenda of tyrannical madness (mandates and financial bankruptcy) become more lethal? Are we on the verge of becoming Australia, New Zealand, and Canada where tyranny has become unbearable as junk science has been accepted as official State dogma?

    • Matthew E says:

      Hatred of America’s past ? That’s a new one ,I think. Ok then…I think there’s plenty of our nation’s past not to love for sure. Our history is what it is bad and the good, it all should be on display in our schools regardless of making folks not wanting the truth because maybe it’s uncomfortable, deal with it.

  6. Ron Eagleman says:

    The DTC’s dim-witted “thespians” should stick with their play acting and make believe world! These same geniuses wear the African robes, hats, and other garb to idealize a continent and countries that to this day are guilty of practicing the horrible sin of slavery. Someone should inform some of the brilliant historians, like Lebron James, Colin Kaepernick, and spokespersons for the DTC that there is not one single slave or slave-holder who still lives in this country! Witness the American education system on parade!

  7. C M Solomon says:

    The last few weeks have revealed the traitorous heart of the Commicrats as exposed by the following events. In other words, we ARE BECOMING Australia, New Zealand, and Canada where LIE BASED MEDICAL TYRANNY has become unbearable as JUNK science has been accepted as official State dogma. The current vaccines are NOW out of date and have fallen BELOW the normally efficacy levels for ANY vaccines, experimental or otherwise to be APPROVED for the new COVID-19 variants. The currently predominate DELTA mutant virus infections have escaped the vaccines developed last year! These variants have filled hospitals with patients in Israel where 90+% of the population have had the vaccine and its boosters which are now ineffective! The originally hidden truth is that even the vaccinated are 40% to 60% likely to get re-infected because the vaccines NEVER stopped or significantly slowed the spread, only kept the illness from being as fatal for most that became seriously ill. The young and healthy always had the ability to overcome the virus through early therapeutics with naturally developed immunity as a result, 20 times more protective than the vaccine could ever produce, even against variants.

    So WHY does the government want to force “vaccine-only” mandates while ignoring the early treatment protocols that have saved hundreds of thousands of lives that the vaccine itself with limited and short term immunity could never accomplish? The answer is obvious when you understand the HEARTLESSNESS of the Commiecrat’s religion. Just like the Taliban, once you understand their religion, you can predict their love of tyranny and terror to obtain their goals. These would–be tyrants are SOCIOPATHS: “This disorder is characterized by a disregard for the feelings of others, a lack of remorse or shame, manipulative behavior, unchecked egocentricity, and the ability to lie in order to achieve one’s goals.”

    An audit of the deeds of the Commiecrat religion of Marxism can be exposed by: 1) the dishonorable US “protection” of the exposed 13 American Military members that were murdered by a suicide bomber in Afghanistan (Aug. 26, 2021) while providing Military escape transport to 60+ thousand UNVETTED Afganistanians, 2) the abandonment of an $80 billion, American weapon equipped, military base in Bagram for the new Taliban controlled terror State, 3) the current 9 month solitary confinement of Jan. 6 Capital “protestors” with no trials (much worse treatment than Guantanamo prisoners), 4) the toleration of Antifa and BLM protestors who murdered hundreds of innocent victims and destroyed millions of property values during 2020-21, 5) the welcoming open southern borders to illegal aliens with no serious attempt to stop terrorist Cartels with drug and human trafficking, 6) the infiltration of military and academia with divisive Marxist Critical Race Theory designed to demonize America and its heritage of personal Freedom and Liberty, 7) and NOW the dictatorial MEDICAL MANDATES from HHS to DESTROY the PRIVATE doctor/patient relationship for treatment of illnesses for which their daily practice is FAR more capable than HHS to save lives given their record of successes on thousands of their own direct patients.

    The CCP sponsored COVID-19 FAKE “pandemic” (for which 99.98% survival rate is accomplished with low cost EARLY therapeutic treatment,) is NOW exposed to be a manufactured wedge by authoritarian government to MANDATE universal vaccine protocols that is aimed to DESTROY the personal Liberty of self determination for medical treatment by one’s own Doctor. This is NOT a case of proven and effective (non-experimental) child-hood vaccines as the medical dictators in Washington falsely claim. Fundamentally speaking, the power they seek is to create a Marxist dictatorship by using MEDICINE and HEALTH as the foundational excuse to invoke their demonic plan! Remember Hitler’s control of the entire Medical profession and health facilities in Nazi Germany? The Nazis were in charge of your ability to stay alive and healthy, hence, obedience to the Fatherland by MEDICAL intimidation.

    By stealing the last election through millions of bogus mail-in, stuffed, and switched ballots, the Commiecrats have created this opportunity to seize control of the levers of government to establish their permanent one-party rule despite opposition to the contrary. As true SOCIOPATHS, they DON’T CARE! “Climate Change” is next on the horizon as added insurance to complete the Communist abolishment of our Constitutional Liberties. The EVIL that has been buried in the heart of the Commiecrat soul has now been revealed and we should remember that THEY are exponentially guilty of what they falsely accuse the Constitutional Conservative movement. We are proud to advance our dedication to Liberty that rejects authoritative (and illegal) tyrannical government control that would turn us into serfs. The following link explains the despicable suppression of the TRUTH for which the Commiecrat roaches must keep in the darkness in which they happily dwell.

    https://www.theblaze.com/op-ed/horowitz-as-vaccinated-covid-hospitalizations-soar-government-blocks-the-one-option-that-works

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