When I was a kid, I often read the comic book The Two-Gun Kid. The main character had holstered pistols on each hip, and was equally adept at firing from either hand.
The American Left is much like the Two-Gun Kid in that respect. Their twin weapons are using the charge of sexism or the charge of racism — or both — to shoot down arguments opposing their secular progressive agenda without having to offer a serious counter-argument. Rather than call them out on their shallowness, most of the mainstream media either ignore their demagoguery or support their baseless premise.
A good recent example of this is when Chris Wallace, the host of Fox News Sunday, cast aside any semblance of objectivity to defend Jill Biden, wife of former Vice President Joe Biden, in the minor controversy over her use of the title “doctor.” Not only did Wallace defend Mrs. Biden, he used his platform to attack fellow Fox News personalities.
“There has been some criticism recently from conservatives, including some conservatives on Fox News, about the fact that first lady-to-be Jill Biden goes by the title doctor,” Wallace said while interviewing Jen Psaki (whom Biden has said will be his White House press secretary) on Fox News Sunday. Now, I have no problem with Wallace making this statement, but then he basically put on the uniform of the American Left: “What is the Bidens’ reaction to that, especially given the fact that so many people over the years — I think of Dr. Henry Kissinger, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King — have gone by the title doctor, even though they’re not medical doctors and nobody seems to have made a fuss about that?”
The controversy with the use of the title “doctor” by Jill Biden began when a Wall Street Journal op-ed said that she should stop using the title. Biden received her doctorate of education from the University of Delaware in 2006, while her husband was representing the state in the U.S. Senate.
Joseph Epstein wrote, “Any chance you might drop the ‘Dr,’ before your name,” adding, “Dr. Jill Biden sounds and feels fraudulent, not to say a touch comic.”
Fox News’ Tucker Carlson was among those who agreed with the Epstein editorial, calling her doctoral dissertation (not her title) “our national shame,” citing several parts of the dissertation as “borderline illiterate.”
After Wallace threw up the softball question (as he often did for Biden’s husband in the presidential debate he “moderated” between him and President Donald Trump), Psaki unholstered the sexism weapon, telling Wallace, “It’s really silly, sexist and absurd conversation that’s happening a bit in society and I appreciate you asking me about it.”
Exactly what is sexist about comments on Jill Biden’s dissertation Psaki did not say, and Wallace did not ask. Certainly, Jill Biden is a female, but neither Epstein nor Carlson made any remarks about her sex, nor did anyone else. But the Left has used this sexism charge unchallenged for so long, it is not surprising that Psaki went right to it.
Kayleigh McEnany, press secretary for President Trump, is certainly a female, and she has been frequently criticized by Biden’s allies in the media. While anyone who puts himself or herself into the political fray is fair game for criticism from the opposition, this does not go both ways, as the Jill Biden story illustrates. Female conservatives are routinely lambasted by the mainstream media, and political progressives, for all sorts of reasons, yet no one on that side of the political spectrum charges that it is due to “sexism.”
We see the same thing with “racism” charges. If the black person is a liberal, he or she may very well be defended by using the “racism” weapons. This was very common when Barack Obama was president — criticism of his policies or actions was often defended by charging that the person opposing him was “racist.” But black conservatives cannot expect the same defense from the Left. Not at all. If anything, they (and conservative females) can expect even more hostility from the Left. Justice Clarence Thomas is a prime example.
Wallace revealed either his ignorance or his duplicity by bringing up the example of Martin Luther King, Jr. King received a doctorate in systematic theology from Boston University. But, as in the case of Jill Biden, the criticism was not so much that he used the title of “doctor,” because that title pre-dated its use by physicians, and few question its use by persons who have earned academic doctorates. The criticism of King was that he had plagiarized large portions of his dissertation. While Boston University did not revoke his doctorate, when this plagiarism became obvious in the 1980s, they did attach a letter to his dissertation in the university library letting a reader know that multiple passages were included without quotations or citations.
In conclusion, if one is a conservative black person or a female of any color, that person can expect greater scrutiny and more criticism from the Left. In contrast, if anyone dares to challenge the political opinions or personal character of a person on the Left, and that person is either black or female (or both), the twin weapons of racism and sexism charges can be expected to be unleashed with a vengeance. Chris Wallace and other liberal media personalities can be expected to pile on.
In short, when the Left talks about “diversity,” they don’t mean political diversity. Their idea of diversity is a liberal white person, a liberal black person, a liberal woman, or whatever, just so long as the person is liberal. Black conservatives are sometimes said to not be truly black. Or, as Jill Biden’s husband put it, “Well I tell you what, if you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t black.”
