A Wake Up Call Against Counter Systemic Racism

June 15, 2021

Recently, I’ve been the subject of numerous hate-filled attacks because I dared to speak the truth about a dangerous, radical ideology promoted by progressive Democrats here in Connecticut and across the nation.

 

This ideology is advanced under many different names: “white privilege,” “implicit bias,” “social justice,” “equity,” and “critical race theory.” These policies are being written into our laws on a state and national level and organized efforts like the largely discredited “1619 Project” promoted by the New York Times are tearing at the fabric of our country.

 

They suggest that America began in 1619, when the first slaves set foot in the New World while disregarding the fact that our country, the United States of America–conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that we are all created equal–was not formed until 1776. Progressives are attempting to rewrite our history by insisting that racism is the cornerstone of our country’s foundation.

 

Proponents of this ideology understand that victimhood is a very useful tool for remaking our system of government into a Marxist state. Elected Democrats in Connecticut and across the country have begun inserting their suggestive phraseology into our system of laws. They capitalize on the anger and frustration of identity groups, treating them instead as voting blocs, by convincing them that their problems are the result of “institutional” or “systemic” racism. Of course, their solution is to create new laws that divide us even further, by delegitimizing individual character and merit in favor of nothing but race – and sometimes gender, establishing quotas, and redistributing wealth as reparations.

 

This evil worldview has thoroughly undermined centuries of progress in unifying our nation under the banner of one American identity. Instead, division among Americans along political, racial, religious, and cultural lines continues to grow.

 

America’s founders were like all of us – imperfect – and we need not turn away from that fact. But their dream of a society in which we ALL have the same rights and are entitled to equal justice was a new idea which inspired the world.

 

Thomas Jefferson penned the words “all men are created equal” not to spite blacks, but because he and his fellow founders believed that all people were born possessing rights. Abraham Lincoln ended slavery and shepherded a divided country through a war intended to secure those rights. Martin Luther King Junior helped bring a new birth of freedom by extolling the virtue of judging people on their individual character and not the color of their skin.

 

I am grieved by the dangerous direction our great nation has taken. My efforts have been dedicated, like all these pivotal people in American history, to persist in working towards “a more perfect union” for all citizens.

 

In the final days of the legislative session, I offered an amendment on the floor of the senate to prohibit the teaching of the divisive and destructive ideology of race as destiny. During the debate, I made clear that I do not wish to censor speech or whitewash history. I stated emphatically that we should teach the whole truth, including the shortcomings and failures of our founders, and that we must acknowledge the legacy of slavery and racism in America. Yet, I do not believe our children should be taught that America is an inherently racist country, or that any person is better than another based on the color of their skin, or that race or gender is ever a reason for guilt and anguish.

 

Only in the poisoned reality of the “woke” mindset could my position – that we are rightly judged on merit and character alone – be the view that is considered racist. Carrying on this division by creating counter “systemic racism” is wrong, and I will stand against it even if I’m the only one with the courage to say so.

 

Senator Rob Sampson

For more information, here are links to the amendment Sen. Sampson filed and a video of him offering the amendment on the floor.