Numerous news outlets are highlighting that the recently elected leader of the United States is a self-professed extremist theocrat hailing from “Southern Arkansas”, who openly opposes and lacks faith in democratic principles.
“By the way, the United States is not a democracy. Do you know what a democracy is? Two wolves and a sheep deciding what’s for dinner. You don’t want to be in a democracy. Majority rule: not always a good thing,” Johnson said at the First Baptist Church of Haughton, Louisiana, in 2019.
In what we hope was an unexpected statement, Mike Johnson clearly issued a very strange caution to residents surrounding Haughton, Louisiana, a community situated in the northwest corner of the state with a history of anti-democratic terrorism. Notably, he advised them against desiring a democratic system while simultaneously seeking their votes. Here’s what that looks like in terms of Louisiana history:
In case it’s unclear what a map of people voting against democracy in American history represents:
Or here’s how Johnson’s hometown and political base of anti-abolitionist Benton perhaps could represent their place in American history:
Johnson’s anti-democratic sermon about two wolves and a sheep having dinner is an odd one for an even more unsettling reason. It seems to also relate to his self-described informal adoption of a Black child, a highly questionable and unconventional choice.
One part of his personal life has raised more than a few eyebrows: Johnson’s Black “son” Michael, who does not appear in Johnson’s family photo with his four biological children. […] According to Johnson, Michael says that he would have joined a gang, taken drugs, wound up in prison or died if Johnson and his wife had not taken him into their home. “…the reality is, and no one can tell me otherwise, my son Michael had a harder time than my son Jack is going to have simply because of the color of his skin. And that’s a reality. It’s an uncomfortable, painful one to acknowledge, but people have to recognize that’s a fact.”
Johnson’s message seems to be individuals must acknowledge that color of one’s skin is a simple fact about inequality, because as a self-appointed informal authority over a Black child’s life he is not open to any differing opinions on the matter.
This is the utmost contradiction to the principles of equal rights for someone to express, and it also involves erasing his son’s identity and taking his voice. It’s crucial to emphasize the man says he informally adopted a Black child, which has allegedly turned into him regularly impersonating and appropriating the Black voice to spread harmful white supremacist falsehoods.
Johnson went further [in rejection of reparations than others and simply lied]. In his statement, he invoked the will of God, Martin Luther King Jr., and the opinion of his adopted 35-year-old black son, Michael, to argue not only that reparations are wrong, impractical, and probably illegal, but that they would harm black Americans’ dignity by depriving them of the “meaning” injected into their lives by having to achieve equality without government aid.
The assertion is without merit and untrue. Throughout history, white Americans have indeed relied on government assistance to enhance their well-being. It’s worth emphasizing once more that the notion of “self-made” success can be misleading, as government aid has played a crucial role. Denying equal opportunities to both Black and white individuals mirrors a common talking point associated with the KKK.
Visualize a scenario where a white father is using media platforms to address his (informally) adopted Black son, unyieldingly asserting that his son’s future will be permanently marked by adversity simply because of his skin color. The father isn’t advocating for overcoming, equalizing, or proving anything; instead, he is declaring that accepting the harsh racial inferiority of Black men in America is an established and unalterable reality.
Does that sound even remotely democratic to you?
Related: My Family’s Slave
Now, consider the fact that Johnson consistently championed regressive and ill-informed political measures aimed at deliberately increasing hardships for Black individuals compared to their white counterparts:
Serving his fourth term in Congress, Republican Rep. Mike Johnson has supported… curtailing federal funding for any entity that teaches that the United States is fundamentally racist.
It seems as though the prominent public figure elected in one of the most racially charged areas of America aims to deceptively persuade Black individuals, including his own son, into believing they can never achieve equality with whites. This attempt to normalize such a belief is not a regular occurrence; instead, it unmistakably reveals Johnson may carry into his positions of power some deeply troubling racist beliefs.
Allow me to clarify the mindset behind the “Southern Arkansas” lynching perspective, as Johnson’s motivated (informal) adoption of a child and the disgraceful appropriation of a Black person’s identity to cause harm may seem perplexing to those not familiar with this context.
Johnson’s stance is evident in his attempts to convey the idea that Black individuals, including his (informally) adopted son, are intrinsically and forever inferior, necessitating white paternalism while simultaneously not deserving such assistance. He also seems to argue that America is not marked by racism as if individuals without representation were better off (enduring rape and labor camps instead of enjoying freedom of thought) silencing and erasing Black voices, much like his approach towards repeatedly appropriating the voice of an (informally) adopted son. Abraham Lincoln, in his presidential election campaign, issued a warning about such politicians posing a threat to American democracy.
Is there no law in America preventing racists from adopting Black children with the intention of indoctrinating them with harmful savior narratives rooted in white supremacist ideals? Regrettably, such a law does not exist, and in a related historical context, President Lincoln was assassinated.
Nixon’s “Tar Baby” also comes to mind, something maybe familiar to those allowed to study rather obvious fundamental racism of America. Nixon called white nationalism an unfortunate circumstance for Blacks, while propping up white nationalism.
This clearly reflects Johnson’s refusal, like Nixon, to let go of anti-democractic historical Civil War sentiments. He appears to be suggesting that the emancipation of Black individuals was a mistake. It’s concerning that a political party, deliberately creating social issues that fuel dysfunction and drive opposing sides towards violent extremism, would embrace such a divisive figure. It indicates their lack of commitment to moving beyond the legacy of the Civil War and the essential work required for a functioning democracy, as outlined in this analysis.
“Apparently experience isn’t necessary for the speaker job,” said Senator Mitt Romney, noting Johnson’s relative lack of time in Congress. “We’re down to folks who haven’t had leadership or chairmanship roles, which means their administration of the House will be a new experience for them.”
One doesn’t need any prior experience, as explained by this source, for a House Speaker to merely exist and deliver a resounding “NO” to everything a “democratic” (representative) movement proposes or accomplishes.
…as Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) put it. “I could give you a narrative about anyone being a good choice at this point. We just need a warm body at this point, right? And I think he qualifies,” Young said as he dipped into a subway train. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), after hearing that assessment, commented dryly as Young stood beside her: “A high standard.”
Remember how President Woodrow Wilson had a penchant for appointing utterly inexperienced extremists to head institutions with the intention of dismantling them, while removing ALL Black voices from government? This tendency calls to mind the actions of powerful domestic terrorists with racist ideologies in America…
Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA), the latest candidate put forward by Republicans to be their leader and Speaker of the House, has repeatedly elevated white nationalist “great replacement” and “invasion” conspiracy theories that are directly linked to multiple acts of deadly violence in Buffalo, Pittsburgh, El Paso, Charlottesville, and elsewhere.
Johnson appears to deny the evident link between his promotion of violent white nationalism and the occurrence of racist domestic terrorism. Instead, he has sought to attribute male violence, including mass shootings, to the idea that women have too many freedoms and rights, as outlined in this source. This strategy aligns with a classic KKK tactic of blaming victims for the crimes committed against them.
In 1960 Louisiana, Black victim — not white shooter — convicted of a crime: A case that ‘flips justice on its head’
Is there even a need to question why Johnson, in multiple ways over many years echoing typical white supremacist rhetoric associated with the Louisiana Klan, opted for a career as a lawyer and politician, much like many other individuals in American government linked to the Louisiana Klan?
Whether the Ku Klux Klan of the Louisiana-Arkansas border was responsible for the murder of F.W. DANIELS and T.F. RICHARDS of Mer Rouge in the end of August may soon be determined in the courts of Louisiana, which would seem to have sole jurisdiction.
Mer Rouge is only 100 miles from Johnson’s anti-democracy speeches in the First Baptist Church of Haughton.
In addition to allegedly using his platform to advocate for racist, homophobic, and misogynistic domestic terrorism, the recently elected leader has devoted years to attempting to discredit, reverse, and subvert electoral processes.
…known for his role in efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. He led an amicus brief signed by over 100 Republican lawmakers in support of a Texas lawsuit that challenged election results in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
This individual isn’t an affable figure; he comes across as deceitful and poses a significant risk. His actions do not reflect a genuine concern for others, especially given the known white nationalist ideology that fundamentally perpetuates systemic racism. His seemingly unexplained ascent to a position from which he should have been disqualified is a disheartening repetition of some of the gravest errors in U.S. history, paralleling instances such as those of Jackson, Wilson, Nixon, Reagan, and Trump. The world has witnessed too much suffering and loss due to these racist and troublesome figures; it’s high time they become the exception in American history rather than the rule.
For a comprehensive understanding of Johnson’s moral extremities, it is advisable to investigate his ties to the legal and political circles associated with Klan No 34, a white supremacist vigilante militia (considered domestic terrorists) that deeply penetrated the Louisiana justice system. They played a significant role in normalizing acts of torture, mutilation, and murder of any Americans who dared to oppose their extremist views. Who has properly investigated whether Johnson ever aided or abetted the torture, mutilation and murder of Americans in the well known campaigns of domestic terrorism typical of his district?
Someone who doesn’t believe in Black freedom and equal rights should never be allowed to even informally adopt any Black child. Someone who discredits women’s rights should never be entrusted with assigning blame for mass atrocities or shaping education policies. And unquestionably, an individual who harbors disdain for democracy should never be granted the power to turn it off.
Sounds like John Brown rolling in his grave to me.
