"We're here to preserve democracy, not to practice it."

— Gene Hackman in Crimson Tide

As the general public bears witness to increased congressional hearings, federal investigations and legal depositions, many feel tortured by mendacious rhetoric while reminded the person in the hot seat is under oath. Then comes additional shock and awe as we watch public officials disregard protocol, subpoenas and accountability of yesterday's actions. Most of all, they ignore their own constituency while saying they speak for them. It seems the motives of compromised integrity go beyond party loyalty and reveal the spoiled, desperate, corrupt and cowardly inferiority complex of the white ruling class.

Since the 2016 campaign, it’s hard to come to terms that the fortified system of American democracy is actually more fragile than we realized. At the same time, white supremacy is at odds with its own code of conduct.

In attempt to distill the saturated matters of race, the term "white supremacy" can be too broad a diagnosis when discerning individuals, organizations and institutions. Within its accuracy relative to history, it's too lazy and divisive for progressive conversations; so I'd like to introduce another term to the lexicon — white exemption.

Since selfishness and greed are natural human traits, some would argue "white" is either redundant or an unfair adjective, but it's not. White exemption is constructing an entitled society around desired immunity, making a carte blanche license an attainable goal. Until this moment, I've never isolated the word "blanche" from the phrase in the french derivative meaning — white. I guess it fuels my point of inherent supremacy. Standing on that foundation, white exemption codifies levels of abusing power as allowed by bias support systems of Anglo preservation.

Think about those associated with playing the "race card." It's certainly not so-called white people, because that would imply a reverse litigation of power. Yet oddly, that seems to be a growing trend. Here's the thing, white exemption is not exclusive to the rich or ruling class. At its lowest credit rating, the status is a "get out a jail free" card. In many cases, it's a vanishing act; a non-arrest with a wink or assumed innocence, as if the incident never happened. When scruples deplete, a botched incident can even be blamed on an imaginary person of color. Simply put, white privilege gets you in, white exemption gets you out.

The bare bones of exemption is an excuse. An excuse for immaturity, a tantrum, a slur, a slap on the wrist, a felony deemed venial, a strike from the record, inadmissible evidence, victim blaming, consent of forced penetration, definition of a terrorist, conspiracy dismissed as coincidence, lifetime appointments for the unqualified, lack of accountability, suspicious motives, inconsistent morality, unethical normality, nepotism, money manipulation, firing, hiring, hiring-freeze, cherry picking, standing ground, Standing Rock, Bundy standoff, draft-dodging, selective memory, severe myopia, refusal, recusal, affluenza, affective realism, fetal alcohol syndrome, probation, provisions, pardons, expunging, mistrials, misspoke and misuse of Christianity, the Constitution and the word "freedoms."

Most of all, it's an excuse for hypocrisy and evidence of a sham. This is proven now more than ever. A formal debate would be utterly embarrassing, as I command Twitter to quote the opposition's own words and make a playback video of double-standards. When vindicated in the court of public opinion, the appeal to remove the Black or Mexican judge for a fair trial is more proof that the system has never been impartial.

The tacit approvals conducted in private or stealth legislation are now unconcealed, unhinged hubris that shrug shoulders while answering in abbreviated question form like "so…and…what?"

The new norm thrives in technicality, using facts as clay, hoping it hardens before truth is realized. After the debate turns into an argument of semantics, emotions inflame from inevitable frustration. It's like proving whether or not someone has a headache, but more irritating, like having to coddle the tummy ache of a child who has no fever. The child's play continues when you ask for the truth, but are reminded you didn't say, “Simon says.” Sounds disguised as words come out their mouth with their fingers crossed. The behavior shows no shame. The spin has no axis. The symptoms resemble a death cult — that eats their young.

This poses an integral divide among whites, liberal and conservative, who like having the perks of exemption, but are concerned with the excessive loopholes that flaunt recklessness. There's a legitimate pride in tactful discretion. Green acres of golf are a citadel for “mulligans” and illegal exchanges of information, but not doing it at a whisper disrupts the theater of equality, law, order and actual score.

The hard truth is this: racism will never be eradicated because innate tribalism is too strongly embedded in us. Therefore, the fluctuating levels of hate (which is a two-way street) can only be measured by actions of inclusion, respect and fairness.

While we strive for a more perfect meritocracy, the threat of adversarial disturbances always loom. Unfortunately, the most horrific actions of one white man and his demise will not prevent another white man to repeat or do worst. The tribe must now fight their own mutation of “little white lies,” knowing there will always be exemptions under oath.

Trevor Baldwin

Writing since February 2018 · 1 story contributed