The "we" that dots the Declaration of Independence gathers force and definition from stating not only what Americans were but what Americans were not: not British, not "merciless savages" like the Indians, and not "domestic insurrectionists" like the Black folk. Yes, they, the royal "we," have always accused us, the disloyal "them" of rioting. They said this even as they looted and rioted and rose up against the British folk they wanted to divorce. Like them, we fought in Revolutionary times because we wanted to be free. But our bonds with the nation were continually shredded.
-- Michael Eric Dyson, Long Time Coming, p. 102-103
No comments:
Post a Comment