Up & Coming Weekly

May 31, 2022

Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.

Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1469304

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 23 of 28

WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM JUNE 1 - 7, 2022 UCW 23 What were the two most used new words in the news last week? e term "Great Replacement." I admit that I had never heard of the term until the recent attack in Buffalo by a white 18-year-old man that left 10 people dead. A long document, found with the attacker's property and presumably written by him explained his motives and concerns about the "replacement" of the "white race" and "white culture." CNN reported that, "e author also writes about his perceptions of the dwindling size of the white popula- tion and claims of ethnic and cultural replacement of whites." In an article published by CNN, Dean Obeidallah, a former attorney and a columnist for e Daily Beast, writes that what the document found with the shooter "espouses is, in es- sence, the white supremacist concept known as the Great Replacement eory. is 'theory' is meant as a warning to white people that soon, people of color — typically immi- grants, Latinos and African Americans — may outnumber white people and in essence 'replace' them." A recent article in e Wall Street Journal gave the following summary: "e great replacement' is a con- spiracy theory that asserts elites — politicians, business executives, media — are using immigration and other policies as a tool to reduce the white population." e Journal article continues. "Inter- est and belief in the idea has increased in the U.S. in recent years, research- ers say, as the percentage of white Americans, compared with nonwhite people, shrinks. e nation's non-His- panic white population dropped 2.6% between 2010 and 2020, according to the Census Bureau. Projections by the bureau indicate that the total population of nonwhite people in America will exceed the white popula- tion by 2045." e replacement theory is not new. e idea got its modern start in France in the early part of the 20th Century. More recently, a 2011 article by French writer Renaud Camus and titled "e Great Replacement" is used by white supremacists in the U.S. According to the Journal, Camus wrote that "white Europeans will eventually be extinct because of im- migration and since some nonwhite populations, particularly those of Africa and the Middle East, have higher birthrates. People from Africa and the Middle East have emigrated to France from former French colonies in increased numbers in the postcolo- nial era." e increase of immigrant popula- tions in Europe and the U.S. is fact, not a theory. ere are consequences in terms of a rise in influence of immi- grants and their children in Europe and the U.S. and the corresponding loss of power and influence of white Americans. But there is more to the theory than these facts. Versions of the theory allege a conspiracy among some people to re- place the long-time white residents of Europe and the U.S. with people from Africa and Asia. e conspirators, it is said, are politicians, elitist people and institutions. ey promote policies that open the doors to immigrants and empower people of color and other minority groups. ese people would become voters who would do the will of the conspirators. I could find no credible evidence about the "elites" exerting control over the votes of immigrants and minori- ties. I confess that I have hoped that the changing makeup of North Carolina's population that is under way would help my political party more than the other party. Does that make me part of some conspiracy? I don't think so. LITERATURE Conspiracy theories do not replace facts, numbers by D.G. MARTIN D.G. MARTIN, Host of PBS-NC's Bookwatch. COMMENTS? Editor@upand- comingweekly.com. 910-484-6200. Photo courtesy of Pexels Presents Continue the fun, gamalier padilla PERFORMING at The sand trap After Party 10 pm-UNTIL Mostley CruE with Special Guest Gates open 5:00 Autumn Tyde 6:00-7:00 Mostley Crue 7:30-10:00 Food, Soft Drinks, Beer & Wine on Sale Cash Bar w/ all ABC Permits PLUS Music, dancing, food + Fun! All American Homes FREE CONCERT! KIM EVERS TEAM June 3 rd Autumn Tyde

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of Up & Coming Weekly - May 31, 2022