Cultural Appropriation: A Disturbing Trend

There’s really no way to get surprised anymore by American liberals, because they’ve already pushed the limits of social justice well beyond the insanity threshold. But every time you forget about one of their dumb ideas, it comes back to smack you in the face a short time later.

Take “cultural appropriation.” This vile concept is most visible during Halloween, when idiots come out of the woodwork to tell white people that they can’t wear sombreros or use sugar skull makeup. You’ll also find it in music criticism. A pop star starts “twerking,” and suddenly she’s being accused of stealing from black culture.

That was apparently what was on Salon’s mind when they sat down with Darryl Hall of the popular duo Hall & Oates.

“One of the current debates is over ‘cultural appropriation’ – The idea that white people should not appropriate the culture of ethnic and racial minorities. I know that you don’t like the term ‘blue eyed soul.’ Have you followed this conversation?” asked Salon.

It provoked a refreshing response from Hall:

“Are you trying to say that I don’t own the style of music that I grew up with and sing? I grew up with this music. It is not about being black or white. That is the most naïve attitude I’ve ever heard in my life. That is so far in the past, I hope, for everyone’s sake. It isn’t even an issue to discuss. The music that you listened to when you grew up is your music. It has nothing to do with ‘cultural appropriation,’” he said. “We live in America. That’s our entire culture. Our culture is a blend. It isn’t split up into groups.”

Bravo. This is what liberals simply don’t want to understand. No race or ethnicity has a patent on their historical heritage.

By creating these enclaves where you can only do this if you’re that, you’re destroying the reasons why America has thrived for the past 200 years. Democrats talk endlessly about America being an immigrant nation, but they don’t seem to understand why “diversity” is a good thing. It doesn’t make any difference if the country is “diverse” if everyone has to take a hands-off approach with everyone else’s special little culture. Why would we want that?

The cultures that people are so protective of didn’t come out of nowhere. They are themselves blends of different things throughout the course of history. That’s who we are as human beings. We improve by taking what we like from other cultures and making it our own. Nothing is lost. Nothing is devalued. Quite the opposite. This is how we make the “progress” that liberals claim to care so much about.