Everything is racist. Apparently, even the mere presence of portraits of judges in a courtroom can lead to "inequity."
At least that's the conclusion of Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge David Bernhard who, according to The Seattle Times, wrote in an opinion that the presence of portraits of former judges in the Fairfax Circuit Court could create bias judges and juries. Why? Because everyone is a racist, of course! And he is refusing to allow the portraits to be displayed during any trial he presides over.
"The Court is concerned the portraits may serve as unintended but implicit symbols that suggest the courtroom may be a place historically administered by whites for whites, and that thus others are of a lesser standing in the dispensing of justice. The Defendant's constitutional right to a fair jury trial stands paramount over the countervailing interest of paying homage to the tradition of adorning courtrooms with portraits that honor past jurists."
Yes, bury the past. Kill every tradition. Paint over all of history in shades of gray—no! Paint it in a single shade of neutral gray.
Bernhard went on and, in an apparent reference to the protests over the killing of George Floyd, added that the current moment calls for "heightened attention to the past inequities visited upon persons of color."
*wokey senses begin to tingle*
By the way, if you hear a judge start talking about "equity" and not "equality," RUN.
Also, the thing is, not all the portraits of judges in the court are even of white dudes. The circuit court has had three black judges. But their pictures have to go too for some reason.
Fairfax Republican Chairman Steve Knotts didn't hesitate to call out the divisive insanity of the judge's ruling.
"Judge Bernhard seems to have embraced this reductive, racialist view of his fellow man," Knotts said. "We'd all do well to remember that, whether we are Black or white, Christian or Jewish, immigrant or native-born, we are all equally human. As a culture, we must reject all divisive ideologies and, instead, unambiguously affirm our shared humanity."
What? Inherent human worth? Equality?
Those sound like things a racist would want to focus on!
One begins to wonder if the people who constantly obsess over race might actually be the ones with a race problem.
