Delusions of Mediocrity

Two ways to cross a stream

The U.S. Supreme Court will consider the fate of a law that critics say prohibits a lifesaving medical procedure.

That's not exactly how CNN put it, of course.

(Thanks to my high-school classmate at Feministing.)

Delusions celebrates Black History Month

It must be February.

Now is the time when schools and libraries across the country stop doing real history and pretend to believe black people are important or interesting.

It's a coincidence that Black History Month¹ is the month with Valentine's Day -- February was chosen because history teachers wanted to get it over with as quickly as possible² -- but it's appropriate, because it's very much the same sort of thing: it's devoting a lot of attention all of a sudden to something which should be equally worthy of attention year-round. Just as saying "I love you" to your partner on all but 364 days of every year isn't the same as showing affection, saying "let's study the history of the black people now" for a month isn't the same as being inclusive. It makes February the back of the history bus.

(Right off the bat I make no claims to originality.)

¹Googlefight found six times as many references to "black history" as to "African-American history."

²Fact not guaranteed accurate.