What's So Bad About Feeling Guilty?
That's what
Michelle Cottle wants to know.
To which I can only respond: Exactly what the hell is so wrong with a little liberal guilt--or guilt in general, for that matter? In recent years, personal guilt has fallen tragically out of vogue as psychotherapists and self-help quacks have implored us to love ourselves just as we are, regardless of the hurtful, selfish things we do. Come to think of it, it's odd that "liberal guilt" has emerged as such a common slur since Republicans in particular profess disgust over the "If it feels good, do it" mentality. Moreover, the Judeo-Christian belief system that conservatives so adore is all about guilt. We're supposed to feel bad about the terrible things we do--or those that we sit back and watch others do. Without guilt, there can be no redemption.
Of course what she misses here completely is that Howell Raines does not feel guilt (as far as I know) for things he actually did. That is NOT part of white liberal guilt. White liberal guilt is about what others did, and not just stuff that they allowed to happen, but stuff that happened before they were born. White liberals feel guilty about slavery, they feel guilty about stealing the land from the Native Americans, lord knows they probably feel guilty for the Spanish Inquisition and the Dark Ages if you press them on it.
