The Ongoing Project of Settler Colonialism Ushered into the Future by Ellen Degeneres and White Feminism

Collage created by images from UX Gun, Duncan Kidd, and Cooper Neill/AP, Ron Jenkins/AP

#Ellen #Bush #MassMurderer #EllenDeGeneres #WarCriminal #EllenShow #IraqWar pic.twitter.com/bO3QdtHoQb

— Follow Thyself (@xistentdiscount) October 9, 2019

“White feminism does not look at itself, does not aim to de-center itself, and is only concerned about its own social and economic capital.”

Ellen Degeneres spoke out about her experience of sitting next to George W. Bush at a Dallas Cowboy's game this last weekend. While it was unplanned that she was going to sit next to him, valid anger ensued after a picture circulated of the two of them laughing together side by side. Her explanation on the Ellen Show Tuesday was insubstantial, disappointing, but expected.

Yes, that was me at the Cowboys game with George W. Bush over the weekend. Here’s the whole story. pic.twitter.com/AYiwY5gTIS

— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) October 8, 2019

Ellen has always been lukewarm in her politics. She has always played it pretty safe, so she can keep being that likeable character who we could see ourselves sitting next to at the neighborhood block party or chatting happily in line at the grocery store.

But her response to the upset about this image was brought to us by white feminism.

One tweet said, "Ellen and George Bush together makes me have faith in America."

No. This is what is absolutely wrong with America -- the fact that white celebrities with huge platforms choose not to speak out against the violence of presidents past and present. We can't be lukewarm, especially at this time of dire climate crisis. It’s this kind of lukewarmness that keeps structures of oppression intact.

Instead of playing it safe we need leaders who are going to speak the truth without hesitation because they know America was never something to have "faith in." America has never been great. It has always been an ongoing settler-colonial project to this day.

This image and Ellen's words do not lend faith, but lack of accountability, action, and reek of centering whiteness and the status quo.

This is not a matter of differing opinions. It's life or death. We live in a world where people have died due to the heinous abuses of power at the will of men like George W. Bush.

Ellen said, "It's okay that we are all different." George W. Bush does not celebrate differences. As Mehdi Hasan wrote for The Intercept in his piece called, "Dear Ellen: The Problem With George W. Bush Isn't His Beliefs -- It's His War Crimes," Bush's presidency and actions have caused the deaths of thousands of innocent people. His so-called "War on Terror" campaign led to the death of 250,000 civilians in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. His actions have fueled anti-immigrant, anti-Black, and xenophobic attacks.

He also lobbied Republican senators to approve Brett Kavanaugh. He's absolute filth. To echo Hasan, he's a monster and he hasn't changed at all since his presidency. His monstrous and violent behavior continues.

It's no wonder how abusive, toxic white men find themselves in the top-most, powerful positions in our government and boardrooms across the country. It's because white women like Ellen Degeneres play it safe as the "white moderate" that Martin Luther King Jr. warned us about. White women are publicly, as well as silently, supporting, accommodating, and allowing their gruesome and unacceptable behavior to continue with zero accountability, interruption, or pressure to stop.

White women are the biggest threats to social, racial, and environmental justice. Let's gather ourselves before it's too late.

We’ll end with this incredibly on-point tweet from Saira Rao.

GW Bush is every white man who has committed unspeakable crimes and walks away as the all American hero.

Ellen DeGeneres is every white woman who makes it possible.

— saira rao (@sairasameerarao) October 9, 2019

And this edited video from Rafael Shimunoz who Twitter and Ellen have actively tried to censor.

#BREAKING:

“The Ellen Show” has filed numerous copyright claims over the uncivil and decorum-free video posted below, in an effort to suppress it.

In honor of our friend, Ellen, do not share, retweet or like this video.

From @rafaelshimunov

pic.twitter.com/5GnUUspkCf

— MSDNC (@MSDNCNews) October 10, 2019