Denialism is an American tradition America’s original sin cannot be waved way or wished away. But if there is one way in which the country is as exceptional as it believes, it is in its ability to avoid dealing with harsh realities. The Silents seemed particularly good at this, but they perhaps learned it from their parents and their parents’ parents. The United Daughters of the Confederacy devoted decades and dollars, along with erecting Confederate monuments, to rewriting the history of the Civil War so Southerners might avoid confronting their treason and defeat in defense of slavery. So was born the myth of The Lost Cause. Even now, the history of Donald J. Trump’s 2020 election loss and the violent insurrection he inspired is being Lost Caused by his seditious supporters. Election denialism grows out of that long tradtion and generational reflex. Theodore R. Johnson considers our aversion to confronting the legacy of race in this country and why he writes frequently about it nonetheless. It represents unrepaired cracks in our nation’s foundation (Washington Post): If you want to know the ways in which our practice of democracy or republicanism falls short of our professed ideals, pay attention to race. Look to the struggles that racial and ethnic minorities have faced when attempting to exercise the right to vote or have their policy concerns prioritized. If you want to identify flaws in our economy, note all the instances where Black and Latino folks, in particular, are left behind — employment,…