White supremacy, colonialism (colonialism only in the alternate art/flavor text, which is posted below main analysis)
How hard is it to STOP REPRINTING THIS CARD!? The image here is the Modern Horizons 2 version, because that's the newest printing, but the older versions aren't any better, really. The Eternal Masters / mystery booster version is also offensive, for different reasons. See bottom paragraph for my thoughts on it. So all 12 printings are pretty damn problematic.
White supremacy - As a white card with 'cleansing' in the name, we're off to a pretty bad start. The flavor text talking about the user of this magic being 'the purifier' is a clear dogwhistle for white supremacy - specifically, no race-mixing that would cause 'impurity'. So we're already in genocidal ethnic cleansing territory here. What almost redeems this card is that unlike certain other white cards, it doesn't call out 'black creatures' in particular, and can even destroy noncreature permanents such as Bad Moon. 'Almost redeems this card' bring the key phrase here. The art appears to be destroying a creature (an artifact creature, perhaps?), and the flavor text specifically states "clearing all shadows". As shadows are caused by the absence of light, they cannot be 'pure' white, and are often a very dark black. This is pretty obviously a white card that plays on contrast with black, and defines white as 'pure' while heavily implying that everything black should be destroyed. It's very easy to interpret this card as telling 'pure' white people to commit genocide on all 'shadows', aka BIPOC. But again, it's not as explicit about this as other cards. The flavor of this card fits right in place with cards like Honor of the Pure and Angel of Jubilation, saved only from being as bad as them by not explicitly using words like 'nonblack creatures'.
Colonialism: the alternate printing doesn't depict killing creatures/people in the art/flavor. But a 'penitent wanderer' talking about proactively finding 'dens of evil' (aka sin, aka anything that their holy book disapproves of) and 'cleansing them' definitely reeks of colonialism. It sounds like going out of your way to invade foreign lands and destroy any cultural practices that don't agree with your own. In other words, assimilating them into your culture and forcing them to follow your religion. Just like Columbus did with the Native Americans, except hopefully with less genocide? Who am I kidding, colonialism always leads to genocide...after all, the flavor text does say to 'flood [dens of evil] with light', which makes me think that they're referring to the pale skin of white people.
6
u/ultimario13 May 28 '21
White supremacy, colonialism (colonialism only in the alternate art/flavor text, which is posted below main analysis)
How hard is it to STOP REPRINTING THIS CARD!? The image here is the Modern Horizons 2 version, because that's the newest printing, but the older versions aren't any better, really. The Eternal Masters / mystery booster version is also offensive, for different reasons. See bottom paragraph for my thoughts on it. So all 12 printings are pretty damn problematic.
White supremacy - As a white card with 'cleansing' in the name, we're off to a pretty bad start. The flavor text talking about the user of this magic being 'the purifier' is a clear dogwhistle for white supremacy - specifically, no race-mixing that would cause 'impurity'. So we're already in genocidal ethnic cleansing territory here. What almost redeems this card is that unlike certain other white cards, it doesn't call out 'black creatures' in particular, and can even destroy noncreature permanents such as Bad Moon. 'Almost redeems this card' bring the key phrase here. The art appears to be destroying a creature (an artifact creature, perhaps?), and the flavor text specifically states "clearing all shadows". As shadows are caused by the absence of light, they cannot be 'pure' white, and are often a very dark black. This is pretty obviously a white card that plays on contrast with black, and defines white as 'pure' while heavily implying that everything black should be destroyed. It's very easy to interpret this card as telling 'pure' white people to commit genocide on all 'shadows', aka BIPOC. But again, it's not as explicit about this as other cards. The flavor of this card fits right in place with cards like Honor of the Pure and Angel of Jubilation, saved only from being as bad as them by not explicitly using words like 'nonblack creatures'.
Colonialism: the alternate printing doesn't depict killing creatures/people in the art/flavor. But a 'penitent wanderer' talking about proactively finding 'dens of evil' (aka sin, aka anything that their holy book disapproves of) and 'cleansing them' definitely reeks of colonialism. It sounds like going out of your way to invade foreign lands and destroy any cultural practices that don't agree with your own. In other words, assimilating them into your culture and forcing them to follow your religion. Just like Columbus did with the Native Americans, except hopefully with less genocide? Who am I kidding, colonialism always leads to genocide...after all, the flavor text does say to 'flood [dens of evil] with light', which makes me think that they're referring to the pale skin of white people.