Conservatives, liberals and race
Re: “Empathy on overdrive” (4/26/2018): I agree with Michael Cummins that there’s a tendency among white liberals to stumble when it comes to race. Beyond a necessary reflection about how racism impacts us all, labeling oneself a racist can be a form of virtue-signaling that inoculates against real change. Case in point: liberal Madison talks a good game, but the metrics are still damning.
I discussed Cummins’ essay with a friend who is a high school teacher in Madison. Achievement gap, childhood poverty, kids acting out — familiar and knotty problems we’ve heard about for years, with race smack dab in the middle. Some of his school’s leaders, echoing district leadership, suggest teachers should self-identify as racist as a first-step to rooting out bias. This is not merely silly to my friend, it’s insulting. “Give us smaller class sizes — that’s what will make a difference.”
Here’s where I disagree with Cummins. He started his essay reminding us of his conservative bona fides. He’s against the “welfare state” and wants to cut taxes and government programs to the bone. But there’s nothing in his libertarian fantasy that addresses racist structures that persist in America. Smaller class sizes, well-paid teachers, and more support staff to help kids with trauma would mean reversing the decades-long assault on public education, an assault led by the free market ideologues Cummins champions.
Liberals may be silly when it comes to race, but conservatives can be downright cruel.
— Tag Evers (via email)
Might as well retitle this #NotAllWhiteMen. When explicit bias doesn’t come close to explaining disparities in opportunity and outcome, it’s lazy not to try to figure out what else is going on, and even lazier to assume that we must be one of the “good guys” no matter what.
— Scott Harman (via Facebook)
Is this what a “blue wave” sounds like?
Re: “Why Tom Barrett should run for governor” (4/24/2017): Hell no. He lost twice to Walker. It is time to find another candidate. I like Tom Barrett, and he is a good guy, but it is time to move on. We need a good, solid candidate — that person does not need to be exciting, but he or she needs to get people to the polls and vote.
— Vickie O’Connor (via Facebook)
Correction: An article in last week’s paper, “Signature Piece,” incorrectly listed where the “Signature Bucky” statue will be displayed. It will be located outside of Bel Air Cantina, 111 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
