Race In America

If you're interested in the topic of black and white in America and love good writing, go read this gem at The New England Republican.  Here's a small taste, then go read the whole thing, agree or disagree, it will be well worth your time. Hotspur is a wicked good writer.

"Like the earthiness attributed to truckers, the wildness attributed to Scotsmen, the eye-sparkle, melancholy and quick ironies attributed to the Irish…all the crap and flummery that Americans grope for as description and justification for differences ends up in stereotype and excuses.  This is one of the first and most poisonous effects of multiculturalism; it “celebrates” distinctions because they exist, and has no moral mechanism to evaluate  destructive and retrograde behavior.   For this reason, we Americans are unable to even discuss  the cultural divide and achievement gaps between white and black America. 

All of us, black and white, have known for thirty years that something racial has gone seriously wrong in this country.  Conservatives have, for years, been inviting a discussion of it, but the identity politics of the Democratic Party have bowdlerized the subject from its own liturgies, and condemned the heretics outside the party for questioning its racial orthodoxy.  Curiously enough, the vapid and opportunistic Barack Obama has changed all this, and not by design. "

Comments

[mahons]

I am not sure if my comment on this would survive the Moderation Enabler in its original form. Daphne, can't agree with this dude's analysis, historically or otherwise. It doesn't seem based on any real facts, just on his (or her) notions of race. And racial problems here have a slightly longer ripple than 30 years ago. In any event, glad to see you back in the swing on ATW. And the Larry Craig post was a hoot.

I did love the phrase "wicked good". You must have some Boston in you.

[Daphne]

I'm not sure I agree with him entirely either Mahons, but the writing is wonderful and the topic is timely. Let's have an atw style knockout debate on his thoughts!

I have relatives near Boston, they keep me in the vernacular loop.

[Hotspur]

I'm Hotspur. I appreciate the link and exposure.

Background - born in CT in '45, raised in the pre-integration American South I was a witness to segregation. As a white child, the deference shown to me by blacks of all ages then was cringe-inducing. I had no experience of it in the North, and no racial expectations that justified it. I was present at the creation of the Civil Rights movement of the '60's, There's more, but what's the point?

Mahons can research the data himself; the stasis introduced by segregation enabled an admirable parallel culture to develop in this country that was praiseworthy for its strength and durability, but not therefore a justication for institutionized segregation.

I need to be convinced that the numinosity assigned to blacks, and deduced from their long suffering - (and there was a kind of empirical evidence for it -) hasn't been diminished by the failures of the social programs designed to lift their burdens. Social pathologies for young blacks are evidence enough that something has gone wrong, and apart from Obama, most blacks with public reputations are reviled for even bringing up the subject of broad disparities in achievement,non-adaptation to the range of economic and educational freedoms available, and problems with the legal system.

I'm a conservative, with only a small ideological axe to grind on this issue. It is not we who have continued this mess, but parties generally thought to be liberal, or progressivism if you prefer.

Thanks for the forum. Interesting topic.

[Peter]

Curiously enough, the vapid and opportunistic Barack Obama has changed all this, and not by design.

So elect Barack guys. That will open up the debate.

Interesting post Daphne.

[bernard]

What makes this guy think it is only the USA that has the 'identity-cultural-clash' thingy?

Even the smallest pacific island has it. The only country free of it is Japan.
I Wonder why?

[Daphne]

"So elect Barack guys."

The money says we'll do just that Peter.

[Colm]

I am not quite sure what hotspur is saying. He appears to be claiming that the civil rights movement and moves away from segregation were bad for the black population yet in the comment he left here admits segregation cannot be justified. As to the statistics he claims particularly on business ownership and school graduation, if the 'businesses' were self employed bur desperately poor conditions in comparison with better contract employment conditions for whites and the graduations were from black schools that did not have the same status as white schools black people were excluded from , then those statistical comparisons aren't much comfort are they.

[Ernest Young]

Isn't the writer basically saying that even when the Conservative Right attempts to open a discussion on the matter of racial inequality, the Democratic Left stifles the discussion by, among other things, corrupting any debate with cries of 'racism' and other similarly divisive tactics.

He then suggests that the reason for this albeit, subconcious reaction, is the need for the 'Left' to encourage division in order to have causes to champion.

I would suggest that the need to have such 'causes', outweighs any truly altruistic motives.

Whichever is the cause, and which is the effect is a moot point, but the final effect is certainly not conducive to finding an answer.

[Colm]

Ernest

I agree with you on the tendecy by many on the left to stifle debate or to insist that it has to be within their parameters of acceptable opinion to avid their definition of racism but I still cannot agree with what appears to be the thrust of the argument here that black lives were better before the civil rights and de-segregation campaigns.

[Ernest Young]

Colm,

I cannot see where it was suggested in either the original article, or in the clip, that black lives were better prior to the civil rights campaigns.

Maybe it does suggest that many of those who purport to 'lead' the black comunity, are not doing a very good job of providing any worthwhile leadership, preferring to provocate and agitate rather than provide anything positive to the debate.

It could be said that pre-1945, the black community did have much to look forward to, and could therefore be said to have high hopes for the future, and that, of itself, was a unifying force.

Now that many, - but certainly not all, - of those aspirations have been realised, the 'high hopes' of the past are now more similar to those shared by the community at large, and as a consequence are less of a unifying factor than previously.

That the likes of Jesse Jackson are 'in it' for the cash, may be a tad harsh, but cannot be denied. I have never heard or read any thing by him that was anything other than divisive.

It doesn't take many like him to undo, the good works of so many others, he preferring to call them names and to generally denigrate their efforts.

[Alan Frost-McDonald]

Hotspur,

I'd like to debate your points, but I'm having difficulty figuring them out. Let me point out, as you did, that my background is as a white person who grew up in the same time period but in New York City. I moved to Detroit in 1965 and experienced the riots as well as the civil rights movement. I'm a Democrat, but I am certainly willing to put aside partisan preconceptions to debate a serious issue.

In order to begin this debate, can you tell me which social programs designed to lift their burdens you are referring to?