Never Say “Democrats Are the Real Racists.”
Using “racism” as the ultimate standard of justice in our society paralyzes our ability to act and think clearly.
All have heard variations of the line, “The Democrats are the real racists.”
More blacks are aborted every year, so those favoring abortion want to kill black babies—pro-choicers are the real racists!
Allowing criminals back on the street or “criminal justice reform” as it is called leads to more black crime victims—so advocates of criminal justice reform are the real racists!
School choice advocates frame the good that they would do in terms of helping black families escape poverty—so those who oppose school choice are real racists!
White teachers will get fired before black teachers—and teacher’s unions are real racists!
The tactic is designed to create wedges between blacks and other groups on the Left: pro-choice radicals against blacks; or the abolish-the-police/BLM wing against ordinary blacks; or teacher’s unions against blacks. It has never, ever worked.
It is also designed to show black voters that Republican policies take care of them better, but black voters haven’t been convinced in the forty years.
In a larger sense, however, this ineffective argument does a lot more harm than good. It makes how policies affect American blacks into the ultimate standard of legitimacy for a policy and for our country. If something is good for blacks, then it is good. If something is bad for blacks or indifferent to them, then the policy is bad. Our politics become skirmishes concerning which policies help blacks more.
Racism becomes the standard of justice by which all things are judged. Both political parties participate in this system. In fact, all facets of American society participate in system of black privilege where institutions are judged by how they bring blacks to the fore.
Consider a recent Morgan Stanley’s commercial, “The Face of the Game.” Is golf good? Not many blacks (or women) play golf. Mostly white men play the sport. Golf must be bad and it must be changed. Justin Rose, Olympic golf Gold Medalist, appears in the ad to say: “It’s time we changed that.” Why does golf have to be changed? Because the legitimacy of the sport is judged by how it cultivates black talent (and perhaps female talent). The future of finance should also change: not enough blacks entering into finance. Golf and finance have the same problem! “Everyone deserves a shot at success.” No white males, except Rose, are in the commercial.
What has “golf” done to prevent blacks from joining the sport? Some things in the past. Country clubs no longer discriminate, if individual clubs ever did. Nor do public golf courses or driving ranges. Programs exist in every city and state to encourage blacks to golf. Why are there so few blacks playing golf? Perhaps they prefer other sports or lack the money to play golf or do not live where there are lots of golf courses. Whatever. The message of the commercial is golf is too white and that reflects badly on the sport of golf.
Golf is golf. Basketball is basketball. High finance is high finance. These activities should be judged by what they are, not by how many blacks they attract.
That is just a stupid, immoral way of evaluating the institutions of society. Blacks do not make up more than 13% of the population. What about everyone else? How America’s policies affect everyone should guide policy or even how the policies affect a majority of the population should guide policy.
It is time to get off of the racism treadmill. How policies affect blacks is not the ultimate standard of legitimacy. If no blacks are golfing, golf is still the sport it is—not because there are no blacks but because of the skills it showcases. If no blacks are working at Morgan Stanley, it can still be a legitimate institution and even an excellent one—not because no blacks work there but because it produces something excellent or necessary for society.
Idaho is neither good nor bad because it has less diversity than other states. Other factors make it good or bad.
Charges and countercharges of racism distort and corrupt our politics and our way of looking at life.
Racism or non-racism or anti-racism is not the standard of legitimacy. How does a law or business or institution or sport affect the whole state is the question. All Idahoans should have the stomach to ask the only question that really matters.