Tag Archives: Racism
We Used To Be So Brave…
The prologue to an old episode of This American Life highlights a successful attempt to destroy the Ku Klux Klan by making it the butt of jokes — and not an object of fear — but, in the process, shows how watered-down the rhetoric of equality has become. The episode recounts how an informant, in […]
Proposed Immigration Bill Kills Birther Theories
In one of the more noxious “conservative” proposals to come down the line in quite some time, over 90 House Republicans have pledged their support to the “Birthright Citizenship Act of 2009,” which would, contrary to its title, end the notion that citizenship is the right of all born in this country. Put in their words, […]
Party & Identity Politics
RedState continues an argument we regularly hear: that the Democrats, not the Republicans, and not any other amorphous entity, were to blame for the racial politics and discord that prevailed after the end of the Civil War, and regularly culminated in violence. The author is entitled to a rebuttal not due to the elegance of […]
Pat Buchanan Basically Just Writing Fanfiction Now
From his latest column in Human Events: “Diplomacy has failed,” Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., told AIPAC, “Iran is on the verge of becoming nuclear and we cannot afford that.” [. . . .] But to Graham’s point, if we are going to start this war, prudence dictates that we destroy Iran’s ability to fight back. […]
Social Versus Political Racism
Despite Politico’s best efforts to convince us otherwise, there’s a world of difference between Harry Reid (D-NV)’s admittedly racist line and Trent Lott’s career-ending gaffe. The former betrays a deep ignorance about how African Americans and indeed all Americans define themselves, and wish to be defined — not by the color of their skin, or […]
When Deliberately Broad Tailoring Becomes “Narrow”
Another brief note in a busy week! To some disappointment, Obama recently caved to demands for racial profiling, by requiring that all travelers from identified nations (e.g., Yemen) submit to special screening. Fairly stated, this isn’t racial profiling — it’s profiling based on nation of origin which, while worrying, is substantially broader than racial profiling, […]
Vitter: “No Idea” if Loving v. Virginia Rightly Decided
A great moment for Tulane Law School — their alumnus, Senator David Vitter has “no idea” if Loving v. Virginia, 388 U.S. 1 (1967), was rightly decided. Could it have been judicial activism run amok? Maybe! It’s forgivable for politicians to not know Supreme Court cases. I wouldn’t expect a sitting Senator to be able […]
Tragedy, Joy, and Profiling
For American conservatives, 2009 has not been a year for tact. As the only high-profile African American in the Republican Party admits that many in the GOP distrust him because of his race, not one but two mainline pundits are on record calling the first black President a “racist”; and, conservative activists have visibly delighted […]
There’s a Special Place in Hell for Erick Erickson
Late today, an army major, apparently disturbed by stories of the war abroad, murdered twelve of his comrades at Fort Hood. The man had a Arabic-sounding name, but stated “no religious preference” on his military paperwork. I’m sure you know what’s coming next: As the sun set tonight, tragedy came to Ft. Hood. A muslim […]
Was Brown v. Board Wrongly Decided?
Scalia thinks it was. Except, he doesn’t. Irresponsible, slapdash journalism notwithstanding, America’s second most conservative — and, arguably, most intelligent — Supreme Court justice stands quite firm in his defense of the case that created the modern civil rights movement and, thereby, modern America. But this vignette in journalistic ethics raises a more interesting question: […]
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