Weblog Entry - 07/03/2002: "White Power"

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07/03/2002 "White Power"

An African American woman law professor, Carol M. Swain, has written a very interesting book about the Nazi and KKK. I heard her speak about it on national public radio's "The Connection".
She says these groups need to be included in the public debate so that bright minds can acknowledge their kernel of truth, deal with it, and debunk the rest of the bile. Take away their legitimate issues. I agree strongly with this part of her analysis.
She also states that affirmative action programs should now become class-based programs, designed to elevate the poor. I strongly agree with this. This is the time for that to happen.
She does not understand why new immigrants are receiving preferences over U S citizens in affirmative action programs. This is something I did not even know about.
I do not agree with her that blacks and liberals should move away from issues like the confederate flag and reparations. I think the symbols and language the government is allowed to use to define us have a direct and deep impact on the consciousness of the masses.
Flying the confederate flag is treason and the country needs to understand that. That issue provides the podium for educating the people about the way race prejudice divided this country and still divides this and other countries. How all these foolish divisions lead to territorial wars, and unending misery. Honoring the confederate dead is like honoring the Nazi dead.
We do need to choose issues that educate the masses about our republic, our democracy. The unique thing about our country, beside its promise of equal opportunity, is our constitution's protection of minority rights. We see by the Pledge debate, that very few of our leaders understand this when they are confident that their beliefs are in the majority.
Despite the fact that they are sworn to uphold the constitution, the Congress spit all over the religious rights of the minority in their remarks about the 9th circuit's holding that "under god" in the pledge of allegiance was unconstitutional.
The U.S. Congress all stood up whining about how much "Under God" needs to be in the pledge and on the money, bla, bla, but not one of those phonies stood up and said, to fly the confederate flag is treason. I suppose God still supports slavery.
She poo poos these type of campaigns. Swain said she wants to move African-Americans to a 28 point program which seems by her description to be self-help campaigns based on religious or moral values. Illigitimate children....crime... But I am not sure. I need to read the book to see if her programs are oriented to systemic change or are just more blaming the victim.

The Black Moslems do all this bootstrap stuff. I have not noticed that this improved the status or living conditions of the race. Financial improvement has happened for the organization and its' leaders, but not for the race. However, affirmative action and the civil-rights laws did change the position of African-Americans in this country.
Swain's insistence on healthy debate; and her recognition that class is the uniting issue for our country in 2002; her plea to recognize the truths in the misplaced frustration of poor and disposed white citizens; all are a welcome addition to the public debate. The tendency to silence our opponents is futile and self-defeating.
The New White Nationalism in America by Carol M. Swain