Racism & Elections

Expect soon to see a scathing report from the U.S. Civil Rights Commission timed to
play the “race card” in the Presidential Election. Singled out is the Bush Administrations roll in demanding accountability in education even from poor kids of any race. Accountability was part of the Bush 2000 campaign. Accountability is part of his campaign this year. He argues against discrimination with the phrase “the soft bigotry of low expectations”. What seems to upset Chairman Mary Frances Berry of the Commission, John Kerry and Ted Kennedy, all who claim to support more accountability in education, is the leadership of the Bush Administration in taking the moral high ground. The people now blocking the African-Americans and others at the schoolhouse door are the same people who support the status quo. The status quo is not working and those communities who demand accountability are seeing results. Both the Republicans and the Democrats know that. Most of them supported the “No Child Left Behind” programs. These programs have had some successes but are not in themselves a solution to the problems in educating children and improving the overall system. In Peoria, District #150’s efforts to move forward appear to be working and despite all the bad publicity, the majority of the Peoria community feels we are going to overcome most obstacles including an erroneous budget and the continual playing of the “race card” by some who are supposed to lead the African-American community. Those of us who vote, pay taxes and raise or help raise families, demand accountability. At the same time all of us must be more accountable.

In most parts of the United States the present system of funding and properly running of our public schools is not working as we expect the system to work. Change has been slow in coming because many people feel that if taxes from any source are raised for schools, this extra money will be spent on building larger static bureaucracies rather than for better teachers and curriculums that best fits the need of the community and tomorrow. Taxpayers are concerned about the increasing power of the union bureaucracies and their ability to control the public school system. Where unions and government play their proper roles, success is almost always guaranteed. Proper is the key word. The School Board and Administration must seek more good people to teach, properly train them and pay competitive wages and benefits, and have the ability to “fire” those who do not live up to expectations. The board must seek competition from the private sector if the private sector has the ability and track record to do the same job more effectively. What counts at the end of a students public school education, is the finished product, produced at a competitive cost. “Race cards” have no place in determining the finished product and no place in the process. There are failures and successes in all peoples, companies and careers. If the private sector can’t do the job properly, the government should intercede only long enough to get the private sector back on track and the same goes for when the public sector, education or other, isn’t getting the expected results the private sector must be called on to assist or take over. However, natural competitions are the most natural solutions to our problems, always with the minimal amount of governmental assistance and interference. Unfortunately in competing, there are always those who feel they lost unfairly, and in some cases, quite so, but many wish to play the blame game, especially in education, hiring and promotions. Sometimes the “race card” is used, usually because it is the most popular blame game in competition in the everyday workplace or school system. With the November elections on the horizon, look for lot of unfair blame and less willingness of the candidate or the voter to accept responsibility. I urge you to criticize the media when they show their bias and favoritism. All people are flawed, even the ones who most vociferously claim they are not. I am, you are, and so were Bill Clinton, Franklin Roosevelt, and John Kennedy. Our job is to pick the “flawed” person who can best meet the job description, by examining their credentials, determine who is the most believable and then show up to vote for that candidate. If you feel there is no best candidate, write in someone you feel would be better, but most important, exercise you’re right to vote. Get involved in getting the right person on the ballot next time. Encourage qualified people to run for public office.

Unfortunately, the “race card” and its presumed unfairness will continue to be used in the current political campaigns and some minorities and pacifists will listen to the wrong people. You should know by now who the wrong and who the misinformed are. They are the ones blocking entrance to ways and means for the majority of those who want to be educationally eligible to find their particular niche and to be a contributor to society. Without a continuously educated society, we will be see a widening gap between the rich and the poor, a shrinking middle class and have some people in this country reverting to hatred and envy similar to the hatred of us by the uneducated in the Middle East.

I leave you with this thought. “Fairness is not the same as equality. A fair society is one in which some people fail. Blaming failure on race or gender is today often an excuse.”