Teaching kids to be racist and radical

Linda Chavez writes about why she went from being a supporter of affirmative action to an opponent of such programs. One of the reasons was that "the program's organizers encouraged students to take largely segregated ethnic studies courses, whose primary purpose was to forge ethnic solidarity and reinforce students' feelings that they were victims of a racist society bent on their destruction." (Ending Racial Preferences: It's About Time, Townhall.com, April 27, 2007)

Meanwhile, Sherry Early recently read a book based on a true story, in which "kids are being trained to see racism in everything that happens to them, and their teachers are so biased and despairing that the kids come (are lead) to the conclusion that the overthrow of the government and the education system is just about the only thing that will get them their “rights” as human beings." (Cross-X by Joe Miller, Semicolon, May 1, 2007)

I have seen someone come to his senses and realize that people were uncomfortable around him not because of his race (or whatever else he used for focus) but because of the chip he carried around on his shoulder. But I haven't seen it often enough, that's for sure.

How someone who poisons the minds of young people like that can face himself in the mirror is beyond me. As far as I can see, he robs the kids of experience in the broader world, while making their needlessly-narrow world miserable. And he robs the broader world of his pupils, who could be standing shoulder to shoulder with their neighbors instead of throwing accusations and wallowing in avoidable self-pity. For shame.

This post at Bookworm Room is somewhat related.

This Peggy Noonan column (via the Bookworm post), is also somewhat related.