Identity Politics

I'm not one of those who believes that racism is dead or that we have put all of our racial disparities in this country behind us. There is still quite a bit of anger at blacks under the surface in this country, and the fact is that blacks are born into poorer communities, do have a harder time finding jobs, and do usually end up going to crappier schools. I think it's worthwhile to try to take steps to even things out, and so I don't have all that much sympathy with the folks running willy nilly on the radio airwaves screaming about reverse discrimination.

On the other hand, I have grown increasingly skeptical in my old age about measures like welfare, affirmative action, restitution payments, and identity politics. I have serious doubts about whether these are actually successful at evening things out, at all.

The truth is that these measures reinforce a sense of difference and victimization. This can be both good and bad. Recognizing that you are a victim, for example, can lead you to seek help. It can cure disillusionment by assuring you that the problem lies not in your abilities but in your victimizers' cruelty. It can give you the anger and determination you need to overcome your victimization and make something of yourself. On the other hand, a sense of victimization can lead to a sense of entitlement. It can lead to a sense of despair. It can lead to misdirected anger. It can lead to disregard for all authorities, laws, and values because you think they're all out to get you.

Perhaps worst of all, a community of victims who band together may begin to feel that victimization is an important part of their value and identity, and may (consciously or unconsciously) come to want to be victimized. They may see victimizers where there are none, or even do obnoxious things in order to provoke others into victimizing them. Because if ever they stopped being victims, they wouldn't fit in to the community any more.

I don't feel sympathy with the Republicans who scream about "reverse discrimination," because to some degree I think they suffer from the same kinds of problems I just listed. They have convinced themselves that white Christian Americans are the new Jews, and everyone is out to get them. But on the other hand, I don't feel sympathy for blacks who cry and preach and campaign against racism, either. Quite honestly, the black community does quite a bit that only reinforces the stereotypes and prejudices against them. They have created a culture that rewards unproductive and disorderly behavior.

Or maybe we have created that culture. We, with our patronizing affirmative action programs and our welfare checks, hand out monetary rewards for unproductivity where the black community itself can only give kudos.

Frankly, maybe it's time to stop being so conciliatory. As long as we're making lovey-eyes at the poor oppressed blacks saying, "oh, you poor things," we can hardly expect them to try to change their circumstances. Maybe it's time to demand of them that they start contributing to society, following the same rules all good citizens follow, and taking responsibility for their own actions. Because of course as long as we're taking responsibility for their success and survival and dignity, they're not really equal anyway. It's only when they take responsibility for themselves that they'll really be in a position to engage the society on equal footing. And I think we'd all be amazed how fast the prejudices would go away once blacks quit confirming them for everybody.