I just read an article by Thomas Sowell, in my opinion the most intelligent Conservative since William F. Buckley. In it he talks about some of the unintended consequences of liberal policies through the years and how they have negatively impacted the African-American community.
Sowell mentions several "well-intentioned" policies that haven't turned out as well as the left promised they would for African-Americans and others they were designed to impact. Examples Dr. Sowell cites include:
Housing restrictions on building in San Francisco led to blacks leaving the city.
Minimum wage increases leading to massive unemployment among black youth.
Expansion of the Welfare State leading to the disintegration of African-American families.
Affirmative Action at Universities resulting in academic failure from African-American students being forced into areas that might not suit their educational needs.
Gun control measures negatively impacting the safety of families in inner cities by restricting their ability to protect themselves and their property.
This got me thinking of the Liberal Democrat policies that have actually positively impacted the black community like... OK I'm having a little trouble here. Remember all you who want to credit Lyndon Johnson for the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that REPUBLICANS got it through the Senate despite the opposition of Dixiecrats (Democrats from states in the Deep South). Also remember the last KKK member in the Senate was Robert Byrd (D-WV).
While the left likes to crow about their "tolerance" and concern for the minority community, their actions speak so loudly it's hard to believe them sometimes. I am convinced that some, I repeat some liberals are at the very least passively racist at least in the way their policies directly impact African-Americans.
Secular Progressives on the left have actively tried to marginalize religion over the last couple of decades. Two of the institutions most revered in the black community are the church and the government. The goal may be to drive more minorities into the Democrat Party by increasing reliance on government as they try to minimize the influence of the church. Unfortunately, some African-Americans may feel ostracized as their churches are marginalized.
The left's slavish devotion to the NEA and it's radical agenda has caused division in the minority community. Courageous advocates for school choice have found themselves pitted against powerful forces backed by a union more interested in power than education. The poor suffer most when educational choice is restricted. Divisions arise between those who feel the idea of school choice deserves a fair trial and those who believe their loyalties must remain with the left even if some children suffer.
Exhibit A in the soft racism of the left continues to be the Abortion issue. Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood, was definitely a Eugenicist and possibly a racist. Abortions in the minority community occur at a rate far exceeding the general populace. In 2000 for example, blacks made up 17 percent of the live births in the US yet had 36 percent of the abortions. Is this an example of racism or unintended consequences?
I think regardless of the real goals of liberalism, there is little to suggest the policies of the left are good for any group. They appear to be especially harsh on minorities in general and black Americans in particular.
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