Sean Haugh on Politics, Education and Race in Durham, NC
My old friend Sean Haugh has a blog. Sean is a really great guy, and it looks like his blog is getting off to a great start. His latest post is entitled Burning Crosses Aren’t Our Only Problem and is well worth a read. Sean talks about race issues in Durham, and how they affect politics as well as government-run education. I think you’ll find it interesting. Here’s an excerpt:
My point is we must recognize that our racial divide in Durham is far deeper and more subtle than simply a few burning crosses. We just don’t listen to each other at all. My own recognition of this came when a few years back I got involved with a group of folks seeking justice for Catherine Capps, an elderly black woman who was the victim of an errant police raid in the insane war on drugs. Long story short, I and other local Libertarians saw this as simple matter of justice. We didn’t think about the race of the victim. I appealed to several white-dominated political groups who agree at least in theory that the war on drugs automatically leads to such dramatic infringements on liberty. But when it came time to act, I looked around and the only white faces I saw were ours.
I tried the line of, “how would you feel if it were your grandmother?” But I discovered this appeal had no resonance, because this kind of thing simply doesn’t happen in white neighborhoods. People have a strong tendency to only see what happens to them, to their own, or in their own neighborhood.
Go on over and read the whole thing. You might learn something about Durham, and see some similarities where you live.
Comments
One Comment on Sean Haugh on Politics, Education and Race in Durham, NC
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sheshan on
Sun, 18th Sep 2005 11:42 pm
Politics in Durham NC is awful.The people need to wake up and put all the bums out.We wonder why the city is the laughing stock of the state.Check out the political climate and the people who run everything.
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