He was an innovator.
He stood up when many wouldn’t. He preached love while others practiced hate.
He took the worst of us, saw the best in them and made us ALL believe that not only should we do better, but that we all would do better.
Martin’s message meant and means many things, but it doesn’t mean that we can use race as a means to implement policy.
Wake County Public Schools, WCPSS, is gaining national attention for the changes it’s going through. A district long associated with progressive student assignments, the district is now changing and adopting a method much more conventional.
For a long LONG time I have supported the now defunct policy of diversity here in Wake County. I buy into the studies that show schools dominated by poor families do worse than schools dominated by wealthier families. And that, everything else being equal, an attempt to make the schools economically diverse is reasonable.
It’s a tool. A method to increase the educational outcomes of the students. No more emotional than using computers rather than books. Than maximizing student teacher ratios or changing the hours of instruction in a day.
A tool.
A method.
It is not a trumpet for racial equality. It is not a tool to increase the fairness of outcomes of minority students. And it most certainly is not, as some would have you believe, the message of Dr. King. He NEVER would have argued that race be a consideration in public policy:
Research Triangle Park, N.C. — Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker received a standing ovation Monday morning after criticizing members of the Wake County Board of Education for not upholding the dream and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The dream and legacy spoke of equality, not of special consideration or exceptions. It spoke of not being held back, it did not suggest that we take into account race.
“This is a civil rights issue. We all have roles to play in this,” Meeker said. “Our community simply needs to stand up and get the board back on track.”
…
“This is a civil rights issue. We all have roles to play in this,” Meeker said. “Our community simply needs to stand up and get the board back on track.”
At the heart of King’s message was the concept that we are all created equal. That, when constructing society, the same old factors not be considered. That a man, woman or child be considered based NOT on the color of their skin, but rather on their individual merit.
To assume that the Reverend would have supported a policy that did, specifically DID, consider the color of skin is convenient at best, and insulting to his legacy at worst.
However, aside from the unfortunate construction of King’s message is the underlying Liberal tenant:
“I believe that everything that we have and hope to be is defined by education,” she {Gov Perdue} said. “I believe that the only way to give a young girl or young boy a chance to be somebody is through a free public education that works for all of the people.”
Free.
Public.
Don’t under-estimate the Leftist’s ambition in pushing this agenda. Even if it means co-opting the good reverend.
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You know, he gave more than one speech.
How you get from “Why I oppose the war in Vietnam” in which he sounded a clarion call for the government and society to actively restructure itself to address economic inequality, materialism and militarism to this cardboard cutout you now hold up to justify resegregation and opposition to the very idea of a free public education (a fundamental American idea) is really a show of pretzel logic.
Congratulations. You have written the worst article I have read this year.
in which he sounded a clarion call for the government and society to actively restructure itself to address economic inequality, materialism and militarism
There is a difference between structuring a nation such that anyone, regardless of color, can succeed with an equal chance and then the structuring of a nation such that you force diversity in the name of diversity.
You can see this in the way that colleges accept students into Med School. In the perfect world we would want minority students with the same test scores as non-minorities to be accepted in ratio. Instead we see more and more minorities being accepted with LOWER test scores in order to make sure the student body is diverse.
This is not what Rev King would have wanted.
you now hold up to justify resegregation and opposition to the very idea of a free public education
Did you see the part in my post where I said that I SUPPORT assignment on the basis of economic diversity?
opposition to the very idea of a free public education (a fundamental American idea)
While I DO support publicly funded education [it most certainly is NOT free] I do not necessarily feel that the government is best suited to actually deliver that education. For example, private schools competing for students in the market place will far exceed public schools.
Congratulations. You have written the worst article I have read this year.
I can take the heat. Thank you for stopping by and additionally, taking the time to comment. I appreciate all input.