I believe the quote about "specificity is the root of all effective criticism" is actually from Freddie deBoer. That's where I had read it before, and it's also what comes up when I Google the phrase.
Ric, you know I support you, your writing and your efforts. It's evident that you are passionate about equality, not just of race but in everything. This article could have benefited from less emotion and more cognition. I agree completely that Biden has always been what I call a "benign racist," in that he is a racist who doesn't believe he is and won't use the language of hardcore racists in his efforts. Results have to be viewed, and seen in the environment of the times.
I lived through busing, although wasn't personally affected by it. I did live through the civil rights movement and participated in it. I still have the scars to prove it - physical assault, dogs, fire hoses, spit upon. Our objective wasn't dominion, or equity, or inclusion or diversity. It was to be heard. We were confident that if we could be heard we could convince. And, that was probably true. Where it went off the rails was with court-ordered busing.
The nation was ready for integration. I grew up in Maryland, where schools were segregated except in sparsely populated rural areas, where there weren't enough students to justify separate schools, or even separate classes. We lived there for five years. Surprise, none of us caught cooties. We moved to a suburb eventually and the schools were segregated. That was a cultural shock for this white boy. We joined an integrated church, otherwise our lives were devoid of black people. It didn't feel right.
To most people, integration didn't feel right. I learned later in life that organizational change that endures is incremental. That's because organizations have an ability to absorb change that, if exceeded, either destroys the organization or hardens resistance. Hardened resistance is strengthened by trying to accomplish via fiat what can't be accomplished by persuasion. That is what court-ordered busing was. Change for which society at large is unprepared doesn't work. Look at the abortion issue. It's still with us after nearly half a century. Cultural acceptance of same-sex relationships was handled differently. I retired from the military in 1990 with some high-ranking contacts across government. I prepared a business case showing that active pursuit of homosexuals in the military significantly reduced military readiness. Along with others pushing the issue, Don't Ask/Don't Tell was implemented. Today it is vilified, but it was a necessary step. Today, being in a same-sex relationship is largely ignored. We could have been there on abortion; we could have been there on integration.
I believe the quote about "specificity is the root of all effective criticism" is actually from Freddie deBoer. That's where I had read it before, and it's also what comes up when I Google the phrase.
Thanks for the shout out
Ric, you know I support you, your writing and your efforts. It's evident that you are passionate about equality, not just of race but in everything. This article could have benefited from less emotion and more cognition. I agree completely that Biden has always been what I call a "benign racist," in that he is a racist who doesn't believe he is and won't use the language of hardcore racists in his efforts. Results have to be viewed, and seen in the environment of the times.
I lived through busing, although wasn't personally affected by it. I did live through the civil rights movement and participated in it. I still have the scars to prove it - physical assault, dogs, fire hoses, spit upon. Our objective wasn't dominion, or equity, or inclusion or diversity. It was to be heard. We were confident that if we could be heard we could convince. And, that was probably true. Where it went off the rails was with court-ordered busing.
The nation was ready for integration. I grew up in Maryland, where schools were segregated except in sparsely populated rural areas, where there weren't enough students to justify separate schools, or even separate classes. We lived there for five years. Surprise, none of us caught cooties. We moved to a suburb eventually and the schools were segregated. That was a cultural shock for this white boy. We joined an integrated church, otherwise our lives were devoid of black people. It didn't feel right.
To most people, integration didn't feel right. I learned later in life that organizational change that endures is incremental. That's because organizations have an ability to absorb change that, if exceeded, either destroys the organization or hardens resistance. Hardened resistance is strengthened by trying to accomplish via fiat what can't be accomplished by persuasion. That is what court-ordered busing was. Change for which society at large is unprepared doesn't work. Look at the abortion issue. It's still with us after nearly half a century. Cultural acceptance of same-sex relationships was handled differently. I retired from the military in 1990 with some high-ranking contacts across government. I prepared a business case showing that active pursuit of homosexuals in the military significantly reduced military readiness. Along with others pushing the issue, Don't Ask/Don't Tell was implemented. Today it is vilified, but it was a necessary step. Today, being in a same-sex relationship is largely ignored. We could have been there on abortion; we could have been there on integration.