26 Comments
Commenting has been turned off for this post

The DEI instructor was making great points when she was trying to explain that those points were wrong.

How could any one person ever know how all other people want to individually be treated? The Golden Rule is absolutely the best approach.

Expand full comment

First off- Ben, thank you for wearing pants to a video-recorded sit-down conversation.

Expand full comment

I loved this. One doesn't usually hear things hashed out like this. There's a phrase, "strength in agreement" but actually, I think we should say, "strength in disagreement." We shouldn't pretend like we agree when we don't. Without argument we miss out on the human and the humane.

Expand full comment

Wow.....this thread has zero engagement. Not surprising, but....

What do you say we stop this Q&A and just dance to some music for 30 minutes?

Expand full comment

This one is sad sad sad. We have no future.

Expand full comment

From an October 2024 research paper entitled "De-colonizing Classroom Management":

"...teachers are indoctrinated to believe from the onset of their career that the concept of punishment and rewards, the need to foster compliance and deter misbehavior, and the cultivation of “civilized” behavior is just good teaching rather than a colonized mind-set."

In other words, speaking in turn, or by raising hands, is deemed too white, or European, or colonizer mindset. But to say that is called racist.

So the fact that the date of this paper is NOW tells me that this is a system that is not going away unless it is actively opposed.

Having said this, I applaud Ben for making this discussion happen. Would have liked to have seen the hugs. Outtakes?

Expand full comment

Mr. Kawaller: One suggestion to improve this debate series is to manage the panel. In this debate people keep talking over each other. Some of them may lack manners but you, as moderator, need to get control of this. Getting people to talk one at a time would allow the audience to hear complete thoughts instead of hearing whoever happens to be the loudest. As annoying as this was in this session your first session was markedly worse. Thank you for the efforts.

Expand full comment

EVERYBODY in this forum should watch the debate you hosted because I think it accurately presents the current state of race relations in the U.S. The point that really stood out to me is that some Americans believe that we should continue to discriminate on the basis of race to correct for past injustice rather than abandon the principle and treat everybody as individuals. Additionally, in my opinion the side that argued for equal opportunity was much more persuasive than the side that argued for equity.

In terms of policy, I agree with the lawyer on the panel. If we want to help groups that are economically disadvantaged, we should focus on promoting policy that is class based vs. race based. Even then I struggle with not rewarding merit. Bravo Ben!

Expand full comment

Milwaukee is quietly racist. The worst kind. A friend who moved up from the south said, " at least down there you know the enemy. In Milwaukee they are nice to your face, then the call you a nigger when you leave". Anyone who thinks there is no systemic racism is not paying attention. Driving while black was real in my Milwaukee suburb. When I was a kid the police chief told me he had standing order with his officers to pull over any car being driven by a black man in the city. We have to continue these discussions so we see not color but humanity. I see hope in my children (all in their 30s) as they are truly color blind. But we need a way to make cities like Milwaukee safe for everyone. Not just white people. Exposing it is at least a start. Nice job Ben.

Expand full comment

New definitions of "racism." New definitons of "antisemitism"

Where does it stop?!

Expand full comment

Milwaukee is hardly alone in its segregation. We can try and blame red-lining, but that hasn't been around for ages. Ideally, segregation wouldn't exist, but I'm not sure how one goes about trying to improve that without trying to create a "color-blind" society. Equity and equality are antonyms.

What I do know is that many of these large cities have three things in common:

First, they haven't had Republican leadership at any level in generations. Second, testing shows that a tiny fraction of high school graduates have mastered basic high school-appropriate skills. Third, these are often the best-funded high schools in their state.

We cannot allow this to continue. I can't say I have all the answers, but I'd start by eliminating teacher's unions, privatizing the education system, giving vouchers to any parent who needs one, tying government support to truancy and reversing Obama's disastrous prohibition on suspending violent students. Then try and make sure people don't fall through the proverbial cracks.

Expand full comment

It immediately stopped at 12:01 am, Jan. 1st, 1968

Ancient history.

Expand full comment

Are you answering yourself, or what?

Expand full comment

I think he's referring to the Civil Rights Act of 1968, which was enacted in April of that year. Who knows with him? He does little else but make the case that we need ignore buttons for the comment section. That legislation specifically prohibits discrimination in financing of housing. Definitely one of the more important pieces of the Civil Rights era.

Yet, we still have segregation in practice. And perhaps we can't talk about it, for many reasons.

Expand full comment
Oct 15·edited Oct 15

No. I was not. Wrong again, Jim G.

Redlining ended in 1968, Jim. Ancient history.

"Yet, we still have segregation in practice. And perhaps we can't talk about it, for many reasons."

-Why not?

Expand full comment

Your comment makes no sense.

Take your medication.

Expand full comment

Instead of teaching students academic and life skills, progressives teach them activism.

Expand full comment

The leftist critique of society is correct. Systemic racism is real. So, let's look at who controls "the system"... The left does. The left controls most media outlets, universities and teachers unions, professional organizations, etc. The left is "the system". And "there system" is the left. The two are synonymous.

Systemic racism is most certainly real.

The left is racist.

More than that, the left is racism incarnate. The Democratic Party is the party of racism, race hatred, race baiting and division.

The Democratic Party Rehabilitation Project... DELENDA EST!

Expand full comment
Oct 15·edited Oct 15

You sound stable.

Who is the left racist against?

Expand full comment

The left hates anyone who is independent of the collective. The left thrives on the suffering of others and they need the "downtrodden" to sustain their messianic impulse.

Expand full comment

Right.....

Now who are they racist against, again?

Expand full comment

Or perhaps the Kiwanis Club…

Expand full comment

Sorry. I don’t do sophistry. You want NPR.

Expand full comment
Oct 16·edited Oct 16

It seems you don't do "answering straightforward questions," either :)

Lol.

Expand full comment

I don't cotton to rubes.

Expand full comment