Precis: In every society, even those that profess freedom of speech, there are ideas and images that are perceived as too corrupting to be expressed or uttered. We used to think this way about pornography. Now we think this about […]
Race
The New Southern Democrats
Large parts of the African American and Latino elements within the Democratic Party are the most moderate elements within the party, playing the same role as the mostly white Religious Right played within the Republicans. A surprising new force has […]
More on Christian Faith and Land Use: The Issue of Profiling
The big moral issue behind intentional racism, classism, and the like is the issue of ‘profiling’. Should we assume that, because of people’s appearance, color, or income, they would be more or less likely to do certain things? Or be […]
Anti-White Racist Remarks are Tolerated Because of White Privilege
In which I argue that it is precisely because of ‘white privilege’ that we tolerate a double standard of ‘racist’ remarks about white people from others; because we aren’t ‘hurt’ as much. Sometimes outspoken women and men, including college professors, […]
I Got Into a Traffic Accident in a Black Area, and Nobody Played the ‘Race Card’
A story in which my own experience in a black neighborhood convinced me that the hope for reconciliation is not dead It was late February, and I was on my way to a men’s retreat in Malibu, California. And I […]
Some Thoughts About ‘Identities’
In the classical Christian church we hear much about our identity in Christ. We also have a host of other identities or roles: parent or child in a family; worker in or owner of an organization; a particular church, denomination, […]
Several Suggestions for the Democratic Party of California
The Democratic Party of California has reason for complacency. It is the only state level political party of significance. It unites the majority communities of color with the creative class portion of the still powerful non-Hispanic white minority. The tensions in […]
Why I Am Not a ‘Caucasian’
The term “Caucasian” for so-called white people, in reality people of Old World ancestry who are not Negroid or East Asian in appearance, comes from bizarre 19th century racial theories. It in fact was coined by the German Christoph Meiners […]
Now, Even Apartment Dwellers are Getting Choosy about their Neighbors
It has been known for a long time that homeowners have wanted to control who their neighbors are. In the past it was race; now it is for income and for how they might use their property, and often for […]
Herman Cain and a New Party
DeWayne Wickham comments on Herman Cain’s campaign. Supposedly he does not understand that historically black people, conservative on some issues, have tended to view the federal government as their protector and to distrust state and local governments; and, knowing history, […]