Following the controversy surrounding republican Sen. Trent Lott, an Emerald editorial recently raised its concern over the perception that the Republican Party needs to do more to reach out and demonstrate its sensitivity with respect to race relations in America. While that sincere concern has had relevance in the past, the continued use of the GOP-as-racist stereotype ignores the fundamental beliefs of republicans.
We don’t want blacks. We don’t want whites. We want your best and brightest. We don’t care what you were born as, so long as you want to improve life for your children and live in a meritocracy that respects all individuals according to their own qualities and capabilities.
It is young republicans and libertarians, those who believe that the main measure of a person is their character and their ability to produce for themselves and society, that are now the true defenders of justice and the highest ideals of a society based on individual accomplishment.
So, even as the GOP continues on its path to remove the remnants of racism or sexism from its reputation, there continues to be the perception that republicans can be casually assumed to have racists in their midst. Why does that notion continue? A few bumps in the road like the Lott instance, and the continuation of race-based politics by those who profit from such perceptions.
Every election, there are plenty of democratic candidates who tar their opponents with the brush of racism because it is an easy method to drive up “negatives” in polls and increase their own chances of victory. And democrats continue to support policies, such as affirmative action and race-based government contracts and loans, that favor particular groups at the expense of free and open market forces, which ultimately will favor whoever is most productive and whoever produces the best results.
This point is evidenced in the Emerald editorial when even as the ODE voiced its concern over
republican Lott’s “insensitive”
remarks, they did not mention democratic Sen. Robert Byrd’s former affiliation and alleged recent ties to the Ku Klux Klan. Was this just an honest oversight of the editorial board? Readers of this page can reach their own conclusion.
There is a common and understandable assumption that identity politics are here to stay. After all, they win elections for democrats and it makes liberals within this isolated and self-righteous campus community feel better. But those who hold the highest ideals, that anyone can achieve given a level playing field, are slowly winning the hearts of the American people.
Race will continue to be a stumbling block for the GOP only so long as it allows liberals and win-at-all-cost democrats to frame issues with race as a central theme. That tendency is evident at this University, where specific classes are taught (and even given more weight through their ability to satisfy general education requirements) with specific ethnic groups or women as their central theme. That demographically focused vision of the world is not productive, nor is it founded in any meritocracy.
Ultimately, the republican message that all can achieve through hard work and a level playing field will undeniably carry the day. And for that, we should all be proud.