Put aside, for the moment, the notion that basic fairness may require some table-tipping to offset centuries of disadvantage driven by racial animosity. When Chief Justice John Roberts uttered his infamous truism, that “the way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race”, he was, in the best light, guilty of gross naïveté.
States dominated by white legislators who put retention of power above preservation of democracy, will not stop discriminating as demonstrated by their continuing passage of laws limiting the voting rights of non-whites and reshaping voting districts for political (racial) advantage.
Since the Supreme Court has gutted the Voting Rights Act and declined to prevent partisan gerrymandering, the only remedy must come from Congress. And we all know that Congress, as currently constituted and as likely to continue being constituted, will provide no legislative relief. So, Mr. Stephens, if raising public awareness of racism and the role it plays in our society is a form of new racism that won’t fix the old racism, what do you see as the solution?
