racial injustice (cont'd)

In response to this op-ed by David Hawpe ("Disparities of race complicate escape from the politics of race"), I wrote this letter to the editor, published in today's C-J...

I appreciate David Hawpe's litany of ways in which we shouldn't "get past" (racial) identity politics (column, March 9). I'd like to add two more items to his list.

Because African Americans tend to be poorer (as Hawpe noted), they are more likely to be captive to the government's tremendous monopoly power in the provision of elementary and secondary education. Sadly, African Americans are far more likely to be stuck in expensive and low-quality inner-city government schools.

Because African Americans tend to die younger (as Hawpe noted), they receive a negative rate-of-return on Social Security. In other words, they put more into the system than they receive in return.

Give kids a poor education and take a lot of money from them when they're adults. This is hardly the epitome of justice -- racial or otherwise. From early childhood to the grave, the government has policies that do tremendous damage to many within the African-American community.

I look forward to a day when the government has policies that promote justice for all people.