Lynne Kiesling
I had been aware of the Seattle Public School District’s recent attempt to define “institutional racism” because of Eugene Volokh’s post a couple of weeks ago, but I didn’t broach the subject here because I didn’t have anything to add other than to observe that it’s disturbing to have some institutional imposition of the idea that “emphasizing individualism as opposed to a more collective ideology” is racist. Deeply disturbing. Others elsewhere are more articulate than I about how legal protection of individual liberty, and an ethos of individualism, are values that rest at the foundation of tolerance and acceptance of diversity (in addition to being at the foundation of economic growth and human well-being), but that’s really what I find disturbing about this institutionalized effort.
But I found some of the follow-up discussion thought-provoking, including Andrew Coulson’s op-ed in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer last Thursday on the matter. He draws the connection between school choice and tolerance.
The PI page has a “sound off” comment section, where I found this comment by “scorpio”:
This universe is governed by natural laws.
One of the most basic is: Everyone has the right to become wise…through self-effort.
Ponder it. Then apply it.
Other posts on the subject at Cato-at-Liberty (Andrew Coulson elaborating on his PI argument), Natalie Solent, and Samizdata.