The Courts and a Colorblind Society

[rangerrebew]

May 31, 2025
The Courts and a Colorblind Society
By James A. Betti
It would be wonderful to see what might have come to pass if a single historical event had not occurred.


The best example of this concept is demonstrated in the Christmas classic It’s a Wonderful Life, in which an angel intervenes just as a depressed George Bailey is about to commit suicide.  George is shown what would have become of his beloved hometown of Bedford Falls if he had never been born.  The tyrant Henry F. Potter would have dominated and oppressed the people, leading them into a dark place.  When George is brought back to reality, he understands the significance of his life; his spirits rise, and his friends save the day.

Second chances are rare, and correcting mistakes can be a painful process.


In the 1950s and early 1960s, Jim Crow racism continued to permeate the South, yet progress was slowly being made.  Jason Riley, a black Wall Street Journal editorial page contributor, effectively documents the advancements of black America.  The Executive Branch recognized the necessity to accelerate this progress through a series of executive orders, and in the 1960s, the United States Congress passed groundbreaking civil rights legislation.  Fueled by Martin Luther King’s nonviolent movement, a new sense of hope emerged for African-Americans.  America was finally, albeit slowly, moving toward addressing its troubling history of racism, and Martin Luther King’s vision of a colorblind society seemed attainable.  The journey would never be easy, but essential laws and executive orders were put in place.

The courts served as a natural check on the power of the Legislature and the presidency.  The Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution prohibited other branches of government from using their authority to favor any individual over another based on skin color.  Challenges intensified after Martin Luther King’s assassination, but the complicated journey toward a colorblind society continued.

https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2025/05/the_courts_and_a_colorblind_society.html

[Smokin Joe]

By the time MLK Jr. was assassinated, there were paid professional agitators going even into rural communities to stir up racial conflict between Blacks and Whites. Where I grew up in Southern Maryland, the Black community rejected that agitation (at least the older folks did) and sent them packing, back up to D.C.

By the very early 70s, though, that agitation (a close relative of modern day Marxism/victimhood, think The New Left's Black Panthers and the like) was taking root in the younger Blacks, and what could have been peacefully handled grievances erupted into open hostilities and rioting.

Somewhere in there, the idea of advancement through achievement and excellence was largely lost, especially as reliance on Equal Opportunity (set-asides and quotas) increased.

Today's "Equity" programs are the grandchild of that, and are even more destructive of the work ethic and desire for achievement and excellence that was once almost universal in that community.