Mr Hawkes (cc Mr Rose)I'm not sure why you introduced CRT as I don't see it is or should be particularly relevant to this argument - it's mainly about the socioeconomic disadvantages of black Americans because of their past experiences slavery, segregation and discrimination - and I'm also not sure many of us really understand it. I suppose people might try to draw some parallels with it when discussing the Middle East because of the British and French occupation and rule post World War One to protect oil supplies. Anyway, I'd say CRT is more about recognising the US situation although, again, some may see some parallels in Western Europe. I thought the note about CRT below, written on Facebook by a US acquaintance, a retired university professor who studied Religion and Society at Harvard University, might help clarify that subject. (He agreed I could reposted this and wanted to be acknowledged.)Perhaps you are misunderstanding some of us, although I suppose I can only speak for myself. Personally I and possibly others just want to understand what motivates some on both sides to take certain actions, which may mean looking back into history. However, that doesn't mean we agree with or endorse their conclusions, or aims and actions - especially if they're extremists. I've always been taught that to solve a problem one needs to understand the underlying causes of it first and then try to look for a solution, but perhaps my training has been too maths and science based and too little messy politics and sociology - although perhaps one needs to look at chaos theory? To be honest are can't see any actions b either side that are likely to end in lasting peace.
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Critical Race Theory - Robert B PetitCRT concentrates not on the racially prejudiced attitudes held by individuals but on the policies, practices, norms, customs, and laws of a society, and the social, cultural, economic, political institutional structures that embody and perpetuate them. It claims that we cannot begin to understand the roots and consequences of inequality in our society until we acknowledge the central role played in our history and present by race, beginning with the extensive and lasting injuries of slavery.For example, the net wealth of a typical White family in the U.S. is about 10 times the net wealth of the typical Black family. This disparity not only resulted from the economic oppression of Blacks during slavery, Reconstruction (post Civil War era), and Jim Crow (the officially enforced segregation of Blacks and Whites), that excluded Blacks from opportunities to earn and save wealth, but also later policies. Great Depression policies (1930's) designed to alleviate the plight of Americans without housing benefitted Whites far more than Blacks (building segregated housing, with most of the funding directed to White housing, loaning money to Whites to buy homes but not to Blacks). These housing disparities were worsened by the fact that, because Whites would not buy homes in Black neighborhoods, the home values for Black families were much lower that White home values, so there was less equity wealth to pass on to the next generation. Post-World War II policies such as the GI bill (financial aid to soldiers returning from war) also continued these racial exclusion policies. The banking practice of "red-lining" (drawing red lines around Black neighborhoods considered too risky for banks to insure their mortgages) reinforced wealth inequality.For most Americans, their biggest claim to wealth is their home equity--the net worth of their home. Since Blacks have been excluded in a variety of ways from owning homes and building home equity, they have far less wealth to borrow on (e.g., for their kids' education, for home improvements, etc.) and far less to pass on to the next generation when they die. Thus, the inequalities are built into the system and will continue to reproduce racial inequality until they are reformed.One more example of institutionalized racism: the "N-word." When you use the term "N-word," pretty much everybody knows exactly what you're referring to. While most of us may say that we despise the word and would never, ever use it ourselves, it is nevertheless firmly embedded in our minds, with or without our consent. It is a hidden but dangerous weapon we carry, ready to be used if we feel our White privilege is being threatened. Plus, there's no equivalent epithet to insult and inflict pain on Whites on a par with the "N-word." Cracker? Redneck? Whitey? We Whites do not feel a sting and can laugh them off. Not so when the "N-word" is hatefully hurled at Black folks.CRT looks at how these historical inequalities (the long and violent history of slavery and its aftermath) are perpetuated simply by going along with the way things as, refusing to question why things are the way they are. We Whites prefer to believe that we earned every privilege we have, oblivious to the barriers we did not have to face because we are White. Whites who oppose CRT fear exposing the advantages their white skin still confers, claiming, "That's the past! I never owned any slaves!" They ignore that these inequalities can and will persist until those of us who benefit say, "No more. We are determined to dismantle these structures of oppression and inequality."
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Michael Ixer ● 16d