One of the many goals of this space as I understand it is to jack previous notions of what it meant to be conservative and reframe it in a much more humane (and correct) manner. To envision conservatism as an old school mode of being.
I claim the old school...or at least attempt to (if you're old school you don't run around saying "I'm old school damnit!" ...that's indiscrete). While not a conservative like Bowen, I do believe that at an individual level whether we want to be a professor, or a pipe fitter, or an MC, you've got to work hard and exert discipline.
But thinking about conservatism as an American ideology, I've had the same problem claiming it as I have claiming the American flag. And while I've gotten to the point where I now claim America as mine, claiming conservatism has been a harder road to hoe.
The central reason is simple. For me it's been exceedingly difficult telling the conservatives apart from the racists. Specifically when it comes to policy preferences. I know I know...not all conservatives believe (for instance) that black people are inherently inferior, or that they are unAmerican, or that they are genetically predisposed to criminality. While I can't say that my best friends are conservative, I can say that I know a number of conservatives personally, and that many of them are good and decent people.
But when it comes to policy preferences, being good and decent doesn't really count for much to me.
To get a sense of how intertwined conservatism and white supremacy has been historically check this story out. I've always thought William Buckley to be eminently respectful and well-spoken. And I suppose there is a subtle argument that can be made against Brown v. Board...or giving black people in the South the right to vote. But if you're making that argument, no matter how subtle, no matter how nuanced....you're on the other side as far as I am concerned.
Now the American Renaissance suggests that the tide is shifting...and given the modest efforts of moderate black conservatives (here I'm thinking Fletcher rather than Sowell...the new Loury rather than Armstrong) perhaps this tide will come sooner than we think. But probably not quite soon enough.
As an aside I am currently grading, juggling all types of postdoc applications, and quite a few other things. I'll be in the city (translation: Detroit) next week on vacation, so I'll probably try to stuff a few pieces in before I jet. We'll see.
Posted by at December 19, 2003 08:30 PM | TrackBack
Was browsing Google and found your site, enjoyed the reading, thanks
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