I love stories like this, LXXVIII

Here are two versions of a statement on "Equity and Race Relations" in the Seattle Public Schools. The first contains an interesting phrase (emphasis mine):

The intended purpose of our work in the area of race and social justice is to bring communities together through open dialogue and honest reflection around what is meant by racism and the impact is has on our society, and more specifically, our students. Our intention is not to put up additional barriers or develop an “us against them” mindset; nor is it to continue to hold onto unsuccessful concepts such as a melting pot or colorblind mentality.

"Unsuccessful concepts", no less. They're only "unsuccessful" because hating America has become more important than adapting to our culture.

Do you need a bit of persuading to come to that conclusion? George Will points out that the Seattle web site had something a bit different on its web site not too long ago:

Until June, the school district's Web site declared that "cultural racism'' includes "emphasizing individualism as opposed to a more collective ideology,'' "having a future time orientation'' (planning ahead) and "defining one form of English as standard.'' The site also asserted that only whites can be racists, and disparaged assimilation as the "giving up'' of one's culture.

"A more collective ideology", no less. On a public school web site, no less. Anybody doubt that leftists control the public schools?

Here's James Taranto in Best of the Web Today:

This is in fact baldly racist. In concept it is distinguishable from white supremacy only in its refusal to condone value judgments. But the real world imposes its own "value judgments," and in practice it seems obviously pernicious to inculcate black children with the idea that because of the color of their skin, they cannot learn to plan ahead or to speak standard English.

Advocates of affirmative action, thus, have abandoned the goal of "getting beyond racism," upon which it was originally imposed on the public. Affirmative action has become a way of perpetuating discrimination rather than overcoming it. It is, at best, an experiment that has failed.

This is all very topical because of two cases before the Supreme Court: Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1, and Meredith v. Jefferson County Board of Education. Arguments were heard yesterday in both of these cases. Here's a report on these cases. From all accounts it appears that affirmative action will earn a well-deserved reversal.