Why Do Progressives Keep Coming Up With Terrible Names For Good Ideas

As a child of the 50's growing up in a government town built in 1943 we had 7 school districts- 6 white and one black. Because of that same government in 1954 when the federally mandated desegration laws came into effect the High School became integrated as did one of the two junior high schools. The High School one town over was burnt to the ground rather than allow it to be desegrated. This is a simple example of systemic racism. It is an objective observation of segragation at the national level in 1943; of desegragation at the federal level in 1954; and the fight against desegration at the State level, also in 1954. So why let a discussion about these historical facts get mired down in the term Critical Race Theory? Who does the marketing for the progressive forces? How did they come up with a term so easily open to intentional misinterpretation? Not to mention that it isn't a theory. It is part of the history of the United States- it's not always pretty- but it is necessary. Then move on to Black Lives Matter. Of course in the context it is to be understood there is an implicit Black Lives Matter "too". But by leaving it out they have created a narrative that is immediately transformed into White Lives Matter, and by so doing have left the door open for white racists to turn themselves into the victim, something at which they and their Republican supporters are very adept. Again who is in charge of marketing here. My last pet peeve is Defund the Police. Of course if you have the time to explain the idea behind the slogan there is some sense to be found, but only barely. But Defund the Police is so easily manipulated and once again an important idea is appropriated under a completely different narrative. What is wrong with Reform the Police. Recent analysis of complaints against individual police officers across major cities in the US show that a small minority make up the majority of the complaints- the so-called bad apples. The problem is that the bad apples have been protected by the police forces thus altering the the proverb: some bad apples do spoil the bunch. There is a pressing need for police reform, especially in light of the historical racial biases, but frankly across the board. There should be much more emphasis on training, and retraining- and a reevaluation of what we are actually asking our police forces to do. To often they are asked to deal with members of the public who would be better seved by medical rather than law enforcement personnel and that is a direct result of defunding social services. I for one don't want to defund the police. I do want to increase funding to many other services and let a reformed police department focus on law enforcement.