Similarly — as I noted in the post — there are a complexity of issues
involved in what are most frequently trotted out as racial disparities. You
bring up redlining without saying exactly with what about the practice you take
offense. Is it the fact that the subprime loans are granted in the first placde?
Or the fact that they are granted disproportionately to minorities?
The reason why Blacks (or Hispanics) find themselves with lower credit ratings
isn’t, I don’t think, intrinsic to race. We can trace the policies that got us
there, but they are many and varied.
I argued some of these particular instances several years ago with
Aaron Hawkins of Uppity Negro (who has since passed away), including
disproportionate traffic stops for Blacks in certain areas, etc.
...
But overall, it’s been my contention that policies that tend to focus
on fixing “racial disparity” — when the solution is tied solely to race (again,
I have written in favor of affirmative action based on opportunity) often times
do nothing but either exacerbate the disparity, or else have the effect of
creating a new group of victims or perceived victims, which in turn leads to a
stoking of racial animus.
Many years ago I did a study for a PAC that tracked certain racial groups and subsets within their racial group on the effect of government "help". In each case it was startling. One figure that has stuck in my mind was a comparison of black women and white women (aged 15-30, I think) that had children out-of-wedlock. Prior to the government "help" black women had a far lower rate of illegitimate birth than white women. After 20 years of government "help" those figures flipped completely. This study included years prior to the prevalence of abortion on demand.
My family is almost a mini-UN and I have found through experience with them and my extended family (and the history of my father's family) that accepting government largess is the first step toward failure, generally. In each case, within my family, it was an attitude that being on the "public dole" was to be shamed. Those who rose above that shame by getting off the "public dole" were believed to have not earned it.
Of those that refused the "dole", some stayed as working-poor, but proud. The majority became self sufficient and instilled that pride in their children and grand children. It is now our generation's job to carry on the pride. We like as little government as possible in our family's life.
I suggest you click on the above headline and read Jeff's full post and the comments. It will be well worth your time. If not, get the government to refund the cost of your time.
