John McWhorter – Race and Inequality across the Atlantic
John McWhorter – Race and Inequality across the Atlantic
Appears in this episode
John McWhorter is back once more for an episode of The Glenn Show, so let’s get into it.
I begin by reporting on my current “European Tour.” Last week I spoke at the London School of Economics, and I’m currently headed from Toulouse, France to Marseille to deliver the keynote address at the International Conference on Public Economic Theory. It’s been quite an enlightening experience so far, as I’ve gotten a look at how young black European economists are thinking about inequities within and without their profession. John and I discuss a recent report from the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities, which offers a picture of racial disparities in the UK that differs greatly from that of the US. But as John notes, the impression that people abroad have of our problems is often distorted. One of our real problems is our tendency to filter all thinking about race and ethnicity through “blacks and whites.” The US is a much more diverse place that that, and John and I ask how long the concerns of African Americans will determine the national agenda for all “people of color.” Next, John asks a big question: What is the real cause of racial disparities in the commission of violent crime? We know that black perpetrators are responsible for a disproportionate amount of violent crime, but we need to understand why. I gently chide John for missing the recent Old Parkland Conference, but he’s got a good excuse: He was busy recording a series of lectures about the history of the alphabet for the Great Courses! I am utterly fascinated by this project, and I convince John to give us a preview. And finally, I offer a critique of John’s recent column, which addresses school shootings.
This one is buoyant and weighty in equal measure. As always, I want to hear your thoughts. Let me know in the comments!
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0:00 Race and economics in the UK
14:26 How long will the concerns of native-born black Americans drive the race conversation?
23:15 The shaky “people of color” coalition
27:51 Trying to account for racial disparities in the commission of violent crime
39:44 Reclaiming moral agency from white people
42:37 The Old Parkland conference
44:37 John’s forthcoming lectures on the alphabet
51:47 Glenn’s critique of John’s school shooting column
Links and Readings
The “Sewell Report” from the UK’s Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities
Amy Chua and Jed Rubenfeld’s book, The Triple Package: How Three Unlikely Traits Explain the Rise and Fall of Cultural Groups in America
Ezra Klein’s interview with Reihan Salam
Glenn and John’s conversation with Randall Kennedy
Ian Rowe’s book, Agency: The Four Point Plan (F.R.E.E.) for ALL Children to Overcome the Victimhood Narrative and Discover Their Pathway to Power
John’s recent NYT column, “Gun Violence Is Like What Segregation Was. An Unaddressed Moral Stain.”
John McWhorter – Race and Inequality across the Atlantic
I started teaching in 1981. I am retired this year. I have taught in multiple states. School safety rules are the same.
Rule #1 keep all exterior doors lock (the doors must be constructed so a shooter can not make entry if locked.) Have controlled entry.
Rule#2 keep classroom doors locked at all times. (There should be no windows in classroom doors)
Rule #3 place students so they can not be targeted through the door or exterior windows. In some schools this is almost impossible due to window placement. Some modification could change this issue. But most don't go to trouble or expense.
I kept my classroom door locked at all times. Most teachers didn't. I had a co-teacher who would unlock the classroom door after I locked. We had a few heated discussions over this.
I once had a principal who walked around and checked classroom doors. He let you know if they were not locked. This type of principal was rare.
Students and teaches will open exterior doors from inside which allows unauthorized entry. Sometimes prop them open for air flow etc.
Also students take the lockdown practice very lightly. They laugh, talk, and joke. That makes noise and shooters know where students are located.
Here are the questions to ask.
1. Were the exterior doors locked.
2. Was the school following controlled entry protocol.
3. Were the doors hardened so a shooter could not make entry if locked.
4. Were the classroom doors locked.
5. Were there windows in classroom doors.
6. Was lockdown protocol taken seriously and followed.
There was a failure at one on more of these school safety steps. Find the failure point and fix it in all schools. My guess is one or more of the three rules was not followed. If the shooter does not make entry and they can't target through windows, the outcome is different.
As a teacher who spent decades safe guarding students from the potential of school shootings this discussion on gun control is a distraction and putting more students at risk by not focusing on what really keeps students safe. Rule #1 keep all exterior doors lock (the doors must be constructed so a shooter can not make entry if locked.) Have controlled entry. Rule#2 keep classroom doors locked at all times. (There should be no windows in classroom doors). Rule #3 place students so they can not be targeted through the door or exterior windows. In some schools this is almost impossible due to window placement. Some modification could change this issue. But most don't go to trouble or expense.
Listening to the discussion regarding gun control, I just wanted to point out that it is actually feasible to manufacture .223/5.56mm rounds at home with a relatively inexpensive kit. You can even reuse the casings after shooting them, so I'm not sure limiting ammo purchases would work. I think people should be required to carry insurance on their guns. We require it for cars because of the enormous damage they can cause. Guns can cause greater damage than cars and if you shoot someone, it doesn't damage your gun like it would your car, yet we allow people deemed too irresponsible to drive cars to still carry guns. I don't think prohibiting guns is going to work as a means of reducing gun violence at this point because there are too many to be able to confiscate.