Civil rights issues have, for some inexplicable reason, been nearly absent from the campaign trail this year.
This report, issued by the bipartisan U.S. Commission on Civil Rights in September, 2004, has received scant mention in the media and, to my knowledge, no mention by Kerry/Edwards. However, it's analysis of the Bush Administration's civil rights record is damning and deserves much wider attention. This affects us all! and based on the record over the last four years, we should be very, very concerned...
To quote from the report:
This report finds that President Bush has neither exhibited leadership on pressing civil rights issues, nor taken actions that matched his words.
President Bush seldom speaks about civil rights, and when he does, it is to carry out official duties, not to promote initiatives or plans for improving opportunity. Even when he publicly discusses existing barriers to equality and efforts to overcome them, the administration's words and deeds often conflict...many of his nominees and appointees do not support civil rights protections.
Voting Rights: Despite promising to unite the nation and improve its election system, the President failed to act swiftly toward election reform...As a result of the President's inaction, little will change before the 2004 elections, and the problems that linger, unless resolved, will most likely disenfranchise some eligible voters.
Equal Educational Opportunity: Early in his administration, the President widely promoted an education reform proposal, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), and garnered bipartisan support. Despite its worthy goals, however, NCLB has flaws that will inhibit equal educational opportunity and limit its ability to close the achievement gap.
Affirmative Action: The President's stance on affirmative action is equivocal at best. President Bush has tried to please both supporters and opponents, a tactic that has resulted in a misleading and vague position. He has not exhibited strong leadership on this issue where leadership is vital.
Fair Housing: Policies instituted under the Bush administration have diminished housing opportunities for poor, disproportionately minority families.
Women: President Bush's record on women's issues is mixed. Economic gains for which he has paved the way are overshadowed by other actions that have set back women's rights.
Gay Men and Lesbians: President Bush appointed some gay rights supporters to Cabinet and administration positions. However, other actions he and his administration have taken have almost completely eclipsed the efforts he made.
Several themes emerge from this study. Specifically, this examination will show that the administration's statements frequently do not match its actions. Its civil rights promises often suffer for lack of funding and ineffective implementation. To his credit, President Bush has not dismantled some good programs that previous administrations had implemented. However, he has also not comprehensively advanced them or demanded accountability for their outcomes. And finally, through the views of his executive and judicial appointments and his own professed priorities, President Bush redefines civil rights, at times by promoting unrelated initiatives under a civil rights banner.
The report goes on in much greater detail on all of these issues. The section on the Bush administration's Faith-Based initiatives is particularly interesting; the report describes the many ways in which Bush has undermined nondiscrimination laws and policies and weakened the separation between church and state, all while claiming to be acting in defense of the civil rights of individuals and organizations based on their religious affiliation:
The faith-based initiative, a so-called civil rights action, actually constitutes a retreat, not an advancement from employment discrimination. The President has described the faith-based initiative as a remedy to discrimination against religious organizations in obtaining public funds, comparing it to the bias other groups have suffered throughout U.S. history. Ironically, the initiative permits employment discrimination by allowing religious organizations to deny equal employment opportunity while accepting public funding.
President Bush has employed executive, administrative, and legislative strategies to integrate his faith-based initiative throughout the federal government. Although he has failed thus far to secure an acceptable result legislatively, the President has pursued administrative channels. Many executive branch actions, such as revising regulations, were done without much public discussion. The scope and reach of the revisions drew little attention despite their potential to set back longstanding civil rights policy. The administration could have made provisions to ensure that no organization receiving public, taxpayer money can discriminate in its services or employment practices, but it did not. Instead of protecting the integrity of civil rights laws, the President has pursued a path that is more divisive than inclusive, and as such contradicts what he identified as his goal for the faith-based initiative.
The report concludes:
After the September 11 attacks, some praised the administration's initial response against backlash directed toward Arab Americans, Muslims, people of Middle Eastern descent, and those perceived to be so. The administration asked Americans not to blame and suspect all Arab Americans, and vowed to punish perpetrators. That response was eventually overshadowed by policies that now allow law enforcers and government agents to target individuals and groups for surveillance, detention, arrest, and other actions, without rights to counsel and representation. Policies allow such behavior so long as the enforcers assert they are acting to avert terrorism. The administration's own policies soon fomented a backlash against certain groups.
Failing to build on common ground, the Bush administration missed opportunities to build consensus on key civil rights issues and has instead adopted policies that divide Americans. President Bush could have, early on, called on public officials to unify and show America and the world that, together, the nation could improve its voting systems. Likewise, he could have exerted leadership on affirmative action by soliciting diverse viewpoints and promoting policies that achieve diversity. Future presidential administrations, in fulfilling their duty to advance civil rights, should inspire Americans to unity, not divisiveness.
So much for being a uniter, not a divider.
This should be news. If you agree, please recommend this diary! Thanks.