WWC
There’s been a lot of discussion about what to do about white working class voters, many of whom voted for Trump. Should we consider them irredeemable racists and move on? Can we replace them with robots? Or should we examine our Party’s policies on middle class economics and make some changes. Adopt policies good for all demographics in the middle and lower classes and reject corporate friendly influences. What Sanders Got Right
Revive Jesse Jackson’s vision of a “rainbow coalition” — a movement that unites the disparate factions of the disempowered without ignoring the distinctions between their struggles, and thus “addresses all material disadvantage, whether rooted in class or caste.”
There are certainly some Trump voters that are hopelessly dug-in with hatred, conspiracy theories and willful ignorance. But there’s also a significant number who voted for him out of desperation. Their needs were not being addressed by either Party so they went with a desperate Hail Mary pass. It may not take much to flip some of these voters. And consider the number of people too disillusioned to vote. We lost the last election by a slim margin. If we can reach non-voters and economically motivated Trump voters, it’s worth the effort.
The Wire
The show discussed many interesting topics involving the police and residents of Baltimore. “Hamsterdam” was the creation of a police captain who implemented a city zone where criminal activity was tolerated and regulated. It was similar to policies in Amsterdam. The Baltimore neighborhood kids, always suspicious of police, and never having heard of The Netherlands, coined it as Hamsterdam. For this topic I want to discuss the character Roland “Prez” Pryzbylewski.
Prez was a rookie cop who at first glance seemed racist and overly aggressive. He shoots and kills a suspect in custody (who turned out to be a black undercover officer) and is put on desk duty. As episodes go by you realize he was less motivated by racism but fear. He was scared going out doing his job so his adrenaline was on overdrive. His fellow officers convince him he’s not meant to be a cop and needs to find another line of work.
He was married to the Mayor’s daughter who shielded him somewhat from legal action. But he really didn’t push for protection; he knew he messed up big time. Eventually he reappears in the show as a public school teacher by way of his wife’s city connections. He’s assigned to a rough inner city school full of troubled kids many of whom will turn out like the kids he was policing earlier. What an ironic job assignment.
It starts as a terrible experience. The kids are totally disruptive and unwilling to learn. He’s really discouraged but due to his past misdeeds he can’t quit. What he eventually realizes is the kids are testing him. They are pushing him away. They are accustomed to adults quitting on them. It’s less heartbreaking to the kids if he leaves on their terms. They are rejecting him, not the other way around.
With this in mind Prez shows the kids he cares and the kids start to trust him. They open up about their lives. Prez starts to understand the challenges they face and understands their behavior and what motivates it. He really begins to respect the kids that the rest of society gave up on. He tries his best to make a difference but there’s only so much one man can do against a tide.
To me that storyline was about looking under the surface of people. Prez turned out to be a redeemable person capable of good things. His behavior seemed racist on first glance, but that wasn’t his primary motivation. He was scared of the situations and people his police work made him confront. He didn’t understand them.
The unruly kids in the classroom could easily be considered a lost cause. Given time and trust they were just normal kids growing up in a crazy situation. In fact their toughness was to be respected and a logical way to behave.
Klansville USA
This PBS show, part of the American Experience series, describes the brief rise and fall of the Klan in North Carolina in the 1960’s. It’s worth watching.
Klansville, USA
In a brief span of time North Carolina went from the most Progressive Southern State to “Klansville” USA with more than 10,000 members, the largest KKK membership of any State. Then in short order, the Klan recedes to normal fringe status with marginal participation. What could explain this explosion of racist sentiment? If you look deeper you will see some nuance and maybe some similarities to today’s climate.
North Carolina at the time was just beginning to transition into a society suitable for northern businesses to expand. They had poured resources into their public schools. Their cities were seeing large investments in infrastructure. Things were looking good for NC. They were finally shedding the cloak of the Confederacy.
But there was a problem. North Carolina is full of small towns which were excluded from the new investments. The State on a whole was becoming wealthier and more progressive, but all the new investments were going to the big cities.
At the same time advancements were being made for African Americans. The ruling in Brown vs. Board of Education integrated public schools in the 1950’s. Reverend Martin Luther King was organizing marches to advance the cause further towards Equality. Who was paying attention to rural whites in North Carolina? Who was championing for their needs? They felt they were being left behind and many resented the people who were advancing.
The climate was ripe for Bob Jones and the KKK.
Tapping into the fears and resentments of low-income whites who believed that a changing America would leave them behind, Jones took his message across the state, establishing Klaverns and signing up hundreds of members. He teamed up with George Dorsett, an ordained Baptist minister who became the Klan's official chaplain and whose powerful sermons complemented Jones' organizational skills. Hoping to turn the Klan into a political force, Jones tried to organize the more than 10,000 members into a powerful voting bloc. To show that his Klan had nothing to hide, he planned marches in broad daylight, and processions of unmasked robed Klansmen, plainclothes supporters, wives, and children took to the streets. They quickly grew to be the largest Klan organization in the nation. While his empire was built on hate-filled rhetoric and white supremacy, Jones publicly advocated nonviolence as a strategy to avoid the wrath of the FBI and federal authorities.
North Carolina was full of marginalized rural whites who did not think their government or political parties were concerned about their welfare. An opportunist named Bob Jones saw this power vacuum and seized it. He substituted what these people needed, economic security and advancement, with resentment and tribalism. But he was clever. It was more subtle than pure racism. He organized town fairs and picnics, with live music and barbecue. That was a big deal for rural whites in the 60’s. There might be 20 Klansmen present, but 1000 of locals there for the event and social gathering. At the end of these events he would preach the hatred. Some who showed up for the social event get exposed to the political message. Some are converted to their cause.
It worked for a short period but Bob Jones was eventually brought down by internal divisions in his organization and outside forces like the FBI. The Klan receded again to its normal status, a fringe hate organization.
The Wire and Klansville USA
Both narratives ask us to look below the surface and not judge a book by its cover. Officer Prez and the students were not lost causes. What you saw on the surface wasn’t the whole picture. There are bad cops and bad inner city kids, but don’t judge them all the same.
North Carolina may appear to have erupted into a toxic brew of hate in the mid 60’s. But it’s a little more complicated. Certainly there were racist elements as there always will be. The lack of economic security, and the feeling of being left behind, was the major factor. Instead of condemning the entire State as irredeemable, steady progress was made in economics and education since that time. The State is now a Purple battleground, not Klansville, USA. It still has its challenges but it’s on the way.
Look below the surface at root causes. Some non-voters and Trump voters can be reached. It’s important to try even if it takes a generation to take hold; or even if we just hold the current line. If you ignore a group it can become dangerous. They will only be exposed to lies and hatred, led by opportunists and frauds. Extremists left alone will reinforce their narrative and contaminate the next generation. They can infect other groups and spread their intolerance like a virus across the nation and across the globe.
Trump followed the game plan of Bob Jones. He courted racists and economically marginalized whites. Some of the latter group could be won back. The first should be denounced. There’s some crossover between the groups but let’s not abandon the redeemable.