Ending Racism Must Become a Family Value

Blacks know the Democrats have failed them. What they don't know is whether they can trust us.

by Rod D. Martin
August 24, 2005

When conservatives talk about moral or “family” values, it’s time they explicitly and pointedly included “ending racism” in their list. There are three reasons for this:  one moral, one practical, and yes, one political. And any of those reasons would be enough all by itself.

The moral reason is straightforward and, in Jefferson’s words (if not quite his practice), self-evident: all men are created equal. People should be judged by their actions, not their gene pool; and this founding premise of the American republic leaves little room for arbitrary distinctions based on race.

Americans have done far better at this than might seem true at first glance. Very few traditional racial distinctions remain on these shores, as many of the downtrodden groups of yesteryear -- Italians, assorted Slavs, my own Irish, you-name-it -- are no longer even seen as separate races, and are celebrated for their unique ethnic heritages.

But particularly for blacks, the past is n…