Jim Bernstein wrote:
POINT OF INFORMATION: Wizard Marks wrote "At the same time, those other
than the school board who defended Jennings' appointment did so on the
basis that he was white." This is not true.
That was hyperbole, admittedly, and unfair, but was not intentionally race-baiting. However, there were those every bit as knee jerk as Moss, Staten, and English championing Mr. Jennings. I would, of course, absent Lynnell Mickelson from such a list; her Strib piece was my best read today so far and I expect it to remain so. (Good show, Lynnell! Mistressly writing.) I would absent others as well.
Well, we agree on something. I thought Mickelson's piece was one of the best commentaries on any subject I've read in a long time. I particularly liked the astute characterizations of the various reactions which would follow to having Jesus Christ be appointed as MPS superintendent. The remark about the Center for the American Experiment was spot on, so accurate it's as if Katherine Kersten wrote it herself. One could cut all the references to Jennings out of the essay, and it would still be great, which is why I view it as a commentary about our current politics and not about Jennings at all.
However, like Jim Bernstein, I'm convinced that virtually all of the people who defended Jennings on this list did NOT do so because he is white. I certainly did not, and I've even got a large distaste for Republican politicans, which he once was.
And I'm certain in my bones that the biggest gripe that Staten and company had with Jennings is that he was white. They just had to dig up other "media acceptable" reasons to criticize him with. It's particularly telling to compare their initial rhetoric as quoted in the Star Tribune immediately after the announcement with the quotes a few days later. The obvious toning down of the racial aspect is very obvious, and the big spin factor being put into play on other aspects comes to the fore.
WM: We will have to part company here, Mr. Bernstein, I'm certain in my bones that it was the contributing factor in many and many a heart.
The board screwed up by incorreclty estimating what the public would tolerate with respects to their decision making. They chose Jennings with more deliberation than they chose Johnson, but she was a female, black teacher who came up through the ranks, giving her a built-in squelch factor for people who wanted to complain about the 5 minutes of consideration the board gave her appointment. But that's the board's fault, not Jennings, yet he was the one who got excoriated.
Chris Johnson Fulton
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