Bernie Sanders used message discipline to tackle Chuck Todd’s slavery reparations trap
Chuck Todd used the Ta Nehisi Coates The Atlantic article “Why Precisely Is Bernie Sanders Against Reparations?” to attempt to corner Bernie Sanders on the rather politically explosive subject. Blacks are split on this issue. It would be silly for Bernie Sanders to take an affirmative position, when the first black president himself does not support it.
To be clear, I have a lot of respect for the intellect of Ta Nehisi Coates. In fact I purchased and read his excellent book Between the World and Me. I also read his excellent piece The Case for Reparations. He erred when he called out Bernie Sanders. Hillary Clinton was much more deserving on any type of call out on racial social justice and where race has been used to divide.
When Bernie Sanders was asked why he does not support reparations his answer was evasive but appropriate. He said it was for the same reason that neither President Obama and Hillary Clinton do.
Sanders then reverted to his message within the context of the ills that currently afflict the black community. Paraphrasing, he said we look to the future to elevate all Americans with policies that take specific communities’ needs into account to ensure that all have access success. The foundation of his policies applies across the board to elevate all.
Of course Sanders will have to hone his message in a clearer manner to get a buy in from minorities who in fact are aggrieved. I do not know how reparations per se could possibly be instituted given the mosaic that is the black community, West Indian, Latino, African lineage, etc. I do know that if going forward all had equal access to success with intentional and deterministic policies for communities with specific problems, while it would not heal the scar of slavery in a generation, the relative absence of inequality by race would have a mitigating effect.
On a side note that I will not elaborate on which will raise the ire of some I say this; one should should note that reparation for slavery is just one issue. There are many other acts against many other peoples, races, and lands etc. that would have America paying reparations on a rather large scale. Sometimes moving forward with caveats is the most doable.
Bernie Sanders used his message discipline once again to not succumb to the mainstream media’s attempt to do the establishment’s dirty work. If he can keep doing that without allowing cracks, he get through all the forthcoming traps.