Thanks, Donald Sterling, for reminding us that racism isn't dead yet

What we can learn from the controversy surrounding the owner of the Los Angeles Clippers

Donald Sterling
(Image credit: (Bettmann/CORBIS))

Is there anything more depressing than how Americans discuss race? In politics, allegations of racism and claims of "dog whistles" get tossed around on the thinnest of pretexts to delegitimize opponents and shut down reasonable dialogue on important issues.

The response to such demagoguery often comes in the form of denials that any problem of racism exists, at least in practical terms. We've eliminated state-imposed discrimination, and that's good enough. A few individuals, mainly older, still harbor racial resentment, but we have put the problem behind us because we've progressed so much in such a short period of time!

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Edward Morrissey

Edward Morrissey has been writing about politics since 2003 in his blog, Captain's Quarters, and now writes for HotAir.com. His columns have appeared in the Washington Post, the New York Post, The New York Sun, the Washington Times, and other newspapers. Morrissey has a daily Internet talk show on politics and culture at Hot Air. Since 2004, Morrissey has had a weekend talk radio show in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area and often fills in as a guest on Salem Radio Network's nationally-syndicated shows. He lives in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota with his wife, son and daughter-in-law, and his two granddaughters. Morrissey's new book, GOING RED, will be published by Crown Forum on April 5, 2016.