Colorblind Thoughts
Given the divisiveness of race and our human inability to rise above it, it is imperative that the government adopts a colorblind policy.
Let’s lay it on the table: Some people will vote for Barack Obama because he’s black, and some will vote against him because he’s black. Many more will vote for or against him based on his values and policy positions. Regardless, no matter how hard we try to achieve so-called colorblindness, the more we fail. Why? Because we can’t ignore differences. What we can do, however, is not allow those differences to divide us. A super-human achievement!
Being colorblind is a worthy goal, though it’s not the point. The point is that government policy should be colorblind. That is, government should be banned from using race to make decisions about whom to hire for public employment or admit to public colleges and universities.
We may be born “innocent,” but sooner or later, the prejudices of those around us rub off. As we mature, we learn to think for ourselves and develop our own ideologies. Even then, our perceptions may not be grounded in reality and may not adhere to the principle of equal opportunity for all. This is where the government takes up the slack.
“Governments are instituted among men,” Thomas Jefferson declared, “deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” Government, which is necessary for the very existence of a civilized society, must strive to keep in check the actions of everyone in that society. The government’s function isn’t to control people’s lives, but to allow people to exercise those inalienable rights: to life, to liberty, and to the pursuit of happiness, without interference from others.
Colorblind government policy is that which sees no differences among citizens with regard to the skin color of its citizens. We may hold prejudices for whatever reason, but those prejudices are held in check by a government whose duty is to protect everyone’s rights. An individual is free to think whatever he wants to think about me because I’m black, but neither he nor my government may interfere with my rights because I’m black.
