"Over the last several decades, we’ve done pretty well in overcoming racial barriers and prejudice. Problems remain. But we won’t make progress if we now have to endure a din of race talk that will do more to divide us than to unite us, and more to confuse than to clarify."
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Let’s Not, and Say We Did - New York Times
It’s telling that Kristol sees a discussion about race as a sure way to divide the American people, while the more optimistic — or, rather, the more grounded in present reality — might argue that a healthy conversation about race would do well to actually unite the country. At least, it would be a step. But cynicism as a default is helpful when you’d rather be benign.