When I was in high school I went through a shy period and was reluctant to speak up in class. Now they can’t shut me up, but that’s another story. I did well in civics, but to get an A you had to participate. One day I finally raised my hand. Instead of just calling on me, the teacher said, “Well,  well, David finally will favor us with his opinion.” I never raised my hand again and got a B. But I kept my dignity.

The point is that you don’t punish the behavior you want. You don’t give people the impression that whatever they do you’re against them.

An LATimes columnist notes that for years, Justice Clarence Thomas has been noted for his reticence on the Supreme Court. He describes Thomas as “staring blankly at the ceiling.” Recently, however, Thomas has joined the questioning. Now the columnist calls Thomas “garrulous,” defined as “excessively talkative, chattering.” Like my civics teacher, the columnist finds fault no matter what the person does.

A common problem with progressives is lack of self-awareness. What the columnist is saying could be summarized as, “I liked Thomas better when he knew his place and kept quiet.” But of course this would never occur to the columnist.

But there is more. A White person describes a Black person as “staring blankly at the ceiling.” If the White person were from Mississippi and wore a MAGA hat, you would call him a racist. But he comes from California and is progressive, so you call him…what? He can’t possibly be a racist, though he describes a distinguished Black American in condescending, belittling language. Progressives can’t be racists, right?

Question: Regarding race, what is the difference between a Klansman and a progressive? Answer: There is no difference whatever in their opinion of Blacks. Both believe Blacks are inferior and can’t equal White achievements on their own. The only difference is that the progressive keeps his bed sheets in the linen closet, while the Klansman keeps his in the clothes closet.

Civics was interesting, but my teacher was a bad teacher. Civics is still interesting, but the columnist is a bad columnist.

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