Racial inequality or oppression: Do they truly exist in today's society?

“In large states public education will always be mediocre, for the same reason that in large kitchens the cooking is usually bad." -- Friedrich Nietzsche

Since the beginning of recorded history human beings have joined groups. It's part of our survival instinct to herd together among our like-minded brethren that share our culture, traditions, beliefs and world views. Because of this undeniable and unalterable fact, 'racism' will always exist. But so will preferences based on religion, ethnicity, income level, and sexual preferences.

Inequality and oppression, now thats a completely different concept. Racial inequality is easily confused with inequality of opportunity. This difference has its roots in our racist educational system. African-American, and other races, are disallowed equal access to education by the one group that professes to have their best interests at heart, the Democratic Party. Yes, thats right, you heard it here first. The Democratic Party, through its misguided policies to 'help' minorities, actually impairs their ability to break out.

The primary tool available to minorities for this purpose is school vouchers. They allow minorities to bypass the bloated public school system and its monolithic bureaucracy, but the concept is consistently assaulted by those folks that you would think, from all their bloated rhetoric, are most interested in seeing minorities emerge the hell that is poverty.

The public school system is a monopoly. The same monopoly the left rails against in the private sector. Teachers unions and the federal government are inextricably joined, with a stranglehold on educational choice. Minorities have no choice under the current educational system. In any other area there would be public outrage. It broke up AT&T, Standard Oil, and countless other unfair organizations, but stands by and gives this one free pass.

Al Sharpton, one of the most outspoken proponents of the African-American plight, is unashamedly against school choice. “I believe in public education, do not believe in going into privatization, whether that be through vouchers or other schemes.” - NPR Radio

However, an extensive and distinguished list of African American leaders have spoken out for school choice. Former Congressman JC Watts, former UN Ambassador Andrew Young, former Secretary of State Collin Powell, and many others have spoken out in support of school vouchers, yet the issue dies a quick death when brought up in any meaningful way. You must ask yourself, what could be so unacceptable, so unreasonable, so capricious about giving minority families freedom of choice? What group could possibly stand to lose by this proposition?

The teachers unions, led by the National Education Association consistently and vehemently resist any efforts in this area. Recently the NEA spent over $3.1 million, with union affiliates and other liberal groups poured in hundreds of thousands of dollars more, to defeat a school-choice initiative in Utah.

While at the same time, according to the 2007 National Assessment of Educational Progress, 33 percent of fourth graders scored "below basic" in reading, and among disadvantaged kids, 50 percent couldn't read. The majority of these kids who aren't receiving a quality education are among the 74 percent of American students who attend government-assigned public school.

In the United States of the 21st century, racial equality is as close to ideal as at anytime in history. We certainly have a long way to go but until the leftist union's choke hold on our educational system is broken, progress will continue to move at a lethargic pace.