Whites-only business district proposal divides city

There is a city in the northern U.S. that is over 80% white. The fastest-growing part of the population is not the whites, but rather various minority groups. Even worse for the white majority, these minority groups, which include immigrant newcomers, are hardworking and entrepeneurial, and are steadily eating into the employment and business opportunities that traditionally have been enjoyed by the majority. The city was already economically distressed, so the decrease in opportunities for white workers has become a matter of serious concern.

The white-dominated city council, observing this trend with alarm, has endorsed a proposal to create a special business district reserved exclusively for white business owners. The proposal also sets up a government-backed loan program exclusively for whites.

Predictably, leaders of the various minority communities are up in arms. "We are opposed to any government action that distributes public money based on race," said an Asian-Pacific-American representative. Other minority groups have chimed in as well, insisting that the hard economic times are affecting everyone, and that if there is a government program, it should benefit everyone.

Pause.

Okay, time to 'fess up. Everything I related above is true, with one exception. The city, Detroit, is over 80% black. The Free Press reports that the proposal sets up a business district exclusively for black businesses. The loan fund would be reserved for blacks.

The reaction of the immigrant communities was as related above, but what I didn't mention was that the report in which the proposal is given refers to the immigrant communities in what appears to be a deliberately insulting manner:

The report refers to Dearborn as Arabtown, and says Hispanics, Asians and Arabs are classified as whites so they enjoy benefits denied blacks.

Detroit's Latino activists said they were galled by one reference that read: "Even though legal and illegal Hispanics constitute only 3 percent of Detroit's population and 90 percent have been in the country less than 25 years, Hispanics aggressively demand inclusion in local affirmative action programs and in elected positions ... Rather than either distinguishing the situation of blacks and Hispanics, or pointing out that blacks are the majority population and therefore can elect who they wish, local political forces have instead acceded to these demands."

At least one member of the city council recognized the obvious fact that the proposal could not legally be implemented, and so voted against it. On the other hand we have the Council President Pro Tem, who ignored the legal issues because of the perceived positive social impact for the black community, and so voted for the proposal.

I suppose that there are many observations to draw from this story, but there are two that I wish to highlight. First: whenever a society becomes accustomed to the idea of preferences for minority groups, it becomes inevitable that racial favors will be distributed unequally -- in proportion to the political power of each group. If one of the favored groups attains an absolute majority of power, that now-majority group will eventually attempt to manipulate the preference system so that their former fellow-victims are left out in the cold.

Second: In the name of benefiting a favored ethnic group, the clear intent of established law is often ignored. Although it's outside the scope of this particular story, it is also often true that anybody who raises this point is branded a racist. As I probably will be because of the fact that I've reported on this in a disapproving manner.

(Credit: Roger Clegg, NRO)