It was purely by coincidence that his tweet ran across our Twitter feed Wednesday night, and we set it aside because it was a few weeks old but still sort of fascinating — what the heck was this guy talking about? White children are everywhere, but their whiteness is too often unspoken?
Opinion | Noah Berlatsky: "White children are everywhere, but their whiteness is too often invisible and unspoken." https://t.co/pRlcYJh227 – @NBCNewsTHINK
— NBC News (@NBCNews) January 6, 2019
And then we thought, hey, that name rings a bell. Isn’t that the same NBC News contributor who just wrote the piece about how going out wearing a red MAGA cap was like going out wearing a swastika? The same guy who wanted people to be aware that “wearing a MAGA hat is aligning yourself with literal Nazis” and “a deliberate provocation”?
And just weeks ago he was fretting about well-meaning, white, affluent parents like himself perhaps propping up a racist and unjust system.
Berlatsky writes:
This past October, my son and his classmates lobbied their small private school to change the official holiday of Columbus Day to Native People’s Day. My son wrote a short letter to the faculty explaining why they shouldn’t celebrate white imperialism, and that native peoples were too often ignored or erased or pushed to the side in discussions of American history. Some parents didn’t like the change, but the teachers and administration were supportive, and they changed the name.
As you’d imagine, my wife and I were very proud. We’d hoped to teach our son anti-racism, and here he was doing anti-racist activism in his own small way. We were glad we’d sent him to a school that encouraged kids to speak up, and was open to change.
At the same time, though, the school is a private school. Sending kids to private school is an option you only have if you have a certain amount of money. In paying for him to go to that school, we were at least partially abetting a system that benefits more affluent people. And affluent people in the U.S. are often (though not always) white. We sent our son to a school that taught and encouraged anti-racism. But teaching people to be anti-racist doesn’t necessarily address the structure of racism itself.
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That is a pickle, and we applaud him for being brave enough to share his burden. Sure, you can send your child to a private, anti-racist school, but because it’s a private school it’s going to be mostly white kids. What to do? Quick, send up the virtue signal!
Not reading it after your piece on the "gay valedictorian denied right to speak at Covington" propaganda, which was NOT at Covington, & the kid failed to submit his speech by the deadline required. NBC has become a joke, not a news outlet
— Boris_Badenoff (@Boris_Badenoff) January 23, 2019
The 1st paragraph almost knocked my CLL out of remission…
— Gregimus (@murgatr0id) January 6, 2019
I really thought that there was a limit to how obtuse a human can be but if they make being stupid an Olympic event you are a lock for the gold!
— Jerry Anderson (@Paladin007) January 6, 2019
My God you people think far too much of your self proclaimed intellect.
— Dan Nobles (@DanNobles) January 6, 2019
Ah, Berlatsky – one of the rare few who are considered garbage even by people who nominally agree with their politics.
— neontaster (@neontaster) January 6, 2019
"THINK"
lol
— … (@jtLOL) January 6, 2019
"THINK is NBC News' home for fresh opinion, sharp analysis and powerful essays."
This piece is none of those things. In fact, it is antithetical to all of them.
— Shawn (@ShawnMcElhinney) January 7, 2019
This is blatant racism NBC. Are you guys in a race to the bottom?
— Shari Odell (@ShariOdell) January 23, 2019
cc @RacismDog
— Harry Khachatrian (@Harry1T6) January 6, 2019
Just think of how many levels of supervision this article went thru and still got published. If anyone on the left ever tells you they're concerned about racism & bigotry remind them of this.
— Howard Roark Laughed (@Major_Skidmark) January 6, 2019
I'm working on an opinion piece that highlights a few of the problems I have with black people along with some simple steps they can take to make themselves less troublesome to the rest of us. Can't wait to see it published by @NBCNews. Stay tuned.
— Rocky Outcropping (@GidoNinoFCHA) January 6, 2019
Absurd article. The author suggests white people should do less to further their kids education as an effort to combat racism. How about presenting ideas to less fortunate parents on how to do more.
— Mother of menches (@Pamelajn922) January 6, 2019
"Everyone is trying to do the best for their kid..But I actually think that there are times when maybe the best interest of your own kid isn't actually the best choice…being a good citizen sometimes conflicts with being good parents."
Uh, no. What a bunch of bollocks.
— Whatever (@what_ever_1) January 6, 2019
Guess I gotta work on being a bad parent???
— Brez ? (@CoolBreslin81) January 6, 2019
It’s interesting, Noah says that private schools mostly benefit people with money while Democrats continue to vote against school choice that would benefit those he says he wants to help.
— Closet News Junkie (@NewsCloset) January 7, 2019
Hey geniuses at @NBCNewsTHINK, just go all in and ask white people to stop breeding. It would actually be an easier sell. Let Berlatsky fire all 3 of those synapses and take it all the way.
— The Fark (@farkenton) January 7, 2019
This article is so insane that I can’t even begin… basically white people need to erase themselves to not perpetuate racism
— Sheila Maupin (@Maupsh) January 6, 2019
— Miracles (@theworryingarr1) January 6, 2019
This is getting dangerous…..
— ? “Z” ? (@fzimo) January 22, 2019
— Marie Arf (@schwingcat) January 6, 2019
Journalists are everywhere, but their insanity is too often invisible and unspoken.
— Phillip J Hubbell (@PJHubbell) January 22, 2019
Dear NBC this is: pic.twitter.com/bloHzgbFDp
— Troy the Skeptical Llama (@Skeptical_Llama) January 6, 2019
You guys have jumped the shark.
— mervin lee dove jr. (@roadbdevil) January 6, 2019
Is this journalism? If yes then RIP
— Mind (@maurucao) January 6, 2019
I'm not even going to bother reading this.
— ?Erin ? (@MsErinMurray) January 23, 2019
Huh. I thought the goal was a colorblind society.
— Mark Bowlin (@MLBowlin) January 7, 2019
Looks like NBC has been self elected to be the cloak of visibility and the mouthpiece of this invisible, unspoken specter that is “whiteness”.
— Kenny C. ???????????? (@Kenkong909) January 6, 2019
The ruling class has reintroduced identity politics to amuse themselves.
— Rebecca (@Ladyshrink222) January 7, 2019
What In the hell is happening with the media this week!?
— Big Billy (@BaseballPled) January 22, 2019
*Berlatsky*
— Chuck Mullen (@chuckymullen) January 23, 2019
Editor’s Note: Noah Berlatsky is the author most recently of “Chattering Class War: Punching Pundits from Brooks to Breitbart and Chait to Chapo.”
Related:
He SO MAD! NBC op-ed writer FLIPS when called out for claiming that wearing a MAGA hat aligns people with LITERAL Nazis https://t.co/1Z3Ragw3J8
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) January 24, 2019
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