The Washington Post - USA (2021-10-23)

A16 EZ RE THE WASHINGTON POST.SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23 , 2021

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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I

S IT okay for a professor to show his students a movie involving blackface? This complicated question is roiling the University of Michigan — and as is often the case in campus speech debates, the answers from all quarters are too simple. Composer and educator Bright Sheng began his fall composition seminar by playing the 1965 film of Shakespeare’s “Othello” starring Laurence Olivier in thickly applied dark face paint. What followed was unsurprising to those familiar with the racist history of minstrel entertainment, as well as the present-day tendency toward so-called wokeness in higher education: Upset students com- plained, including to the composition department. Eventually, though Mr. Sheng had delivered two apologies, the university announced that the professor would no longer teach the class to ensure a “positive learning environment.” A fellow faculty member described the screening as “a racist act, regardless of the professor’s intentions.” The incident has inspired a fervor among two opposing camps that fits neat- ly into a national argument. One group

believes this is an example of a discourse- destroying cancel culture that poses an existential threat to American academia; the other believes it is an example instead of the marginalized finally empowered to challenge an oppressive institution with a habit of ignoring minority perspectives. Universities need to support their faculty’s right to make occasional mistakes without career consequences and to hold views that might not be popular; that is the essence of academic freedom. Too often, academic bureaucrats are falling short. The Michigan case is far from the only example: This fall under pressure, the Massachusetts Institute of Technol- ogy disinvited from delivering a presti- gious public lecture a geophysicist who had expressed skepticism of affirmative action. MIT’s decision reflected a dis- tressing unwillingness to tolerate views that offend the liberal majority, especially baffling given that the subject of the lecture was climate change and possible life on other planets. Mr. Sheng’s decision to kick off a course with, free of context or explanation, a trope that justifiably causes some people to feel distress was mistaken. Certainly it

wasn’t conducive to the aforementioned positive learning environment. Yet the decision to respond to this mistake only with punishment-seeking recrimination was wrong, too. Mr. Sheng reportedly hop ed to show how Giuseppe Verdi turned the classic literary text of the play “Othello” into the opera “Otello.” Would an explanation of this aim and an ac- knowledgment of the deplorable custom of the era have helped? Was there any intellectual reason it was necessary, or even especially instructive, to show this production instead of one that didn’t feature blackface? These are matters that deserve discus- sion. Now, however, they won’t get any. Sometimes an instructor’s or other authority figure’s actions are so egregious there’s nothing to debate, but the default should be to invite dialogue rather than foreclose it. The status quo is shifting so that people whom society often ignored are heard. That’s welcome. Yet the shift is a lost opportunity if the result is only to silence others instead. The students can’t teach the teachers if the teachers aren’t given a chance to be taught.

A teachable moment, canceled

The reaction to a screening of a blackface ‘Othello’ forecloses an opportunity for dialogue.

T

AKING A page from Dante, who advised those passing through hell’s gates to “abandon hope all ye who enter here,” Metro this week affixed stickers on subway station turnstiles, warning of major delays and hinting that passengers may be wise to turn back. “Save a fare charge,” the stickers counsel. “Check details before entering.” Metro commuters who do so will not find a divine comedy in those details. Since the Blue Line derailment last week uncovered a long-standing issue with malfunctioning wheel assemblies on Metro’s new 7000-series subway cars, wait times of 30 to 40 minutes for most trains are now the rule, and will be at least until the end of the month. All of those cars, more than half the system’s fleet, have been withdrawn for inspections. And rather than the shiny 7000- series that Metro touted as standard- bearers of new and improved service, many of the trains now running are more than three decades old. Riding one of the nation’s busiest subway systems has become a nearly Dante-esque nightmare, not to mention

a blow to the D.C. area’s pandemic recovery. In what amounts to a vote of no confidence in the very agency it over- sees, Metro’s own board of directors this week hired outside consultants to report on the system’s safety problems, including concerns about communications, inspections, training and reporting practices. It’s deeply troubling that the directors concluded that was necessary, but it was clearly a smart move. Not only were they kept in the dark by Metro officials about the wheel troubles, which began in 2017; so was the independent safety commission established by Con- gress two years ago to provide oversight of Metro following a series of mishaps and disasters. The derailment Oct. 12 caused no serious injuries but did frighten many of the nearly 200 passengers; it also cast a spotlight on a host of evident failures and raised questions that need answer- ing. Among them: The same car that derailed had come off the tracks twice previously the same day — was that known, and, if so, why was the car kept in service? Why were

passengers on the train that derailed provided no information for some 15 minutes after the train ground to a halt in a tunnel approaching Arlington Cemetery? Did it not occur to Metro’s control center that such a delay could have prompted panic, or led some passengers to self-evacuate, putting them- selves at risk of electrocution on the tunnel’s third rail? What approach to fixing a problem that first cropped up four years ago had Metro settled on with the 7000-series manufacturer, Kawasaki Rail Car in Ne- braska, which supplied 748 of the cars to the transit agency between 2015 and 2020? Why was that approach not discussed with Metro’s board or with the safety oversight commission? And who at Metro devised the bone- headed idea of providing the passengers aboard the stricken train with credits of $21 on their SmarTrip cards? Is that pittance fair recompense for anxiety, consternation and, for some passengers, terror? Metro has some explaining to do, and better it does it soon rather than let its failures fester.

Metro makes a troubling but necessary move

A recurring problem caused a derailment. Why wasn’t this addressed sooner?

The Oct. 17 Metro article “Capital Bikeshare raises fees, with eye on growth and e-bike maintenance” revealed a missed opportunity for transportation decisions to incentivize residents to use climate-friendly transportation options, protect public health and increase con- nectivity within cities. On Oct. 1, Capital Bikeshare tweeted that it will be “updating its prices for membership, user fees, and e-bikes” for infrastructure improvements and re- coupment of operational costs. This is disappointing because Capital Bikeshare did not include the public in its decision and policymaking process, with officials noting that the pandemic was the reason for the absence of public hearings about the fare changes. With all due respect, a pandemic is not a reason for not engag- ing the public, especially when a service is funded by public dollars. Public transportation services such as Capital Bikeshare are public health services that provide important health ben- efits and help ensure transit equity. In- creasing rates for use of public transit services without community input during the decision-making process puts residents at risk for public health consequences, as some Baltimore residents experienced after the cancellation of the proposed Red Line by Gov. Larry Hogan (R) in 2014. Anthony Nicome , Washington

Public input is essential

Michael Gerson’s Oct. 19 op-ed, “The state laboratory of idiocracy strikes again,” discussed the “discomfort, guilt [or] anguish” caused by honest discourse on our nation’s history of slavery and racial discrimination, and the attempts to legis- late against the teaching of such material in Texas classrooms. I sug gest that perhaps these sensitive and caring Texans use that same standard when they attempt to tell women, and many young school-age girls, in distress and anguish — a nd in need of medical care — that they don’t deserve it. Knowledge makes us better citizens; the lack of needed medical care can ruin a life. Karoleen Schafer , Annapolis

A little uncomfortable, huh?

I was first introduced to the title of “the Honorable” when Colin L. Powell was our 65th secretary of state. The more I learned about him, the more I recognized Gen. Powell as a giant of a man and an incredible servant leader — and the more I, a young, overlooked kid from Queens, felt compelled to live a life of meaning. I met Gen. Powell only briefly. Neverthe- less, you would think he was a key mentor considering how I incorporated his lessons into my life. It was easy to follow in the footsteps of someone who shared my back- ground, becoming intrinsically driven to be a compassionate leader and patriot. I will always remember Gen. Powell advising me: “Be careful whose shirt you wear,” aptly coming when I was medically retiring from the Army after a career high- lighted by my time as an Apache helicopter commander. Whether deciding to wear someone else’s brand or my own, how could I best serve? The conversation re- minded me of combat missions during Operation Enduring Freedom, where I in- tentionally drew fire to allow others to maneuver. The ser vant leader I was, in combat missions in Afghanistan, is the same leader I will continue to be going forward. I’ll take the heat. I’ll take the hits. I’ll dr aw fire to allow people to do their jobs on the ground. I yearn for political leaders to strive to live up to the title of “the Honorable” — the standard-bearer I will forever point out for them to emulate will be the Honorable Colin L. Powell. G erald Gangaram , Annandale The writer retired from the U.S. Army as a major.

The honorable Colin Powell

Challenges depicted in the Oct. 17 front-page article “Lost in transmission” are all too familiar to me as a recently retired analyst for 40 years at the Energy Department. Many in my agency recognized years ago that gaps in renewable electricity production might occur. Several result from inherent tech- nology limitations that proponents of traditional wind and solar energy have either minimized or thought could be solved with clever computerized power management or energy storage. Yet there is much greater potential for U.S. renewable electricity production and transmission than is commonly con- sidered. For instance: (1) New low-emis- sion technologies can produce power or transportation fuels 24 hours per day from waste-trash, leftover biomass, etc. This provides more “baseload” elec- tricit y, reducing the impacts of unexpect- ed sharp drops in wind or solar out- put; (2) A peer-reviewed study published two years ago showed that two-sided solar panels are superior to traditional panels over 90 percent of the Earth. Further, mounting “bifacial” panels vertically facing east-west greatly increases power out- put during the morning and evening peak demand times; (3) Electricity transmission congestion can be reduced using “trapezoid” cables. “Trap wir e” carries 80 percent more current than the same-size conventional cables. Overall, we need to seek all of the potential sources of clean power. Fred Mayes , Upper Marlboro The writer is a retired senior renewable energy analyst for the Energy Information Administration.

Greater green potential

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FREDERICK J. RYAN JR., Publisher and Chief Executive Officer

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EDITORIALS

One hopeful sign is the fact that
tens of thousands of Poles demonstrated
in opposition to the Constitutional Tribu-
nal’s ruling. Another is that Donald Tusk,
a former Polish prime minister and
former president of the European Coun-
cil, a high-level E.U. body, has returned to
his native country to spearhead the
liberal-democratic opposition. Undoubt-
edly, Law and Justice hopes its current
clash with Brussels will stir nationalist
sentiment, which it can exploit political-
ly. The cohesion and stability of Europe
may depend on the Polish people’s ability
to recognize where their true best inter-
est lies, and to act on it.

T

HE MOST serious potential split in the European Union since Brexit shows signs of coming to a head. At issue is the erosion of democratic institutions in Poland, where a right-wing populist government, aligned with a similarly illiberal one in Hungary, continues its provocative devi- ations from European norms. Earlier this month, Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal, having previously been packed with judges loyal to the ruling Law and Justice party, ruled that the Polish constitution trumps certain provisions of the E.U. treaties, which are the union’s high- est source of legal authority, and which Poland signed as a condition of becoming a member in 2004. This decision on Oct. 7 posed a “direct challenge to the unity of the European legal order,” European C ommission Pres- ident Ursula von der Leyen said Tuesday — and in a particularly critical context. It represented part of Poland’s response to a July 15 ruling by the European Court of Justice that had ordered Poland to dis- mantle its system for disciplining judges on the well-founded basis that it was an ill-disguised mechanism for Law and Justice to dominate the courts. In other words, the Polish Constitutional Court’s ruling was a stacked court’s effort to help Law and Justice keep on stacking courts. Faced with a threat to judicial inde- pendence that could undermine the rule of law throughout the continent if left unchecked, Ms. von der Leyen threat- ened Poland with consequences up to and including financial penalties. War- saw has called this “blackmail.” Some speak of an ultimate break with the European Union — already dubbed “Polexit.” It probably won’t come to that. E.U. procedures for punishing Poland are char acteristically cumbersome, so it wou ld take months for sanctions to materialize. Meanwhile, Poland would retain its power to block all other collec- tive European decisions — that is, lever- age. More important, perhaps, is the fact that the Polish people, including many who voted for Law and Justice, over- whelmingly favor E.U. membership. They do so in no small part because

Poland receives billions of dollars in economic support from the European Union, including a prospective share of an E.U. coronavirus-related recovery package — roughly $28 billion — which is being held up due to the rule-of-law dispute. Hypocrisy is a pretty good word for Warsaw’s insistence on repudiating Europe’s values while taking Europe’s money, and benefiting from the E.U.’s counterweight to Russia, Poland’s histor- ic enemy. The best way out of the impasse would be for Poland’s own people to repudiate Law and Justice’s policies. The country must hold another national election by

Europe’s justified crackdown on Poland

Poland’s leaders want European Union money but not European Union values.

OLIVIER HOSLET/ASSOCIATED PRESS European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels on Oct. 22.

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Stop beating up on Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) regarding hi s concern for his state and his country, balanced against the cost of staving off the dangerous heat- ing of our country and the world. What we are facing is much bigger than one or two Democratic senators. There is no sane reason virtually every other senator and representative in Congress isn’t on the side of humanity. The cost, $3.5 trillion, is a drop in the bucket compared with what it will cost in lives and way of life for many millions of Americans who will be unable to farm, much less spend time outdoors — or live in a number of states once the temperatures in places such as Alabama, Mississippi, Arizona, Nebraska, etc., force mass migration northward to states such as Michigan and Minnesota and on into Canada. The rich will have options not available to ordinary Americans, such as drinking water and a place to live. Forget about rising sea levels for a moment; think about trying to breathe in furnace-like air on a daily basis, much less work in it. Wait until millions of abandoned houses and busi- nesses are part of worthless ghost towns — and enjoy the biggest swindle the world has ever seen. Dennis Curley , Arlington

E.J. Dionne Jr. got it right in his Oct. 11 op-ed, “How Biden can reboot his presi- dency,” when he said President Biden needs a reboot. It’s regrettably not even hyperbole to say that American democra- cy may hang in the balance of his presi- dency. He needs to succeed in his agenda. If not, the next change in the political landscape is not going to be easy to undo. But that cannot be the narrative. To defeat Trumpism, Mr. Biden should rescue the American Dream for the middle class in demonstrable terms — and very soon. He can’t do it without Congress. Democrats need to pass the Biden agenda. They should make clear to the public just what we should all be rooting for. Then we all need to pray very hard that might be enough to impress Sens. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.). Democrats should call it the “Build Back Better Middle-Class Rescue Plan.” Repeat, mantra-like, in every public fo- rum, its popular features: lower child-care costs for working families, lower college costs, lower prescription drug costs, lower health-care costs, lower housing costs, preser vation of the middle-class Ameri- can Dream and protection for our planet — all of it a serious effort to transform our economic policies to serve working Amer- icans without violating the Biden Com- mandment: Thou shall not increase taxes for folks earning less than $400,000 a year. Build back better, save the middle class. Even the ambiguously moderate duo won’t be able to stand against that narrative. Country saved. T im Kennedy , Broomall, Pa.

Rescue the American Dream

Regarding the Oct. 12 news article “Whistleblower fights Facebook with its own weapon: Data”: The success of Facebook in a free-mar- ket playing field came through offering free key services and innovative plat- forms for the betterment of human lives. As in all good things, there are negative side effects stemming from free-range roaming and unmetered usage. Access for children to the site must be controlled and supervised by responsi- ble adults. Arguably, it is counterpro- ductive to regulate innovation. It is fair to ask Facebook to voluntarily incorp o- rate age-sensitive filters and safety features in its algorithms. The ultimate responsibility lies with the user, who should be exercising adequate discre- tion. There is a point at which corporate responsibility and personal responsibility merge and work in unison for the betterment of humanity. This is called social responsibility. Maracheril John , Prosper, Tex.

A parental responsibility

The Washington Post - USA (2021-10-23)

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