In which we explain why "neutrality" is not always a virtue...
... Wise people who have been thorough real oppression see it for what it is.
Utah politicians have been pushing public institutions toward “neutrality.” They don’t want college students to have loud opinions on things such as the war in Gaza and they don’t want public schools to display any flags that aren’t official U.S., state, military or tribal flags. The main goal there, of course, to ban pride flags.
The latest example is what Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said when he cravenly allowed HB77 to become law without his signature. That he didn’t really like the bill because it went beyond schools to include all government buildings, but that he understood and supported the idea that public schools should be “neutral” spaces.
Cox said that actions to make some people feel more welcome, such as displaying pride flags in schools, would make other people feel less welcome.
How the actual hell does the sight of a pride flag make someone feel less welcome? Only if the signal it sends is that bigotry is not welcome, so bigots aren’t welcome either.
Sounds OK to me.
But here’s what some wiser people than I - or Cox - have to say about neutrality. Three Nobel Peace Prize winners say basically the same thing:
“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” – Desmond Tutu1
“We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” – Elie Wiesel2
"Never be neutral between right and wrong.” - Theodore Roosevelt3
So we may conclude that the state of Utah, with the acquiescence of its governor, has taken the side of the oppressor.
It’s the Utah Way.
Desmond Mpilo Tutu (7 October 1931 – 26 December 2021) was a South African Anglican bishop and theologian, known for his work as an anti-apartheid and human rights activist. He was Bishop of Johannesburg from 1985 to 1986 and then Archbishop of Cape Town from 1986 to 1996, in both cases being the first Black African to hold the position. Theologically, he sought to fuse ideas from Black theology with African theology.
Eliezer "Elie" Wiesel[a] (September 30, 1928 – July 2, 2016) was a Romanian-born American writer, professor, political activist, Nobel laureate, and Holocaust survivor. He authored 57 books, written mostly in French and English, including Night, a work based on his experiences as a Jewish prisoner in the Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps.[6]
Theodore Roosevelt Jr.[b] (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), also known as Teddy or T. R., was the 26th president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909. Roosevelt previously was involved in New York politics, including serving as the state's 33rd governor for two years. He served as the 25th vice president under President William McKinley for six months in 1901, assuming the presidency after McKinley's assassination. As president, Roosevelt emerged as a leader of the Republican Party and became a driving force for anti-trust and Progressive policies.
Bravo!
Nice job, George!