Identity Politics is Best?

Identity Politics is Best?

Martin Luther King, Jr. would be proud that in Cambridge voters decide on
the basis of the skin color of the candidate. It is just the opposite of what he
proposed, that people be treated based upon their character not their skin
color. That is OK because Cambridge voters are superior to King.
But it is also reassuring that psychiatrist and mentalist Glen Koocher
explains that voters are motivated by guilt. There's a great motivation. If you
feel guilty vote your emotions. Noting like emotional voting to get the very
best officials. Guilt is a more rational than skin color.
Using Harding's reasoning if there are no persons with disabilities on the
school committee then no one speaks for their interests. That is true because it
is unlawful but de facto Cambridge policy to exclude persons with disabilities
from their programs.
The Cambridge Chronicle continues to give a platform to bigoted pundits who
re-enforce this unlawful policy. Nothing like the status quo to keep those
people in their place. Persons with disabilities are clients, patients. They
have no rights. They need drugs and treatment not their rights.

Roy Bercaw, Editor ENOUGH ROOM

Harding: Minority students 'have lost a voice' on School Committee
By Erin Smith and Matt Dunning
Cambridge Chronicle Staff
Wed Nov 07, 2007, 01:08 PM EST

Cambridge - In a surprising a turn of events, Richard Harding was voted off the
School Committee Tuesday night.

Harding received a total of 1,721 votes, falling more than 100 votes short of
the 1,874 votes he needed to win his seat.

With Harding defeated, the School Committee is now composed of only white
members. Harding, who is black, has been a strong voice for poor and minority
students in the Cambridge Public Schools system.

"[Those students] have lost a voice and an ally who has always fought to make
sure they were represented," Harding said. "I would hope that people understand
how profound an impact this could have if the new committee doesn�t step up and
make sure that these students are represented."

Former committee member Glenn Koocher said he believed Harding�s loss was less
the specific will of voters, and more of a byproduct of their efforts to
re-elect Marc McGovern. McGovern, who was last in votes in the committee
election in 2005, was the top vote-getter this year.

�I think guilt played a factor,� Koocher said. �I think a lot of people were
trying to atone for forgetting Marc McGovern two years ago. People get so caught
up with attractive new candidates and trying to make up for past mistakes,
someone always has to fall off, and in this case it was [Harding].�

In the next term, the School Committee still faces the challenge of closing the
achievement gap. Recent MCAS scores for Cambridge show that whites and Asians
are still testing better than black and Hispanic students.

The absence of a black committee member could be a significant factor in this
year�s mayoral race among the members of the City Council. The mayor of
Cambridge also serves as the de-facto chairman of the School Committee.

�I think [Mayor] Ken Reeves will make that part of his push,� Koocher said, �but
you may see [Councilor] Denise Simmons make the case that she would make a very
suitable alternative.�

Harding was first elected to the School Committee in 2001 when he defeated
Susana Segat by six votes.

"I�m honored and grateful for the opportunity to have served the students and
the people of the Cambridge school system," Harding said. "The children of this
city deserve the best education that we can afford and provide."

Koocher said if Harding decided to run again in 2009, he wouldn�t be surprised
to see him enjoy the benefit of what he called the �Marc McGovern principle.�

�Richard Harding would be that year�s Marc McGovern,� Koocher said.

Asked if he would consider running again, Harding said he would "keep his
options open."

"Elected or not, I'm a leader," Harding said. "I'm here to stay, and without a
doubt, I'll continue to work to make sure we make Cambridge a safe place to
learn, to work and to live."

Fred Fantini, Patty Nolan, Luc Schuster and Joe Grassi were re-elected, while
challengers Nancy Tauber and Marc McGovern will join them on the School
Committee.

Tauber ran as a member of Progress for Cambridge, a slate of candidates
supportive of the superintendent that ran on a platform that highlights
improvements in Cambridge Public Schools. The other members of the slate �
Stefan Malner and Gail Lemily Wiggins � were defeated at the polls.

McGovern has previously served on the School Committee in 2004 and 2005, but was
voted out after just one term. His 2005 loss at the polls was attributed to the
strong showing and election victories by longtime school critic Patty Nolan and
recent Cambridge Rindge and Latin School graduate Luc Schuster.