Does Traditional College Debate Reinforce White Privilege? (Hurl Alert)

The Atlantic ^ | April 16, 2014 | Jessica Carew Kraft

[C19fan]

It used to be that if you went to a college-level debate tournament, the students you’d see would be bookish future lawyers from elite universities, most of them white. In matching navy blazers, they’d recite academic arguments for and against various government policies. It was tame, predictable, and, frankly, boring.

No more.

These days, an increasingly diverse group of participants has transformed debate competitions, mounting challenges to traditional form and content by incorporating personal experience, performance, and radical politics. These “alternative-style” debaters have achieved success, too, taking top honors at national collegiate tournaments over the past few years.

[C19fan]

Looks like just with any major involving the term "Studies" radicals are ruining debate competitions. Just ignore what the topic of debate is and just go off on a personal rant. I would luv to see that tactic used in a court room.

[Arthur McGowan]

Or do they just knock out the white, “privileged” debaters?

[Calvin Locke]

I would luv to see that tactic used in a court room.

Isn't that just a variation on pounding the table?

"If the glove does not fit, you must acquit!"

[babble-on]

It’s too depressing

[Gaffer]

Oppressive debate using racial or radical liberal accusations are not a substitute for truth, nor are they an argument based on reason, logic or correctness.

They are only tactics which force right-thinking people to just wish this crap was over so they could go home and be away from the rabble.

IOW, they dilute and diminish the prestige of true debate.

[dfwgator]

Typical Debate.

“Socialized healthcare is not economically feasible.”

“You’re only saying that because you’re a racist.”

[Monmouth78]

You will if you live long enough.

[MUDDOG]

Liberal law professors have been making this point for decades. “Various procedures—regardless of whether we're talking about debate formats or law—have the ability to hide the subjective experiences that shape these seemingly ‘objective’ and ‘rational’ rules,” said UC Hastings Law School professor Osagie Obasogie, who teaches critical race theory. “This is the power of racial subordination

Rules are white.

[Cicero]

I can’t stand reading this, but the answer would seem pretty obvious. The black debaters will argue for black privilege, the white debaters will argue for black privileges, and an occasional Asian debater might say, “May the best man win!”

Or, I suppose, “May the best person win!”

[Luke21]

This stuff is just high minded Nazism, with whites replacing Jews as scapegoats.

[MeshugeMikey]

“alternative-style” debaters

no OLD SKOOL debatin goin on here...

[Dahoser]

Looks like just with any major involving the term "Studies" radicals are ruining debate competitions. Just ignore what the topic of debate is and just go off on a personal rant. I would luv to see that tactic used in a court room.

“I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life.”

You were saying? (Not that I'm in any way thrilled about this.)

[MNDude]

White privilege is real:

You’ll never be called an Oreo or an Uncle Tom.
You’ll never be called a race traitor for voting for someone from a different race.
A college will never assume based on your race that you can’t meet the normal standards.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

These days, an increasingly diverse group of participants has transformed debate competitions, mounting challenges to traditional form and content by incorporating personal experience, performance, and radical politics.

AKA "dumbing down."

[jiggyboy]

mounting challenges to traditional form and content by incorporating personal experience, performance, and radical politics

Uh huh. I'd bet big money that these "challenges" are specifically known as ad hominem, false choice, tu quoque, red herring, begging the question, guilt by association, etc.

[jiggyboy]

...and now that I’ve read the article, I see that I’ve had lost that big money. It’s not even debate in any traditional (i.e. “white”, “privileged”, “racist”) sense, over the question asked, it’s just screaming about whitey.

[outofsalt]

"I'd bet big money that these "challenges" are specifically known as ad hominem, false choice, tu quoque, red herring, begging the question, guilt by association, etc"

"That's real retarded, sir"

[Rich21IE]

The Ghettoization of the public square.

Why would a white kid go to college in the US?

[jiggyboy]

Ouuuuuch. Well done sir.

[Parmy]

Or do they just knock out the white, “privileged” debaters?

Then they don't have to speak in relatively proper English. Then they can use 'street gibberish' that they are used to speaking everyday.