Mission Impossible?

" nastiness of “white flight,”

"racism-loaded reality of being abandoned by families"

This is the most biased article I have read in a while in the Independent. I think you owe an apology to the "white" families who are only trying to obtain a decent education for their kids in an atmosphere where they don't have to apologize for the color of their skin. (Or "Privilege" as they say in the School of Education.) The above anti-white bias has no place in "Independent" journalism Perhaps it's the anti-white racism of not just Latinos, but the anti-American, anti-assimilation "International" educational philosophy of some of the teachers that has driven out the white students?

Perhaps the first step to improving education is to stop attacking ethnic/racial groups that are academically successful, and instead begin to emulate their study habits and culture.

Get over it, "Revisionist," and start being honest: too many white families don't send their children to schools they perceive as being "too brown and too poor" and thus not "good enough" for their precious kids. Instead of actually getting involved in their neighborhood schools, getting to know their neighbors and being part of solving the problems of defacto segregation, these families are being racist in their judgments and their actions.

It's laughable for people like "Revisionist" to claim some kind of victim status for white people, claiming that they're being asked to apologize for the color of their skin. On the contrary, white skin is celebrated ad nauseum in our culture, and whites benefit from unearned privileges based solely on that skin color every day of their lives. Recognizing that unfair reality and working to change it doesn't require apologizing for being white, it just requires an intelligent, honest, and nuanced understanding of how things work. Even further, a commitment to equity means we might have to actually work to create a world where privilege is EARNED, rather than automatically accrued based on race, gender, or class. Of course, I can see why that might scare a lot of people who fear they won't have what it takes to earn the privileges to which they have grown so accustomed.

It isn't bias for the Independent to name what we all--if we're honest--know is true about white flight, white racism, and white privilege.

Tribalism has a very adaptive effect in human evolution. Humans are social animals, and ill-equipped to live on their own. Tribalism and ethnocentrism help to keep individuals committed to the group, even when personal relations may fray. This keeps individuals from wandering off or joining other groups. [from wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tribalism]

You figure it out!

Congratulations to the teachers, staff and principal for stepping forward to reform a school. It is never easy and takes a vision, a plan, commitment and action to accomplish it. I know that the Harding community, especially their bright, eager students, will succeed. It can't be done alone, and I invite the neighbors, the district and the community to step up to help. It is time that we stop taking sides and lobbing pot-shots at each other. It is time to work together for all of our children.

I noticed in the survey about the future of Harding that you did not have a box to check that the future is bright because of the teachers! That is a bit of an oversight don't you think?

"...it just requires an intelligent, honest, and nuanced understanding of how things work."

Just how is it you think things work Alex?

Exactly what privledge do you think the white Americans are bestowed with at birth?

What do you think Sotomayor, Nava, Villiaragosa, Sanchez, and all the other Latinos would say about your contention...not to mention Obama?

How about affirmative action programs, welfare, free med insurance, scholorships not to mention that within a few years, whites will be a voting minority...what then?

Alexquinn: I'd like to respond to your attack in Revisionist with a story that isn't often discussed.

About four or five years ago, the news press ran a story about one of the local schools, and I'm 99% sure it was Harding school, and the subject was White Flight.

It talked about a woman whose last name was Brace--and I can't remember if her first name was Merideth or Melinda, but what I do know is that she was the daughter of judge George Eskin, and is the step-daughter of Hannah-Beth Jackson.

Ms. Brace had a son in 3rd grade and she also was very involved in the school's activities--in fact she was the head of some department in the school. She resisted the White Flight of other parents insisting that she was going to stay and fight for the improvement of the test scores. In short, she sounds like a noble woman who certainly had strong sense of noblesse oblige.

The thrust of the article was that even she had given up and had decided that she was going to pull her son out of Harding and place him in another school. I clearly remember reading that the boy had not been invited to one birthday party of his classmates and that when he had his birthday party, only one kid came to his. I also remember reading her saying that she was no longer willing to make her son a guinea pig--or words to that effect.

For those of you that have connections with the News-Press, you can access the article, which I believe was written by Camilla Cohee and another writer. (end of part one)

(part two) I am obviously admitting that my memory may be spotty about some of the details, but what I do know is that this woman made every effort to help out at her school and took her son--who was the last white kid in the class--and I believe the school--out of that school when it was clear that for whatever reason, he did not fit it.

Also Alex, you simply fail to note that racism goes all ways, and I can tell you from first hand experience there is also pressure on nonwhite kids from their ethnic peers to conform to ideas that perpetuate poverty for fear of "acting white." If you wish to address racism, you need to address the whole picture. I chose to go to Santa Barbara High as opposed to San Marcos (back in the 70's when San Marcos was practically lily-white) and I don't regret that I did, but I can tell you that life is much more complicated than the simplistic view you present.

By the way, toadalee is right about tribalism, and while you may have initially good intentions Alex, your one-sided unsupported attack in Revisionist only contributes to that tribalism

One more point: "privilege" is never earned, it's luck of the draw. All of us are lucky enough to have access to computers as opposed to sitting in some jail in a third-world country. We are lucky we aren't starving to death, or so infirm we can't even muster the strength to write an e-mail. One should not feel guilty for what one has, nor should they ever say that they "earned" it. Talent/luck comes from God.

It's OK to get angry, but make sure you direct it in the right manner.
(end of post)

I think Mr. Stewart and the Independent really blew it here with the unsupported charges of racism against whites in the Harding area. Mr. Stewart's accusations might have held weight if he had bothered to interview local white parents and found some indicators of racial bias in their responses. I know there are a lot of Latino parents who are sending their children to Catholic schools or transferring to avoid the worst campuses like Harding.

We also have to realize that only 30% of Californians in K-12 age group are "white", so it will be impossible even if we abolish private schools and transfers to achieve "diversity."

Next time get both sides of the story Mr. Stewart.

Here's a link to the 2005 article about Harding

http://www.alipac.us/ftopicp-1410.html

so mister writer of the article what is the solution???
When you have parents who don't care anymore and think of school and free day care. And a state that cant handle a tax increase to better the kids of tomorrow... everyone is at blame for a school falling apart. Negative press will get you no where!

I live 4 blocks from Harding and the idea of my kids going there is horrible. I drive out of my way to take them to another school and it's not because they are white but because they are smart and the level of education at Harding is inferior, even for a public school. Is that due to a 95% hispanic population? Not to be racist because it's not about race but about language anyways, but yes. The teachers are faced with the task of having to teach children to speak English before they can teach them in English. With the minority being English only children, they are neglected unintentionally - because they aren't requiring the same focused attention. My kids are straight A students at a much better public school where they are challenged. Harding has not shown the ability to provide an adequate education to our English only speaking children.

That's not racism, it's just the truth. I hope it changes because I sure would love to see the kids walk to a nearby school and have friends in the neighborhood that they go to school with and it sure would save me time and gas if I didn't have to drive across town!

Dude...Somebody cut up that orange for Omar!

It's about the kids, still, "the nastiness of 'white flight' " was gratuitous and brings up unrelated issues. Anti-racism isn't the answer to racism, is it? Anti-racism inspires White tribalism, with its good and bad concomittants. Honesty is the low point of the pendulum, but everyone keeps shoving the durned thing.....

Murray, that is awesome! Way to look out for the other guy!

I don't know what the author means by "racism-loaded reality of being abandoned by families that live within walking distance of the school’s front doors" but apart from this question I have, I think the article was well-written.

"I know there are a lot of Latino parents who are sending their children to Catholic schools..." -Revisionist-

Among these parents is friend of mine who I met in Santa Barbara High School. He had a daughter in one of the local schools but I don't think it was Harding. He started noticing that all or some of her homework was being given to her in Spanish. I don't know if this was because they assumed she was English-deficient*, or because they wanted her to be bilingual but the feeling I got was the former reason. He took his daughter out of that school and enrolled her in the Catholic school on the Micheltorena/Anacapa corner for a year. What is ironic is that my friend--who was raising his daughter as a single dad, only spoke English so he could not help her with the homework.

*I went to Santa Barbara High School and knew a kid that was put in a special-ed class because the school felt he was English-deficient. The problem was, he probably spoke better English than some of the teachers. It turns out he is from Jamaica and as he told me recently because he had an accent, he was presumed to be lacking in the language. How many high school kids use the word "omnipotent"...as I remember him doing back in high school?

Another point that I've never heard anyone mention: All the focus is on the children, with occaional secondary focus on the parents themselves, but then real focus must be on America's perception of Spanish-speaking immigrants.

As long as America keeps making services available in Spanish, not only will there be no incentive to learn English, but the subtle message is the opposite of "si, se peude" ("yes we can")

At a former job , I got to know some of the janitors quite well due to my ability to speak Spanish. One of them was a woman who had been here since she was 20 years old, and she was 45 when I knew her. She only knew a few words of English. She was convinced that anyone who was bilingual was posessed of some special ability that she lacked. Her overall self-esteem was quite low.

I won't pass judgement on why people insist we must provide services in Spanish, (while those people expect all other immigrants to learn English) but what you are seeing happening at Harding School and the racial polemics involved is an outgrowth of the idea that somehow we can create a system of lingustic apartheid without having the disasterous consequences that we see unfolding.

If Spanish-speaking parents were perceived the same way that other immigrant parents were, and not made into peons is the American political chess game, we would not have these problems we are discussing. Sadly, I see almost no evidence that either side is willing to dig deeper and question America's racial perception of itself.

As a parent of a Harding student, I can say that the article greatly saddened me. There are a range of levels of academic achievement in any classroom, all across the schools of our city. The best teachers are able to differentiate their instruction to meet the needs of each student, each ability level, which is exactly what I see happening on a daily basis at Harding.

My son is learning, growing, and accomplishing much as a Harding student, and has peers who are doing the same. Are all the "above grade level" students from the same demographic? No. What a bonus.

Other bonuses: we walk to school, we interact with our neighbors, we support a school on the move, the first zero-waste campus in the state, a school qualifying for an internationally acclaimed curriculum program, the International Baccaulareate. Our son receives art education, music education, science instruction in the science lab, PE from a credentialed PE teacher, technology is integrated into his learning, food is cooked and served on campus with local produce. We are happy.

Sally Kingston is a strong leader. Seems to me the leaders who make tough decisions are often targets of criticism. She has the credentials and experience to make many critical decisions on her own for the school, yet she consults many (UCSB's Gevirtz Grad School of Education, parents, site council, Harding School Foundation Board, other principal mentors, district officials). Differences of opinion on the decisions made should be discussed, but inflammatory language and unsupported personal accusations from anonymous employees seem like irresponsible reporting.

As a parent and former educator, I have hope that our community will rise above the test scores and hearsay and support our local neighborhood schools. Harding continues to be worthy of our family's support.

Absolutely Bill, I agree. Of course, we do live near Mexico, not near China, and we have a huge amount of Mexican immigrants. In fact, we have them to the point where in some instances they are the majority. People are on both sides of this issue because of how close to home the Mexican population is.

As a little girl I had the absolute pleasure of attending Lincoln school. I was a serious minority there with my, then, blonde hair and light skin. They taught everything in both English and Spanish, a true bilingual experience. The culture was amazing and I got to participate in performing traditional dances and fabulous Christmas celebrations that made me feel special to be a part of. I really loved the competitions that we had in class to show how well we were each learning to read and write in both languages. I did so well in fact that my mother pulled me out because she said that I couldn't write in English at a level she expected for my age. She put me into an expensive private school where there was only one Hispanic student and I thrived in that environment as well.

It was when I reentered public school at Roosevelt that this things became obvious to me... I was WAY ahead of the kids that were bilingual and instantly at the top of my class.

It's not racism that is the issue, language is the issue. I do believe that in order for English to be the dominant language that the parents need to be taught so that they can teach their children before they enter school. In turn, the teachers need to teach in English, and spend less time talking to the children in Spanish.

Either that or have two types of schools... on that ONLY teaches in English and one that ONLY teaches in Spanish. Once kids show that they are doing well in their native language then add the other language to their course of study.

Thanks cspeake for providing some first-hand, positive experience with Harding. It's a nice counterpoint to all the third hand anecdotes and uninformed opinions being expressed here. People make some crazy assumptions about education and schools, often based on their (hazy) recollections of their own experience, or on things they've heard, or biases they possess. Most of the people weighing in on these discussions haven't set foot in a public school classroom since they attended school back in the day.

And thanks to Sally Kingston for being innovative and trying to improve a school from which many would just flee and forget about (unless it's to complain about the sad state of education). I hope the District is supporting her...or leaving her alone...whichever it is she needs to get the job done.

One of the survey choices says the future of Harding is "dim due to white flight."

If whites are so racist, why would you want them in Harding school in the first place? Wouldn't the Latino students do better without having to deal with racist whites? It seems to me the argument that a school can only perform well academically with a percentage of white students above a threshold is itself racist.

"People make some crazy assumptions about education and schools, often based on their (hazy) recollections of their own experience" -alexquinn-

Alex: First of all, I like to have my facts straight, and knowing how I'll be ripped to pieces if I get a name or number wrong, I like to be honest enough to admit in front that some details may not be correct, so if you're referring to my recollections, then at least I was honest. The second point is, the article link posted be revisionist proves that the story I cited was accurate, as it was written by respected local writer Camilla Cohee who was merely reporting the fact that a local woman with strong liberal credentials did not feel comfortable keeping her son Harding School and I would not expect people with an agenda based in emotions to acknowledge that.

The simple fact is Alex, we live in a segregated society and from what I am seeing much if not most of it is coming from the multiculturalists, and while I haven't set foot in a classroom since my high school days, I *did* attend two school board meetings back in the late 1990's in Santa Barbara and the hatred coming from the pro-bilingual education militants was so blatant that it left no doubt in my mind why our education system is so messed up. (To wit: a teacher comparing ending bilingual education to "Hitler's Final Solution; tell *that* to a death camp survivor and see how *they* react)

The chickens have come home to roost, and the people who are adamant in their quest to tell one group of students that they are undeserving of whatever success they have, while telling another that they are owed something because of what happened to their ancestors are to blame. The goal of the 1960's *true* civil rights movement was to bring people together, not segregate, but multiculturalism is all about cloaking segregation in a progressive mantle.

Yes Alex, to quote you "white skin is celebrated ad nauseum in our culture", so much so that White America elected (rather overwhelmingly and without controversy) a black president despite the fact that some said that those who publicly supported him would vote for McCain when no one was looking. Here is another point to consider: the reason that much progress was made by nonwhites in the U.S. is because many white people got involved in the fight against segregation and injustice.

So what's my point you may ask?...simple: I'm not asking you to ignore the reality of racism, but understand that just as love comes in all colors, so does hate, and also, the road to Hell is paved with good intentions--and because of good intentions, many who live here cannot communicate in the language that unites the many races who live here, which is a huge part of the problem facing us.

As a parent, I've considered the option of white flight when my elementary-aged children were targeted for being "American," that is, greedy, naive, selfish, privileged. Seeing them bullied is difficult. I've considered it when my children perform well in school and get put down for it because it's all just their "white privilege." Seeing them punished for striving is difficult. Then I change my mind because there are good people out there who are trying to build a better life for themselves and their families, and they don't rely only on racism to define themselves. Some people believe in individuals; some in racism or tribalism or other groupism.

I have to say that multiculturalism as it is being taught must be a fledgling field because it is fraught with problems. I've noticed that many multicultural teachers insist only on their views of culture and are incredibly intolerant of others, maybe because they just haven't had the chance to work out the kinks in what could be a worthwhile field of the future.

The families that are served in the poorer schools have lived lives of disruption and hardship. Parents sometimes have very little academic experience. Some parents are just happy to be in the United States. They haven't had time yet to look into the future and think how far their children might go and what benefits a good education might hold.

Schools can provide wonderful opportunities for children to see another world. Hopefully, it will be enough because the families can't always help due to their own difficulties. If we cover problems with the blanket of "racism," we'll never have to address the humanity of the families involved, and the families who are hurting will remain as stuck in the midpoint between Mexico and California as they have been for decades.

How does one reconcile "white privilege" with the success of Asian students, despite the fact that Asians have a long history of being discriminated against in the U.S.?

My opinion is that certain groups of Asians have been quite successful in terms of socioeconomic advancement because of values and feelings about education and opportunity that were learned within their own cultures AND their expectations about what they might find and do here in the United States.

This leads back to the IB program at Harding School. Hopefully, students will make that leap to being citizens of the world and having responsibilities in that world that will benefit them and their families.

The IB program is geared toward older students, so my worry is how much the young ones will understand or if they'll just get confused. If it's done carefully, I think it could work.

Furthermore, I think that schools accepting federal money must play by the NCLB rules -- until a group were to challenge and win an amendment in a judicial setting. (I, myself, would rather see the children tested less often than the yearly standardized tests and use that money to keep regular, stable staff in place at the schools.)

There are two basic flaws in almost all your arguments throughout these posts, BillClausen. The first is that you frequently pull out random, extreme, anecdotal or isolated instances of things to try to illustrate larger problems or points. OF COURSE there are extremist and misguided "multiculturalists." Does that discredit the entire ideal of multiculturalism? No, just as the existence of hateful Christiams doesn't discredit the entire ideal of Christianity. So when you use the example of some extremist multiculturalist to support your belief that multiculturalists are responsible for segregation? Please. Why don't you just state it as your opinion, without trying to "support" it with examples. I would never claim that all white people are racist because some are, just as you shouldn't try to claim that the success of Asians negates any reality in white privilege, or that the election of Obama means white racism is over now.

The second flaw in your logic is your use of the 'strawman' technique: you distort the position of your opponents in order to discredit their argument. Sure, if I had ever implied that the existence of some white racists means all whites are racist, you might have a point.

Similarly, you state there are "people who are adamant in their quest to tell one group of students that they are undeserving of whatever success they have, while telling another that they are owed something because of what happened to their ancestors are to blame." This is a gross distortion of what most multiculturalists and white anti-racists believe. To acknowledge white privilege is not the same as saying white students are undeserving of their success. All students who work hard and try their best are deserving of success, but how can anyone deny that some students start out with and are helped along the way by certain unearned advantages? That is NOT the same thing as saying their hard work and effort isn't valuable or laudable. By the same token, acknowledging privilege and inequality isn't the same thing as saying people of color are "owed something." Try making an argument based on the ACTUAL position of your opponents and try using more than isolated examples. Try logic, perhaps.

"Get over it, 'Revisionist,' and start being honest: too many white families don't send their children to schools they perceive as being "too brown and too poor" and thus not "good enough" for their precious kids." - alexquinn-

As the Camilla Cohee article points out, there are justified reasons for "white flight".

Actually Alex, I have tried logic, but I get attacked for it. Your above generalization contradicts what is going on in the world around you. You are a perfect example of extremism as your above quote proves. I have called you out on what you have said and you don't like it because you're not used to being engaged in an actual debate with some who points out facts as opposed to dealing with the jingoistic rantings of some Rush Limbaugh Dittohead.

The model that has been used clearly hasn't worked. I have tried to connect the dots as to why Harding and so many other schools have failed. Why is it that the parents of these students are not held to the same linguistic standards as other immigrant groups? The problem starts when America perceives one group as been less capable than others.

We ("we" meaning our whole society) have been rehashing this same issue over and over and the fact is when someone takes a strong stand for assimilation, they get screamed at for being racist. No matter what *solution* is offered, people get offended and the hand-wringing continues. I really thought when I was a kid that we'd be in a better place by now but if anything, it may be getting worse per the issue at hand.

Here is my point: From what I've seen over many years, Spanish-speaking immigrants are held to a lower standard than other immigrants. When this happens, not only do they not assimilate into their adopted country, but also there is the self-esteem issue that cuts to the core of their psyche--as well as that of their children who grow up here. Unless you and others who take your side are willing to admit this, and those who run the schools do as well, I see no way we will ever break out of this endless cycle, or as they say in Spanish "la cadena perpetua".

We all are certainly aware of racism, injustice, some of us realize that the best weapon against this is education but we see (as Ms. Brace did) that no matter how hard we try, there is still this division among the races. Would it be racist for me to suggest that perhaps some cultures in the U.S. value education more than others? I think we all know the answer to that. The solution to all this is to *honestly* ask ourselves why this is, and go at it from that angle, but that wouldn't be politically correct, would it?

I'd rather light a candle than curse the Darkness.

I would like for everyone to think about what they would do if something in their life wasn't working....wouldn't you change it? If you don't like the food at a restaurant some would return it...right?

Well, Harding has had some difficult years and I commend Ms. Kingston for being a visionary! She is trying to make a necessary change and unfortunately change is difficult. Some teachers believe that they are doing everything right....and, some are,,,however, I have often seen many teachers who take the easy road. For those teachers who are hiding behind an article, "shame on you!"

I would be honored to work at a school that is changing to IB. It's an amazing endeavor. Good luck to all the teachers who are going to climb the mountain together. May your challenges be rewarded! Be thankful that you have a principal who is willing to make the necessary changes.

Children come first!!!!!!!!!!

If Kingston can make it happen, more power to her. What they've been doing so far hasn't worked so she just very well might be the change for the better that they've long needed.

Let's not forget another teacher who bucked the system and got results: Jaime Escalante.

I think that we all want to see a positive change for Harding... everyone in these posts seems to be pro kids, regardless of nationality, and considering that they ARE the future, we want them to all exceed to the best, and above, their personal abilities. I know we will all be watching next year to see how things go, especially those of us that are parents in the school district. I would LOVE to see them improve so that I would feel comfortable with my own kids attending that school. Until then I'll be driving them out of district each day because I need them to be challenged in the classroom.

Wow, thanks to the Indy for another great story. Once upon a time, there used to see articles like this in the B-section of the SBNP. Sadly, no more.

I don't have any special knowledge or expertise about K-12 education, but I do hope Kingston, the teaching staff, and UCSB help turn Harding around. Some friends who own a home two blocks away just had a new baby and we've been discussing what they'll do when their kid gets to school age. When we looked at the individual school rating for Harding, we were shocked! Especially when you compare against the ratings for Washington School, which is just on the other side of the mesa.

I'm not sure I buy the single-language argument. While I suspect its a contributor, my hunch is the weightier factor is the significantly lower socio-economic and educational status of the majority of families in the area. We've all seen the reports about how many of these kids go to school hungry and how that affects learning. I've talked to a number of Hispanic janitors at our company - none of them can afford to buy a PC for their kids let alone the internet connection, even when both parents are working. And even if they could, the parents themselves have no computer knowledge. This isn't meant to be a sob story, but it is recognition that there is a wide gap between families that send their kids to Peabody or Foothill versus those at Harding or Franklin.

Kudos to Adonis_Tate for his usual succinct and to-the-point comments.

"I've talked to a number of Hispanic janitors at our company - none of them can afford to buy a PC for their kids let alone the internet connection, even when both parents are working. And even if they could, the parents themselves have no computer knowledge."

This is why cheap illegal, and legal for that matter labor is only cheap for the employer, but tremendously costly to California as a whole. But if your goal is to import an angry proletariate that you can use to beat up on what's left of the middle class then you have succeeded. Of course, mass immigration from Mexico is also an ideal way to "abolish whiteness" as they say in Schools of Education.

Aaaaaaahhhhh! You almost got a cogent point out, revisionist, before you buried it in your typical V-Dare/NumbersUSA rant.

But I can edit!

--- Shorter "revisionist": ---

::: "This is why cheap illegal, and legal for that matter, labor is cheap for the employer but tremendously costly to California as a whole."

(There, that's much better.)

And to add a question (perhaps a rhetorical one) to the Revisionist/Binky exchange: Do those who hire cheap labor pass the savings onto the general public?

No Bill,

The cheap labor works at the restaurants, hotels and in the fields. What ever savings are had are turned over to the landlords...How has Fess Parker and his cohorts helped out your life in this town?

Less traffic? Less Crime? Better schools? Lower taxes? Lower population density?

No.

Just the constant whine for more outrageously price cops and fire folk to protect Castle Montecito, Fortress Riviera and the ivory tower of UCSB.

We need to refocus on vocational training for American youth and quit giving away our jobs to the third world. We've been conned for decades now by the educational elite that the only way to get ahead is by indenturing ourselves with massive college loans to learn how to "service" the economy. How many liberal arts majors do we need for christ's sake? How demoralizing is it to these youths who are made to feel inferior right when they need support the most?

Recall the "smartest guys in the room" are the ones who have sold out the american dream to feed their own greed and egos. Finance, autos, aviation, agriculture, technology, manufacturing...all sold out to profit the few.

America is Rome and the barbarians have infiltrated and are making off with the wealth while we fiddle away...and we let 40% of our high school kids not graduate so we can have 100K a year cops manning check points and riding roughshod on the welfare state.

Well put sa1; your post summerizes the needed points. I hope people will get off the liberal/conservative/racial polemic and realize how the politicians in both countries are sticking it to people on both sides of the border.

What is sad and scary is that no matter how badly U.S. politicians behave, they will almost surely be rewarded with more power because the average voter would rather complain about the opposing party than improve their own.