A Battle, and an Opportunity

THERE is a profound culture war being waged in our nation. Sometimes we fight about race, sometimes about religion, and often about political ideology. Navigating the battlefields of these issues, one by one, is always a dangerous task. But there is no terrain in America more treacherous than the three-way intersection of race, religion, and political ideology.

With the nomination of John Ashcroft, George W. Bush has boldly brought the nation to this intersection. Ashcroft is a political conservative, a Christian, and a man who believes that, as President John Kennedy put it, “race has no place in American life or law.” At another time and another place in our history, the nomination of Ashcroft would not have stirred passions or controversy. What causes such fear and animosity now? Why is Ashcroft portrayed as a “right-wing

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About the Author

Ward Connerly

Ward Connerly is President of Californians for Equal Rights, the NO on Prop 16 campaign.

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THERE is a profound culture war being waged in our nation. Sometimes we fight about race, sometimes about religion, and often about political ideology. Navigating the battlefields of these issues, one by one, is always a dangerous task. But there is no terrain in America more treacherous than the three-way intersection of race, religion, and political ideology.

With the nomination of John Ashcroft, George W. Bush has boldly brought the nation to this intersection. Ashcroft is a political conservative, a Christian, and a man who believes that, as President John Kennedy put it, “race has no place in American life or law.” At another time and another place in our history, the nomination of Ashcroft would not have stirred passions or controversy. What causes such fear and animosity now? Why is Ashcroft portrayed as a “right-wing