“They are, in other words, essentially irrational.”

JLF’s John Hood weighs in on the actions of the new Wake County school board. Predictably, the new conservative majority is being attacked for following through on the campaign promises voters overwhelmingly endorsed. Why the attacks?

Because these adversaries consider their position to be morally superior, and their role to be analogous to the civil-rights pioneers of the past, they will feel no compunction about doing whatever it takes to frustrate the will of the vast majority of Wake County citizens. In their minds, the adversaries are reliving the 1950s. Some truly believe that white-hooded segregationists lurk in every SUV and cul-de-sac they see.

They are, in other words, essentially irrational. They can’t be reasoned with. But that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be listened to carefully, for the purposes of choosing the right strategy for the moment.

Conservatives on the Wake school board need always to remember that their cause is the just one – that they are the ones fighting for the rights of parents and students. Because they are clearly correct on the substantive issues in dispute, and are inheriting control of a school system whose disadvantaged students perform worse than the state average, the conservatives should approach their task with confidence, firm resolution, and a commitment to openness and transparency.